News from May 2024
Hawaii County Merit Appeals Board will meet May 24
By Angelica Saylo Pilo | May 19, 2024
Hawaii County Merit Appeals Board will meet Friday, May 24
County of Hawaii Elections Accessibility Needs Advisory Committee will meet May 23
By Angelica Saylo Pilo | May 19, 2024
County of Hawaii Elections Accessibility Needs Advisory Committee will meet at 10 a.m., May 23
Hawaii County Fire Commission will meet May 23
By Angelica Saylo Pilo | May 19, 2024
Hawaii County Fire Commission will meet at 9 a.m., Thursday, May 23
Hawaii County Veterans Advisory Committee will meet May 22
By Angelica Saylo Pilo | May 19, 2024
Hawaii County Veterans Advisory Committee will meet at 10 a.m., Wednesday, May 22
Hawaii County Leeward Planning Commission will meet May 22
By Angelica Saylo Pilo | May 19, 2024
Hawaii County Leeward Planning Commission will meet at 9:30 a.m., Wednesday, May 22
Hawaii County Ka'u Community Development Plan Action Committee will meet May 22
By Angelica Saylo Pilo | May 19, 2024
Hawaii County Ka'u Community Development Plan Action Committee will meet at 5 p.m., Wednesday, May 22
Hawaii County Environmental Management Commission will meet May 22
By Angelica Saylo Pilo | May 19, 2024
Hawaii County Environmental Management Commission will meet at 9 a.m., Wednesday, May 22
Hawaii County Kona Community Development Plan Action Committee will meet May 21
By Angelica Saylo Pilo | May 19, 2024
Hawaii County Kona Community Development Plan Action Committee will meet at 12 p.m., Tuesday, May 21
Hawaii County Environmental Management Commission met April 24
By Angelica Saylo Pilo | May 19, 2024
Hawaii County Environmental Management Commission met Wednesday, April 24
Kauaʻi District Health Office announces return of free Tropic Care clinics
By Big Island Times | May 17, 2024
LĪHUʻE, HAWAIʻI — The Kaua‘i District Health Office (KDHO), in collaboration with Kaua‘i County, is set to host the sixth Tropic Care event on Kaua‘i, providing free healthcare services to the local community. Tropic Care is a mission under the Innovative Readiness Training (IRT) program of the armed forces. It aims to enhance troop readiness while simultaneously bolstering communities. The Tropic Care clinics will be returning to Kauaʻi on June 13, 2024 and will operate at various locations until June 20, 2024.
Sun Noodle recalls frozen saimin over undeclared egg allergen
By Big Island Times | May 17, 2024
The Hawaiʻi State Department of Health (DOH) Food and Drug Branch (FDB) has issued a recall alert for Sun Noodle's S&S Cup Saimin frozen saimin products. The company is implementing this voluntary recall due to the presence of an undeclared egg allergen in the product.
Senate passes resolution marking May as AANHPI Heritage Month
By Big Island Times | May 17, 2024
The U.S. Senate has unanimously passed a resolution introduced by U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) to mark May as Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month. The resolution acknowledges the significant contributions that Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities have made to this country. Companion legislation was introduced in the House by Representative Judy Chu (D-CA), Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC).
Senators call for increased funding for U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps
By Big Island Times | May 17, 2024
U.S. Senators Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), Ron Wyden (D-OR), and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) have called upon the Senate Appropriations Committee to increase funding for the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps (PHS) in FY 2025 by at least $32 million. The senators argue that this additional funding is crucial to ensure that these highly-trained frontline workers are always ready and fully-deployable to protect the health, safety, and welfare of all Americans.
Hawai'i's April unemployment rate holds steady at 3.1 percent
By Big Island Times | May 16, 2024
The Hawai'i Department of Labor and Industrial Relations has announced that the state's unemployment rate for April remained steady at 3.1 percent. The department attributes this stability to seasonal fluctuations in employment and unemployment, which reflect hiring and layoff patterns associated with regular events such as the winter holiday season and the summer vacation season.
Senators urge full funding for unemployment insurance to combat fraud
By Big Island Times | May 15, 2024
U.S. Senators Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Michael Bennet (D-CO), and Jack Reed (D-RI) have joined 17 of their colleagues in urging the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies to fully fund Unemployment Insurance (UI) administration based on President Joe Biden’s request in his Fiscal Year 2025 budget.
Senate approves May 18 as National Kids to Parks Day
By Big Island Times | May 15, 2024
The U.S. Senate has approved a bipartisan resolution, introduced by Senators Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), and four other colleagues, to designate May 18, 2024 as “National Kids to Parks Day.” The resolution aims to encourage young people and their families to spend time outdoors, promoting healthy recreation.
Senators urge closure of inhumane immigration detention centers
By Big Island Times | May 15, 2024
U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), along with Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Ben Cardin (D-MD), Ed Markey (D-MA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Peter Welch (D-VT), and Ron Wyden (D-OR) have issued a plea to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). They are urging these entities to phase out the use of private detention centers, particularly four facilities known for their inhumane conditions.
Senators urge Biden to reassess disaster recovery funding request
By Big Island Times | May 14, 2024
U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) has joined forces with 11 of her Senate colleagues from disaster-impacted states to urge President Biden to reassess and resubmit his request for supplemental disaster funding. The appeal, led by Senator Brian Schatz (D-HI), was also endorsed by Senators Peter Welch (D-VT), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Ben Cardin (D-MD), Laphonza Butler (D-CA), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), and Maggie Hassan (D-NH).
Kauaʻi Self-Help Center Attorney Training equips attorneys for statewide initiative
By Big Island Times | May 14, 2024
On May 14, 2024, more than 20 attorneys participated in the Kauaʻi Self-Help Center Attorney Training. This event, which provided continuing legal education, was designed to equip participants with the necessary skills to contribute to the statewide initiative aimed at enhancing access to justice for Hawaiʻi residents requiring assistance with civil legal matters.
Senators call for $3 billion in humanitarian assistance funding
By Big Island Times | May 14, 2024
U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), along with Senators Alex Padilla (D-CA), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), and 14 colleagues, has called on the Senate Appropriations Committee leadership to allocate no less than $3 billion in FY 2025 funding for the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Shelter and Services Program (SSP). The proposed funding is intended to support humanitarian assistance efforts, specifically those provided by state, local, and nonprofit service providers assisting the federal government by offering critical services for asylum seekers.