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Government

$5M in Rental, Utilities Assistance for Native Hawaiians

Wednesday, June 30th, 2021

CNHA News Release

In a continued partnership with the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands (DHHL), the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement (CNHA) is expanding the Native Hawaiian Rental and Utilities Relief Program to include all eligible Native Hawaiians living in Hawaii. Prior to this program, only beneficiaries on the DHHL Waiting List who are at least 50 percent Hawaiian, were eligible for assistance using the DHHL funding.

This new allotment of funds was made possible through the American Rescue Plan of 2021 and is part of the DHHL COVID-19 Emergency Rental Assistance Program. This round of funding is available to all Native Hawaiians whether or not they are on the DHHL Waiting List.…

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OHA Awards $1.77M in COVID Response Grants

Wednesday, June 30th, 2021

OHA News Release

Programs helping to mitigate learning struggles endured by young learners during the pandemic, provide psychiatric services to Native Hawaiians and provide food to vulnerable Native Hawaiian communities are among the grant awardees announced today by the Office of Hawaiian Affairs.

A total of 15 Hawaii nonprofit organizations on five islands will receive a total of $1.77 million in grant awards through OHA’s COVID-19 Impact and Response Grants. The grant program is being offered for the first time to help the community address the multiple impacts of the global pandemic.

On Molokai, KUPU was awarded $55,042 for its “Conservation Leadership Development Program” to provide employment opportunities for early and developing professionals (17 years or older) who want to commit to a career in conservation.…

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DeCoite Appointed as Senator

Wednesday, June 23rd, 2021

DeCoite Appointed as Senator

By Catherine Cluett Pactol

Molokai’s Lynn DeCoite, who formerly served as State Representative, was appointed last week to fill the State Senate District 7 seat left vacant by Sen. Kalani English’s May 1 retirement.

Gov. David Ige selected DeCoite to serve in the position from three names put forward to fill the vacancy by the Democratic Party of Hawaii. A homesteader from Ho’olehua, she will become the 10th woman currently serving in the State Senate.

“Lynn has served her constituents well in the House, and she’s remained in touch with the community. She understands the issues people are facing and will represent the residents in this district well in the Senate,” said Gov.…

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January Is Now Kalaupapa Month

Wednesday, June 23rd, 2021

January Is Now Kalaupapa Month

By Catherine Cluett Pactol

Last Wednesday, Gov. Ige signed into law a bill that designates January as Kalaupapa Month in Hawaii. It will “serve as an annual reminder of the importance of Kalaupapa and the significant sacrifices and contributions of its residents throughout the history of Hawaii,” the bill reads.

Kalaupapa resident John Arruda, who was sent to the peninsula in 1945 and is now 97 years old, stood next to Gov. Ige as he signed the bill. Ige presented Arruda with the pen he used.

“Freedom was taken away from us and it means a lot that the State — the Legislature and the Governor — want to honor our people in this way,” said Arruda.…

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Interisland Travel Now Unrestricted

Wednesday, June 23rd, 2021

By Catherine Cluett Pactol

For the first time in months, there are no Safe Travels screeners greeting arrivals to the Molokai Airport. Travelers may come and go interisland freely without going through a litany of testing, quarantine procedures, forms, QR codes and other protocols, as of June 15. The ending of regulations for travel within Hawaii marks one of several to the Emergency Revised Rules the governor made last week.

Individuals who have been fully vaccinated in the state of Hawaii are also no longer required to do a pre-travel test when traveling from the U.S. mainland. However, visitors from the continental U.S.…

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Hurricane Season Predicted ‘Below-Normal’

Wednesday, June 16th, 2021

By Catherine Cluett Pactol | Editor

Weather officials are predicting a “near-or below-normal” hurricane season this year, which runs June 1 through Nov. 30. Forecasters say to expect two to five tropical cyclones — including tropical depressions, storms and hurricanes — for the 2021 Central Pacific season, and an 80 percent chance of near or below normal season. A near-normal season has four to five tropical cyclones.

“This year we will likely see less activity in the Central Pacific region compared to more active seasons,” said Matthew Rosencrans, NOAA’s lead seasonal hurricane forecaster at the Climate Prediction Center. “Less activity is predicted since ocean temperatures are likely to be near- to below average in the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean where hurricanes form, and because El Niño is not present to increase the activity.”…

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County Council Urges Permanent Online Meetings

Wednesday, June 9th, 2021

Maui County Council News Release

The National Association of Counties will honor Maui County with an Achievement Award for “Enhancing Civic Engagement Through Online Legislative Meetings” at the NACo Annual Con-ference in Prince George’s County, Maryland, on July 11.

On March 16, 2020, Governor David Y. Ige issued his first COVID-19 emergency proclamation, which partially suspended public meetings statute, known as the Sunshine Law, to authorize online meetings.

Meetings held during the emergency weren’t required to be open to the public. “Boards” subject to the Sunshine Law, including the Maui County Council and its committees, were merely asked to “consider reasonable measures to allow public participation.”…

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Intern with Sen. Schatz

Wednesday, May 19th, 2021

Intern with Sen. Schatz

Sen. Brian Schatz News Release

Applications for U.S. Senator Brian Schatz’s 2021–22 High School Internship Program are now being accepted. The statewide program provides a hands-on learning opportunity about the U.S. Senate and encourages students to be leaders and advocates in their schools and communities. Molokai High School’s Ashawna-Leigh Bicoy is among the outgoing interns from the 2020-2021 program.

“This year’s interns were obviously very impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead of being discouraged, they used this moment to advocate for better communication with their communities, increased physical and mental health resources, and expanded educational opportunities for students. I thank them for all of the great work they did this year,” said Sen.…

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Top 3 Candidates Selected to Fill Senate Vacancy

Wednesday, May 19th, 2021

By Catherine Cluett Pactol

Three candidates for the vacant Senate District 7 seat previously held by Sen. Kalani English have been submitted to Gov. Ige by the Democratic Party of Hawaii. One of those is Molokai’s Lynn DeCoite, who currently serves as Representative for House District 13. Molokai’s Walter Ritte was also one of six applicants for the position but was not selected among the top three for the governor’s consideration.

Sen. English announced his retirement on May 1. The Senate District 7 seat represents Molokai, Lanai, Hana, East and Upcountry Maui and Kaho’olawe. Filling the vacancy follows the Democratic Party of Hawaii’s (DPH) constitution and bylaws for filling legislative mid-term vacancies.…

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Sen. English Retires, Molokai Candidates to Vie for Seat

Thursday, May 6th, 2021

By Catherine Cluett Pactol

Longtime Senator Kalani English announced his retirement from the State Senate last week, effective May 1. Meanwhile, Molokai’s Representative Lynn DeCoite has said she will be seeking his seat, along with Walter Ritte, who narrowly lost to DeCoite in the last election.

English served as senator of District 7, Hana, East and Upcountry Maui, Molokai and Lanai, since 2000, having previously served on the Maui County Council since 1997. He cited longterm medical issues resulting from contracting COVID-19 last year as his main reason for retirement.

“In late November 2020, I contracted COVID-19 while with family out of Hawaii,” English said in a statement last week.…

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