Search for next UH president nears conclusion with private final interviews. The University of Hawaiʻi Board of Regents plans to interview the two finalists for president — Julian Vasquez Heilig and Wendy Hensel — behind closed doors. However, public interest attorneys say those meetings should take place in public, citing a 2019 state Supreme Court ruling that barred boards and commissions from holding closed meetings unless they prove they are protecting a privacy interest. Hawaii Public Radio.David Lassner's new role at the University of Hawaiʻi after retirement. Lassner was the 15th University of Hawaiʻi president and will retire in December.  Hawaii Public Radio.Skyrocketing insurance rates could be a factor in softening real estate market. Realtors said the rising insurance rates could be a factor in the softening of the market, but there are still opportunities out there if you’re smart. KHON2.SNAP benefits to decrease in Hawaii for second year in a row. Benefits will be $8-$9 less per recipient starting Tuesday. Last year’s reduction already knocked off $7-$8 per person. Hawaii News Now.Gov. Josh Green proclaims Fire Prevention Week throughout Hawai‘i. Gov. Josh Green has proclaimed the week of Oct. 6 through 12 as “Fire Prevention Week” in the state of Hawai‘i. This year’s theme is “Smoke Alarms: Make them work for you!” Big Island Now.OahuOver Chief’s opposition, city offers $1.5M settlement in police shooting case. Taxpayers may pay $1.5 million to settle a lawsuit over the police shooting of a South African rugby star. The settlement seems certain to be approved at a council meeting Wednesday, despite the prosecutor saying the shooting of 29-year-old Lindani Myeni was justified and the objections of the police chief. Hawaii News Now. KITV4. Honolulu Morgue Aims To Start Giving Families Answers Faster With New Deputy. The city has a deputy medical examiner for the first time in five years. The Honolulu Medical Examiner’s Office hopes the arrival of its first new deputy in five years will help it winnow down the time it takes to finalize reports, which has mounted due to increasing caseloads and staff shortages. Civil Beat.Honolulu’s Dying Palms To Be Replaced With This New Tree — For Now. The city begins felling the first of 80 trees marked for removal on the North Shore. Many of the trees will be replaced with shade trees for the foreseeable future — at least until authorities are able to better control the Southeast Asian beetles. Civil Beat. Star-Advertiser. KITV4. Views clash over planned homes in Manoa. The city Department of Planning and Permitting held the hearing on an application by local development firm Avalon Group to build 93 homes on what had been the campus of Saint Francis School, which closed in 2019. Star-Advertiser. KHON2. Hawaii IslandHawaiʻi County Building Code Meetings Set For Late October. Two informational meetings on changes to the International Building Code (IBC) will be held at the Mauna Kea Park is late October. Big Island Video News.Puna townhall to gather input for upcoming legislative session, possible alternate route. State Sen. Joy A. San Buenaventura, Rep. Jeanne Kapela and Hawaiʻi County councilmember Matt Kanealiʻi-Kleinfelder will host a townhall on Oct. 9 at Mountain View Elementary. Big Island Now.Park for HPP is at least 4 years from completion. The Department of Parks and Recreation held a community meeting in HPP on Thursday to discuss the subdivision’s long-awaited district park, a project that has been in development since 2018. The project would be built on a county-owned parcel on Kaloli Drive between 25th and 26th avenues. Tribune-Herald.MauiMaui Charter Change Would Benefit County Leaders From Molokai And Lanai. The proposal would make it easier to reimburse travel expenses of top officials who live on the other islands. Civil Beat.Critical Locked Gate Overlooked In Investigation Of Maui Fire Evacuation. The state attorney general’s latest report on the deadly 2023 Lahaina wildfire flagged various locked gates that blocked people trying to flee as flaws in Maui’s evacuation planning. Yet a padlocked gate where the largest cluster of Lahaina wildfire fatalities occurred was not included in the analysis. Civil Beat.Disaster Recovery Community Update set for Wednesday at Lahaina Civic Center. A status update on wildfire debris cleanup will be provided by the US Army Corps of Engineers on Wednesday, Oct. 9, during a Maui County Disaster Recovery Community Update meeting at the Lahaina Civic Center. Maui Now.KauaiRoad closure scheduled in Lāwa‘i for resurfacing work. A full closure for a portion of Kua Road in Lāwa‘i is scheduled for road resurfacing work starting Oct. 10.  Kauai Now.