Good evening, Hawaii. Following a spate of fatal motor vehicle collisions this week (one on Maui, two on Oahu), the state Department of Transportation urged the public to drive with caution; the City & County of Honolulu will invest $5 million in the Good Jobs Oahu program; and University of Hawaii football coach Timmy Chang expressed his confidence in the Mountain West Conference Friday, ahead of news of two Pac-12 defections. Read about the important stories you need to know.
Your Weather Planner
Breezy trade winds will continue today, then slowly ease starting tonight and through the first half of the weekend. Isolated rain chances are still possible over windward areas, mainly during mornings and nighttime hours. Rain chances increase briefly through the second half of the weekend.
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Today's Big Stories
1. Hawaii Department of Transportation urges drivers to be cautious after string of fatal incidents
The Hawaii Department of Transportation sent a news release urging drivers to be cautious after a recent string of fatalities on the road.
On Wednesday, a car fatally hit a bicyclist in Waimanalo, Oahu, and three people died in a head on collision in Lahaina, Maui. The following day, a four vehicle crash on Oahu’s H-1 Freeway killed two people.
So far this year, 53 lives have been lost on Hawaii’s roads.
“We thank all of our Hawaii communities for the 38 days of zero fatalities we enjoyed from June 18 through July 26,” said Hawaii Department of Transportation Director Ed Sniffen in the news release. “It was an unprecedented streak of highway safety for Hawaii. We ask that we all join in to make the streak of zeroes the rule rather than the exception, so no one needs to experience senseless loss.”
HDOT reminds drivers to obey the speed limit and all traffic laws, like “Click It or Ticket” and “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over.” They also remind people to be thoughtful about the safety of pedestrians and bike riders..
2. City chips in $5M to Good Jobs Oahu initiative
The City and County of Honolulu will invest $5 million in the new Good Jobs Oahu initiative, a partnership with the University of Hawaii that will support training for Oahu residents to seek higher-paying jobs in industries that diversify the economy.
A Good Jobs Hawaii statewide initiative is already underway, and the new program will increase overall funding to expand job-training courses offered by the UH Community Colleges. Career pathways include health care, education, clean energy, skilled trades, creative industries and technology as well as careers within the City.
Good Jobs Hawaii launched statewide in January as coordinated effort with more than 300 employers. To date, the initiative has offered free skills training and job placement support to more than 900 people.
More than 50 free training courses for Fall 2023 are now available for sign up here.
3. Timmy Chang voices confidence in Mountain West amid Pac-12 realignment chaos
As conference alignment chaos continues to swirl in power college football, the smaller FBS Group of Five leagues like the Mountain West Conference anxiously stand by.
The future of the Pac-12 Conference is in doubt amid national reports that Oregon and Washington are finalizing membership applications to the Big Ten Conference. Meanwhile, Arizona, Utah and Arizona State have applied for Big 12 membership.
Speculation has been rampant how the Mountain West could be affected — if it will add the remnant schools of the Pac-12, if the Pac-12 would pluck some of the best MWC institutions as replacements or if some kind of merger between the Pac-12 and MWC is imminent.
Second-year head coach Timmy Chang was asked by Spectrum News about his thoughts on the Mountain West amid the controversy.
“I love our Mountain West Conference. We believe we’re the best Group of Five conference,” Chang said. “There’s some competitive football week in and week out in our conference with some great players and great coaches. Every time I go to a Mountain West meeting and I see those guys, it just reminds me of how high of a standard it is.
“However this thing shakes out, I feel comfortable about where we are as a conference and a group.”
4. Officials remind the public to use rapid response hotline for marine debris removal
Hawaii County’s push to jumpstart a hydrogen economy on the Big Island is raising questions about what role, if any, Hu Honua might play in getting that industry off the ground.
The idled tree-burning power plant, also known as Honua Ola Bioenergy, has been coming back into compliance with more than a dozen county permits even after the state Supreme Court rejected its proposal to sell power to Hawaiian Electric.
Meanwhile, Mayor Mitch Roth has been heralding the commitment to hydrogen in various public forums as the county seeks clean energy proposals from developers who could receive contracts by the end of this year.
The county received a U.S. Department of Energy grant in 2020 to support a five-year mentoring relationship among Namie, Japan, Lancaster, California, and the Big Island to replace oil and fossil fuel with hydrogen-based fuel cells to reach carbon neutrality by 2035, Roth said in his State of the County speech this year.
However, some community members, including Council member Rebecca Villegas and the Sierra Club, are calling for more transparency with the process.
Recent remarks by Roth combined with Hawaii County releasing several key permits to Hu Honua, related to fire suppression and grading, have raised speculation that the troubled biomass plant may be down but not out, and could play a role in creating electricity for hydrogen energy.
So how might Hu Honua factor into the island’s hydrogen equation? It’s hard to know at this point. Warren Lee, Hu Honua’s president, did not respond to a request for comment.
Last month during a Renew Rebuild Hawaii forum, Roth suggested Hu Honua could be part of the island’s energy portfolio with certain conditions.
“If it’s net zero, if it’s going to be a cleaner energy and it’s going to help with that, then we’re all for it,” Roth said.
