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The Honolulu City Council passed a bill Wednesday addressing hiring deficiencies in the City and County of Honolulu, which has more than 2,000 position vacancies.

Due to the severity of the drought in some areas of the state, additional significant rain events will be needed for full drought recovery, which is not likely within the winter months due to the ongoing strong El Niño event. 

L&L Hawaiian Barbecue announced it is extending its “Purchase A Meal” community initiative through the holidays as it continues efforts to provide relief to wildfire survivors on Maui.

In the wake of the wildfires this past August, Imua Family Services made the decision to not burden the community with its usual toy drive, instead reaching out to their friends at JAKKS Pacific, Inc., who once again came through with a large donation consisting of thousands of toys.

Hawaiʻi island Family Court courtrooms in Hilo and Waimea were transformed into whimsical wonderlands for 22 Hawaiʻi island keiki as they joined their “Forever Families” during an event that also marked National Adoption Day.  

The Downtown Athletic Club of Hawaiʻi announced the donation of surfboards to the 22 Lahainaluna High School and Maui Preparatory Academy surf team members and coaches who lost their homes and belongings in the August fire that destroyed Lahaina Town.

Owners of short-term rental properties are invited to FEMA’s Direct Lease Industry Day on Friday, Dec. 8 from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at The Westin Maui Resort & Spa, Kāʻanapali in the Honokahua & Honokeana Room. All registration requests must be completed by TODAY Thursday, Dec. 7, 2023.

Two Maui community emergency hubs that have been supporting the needs of those harmed by the wildfire disaster are now partnering with Kupu: The Kāʻanapali Hub and Nāpili Hub are now able to provide paid positions via Kupu while they continue to meet the urgent needs of their community. As the initial phase of this partnership, Kupu’s EŌ Maui has 15 participants on payroll between the two hubs.  

Flags are being lowered in Hawaiʻi in observance of National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day.

Seventy-six years after valiant service during the Pearl Harbor attack, the remains of Seaman 1st Class James Ward were identified and he will be reburied with full honors at Arlington National Cemetery.

There is no tsunami following a 4.4 (4.2 preliminary) magnitude earthquake reported at 5:17 p.m. in the Summit Region of the Kīlauea Volcano on Hawaiʻi Island.

A Maui man suffered injuries while surfing in Keʻanae on Tuesday afternoon. Crews from the Maui Fire Department’s Air 1 and Rescue 10 responded to the report of the surfer who was injured and on shore, but unable to walk. The 44-year-old resident was airlifted from shore and medevaced to the Maui Memorial Medical Center for further treatment.

An estimated 200 affordable rentals are under construction in Lahaina as part of the Kaiāulu o Kūku′ia project, which includes Hawaiʻi’s very first Bezos Academy preschool. 

The temporary campus project is expected to be completed by the end of February, when the Hawaiʻi State Department of Education will take over to furnish and install telecommunication equipment.

A graduate of the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa with a B.S. in horticulture technology, Teves currently serves as a county extension agent for the University’s College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources – a position he has held for over 40 years. Together with his wife, he owns and operates Puakala Farms on Hawaiian Home Lands in Ho‘olehua, Moloka‘i.

Rep. Tokuda will provide a 2023 wrap up, cover her work and priorities, provide a legislative update, and take questions from participants.

“The Milky Way is not only made up of stars that were born there,” said Shogo Nishiyama, associate professor at Miyagi University of Education in Japan. “Stars of various origins come together to form one beautiful galaxy. There may be stars born outside the Milky Way galaxy near our solar system, and there may be planets there as well.”

The Mālama ‘Āina Project’s primary goals are to heal, empower, and inspire the community while restoring proper ecology in the foothills above Lahaina. The project seeks to reduce the likelihood of wildfires and give back to the community.

Applications are open for the Hawaiʻi Medical Service Association’s Kaimana Awards and Scholarship Program. The program offers $5,000 scholarships to Hawaiʻi high school seniors excelling in academics, athletics, community service, and sportsmanship.

The Hawai‘i Department of Health’s Maui Food Safety Branch issued a yellow “Conditional Pass” placard to a Wailuku restaurant on Tuesday, allowing the establishment to reopen to the public. A follow-up inspection is scheduled for Dec. 7.