Entries for December 2021

... Blangiardi Administration Cabinet Reshuffle ....

... Whether the committee ultimately steps back from its excursion beyond the bounds of its legally authorized investigation remains to be seen; that will depend on the committee’s final report ....

... Ige has signed an emergency proclamation temporarily suspending an upcoming provision in Hawaiʻi’s Sunshine Law that would have mandated at least one in-person location be held for public meetings ....

... beginning January 1, 2022 through March 31, 2022, the interview requirement for new applications and renewals will be waived ....

... “fully vaccinated” to include getting a booster shot ....

... HSTA encourages all of our members to ensure they stay home from work if they have mild symptoms, notify their health care provider, and get tested right away. HSTA members should know they have the right to request quarantine leave benefits ....

... Banned items include plastic disposable food service containers and utensils such forks, spoons and knives, and plates, trays, bowls, cups, hinged (plate lunch) containers and straws ....

... With the continued support and guidance from the state Department of Health, the Department remains committed to full in-person learning during the second semester that begins next week ....

... Isolate for at least 5 days and until symptoms are gone.  Continue to wear a mask for five days after isolation ....

... seven fatalities to date occurred in 2021 among twenty-three major incidents reported unrelated to the COVID-19 Pandemic ....

... life expectancy at birth in Hawaii is 82.3 years, the highest among states and well above the comparable national average of 79.2 years ....

... November 2021 visitor spending was lower compared to the $1.34 billion (-11.5%) reported for November 2019 ....

... only courses that can be “effectively taught online” will be impacted ....

... Personnel at COVID-19 test sites are reporting that many individuals who made appointments are failing to show up as scheduled ....

... score improves from D+ ....

... Goods and services in the state are 19.3% more expensive than they are on average nationwide, and the average 65 year old should plan on spending $1,481,336 throughout retirement, nearly $361,000 more than the national average .... 

... a chance to get in front of lawmakers and argue that we aren’t being taxed enough ....

... If Hawaii follows the same pattern as South Africa, we should experience increasing COVID cases until around New Year’s, followed by a sharp decline .... 

... these are majority opinions in our state ....

... the Aloha State now has the highest tourist taxes in the nation, topping out at 17.75% ....

... U.S. shipyards capable of building large oceangoing commercial ships have dwindled from 30 in 1953 to just four as of November 2021 ....

... New weekly unemployment claims increased by 291 in Hawaii to 1,615 for the week ending Dec. 18 ....

... Connecticut has the best dental health, followed by the District of Columbia, Massachusetts, Hawaii and New Jersey ....

... Compared with November 2019, RevPAR was 3.8 percent lower, driven by lower occupancy (-19.4 percentage points) which could not be offset by increased ADR (+27.5%) ....

... It was reported to us that the officer's (personal) AR-15 was dropped and discharged a round. This round then struck another occupant (relative) in the same home ....

... 12,777 cases are considered to be active as of Dec 26 ....

... calculations show there is plenty of room for the Legislature to break its habit of continually increasing taxes ....

“The challenges originating in Guam and Puerto Rico to the federal law banning all animal fighting have been turned back by four federal courts and also denied by the U.S. Supreme Court”

... Residents in each state rated their local roads on a scale from 1 to 10 ....

... Police Corruption Scandals Revenge for Gambling Prosecutions? ....

... Ige’s supplemental executive budget for the 2022 legislative session includes most of the University of Hawaiʻi’s budget wish list ....

... As the oldest power plant on Maui, with the first generating unit placed in service in 1948, KPP’s four steam-generating units currently provide power and system stability on the island's transmission system ....

... Assessing the Status of State Election Fairness and Security ....

... 2021’s Neediest Cities ....

... $942.3 million over the current appropriation level of $7.759 billion ....

... The division’s investigation led to the recovery of $40,000 in back wages plus another $40,000 in liquidated damages for five workers ....

... a new online building permit application process in response to the increase in number of homeowners seeking photovoltaic (PV), PV battery and battery-only tax credits and other incentives from Hawaiian Electric Co.’s Battery Bonus program ....

... Project Announcement: Evaluation of the Operation, Maintenance, Safety, and Oversight of the Navy's Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility ....

"“Take credit for it. Take credit for it. You’re playing right into their hands [when you doubt the vaccine].” -- Donald J Trump

... States Whose Unemployment Rates Are Bouncing Back Most from COVID ....

... The Virtual State Competition takes place on Saturday, February 12, 2022, from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. ....

... ACP provides up to $30 a month off internet service bills ....

... Using the Honolulu rail project as an example, the New York Times wants to know why so many infrastructure projects suffer from such large cost overruns ....

... Images from ‘Gender Queer’ book checked out of Waianae High School library should help make underage boys more readily available to older homosexuals ....

... these debates are meaningless ....

... votes cast and bills introduced to Congress from GovTrack.us ....

... The Judicial Selection Commission is extending the deadline for accepting applications to fill the judicial vacancy ....

... The Delta and Omicron variants are highly transmissible. It is likely anyone who tests positive will have infected household members by the time they get test results. Therefore, they are advised to self-isolate at home ....

... without telescopes, who will be left to pay OHA rent? ....

...  Ige said there were no backlog cases in the 797 infections reported today ....