OHA announced that it is accepting applications from nonprofit organizations to administer a $1.1 million grant for higher education scholarships for Native Hawaiian students. Between 2010 and 2018, OHA provided more than 2,000 post-secondary education scholarships, totaling more than $5.6 million. The goal of this current grant is to increase the number of Native Hawaiian students who graduate with an undergraduate degree or higher, or who earn a vocational education certificate.  The program has two priority areas: 1) to support scholarships for Native Hawaiians who want to pursue undergraduate and graduate degrees; and 2) to provide wrap-around scholarship services for non-traditional Native Hawaiian students to complete a post-secondary degree or complete vocational or technical education. The grant period is from February 1, 2020 through June 30, 2021, with $550,000 allocated for each year.  The grant award is subject to approval by OHA’s Board of Trustees and subject to the availability of funding. Nonprofits must submit an online application on or before 2 p.m., Friday, October 18, 2019. Prospective applicants are recommended to participate in one of two orientation sessions. The September 25 orientation starts at 10 a.m. and is available via Skype. The September 27 orientation also starts at 10 a.m. and will be held at OHA’s Honolulu office. For more information about the grant, including the solicitation, online application and orientation schedule, please visit www.oha.org/grants. #OfficeOfHawaiianAffairs #OHA #NativeHawaiianStudents #EducationalScholarships #Hawaiian

HONOLULU – First Circuit Court Judge Gary W.B. Chang was presented with the 2019 Jurist of the Year Award by Chief Justice Mark E. Recktenwald, at the Hawaii State Judiciary’s Statewide Incentive Awards Ceremony on September 30. “Judge Chang is an outstanding trial judge, mentor and leader, who is a tireless proponent of professionalism in the courtroom,” said Chief Justice Recktenwald. “His role in the launch of electronic filing for circuit court civil cases across the state has been vital to the project’s realization. The many challenges he encountered were faced head on with a positive mind-set and a strong determination to work collaboratively to ensure the success of the new system.” The Jurist of the Year is selected annually by the Chief Justice from nominations submitted by Hawaii attorneys and Judiciary personnel. The Jurist of the Year Award recognizes a full-time trial judge who exhibits exceptional judicial competence, evidenced by decisional quality; significant extra-judicial contributions to the administration of justice; and active participation in public service to the community at large. Judge Chang was appointed to the Circuit Court of the First Circuit on June 1, 1999 and reappointed on June 1, 2009. He presides over civil cases as well as the Land and Tax Appeal Court. Prior to his appointment to the Circuit Court, he was a partner with the law firm of Matsui Chung Sumida & Chang. He previously served as a deputy attorney general with the State of Hawaii Department of the Attorney General. Judge Chang received his Bachelor of Arts degree in 1976 from the University of Hawaii at Manoa and law degree from the University of Gonzaga Law School in Washington in 1979. He is a graduate of McKinley High School and was inducted into the McKinley Hall of Honor in 2013. In addition to honoring the Jurist of the Year, the Hawaii State Judiciary presented individual and group awards to employees who have distinguished themselves through exceptional service and accomplishments. The recipients of this year’s awards are: Distinguished Service Award (the Judiciary’s highest incentive award): Yee Nin Evelyne Luk, Court Administrator, Honolulu District Court Legal Documents Branch, First Circuit (Oahu); and Denise Villanova, Court Administrator, Court & Operational Support Services Branch, Second Circuit (Maui, Molokai, Lanai). Meritorious Service Award: Danette Fujii, Court Documents Clerk, Court and Operational Support Services Division, Legal Documents Branch, Fifth Circuit (Kauai). Spirit of the Judiciary Award: Mary Cook, Clerk IV, Juvenile Client Services Branch, Specialized Services Section, Kids First, Family Court – Kapolei, First Circuit (Oahu); Lori Tamanaha, Social Worker IV / TRO Court Officer, Adult Client Services Branch / TRO unit, Family Court – Kapolei, First Circuit (Oahu); Dawn Fernandez, Circuit Court Clerk, Family Court – Kona, Third Circuit (Hawaii island). Certificate of Commendation: Natalie Ragmat, Judicial Clerk V, Honolulu District Court Legal Documents Branch 2, First Circuit (Oahu); Jamie Takimoto, Judicial Assistant, Circuit Court Division 4 – Kona (Hawaii island); Amber Maile Telles, Secretary, Office of the Deputy Chief Court Administrator, Fifth Circuit (Kauai). Group Certificate of Commendation: Hookele Court Navigation Program for the Circuit, District, and Family Courts of the First Circuit (Oahu): Constance “Ui” Arroyo, John Hausler, Glori-Jean Kamealoha, Nicole Kaumaea, Grace Ono, Elizabeth Ramirez, Dollyann Sione, Sonia Soriano, Jonina Tagalog, Ann Takeuchi, and Adele Marie Tangjian. #HawaiiJudiciary #GaryChang #JuristOfTheYear #JudiciaryAwards #MarkRecktenwald #YeeNinEvelyneLuk #DeniseVillanova #DanetteFujii #MaryCook #LoriTamanaha #DawnFernandez #JamieTakimoto #AmberMaileTelles #ContanceArroyo #JoyhnHausler #GloriJeanKamealoha #NicoldKaumaea #GraceOno #ElizabethRamirez #DollyannSione #SoniaSoriano #JoninaTagalog #AnnTakechi #AdeleMarieTangjian

