Good evening, Hawaii. Here are the main stories we've been following today:
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Today's Big Stories
1. Legislature passes domestic violence bill
A bill that would stiffen penalties for violating a temporary restraining order passed the state legislature after the Senate dropped its objections to House amendments last week.
Senate Bill 295, Senate Draft 1, House Draft 1, increases fines and prison sentences for those convicted of violating a TRO, with penalties increasing for subsequent violations. It also directs courts to consider a defendant’s ability to pay when imposing fines.
“This bill ensures that violations of protective orders are taken seriously and that survivors have stronger protections under the law,” said Sen. Joy San Buenaventura. “It closes legal gaps and sends a clear message that domestic abuse will not be tolerated.”
Under the bill, a first conviction for violating a TRO would be punishable with a mandatory five-day jail sentence (up from 48 hours) and a fine of at least $300 (up from $150).
If the violator has a prior conviction for certain felonies — including murder, first- or second-degree assault, kidnapping, sexual assault, burglary and harassment by stalking — the penalties would be enhanced to a minimum of 30 days imprisonment and a minimum fine of $350.
2. Work on much-needed secondary access to the Waianae Coast delayed
Originally slated to open in April, the completion of improvements to Paakea Road — which would provide secondary access for a roughly six-mile stretch between Nanakuli and Mailiili Beach — has been moved to the fall of 2025.
According to the Hawaii Department of Transportation, the primary reason for the delay is the acquisition of land needed for HDOT to do the work and open the road for public use. This involves acquiring private properties along Paakea Road between Mailiili Road and Hakimo Road; transfer of the city-owned portion of Paakea Road between Hakimo Road and Lualualei Naval Road to the state; and obtaining the easement on Lualualei Naval Road from Farrington Highway to Paakea Road.
“Having a dependable, round-the-clock alternative to Farrington Highway is important for Waianae Coast residents for emergencies and daily commutes,” said Hawaii Department of Transportation Director Ed Sniffen in a release. “HDOT continues to work on cost-effective measures like the Paakea Road Improvements to increase the reliability of our ground transportation systems.”
3. DOH warns of steep increase in travel-related dengue cases
The Department of Health is updating its testing guidelines for dengue as the state sees a steep increase in travel-related cases. This will help the DOH better detect local transmission and quickly deploy response measures, according to a news release.
The state agency issued a medical advisory to local doctors, urging them to test for dengue in anyone with highly clinically compatible illness, and to consider the possibility of locally acquired dengue, regardless of travel history. Also, medical professionals were asked to report suspected dengue cases to the DOH Disease Investigation Branch immediately.
The bill passed the council unanimously Wednesday and now awaits a final vote May 6. If approved and signed by the mayor, it would take effect immediately.
The DOH said the increase in travel-related cases in Hawaii increases the chance of locally acquired cases, which could lead to an outbreak. Hawaii previously saw three dengue outbreaks since 1946:
- On Maui, Oahu and Kauai in 2001-2002
- On Oahu in 2011
- On Hawaii Island in 2015-2016. This outbreak had 264 confirmed cases, 238 of them Hawaii Island residents
4. Rosenthal, Titriyski, Roure make All-Big West 1st team for Hawaii men's volleyball
The Hawaii men’s volleyball team placed three players — setter Tread Rosenthal, opposite Kristian Titriyski and hitter Adrien Roure — on the All-Big West first team, the conference revealed on Thursday.
Libero ‘Eleu Choy and middle Kurt Nusterer were named honorable mentions.
Titriyski and Roure were UH’s representatives on the BWC All-Freshman team.
Rosenthal, a sophomore from Austin, Texas, led the Big West in assists per set at 10.69 in being named to the All-BWC team for the second time in as many years.
Titriyski, of Sofia, Bulgaria, led UH in kills (4.24), points (5.05) and aces (0.45) per set and made the first team despite missing the last four matches with an ankle injury.
Roure, of Lyon, France, averaged 3.10 kills per set and led the team in matches of 10-plus kills with 18.
The Big West championships begin at the Stan Sheriff Center on Thursday with first-round action between No. 4 UC San Diego and No. 5 UC Santa Barbara (4:30 p.m.) and No. 3 UC Irvine and No. 6 Cal State Northridge (7 p.m.).
Second-seeded UH will face the winner of UCI and CSUN in a 7:30 p.m. Friday semifinal.
5. Honolulu Civil Beat: On the run and undercounted, homeless youth try hard to stay out of sight
By official counts, just a handful of homeless teens live on the streets of Hawaiʻi. Those who try to help them suggest that’s all wrong, that there are many more — perhaps 150 doing their best not to be counted.
They hide in tents at beach parks. On a friend or stranger’s couch. Far back in the valleys that stretch out of towns.
They arrive at homelessness for reasons ranging from chaos at home to their parents losing their housing.
They may come into sight when the Mobile Crisis Outreach van pulls up. It travels to a different Oʻahu location every other week to offer food — one recent week in ʻEwa Beach, it was Zippy’s chili and mac salad — supplies like clothing and band aids, and conversation.
They may go to school sometimes. But often they don’t. It’s embarrassing to show up in the same outfit days in a row. And you can get turned in.
Many want to avoid the foster care system, which is where they fear authorities will take, or return them. They don’t want to get snared in the criminal justice system; in 2023 in Honolulu, 1,038 of the 1,994 juvenile arrests were for running away.
“They’re staying deep so they’re not put in an even worse situation,” said Kylé-Ann Bobo, an outreach case manager at Residential Youth Services and Empowerment, or RYSE.
A web of nonprofits like RYSE are dedicated to trying to catch youth before they fall into homelessness and to pull them out if they do. But regulations that make it impossible in most circumstances to provide shelter to teens without the consent of a parent or guardian — and an extreme shortage of beds set aside for them — contribute to a safety net that is frayed at best.
According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, there were nine emergency shelter beds reserved for minors under 18 in all of Hawaiʻi last year, a number that includes slots for children homeless with their families, the majority.
Aside from those, for the 339 under age 24 considered homeless and alone in the last point-in-time count in 2024, there were just 80 emergency beds statewide — most quickly snapped up by the older among them who don’t need anyone’s consent to use them.
So the teenagers stay deep, hidden in the company of danger and deprivation.
Click on the link above to read their stories.
Your Notes for Tomorrow
Thursday, April 24
- IMF and World Bank Spring Meetings - Development Committee meeting
- NFL Draft Begins in Wisconsin
- Unemployment Insurance Weekly Claims Report - Initial Claims
- U.S. ends temporary legal status for more than half a million migrants
In Case You Missed It
Haleakala National Park seeks experts for inaugural Hawaiian language project
If you are an expert in the ʻŌlelo Hawaiian language, Haleakala National Park invites you to apply for a unique opportunity.
The park is looking for four subject experts to create and translate content from the Hawaiian perspective to the park’s website. This first-of-its-kind project is made possible through a National Park Foundation grant with additional funding by the Hawaii Pacific Parks Association that will provide $9,000 to each individual.
“The website will engage our local community and educate visitors on all aspects of Haleakala in the Hawaiian language,” said Education Specialist and Hawaiian Community Liaison Honeygirl Duman in a release.
Individuals can apply for the position by sending their resume to Duman at bennadette_duman@nps.gov by May 23
