‘We Can’t Just Assume We Have The Public’s Trust’. Chief justice delivers final State of Judiciary. The Hawaii State Judiciary needs money to design a new courthouse in Wai­mea, add a District Court judge in Kona and address a “critical shortage” of court-appointed counsel in criminal and termination of parental rights cases, Hawaii Supreme Court Chief Justice Mark E. Recktenwald told state lawmakers Thursday.  Recktenwald, who delivered his eighth and final State of the Judiciary speech, will reach the Judiciary’s mandatory retirement age of 70 later this year. Star-Advertiser. Civil Beat. Big Island Video News.  Hawaii News Now.Full text of Chief Justice Mark Recktenwald's State of the Judiciary can be found here.Bills seek to legalize betting on pro sports. At least two bills have been introduced in the state Senate with the intent of cashing in by legalizing limited forms of sports wagering — which is still illegal in Hawaii, despite numerous attempts that have gone bust in recent years. Tribune-Herald.‘Return-to-Home program’ proposed for houseless people to return to their home states. A bill introduced by 13 representatives in the state House calls for establishing a permanent “Return-to-Home program” with an as yet undetermined amount of funding to return homeless people in Hawaiʻi to their home states. Big Island Now.Working group proposed to study squatting on private property. State lawmakers want a working group to study the problem of people unlawfully occupying private property without the owner’s consent. Maui Now.Bills to forbid landfills over aquifers advance. Six bills that seek to prevent new solid waste landfills to be placed above fresh groundwater sources anywhere in Hawaii are under review by the state Legislature. Star-Advertiser.Bill introduced to double Hawaii beverage container fee. Hawaii’s five cent beverage container fee has been incentivizing recycling since 2005 when it was established. A new bill introduced this legislative session seeks to increase that incentive to 10 cents. KHON2.Lawmakers looking for answers from UH athletics department. More hard questions from lawmakers for the UH athletics department. They want answers as to how the school can recover from a massive budget shortfall. KHON2.Hawaii offshore wind farm plan buffeted by Trump order. The political winds in Washington, D.C., have shifted against offshore wind energy plans that include at least one ambitious and controversial project proposed for Hawaii. Star-Advertiser.End Of Free Summer School Is A ‘Huge Equity Issue’ In Hawaiʻi. Hawaiʻi summer school has been free for students over the past four years, but the end of federal funding means schools must find other ways to pay for the programs. Civil Beat.Hawaiʻi is over-dependent on cars. Can the state spend more on alternative transportation? A local advocacy group is calling on the state Department of Transportation to spend more of its budget building out alternatives to cars. Hawaiʻi Appleseed released a report late last year that examines how HDOT spent its dollars between fiscal years 2019-2024.  Hawaii Public Radio.Report finds toxic environment in Hawaii jails while overtime abuse rises again. A new report describes a toxic working environment in Hawaii’s jails and prisons that’s making corrections workers sick and some thinking of suicide. Hawaii News Now.OahuWaianae becomes home to 18th kauhale for homeless. A long-vacant homeless shelter in Waianae, near several coastal encampments of people living in tents and improvised shelters, was blessed Thursday for a much-needed opening. Star-Advertiser. KITV4.‘Help us’: Public housing redevelopment forces 60 Kalihi tenants to relocate. Changes are coming to the Kuhio Park Terrace public housing complex in Kalihi — and they’re stirring concern among some residents. Hawaii News Now.No charges for HPD officer in alleged abuse case. A 29-year-old Honolulu police officer arrested Jan. 14 after he allegedly put a 25-year-old woman in a chokehold in an Ewa Beach home has not been charged. Timothy Christopher Massie was placed on restriction of police authority. Star-Advertiser.HPD seeks public’s help after officer’s firearm stolen in Hawaii Kai. According to the Honolulu Police Department, the officer’s duty belt, which contained a firearm, badge, and radio, was taken while the officer’s vehicle was parked.  KHON2. KITV4. Hawaiʻi Finally Revokes Professional Licenses Of Registered Sex Offender. Edward Hsu’s acupuncture and physical therapy licenses had remained in good standing two and a half years after his conviction. The state of Hawaiʻi has revoked the licenses of an acupuncturist and physical therapist convicted two and a half years ago of arranging to have sex with an undercover agent he believed to be a 13-year-old boy. Civil Beat.Falls of Clyde removal contract awarded. The historic Falls of Clyde is one step closer to being removed from Honolulu Harbor.  KHON2.Hawaii IslandHospice providers form collaborative. In an effort to ensure sustainable, high-quality care for patients and families across Hawaii, six leading nonprofit hospice providers — including two on Hawaii Island — have joined forces to form the Hawaii Palliative and Hospice Care Collaborative. Tribune-Herald.Kīlauea Summit Eruption Pauses, Ending 5th Episode. The summit fountain activity stopped suddenly at about 4:30 a.m. Thursday morning, along with the end of lava effusion from the vent. Big Island Video News.Maui$62M passenger waiting area dedicated at Kahului Airport on Maui.  The new space, which serves Gates 1 to 15 in the airport’s southern concourse, was constructed by connecting two existing waiting areas, each approximately 6,000 square feet, and enclosing the open-air walkway that separated them.  Maui Now. Maui News.West Maui Greenway RAISEs the bar: Federal grant fuels vision for a resilient future. A vision decades in the making is now becoming a reality with the announcement of a $15.43 million federal grant to fund the West Maui Greenway. The grant is from the US Department of Transportation’s Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity or ‘RAISE’ program.  Maui Now.KauaiMonths after announcing retirement, embattled KPD chief won’t reveal departure date. More than two months after Kauai’s embattled police chief announced he’s retiring, Todd Raybuck still won’t reveal exactly when he’ll step down. Meanwhile, the police commission has made little progress to find his replacement. Hawaii News Now.Kauai Fire Department celebrates 4 new firemen, 2 promotions. The Kauai Fire Department and the County of Kauai honored the graduates of the 33rd Recruit Class and promotions from the Kauai Fire Department and Ocean Safety Bureau. Garden Island.Overcrowding prompts Kauaʻi Humane Society to ask public to adopt, foster or volunteer. The organization is currently housing 578 animals — it reported to the Kauaʻi County Council this week — but only employs seven full-time animal care technicians.  Hawaii Public Radio.