The Kalalau Trail is closed due to flash flooding of the Hanakapiai Stream. Turn Around, Don’t Drown! Conditions are being monitored and updates will be posted here. #KalalauTrail #HanakapiaiStream #Flooding #FlashFlooding #TurnAroundDontDrown #Kauai #KauaiCamping #KauaiTrails #Kalalau #HawaiiStateParks

​The Hawaii State Department of Education (HIDOE) shared its 2018-19 Strive HI Performance System results today during a Board of Education (BOE) meeting. The results show promising gains in college and career readiness among public school students. Career & Technical Education (CTE) completers are up 8 percentage points and 500 more students graduated from high school on time, as compared with school year 2017-18. “We have well-coordinated, effective strategies to ensure that students have improved access to college and career readiness and success, and our measurements in this area show the positive results of these efforts,” said Superintendent Dr. Christina M. Kishimoto. “We have work that we need to continue to deliver on through our school design efforts to ensure equity of access to highly engaging, rigorous school models that will lead to the acceleration of results for all students.” Schools that showed the highest year-over-year percentage point increase in CTE completers and graduation rate improvement include: CTE Completer Increase (top five public schools, excluding charter schools) Percentage of 12th graders who completed a CTE program of study. Aiea High (2018: 46%; 2019: 76%)Kohala High (2018: 34%; 2019: 60%)Baldwin High (2018: 33%; 2019: 57%)Farrington High (2018: 45%; 2019: 67%)Waianae High (2018: 60%; 2019: 81%) Graduation Rate Increase (top five public schools, excluding charter schools)Kohala High (2018: 75%; 2019: 89%)Kalaheo High (2018: 82%; 2019: 94%)Kailua High (2018: 80%; 2019: 90%)Waimea High (2018: 80%; 2019: 90%)Lahainaluna High (2018: 73%; 2019: 82%) Strive HI results on statewide assessments remained constant over the prior year, with a slight decrease in Language Arts/Literacy and science scores.  The data also showed third grade English Language Arts (ELA)/Literacy performance gains — an increase of 2 percentage points from the year prior.  Performance gains were stable for ELA/Literacy in grades 4, 5 and 7, and for math in grades 3, 4, 5 and 7. The state also saw gains in inclusion rates, increasing 3 percentage points from last year. HIDOE's statewide assessments are: ELA and math: Smarter Balanced Assessment (SBA) and Hawaii State Assessment-Alternate (HSA-ALT) in grades 3-8 and 11. Science: For school year 2018-19, science performance, which is assessed at grades 4 and 8 and once in high school, was based on a bridge test as HIDOE schools transition to the new Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). The first administration of a full NGSS assessment will happen this school year, which will be the baseline year for future benchmarking. Science scores for 2017 and 2018 are derived from the Hawaii State Assessment (HSA) (grades 4 and 8) and HSA-ALT in science (grades 4, 8, and 11), and the Biology End of Course Exam; these assess understanding of Hawaii Content & Performance Standards III. For school year 2018-19, Hawaiian immersion students were tested in Language Arts and math in grades 3-8 and in grades 4 and 8 for science using the Kaiapuni Assessment of Educational Outcomes (KĀ'EO).  In previous years, Hawaiian immersion students were tested in Language Arts and math in grades 3 and 4 and in grade 4 for science. Language Arts/Literacy (SBA, HSA-ALT & KĀʻEO) (2017: 51%; 2018: 55%; 2019: 54%) Mathematics (SBA, HSA-ALT & KĀʻEO) (2017: 43%; 2018: 43%; 2019: 43%) Science (HSA, HSA-ALT & KĀʻEO) (2017: 46%; 2018: 46%; 2019: 44%) Strive HI was launched in school year 2012-13 as the state's locally designed performance system that was a waiver from the federal No Child Left Behind (NCLB) law. It includes multiple measures of school performance including proficiency in science, math and Language Arts/Literacy; achievement gaps, chronic absenteeism; school climate; and graduation rates. The system was modified in 2017 to address the federal requirements under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) and the revised HIDOE/BOE Strategic Plan. The law replaces both NCLB and the state's waiver. ESSA requires full implementation, including the provisions related to school accountability, this school year. Click here to view the 2018-19 State Snapshot of Strive HI indicators. For more information about the Strive HI performance system, click here. #StriveHi #StriveHawaii #HawiaiPublicSchools #NOChildLeftBehind #NCLB #ESSA #EveryStudentSucceedsAct #HIDOE #BOE #SmarterBalance #Education #HawaiiState #ChristinaKishimoto