5. Boa constrictor found aboard Honolulu-bound cargo ship
It wasn’t quite “Snakes on a Plane” — more like a single (small, mostly harmless) snake on a boat — but the discovery of a juvenile boa constrictor slithering atop the deck of a cargo ship headed for snake-free Honolulu was enough to mobilize U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents and the Hawaii Department of Agriculture on Saturday.
Agricultural inspectors from HDOA’s Plant Quarantine Branch met the ship at Pier 31 and found the snake in a hole in the deck floor. They extracted the just-over 18-inch snake and brought it back to the branch, where it remains safeguarded.
State law prohibits the transport and possession of snakes. Under the Amnesty Program, illegal animals may be turned in to any HDOA office, any municipal zoo or aquarium, or the Humane Society. If illegal animals are turned in prior to the start of an investigation, no criminal charges will be pursued and no fines will be assessed.
Anyone with information on illegal animals should call the state’s toll-free PEST HOTLINE at 643-PEST (7378).
Your Notes for this Weekend
Saturday, August 5
- Donald Trump keynotes South Carolina GOP Silver Elephant Gala
- Mike Pence speaks at POLARIS National Security 'America The Great Tour'
- Ron DeSantis attends 'Big Barn Bash' fundraising event in Iowa
- Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Ceremony
- Saudi Arabia hosts talks on Ukraine's peace plan
- Jake Paul fights Nate Diaz in Dallas
- Pro Football Hall of Fame Concert for Legends
- CatCon, event for for pets and pop culture showcasing cat-centric merchandise and conversations Pasadena
- 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup soccer tournament knockout stage begins
Sunday, August 6
- Anniversary of first atomic bomb dropped
- 25th anniversary of Monica Lewinsky testifying on relationship with President Clinton
- GOP presidential candidates speak at GOP Rep. Ashley Hinson's 'Ashley's BBQ Bash'
- 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup soccer tournament round of 16 continues
- Miss Black USA competition
- Freddie Mercury memorabilia offered at auction
Monday, August 7
- Sentencing of former Minneapolis police officer Tou Thao for his role in the murder of George Floyd in police custody
- Television Critics Association Awards announced
- Sentencing of rapper Tory Lanez, convicted of shooting Megan Thee Stallion
- 25th anniversary of U.S. embassy bombings in Kenya and Tanzania
- NASA co-hosts media teleconference providing updates on Boeing OFT-2 Starliner crewed launch
- Nikki Haley attends Politics & Prosecco Summer Soiree event
- 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup soccer tournament round of 16 continues
- What: 82nd Annual Na Hula Festival
- Where: Kapiolani Bandstand | 3840 Paki Ave., Honolulu
- Details: Bring your chair, towel or blanket for a day of hula and a performance by the Royal Hawaiian Band at the stateʻs longest-running, annual, non-competitive hula event, 9 a.m.-2 a.m. Aug. 6. The event kicks off with a 9 a.m. with the Royal Hawaiian Band followed by Halau Hula o Nawahine at 10 a.m., Puanani Alama Hula Studio at 11 a.m., the 2023 Lei Queen and Court at noon, Halau Hula o Pua Aala Hone at 12:10 p.m., and Hula Hui o Kapunahala at 1:10 p.m.
- What: ‘Something Rotten!’
- Where: Historic Iao Theater | 68 North Market St., Wailuku | 808-242-6969
- Details: Nominated for 10 Tony Awards and hailed by “Time Out New York” as “the funniest musical comedy in at least 400 years,” this Broadway musical farce features song and dance numbers and a wacky cast, through Aug. 6 (rescheduled from July 28-30). Tickets.
- What: 61st Annual Hawaiian International Billfish Tournament
- Where: Kailua Pier | Kaahumanu Place, Kailua-Kona
- Details: The state's largest big game sportfishing event draws anglers from around the world, Aug. 5-13. Visit the event website for information.
- What: Heiva I Kauai 2023
- Where: Kapaa Beach Park | Niu St., Kapaa
- Details: The public is invited to this two-day event celebrating Tahitian culture, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Aug. 5-6. Participants from Hawaii, the U.S. Mainland and Japan will compete as groups, solo dance and in drumming for children and adults. Enjoy traditional costumes, songs, music, and the sharing of legends and stories, as well as vendors selling gifts, crafts, apparel, jewelry, accessories and food.
For more on these and other events, see this week's HI Out & About.
In Case You Missed It
Photo courtesy of Ten Seconds Yunnan Rice Noodle
Ten Seconds Yunnan Rice Noodle opens at Pearlridge Center
Ten Seconds Yunnan Rice Noodle will open at Pearlridge Center on Tuesday.
The noodle menu includes golden hot and sour soup, pork bone soup, a vegetarian tomato soup, Szechuan mala spicy soup, and more. Noodles are made with rice flour, making them gluten-free.
Ten Seconds Yunnan Rice Noodle Hawaii is at Pearlridge Center’s Uptown. It is open from 10:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. from Monday to Sunday. Reservations can be made for six or more people by calling 808-892-6888.