Good evening, Hawaii. Here are the main stories we've been following today:
Your Weather Planner
A front will move over Oahu today before weakening and stalling. Look for showers across the western part of the state. Breezy north-northeast winds will follow in the front’s wake this morning, then weaken and shift out of the east-northeast this afternoon and evening across the entire state. Winds will briefly become light and variable over the weekend before strong and gusty trades return for much of next week.
High Surf Advisory for Friday for North and West Facing shores of Kauai and Niihau and North facing shores of Oahu.
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Today's Big Stories
1. Congress passes Federal Disaster Tax Relief Act
The U.S. Senate unanimously passed the bipartisan Federal Disaster Tax Relief Act on Wednesday, paving the way for survivors of the Maui wildfires to be exempted from paying federal income tax on settlement money or attorney fees included in a settlement.
The exemption will also retroactively apply to qualified victims of the fires.
“Any settlement money survivors receive belongs to them, not the federal government,” said U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, one of the bill’s co-sponsors. “We will continue to do everything we can to help survivors and the Maui community to recover and rebuild.”
The Federal Disaster Tax Relief Act would exclude from taxpayer gross income, for income tax purposes, any amount received by an individual taxpayer as compensation for expenses or losses incurred due to a qualified fire disaster.
The bill will now go to Pres. Joe Biden for final approval.
2. Kahele to serve as OHA Board chair
Former U.S. representative Kai Kahele was elected chair of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs Board of Trustees on Wednesday.
Kahele succeeds trustee Carmen “Hulu” Lindsey, who served in the position for the last four years.
“I am both humbled and honored that my fellow trustees have placed their trust and confidence in me to lead the board,” Kahele said in a statement released on Wednesday. “I look forward to leading transparently and in collaboration with the board, staff, community and our beneficiaries. Together, we at OHA will commit our efforts to improving the lives of our Native Hawaiian beneficiaries with the energy and passion our people deserve.”
The board elected trustee Keoni Souza as board vice-chair.
Kahele was elected to represent Hawaii Island in the November General Election. It is his first elected office since vacating his seat as Hawaii District 2 representative in a failed bid for governor.
3. Honolulu Civil Beat: Honolulu yanks ‘Renovation Aloha’ permit after Civil Beat exposes illegal work
Honolulu is revoking a building permit issued to the home-flipping hosts of the HGTV show “Renovation Aloha” after a Civil Beat investigation identified work done without a county review.
The show captured Tristyn and Kamohai Kalama transforming a disjointed, derelict property in Kalihi into a high-end home suitable for multigenerational living. They combined two structures, lifted part of the home onto stilts, added a new roof and renovated multiple kitchens and bathrooms — a $425,000 job, according to the show.
The permit, however, mentions only new windows and a carport and says the work cost $80,000.
“They essentially submitted plans with incorrect information, similar to some of the monster homes developers,” Dawn Takeuchi Apuna, Honolulu’s director of planning and permitting, said in an email. “As a result, we are in the process of revoking the permit.”
What that means for the Kalamas or the current homeowners is unclear. Takeuchi Apuna declined to comment further but noted she may have more to say next week.
Meanwhile, the couple’s skirting of the rules has ignited a firestorm of conversation across the islands and on social media, from Reddit and YouTube to the popular Instagram account MyKailua. Their forgoing of permits has invited a backlash from some.
Buyers of homes with unpermitted work can run into problems if a neighbor complains or when the owners want to make their own permitted additions or alterations. If the county inspector visits the property to review the new project and sees unpermitted work, they can require retroactive permits and assess penalties.
Even if the work was done prior to the current owner buying the place, the plans have to match the work, according to Cheryl Cudiamat, president of the engineering firm Structural Hawaii.
“Anytime you go in for a new permit, it has to match, so it will be their cost to permit it eventually,” she said.
4. Kealakehe students gear up for NASA competition
With NASA’s international Human Exploration Rover Challenge fast approaching, Kealakehe High School’s student engineering team is making progress toward building a prototype for testing.
The students are the state’s sole representative in the prestigious 75-team competition, which takes place next April at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville, Ala.
