Good evening, Hawaii. Here are the main stories we've been following today:
Your Weather Planner
A strong high pressure, located north of the islands will continue to dominate our forecast. We’ll see breezy to windy trades through Thursday with mainly dry conditions, just a few windward and mountain nocturnal showers possible. The trades will weaken and shift to a more southeasterly direction over the weekend, enhancing daytime sea breezes over sheltered western slopes of each island. An upper low will approach the Hawaiian Islands on Saturday, bringing rain chances across the state early into next week. A Wind Advisory remains in effect through Wednesday evening gusts for up to 50 mph for portions of Hawaii Island, Maui, Lanai and Kahoolawe. Winds will be the strongest over and downwind of the mountains and where winds are funneled around and between the terrain.
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Today's Big Stories
1. Construction defect litigation adds to housing uncertainty
Litigation over construction defects is contributing to higher housing expenses, project delays, financing challenges and, ultimately, reduced opportunities for residents to own a home, according to a new University of Hawaii Economic Research Organization report.
While land-use constraints, infrastructure availability and permitting delays are frequently identified as the major causes of the state’s ongoing housing shortage, a UHERO team that included policy researcher Trey Gordner and economists Justin Tyndall and Kimberly Burnett found that legal action to redress construction defects has had broad economic implications and raises questions about the efficiency of the current Contractor Repair Act process.
Construction defects include flaws in the design, materials or workmanship of a building that may compromise its structural integrity, functionality or aesthetics. Homeowners are increasingly taking legal action to compel builders, developers, architects and/or contractors to repair defects or provide compensation.
According to the report, construction defect cases have grown larger and more frequent over the last 25 years and now impact nearly 1,000 units each year in the state, with settlements reaching tens and hundreds of millions of dollars.
2. Maui Police Chief Pelletier denies allegations, rebuffs call for administrative leave
Following Maui Mayor Richard Bissen’s call for Maui County Police Chief John Pelletier to take administrative leave — a call prompted by a civil suit naming Pelletier as a co-conspirator in a criminal enterprise run by rapper Sean “Diddy” Combs — the chief denied the allegations and rejected the mayor’s request as “premature and unjust.”
The suit was filed in U.S. District Court in Northern California on Friday by Ashley Parham and two unnamed plaintiffs. The plaintiffs allege that Pelletier, then a Las Vegas Police Department officer and one of a dozen named defendants, managed security for Combs’ so-called Las Vegas safe houses.
According to the suit, Pelletier, posing as a sheriff, intervened with local police to quash Parham’s attempt to report being gang raped at the hands of Combs and his associates. He is also accused of kidnapping and transporting the two unidentified plaintiffs, a mother and son, for Combs.
On Monday, Bissen transmitted a letter to Maui Police Commission chair Stacey Moniz recommending that the commission place Pelletier on administrative leave pending further investigation and requesting the commission conduct its own independent review rather than wait for the resolution of the federal case.
On Tuesday, Pelletier issued a statement calling the allegations “completely false” and chafing at Bissen’s request.
It is common practice for government employees to be placed on administrative leave when they are the subject of an ongoing investigation.
3. Sophisticated chargeback scam targets Hawaii businesses
The Hawaii Tourism Authority sent a warning about a complicated scam that has already led to substantial financial losses through fraudulent chargebacks for multiple local businesses.
The details of the scam are not entirely clear, but it starts with selling heavily discounted Hawaii tour packages to Chinese visitors through Xiaohongshu, known in English as “Little Red Book” or “RedNote,” a popular Chinese social media and e-commerce app, for activities and attractions such as Pearl Harbor National Memorial, whale watching, snorkeling, scuba tours, state parks, and more.
At first, the transactions appear legitimate: tourists receive valid confirmations, take part in tours, and receive services from legitimate businesses. However, after the traveler enjoys the tour, fraudulent chargebacks (when a payment is returned to a credit or debit card) are initiated through various means, resulting in financial losses for local businesses, according to HTA.
HTA asked that any local businesses who have experienced similar fraudulent activity to document all incidents thoroughly and contact the Better Business Bureau.
4. Emergency repairs to Hilo's Wailuku Bridge will alter traffic throughout the week
Following a bridge inspection on Tuesday, the Hawaii Department of Transportation announced there will be a change in the traffic pattern to Wailuku Bridge in Hilo as the bridge undergoes emergency repairs throughout the rest of the week or longer if required.
Wailuku Bridge is known as the “singing bridge,” and it sits between Waianuenue Avenue and Pukihae Street on Hawaii Belt Road (Route 19). Until the repairs are completed, Hilo-bound traffic on Hawaii Belt Road at Wailuku Bridge will use Hau and Wainaku streets as a detour. Honokaa-bound traffic may cross the bridge.
HDOT says they expect to finish repairs later this week, but it could take longer if additional work is needed. They repaired the bridge in 2019, 2020, and 2023. A full rehabilitation is planned to start in 2027.
5. More Oahu residents taking learner’s permit test online frees up DMV appointments
The City and County of Honolulu’s Department of Customer Services announced in December that Oahu residents could take their written learner’s permit test online — without an appointment. On Monday, the department released data on how many people are taking their learner’s permit test online, and the results show the number of monthly users has been steadily rising since the rollout of the digital service.
During the first month of rollout, 284 people took the test online; In January, 653 people took the test online; And last month, 1,009 people took the test online.
Last year, the Division of Motor Vehicles got an average of 550 in-person appointments every week. However, with more people taking the test online, the DMV can free up in-person appointment slots for the more than 146,000 driver’s licenses expected to be issued this year in the City and County of Honolulu. The Department of Customer Services is also expecting a sharp increase in driver’s license renewals in 2026, because a 2010 law made driver’s licenses valid for eight years, instead of six, and this would be the second expiration cycle (with 2018 being the first).
Your Notes for Tomorrow
Thursday, March 13
- Nominations hearing considers Jayanta Bhattacharya to be director of the National Institutes of Health, and Martin Makary to be commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, following their nominations by President Donald Trump
- Nominations hearing considers David Weldon to be director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, following his nomination by President-elect Donald Trump
- PGA Tour golf continues with the 51st The PLAYERS Championship, known as the 'fifth Major', day one
- Unemployment Insurance Weekly Claims Report - Initial Claims
- ESA releases images and results following Hera mission Mars flyby
- Former Abercrombie & Fitch CEO in court on sex trafficking charges
- SXSW Festival Conference 2025 continues with a conversation event with former First Lady of the United States Michelle Obama and her brother, National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Executive Director and 'Ways to Win' podcast host Craig Robinson
In Case You Missed It
(Getty Images/Witthaya Prasongsin)
3 meetings in March to discuss sewer fee increases
The city’s Department of Environmental Services continues to hold monthly town hall meetings to discuss its proposed sewer fee increases with the public, which will go into effect July 1, 2025.
At the meetings, the public will learn the rationale behind the fee adjustments, the extent of the increases, and a proposed customer assistance program. There will also be an opportunity to ask questions and provide feedback.
There have been eight town hall meetings. ENV invites the community to participate in the upcoming meetings in March. All will be held from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. The first meeting was on March 11.
- March 13 at Salt Lake District Park
- March 20 at George Fred Wright Wahiawa District Park
ENV’s proposal is to increase sewer fees annually for the next 10 years — 9% over the first six years starting July 1, followed by smaller annual increases of 8%, 7%, 6% and 5% over the subsequent four years. These adjustments are a total 115% increase over a 10-year period that ENV says are necessary to address rising operational costs and fund critical projects within ENV’s $10.1 billion Capital Improvement Program scheduled from 2025 to 2040.
