Lawmakers Likely To Let Big Pay Raises Take Effect Without Public Hearings. There is still time for the Legislature to hold public hearings on proposed raises for lawmakers, judges, the governor and other state officials, but there is a good chance any further objections from the public will be sm othered. Civil Beat.Hawaiʻi jurors could get a pay bump to $50 a day for their service. Lawmakers advanced a bill that would pay jurors $50 each day they spend in court. They currently receive $30. Hawaii Public Radio.Housing Authority Wants To Dump Evicted Tenants’ Things More Quickly. Under a bill that’s part of Gov. Josh Green’s legislative package, the housing authority could get rid of tenants’ stuff after 14 days. Currently, it must hold onto them 30 days. Civil Beat.State House lawmakers defer hate crime bill. The House Committee on Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs deferred a bill Tuesday that would broaden the current definition of a reported hate crime and push more resources to recording hate crime data and training law enforcement officers. Star-Advertiser.Senate committee advances a bill artists say would threaten arts funding. House Bill 1378 would shift some of the funding from the State Foundation on Culture and the Arts, which is used to pay its employees and the state art museum, from special funds to general funds. Hawaii Public Radio.How Trump’s Economic Policies Are Roiling Hawaiʻi’s Economy. Economists struggle to predict the fallout, while tourism, construction and retail businesses seek their own paths through upheaval. Civil Beat.University of Hawaii faculty preparing for the worst as funding cuts loom. The University of Hawaii officials got some positive news Friday when U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon announced that UH had been dropped from a list of universities being investigated for possible violations of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act. Star-Advertiser.Hawaiian immersion schools are standing firm in uncertain times. The state Department of Education’s Ka Papahana Kaiapuni Hawaiian immersion school program has played a key role in helping restore a critical mass of Hawaiian speakers in Hawaii and expanding the use of Hawaiian among residents and visitors. Star-Advertiser.Health officials recommend vaccines amidst rise in measles cases. Measles cases this year have so far been reported in at least 15 states, including Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Alaska, California, and Florida — but not in Hawaii.  Star-Advertiser.Hawaii jobless rate holds at 3% for seventh straight month. The state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in January held at 3.0% for the seventh straight month after six consecutive months at 2.9%, according to data released Friday by the state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism. Star-Advertiser. Maui News. OahuHonolulu Mayor to give State of the City Address.  Bold plans in the city’s agenda will be shared during Mayor Rick Blangiardi’s State of the City Address on March 18. KHON2.Hawaiʻi Senators Want More Accountability For Aloha Stadium Spending. But they are declining to advance provisions that would have defunded the stadium and given the money to the University of Hawaiʻi instead. Civil Beat.Amid Concerns About Campus Violence, Police To Come To Oʻahu Schools. Students were more likely to be arrested on a campus with a school resource officer, according to Department of Education data. Civil Beat.Some places in Hawaiʻi falling into sea faster than others. That discovery, published recently in a study by researchers at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, also highlights that as sea level rises, the infrastructure, businesses and communities in these low-lying areas are at risk of flooding sooner than scientists anticipated — particularly in certain urban areas of Oʻahu. Kauai Now.Hawaii Sports Media Legend Cindy Luis, dies at 70.  Luis was a trailblazer for women in media here in Hawaii throughout her career. As she became the first woman sports editor of a daily newspaper in Hawaii. KHON2. Star-Advertiser.Hawaii IslandBig Island manhunt ends; suspect dead. The manhunt for Christopher Lucrisia, a 39-year-old fugitive accused of shooting a Hawaii Police Department officer midday Friday, ended Sunday afternoon when police reported him dead after a shooting involving an officer. Star-Advertiser. Big Island Video News. Hawaii News Now.  KHON2.  KITV4.Astronomy could be in jeopardy amidst federal cutbacks. While it is still too early to predict how cuts to the National Science Foundation will impact the observatories’ operations, the situation could eliminate the U.S. as a competitive player in global astronomy. Tribune-Herald.Hilo Bay watershed management plan is sought. The Hawaii County Department of Research and Development announced Wednesday that it is requesting proposals from contractors to develop a “Hilo Bay Resilience and Watershed Management Plan.” Tribune-Herald.Lava buyouts program is winding down. A Hawaii County program offering to purchase Puna residents’ lava-damaged properties should finally wrap up this year. The Voluntary Housing Buyout Program launched in 2021 to offer residents whose properties were damaged, destroyed or isolated by the 2018 Kilauea eruption. Tribune-Herald.MauiFirst $1.5M payment has been made to the estate of a Maui wildfire victim as part of state’s $175M One ʻOhana Fund. Gov. Josh Green, M.D., announced the initial disbursements from the $175 million One ‘Ohana Fund, a key initiative of the Maui Wildfires Compensation Program. This fund was created to provide direct financial relief to the families of those who lost loved ones and to individuals who suffered serious physical injuries in the Aug. 8, 2023, Maui wildfire. Maui Now.$1.6B in federal recovery funding coming to Maui will focus on housing. If all goes as planned, $1.6 billion in recovery funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development will help the Lahaina community get back on its feet. It’s known as Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery funding, and it comes with strict requirements. Hawaii Public Radio.KauaiRevitalization plan in works for milk production on Kauai. One of the biggest local growers of fruits and vegetables, Aloun Farms, is seeking legislative backing to establish a dairy farm on Kauai described as a project to “revitalize” Hawaii’s dairy industry. 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