The challenge brings together student engineers from 20 states, Puerto Rico and 16 countries in a competition to see which team can best design and build a human-powered rover capable of navigating simulated extraterrestrial terrains. Competitors come from 38 high schools, 35 colleges and two middle schools.
“The inventiveness, the exploration, the curiosity — they have that and we’re in a place that obviously has a lot of connections to explorers,” said Justin Brown, the school’s career and technical education and robotics coordinator. “You know, Ellison Onizuka to what happened with Hokulea — exploring and understanding new frontiers is at the heart of the Big Island.”
The Kealakehe team recently presented their rover design to a NASA panel as part of the pre-competition design review.
“Being up there and presenting the slides, it really felt like a very proud moment because we were like, this is the work we’ve done and this is what we have to show for it, and we can’t wait to show you guys more,” said Kealakehe junior Ailani Cruz.
5. Koko Head Shooting Complex to close weekdays Dec. 9 to 20
Renovations to the “backstop berm for the metallic silhouette range” at the Koko Head Shooting Complex will close the facility Monday through Friday from Dec. 9 to Dec. 20, according to the city’s Department of Parks and Recreation.
During this time, the archery range will remain open. The entire complex will also be open for public use on Dec. 14 and 15 since no work will be conducted on the weekend.
Ranges on the Hanauma Bay side will remain open Dec. 9 to 20 for law enforcement use.
Initially closed in Sept. 2022, KHSC began reopening to the public in March and April 2024 with weekday shooting hours for the pistol and rifle ranges restored in July 2024.
Additional information and updates are available on the KHSC website.
Your Notes for the Weekend
Saturday, Dec. 7
- French President Emmanuel Macron hosts Notre Dame Cathedral official inauguration ceremony in Paris. Attendees include President-elect Donald Trump and First Lady Dr. Jill Biden
- 83rd Anniversary National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day Commemoration Ceremony in Hawaii, co-hosted by the National Park Service and the U.S. Navy
- South Korean lawmakers expected to vote on impeachment bill for president following failed martial law attempt
- Judy Garland's 'Wizard of Oz' ruby slippers on sale in auction
- Vatican Christmas tree illuminated
Sunday, Dec. 8
- Notre Dame Cathedral reopens to the public
- 47th Kennedy Center Honors Gala, celebrating lifetime artistic achievement in the arts. Hosted by Queen Latifah with President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris
- Donald Trump interviewed on 'Meet The Press with Kristen Welker' on NBC
- Astra Awards for Creative Arts, Film, and TV
- Pope prays at Spanish Steps for 'start of Christmas season'
Monday, Dec. 9
- Democratic Sen.-elect Andy Kim sworn in to serve the remainder of former Sen. Bob Menendez's term, after he resigned following his conviction on 16 counts of corruption by a federal jury
- Pretrial conference for Nadine Menendez, wife of Dem Sen. Bob Menendez, charged in alleged bribery scheme
- U.S. Supreme Court hearings: 'Kousisis v. United States'
- Court hearing for defendant charged in USS Cole bombing
- 82nd Golden Globe Awards nominations announced with all categories
- Finalists announced for 90th Heisman Memorial Trophy
- 'Indiana Jones and the Great Circle' video game released for Xbox and PC
In Case You Missed It
Gov. Josh Green ordered the U.S. and Hawaii state flags to be flown at half-staff in remembrance of the attack on Pearl Harbor. (Office of the Governor, file)
Hawaii governor lowers flag for Pearl Harbor remembrance
At the direction of the President of the United States, Gov. Josh Green ordered the U.S. and Hawaii state flags be lowered to honor the lives lost on Dec. 7, 1941, the day Pearl Harbor was attacked.
The flags will be flown at half-staff at the Hawaii State Capitol and all state offices and agencies as well as the Hawaii National Guard from sunrise until sunset on Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024.
“First Lady Jaime Kanani Green and I will join in solemn reflection at the Pearl Harbor National Memorial to honor the lives lost on December 7, 1941. The day serves as a poignant reminder of the courage and sacrifices made by the thousands of men and women whose bravery in the face of unimaginable adversity shaped the course of history. Their memory continues to inspire our dedication to peace and resilience as a state and as a nation,” said Green in a news release.