On August 20, 2019, the Department of Accounting and General Services (DAGS) Public Works Administrator presented an overview of DAGS -Public Works Division’s function and goals, along with DAGS’ current and future Construction Improvement Program (CIP) projects to the General Contractor’s Association. The attachment is the PowerPoint presentation given. The information shared within the presentation exemplifies DAGS’ efforts to partner with the private sector to maximize resources, increase efficiency, reduce waste, as well as improve transparency and accountability. #DAGS #DepartmentOfAccountingandGeneralServices #GeneralContractorsAssociation #HawaiiState #Hawaii

HONOLULU –  Gov. David Ige announced Thursday that the state has completed its transaction to acquire the land under Front Street Apartments on Maui. The move brings the state a step closer to keeping the Front Street Apartments affordable for some 250 tenants. The state purchased the land from 3900, LLC. to help preserve the rents at the 142-unit apartment building and prevent the rents from surging to market prices. A new law approved by the Legislature and signed by Gov. Ige in June, authorized the Hawai‘i Housing Finance and Development Corporation (HHFDC) to acquire the land from 3900, LLC and initiate negotiations with the owners of Front Street Apartments to keep the property affordable for the tenants. The HHFDC board approved $15 million from the Dwelling Unit Revolving Fund for the acquisition of the land at the May 9, 2019 board meeting. The $15 million figure was based on a $14,930,000 appraisal of the fair market value of the land under Front Street Apartments. “This acquisition brings us closer to protecting tenants from significant rent increases that could displace them. We are working toward more affordable housing for not only Maui residents, but for our families across the state,” said Gov. Ige. "I appreciate that progress is being made toward maintaining Front Street Apartment residents in their affordable rental units. I thank Governor David Ige and the Hawai‘i Housing Finance and Development Corp. for their dedicated collaborative effort with Maui County to keep affordable rentals affordable for our people," said Maui County Mayor Michael Victorinox. #FrontStreet #FrontStreetApartments #MauiApartments #3900LLC #DavidIge #DwellingUnit #MauiCounty #MikeVictorino #MauiMayor #AffordableHousing #HHFDC #HawaiiState

One of Hawaii’s most important native plants is the Naio tree. Naio has been widely planted in landscapes and is an important component of our island’s coastal ecosystems. A decade ago naio became threatened with a small invasive insect pest known as thrips found on Hawai’i Island. Thrips are narrow, dark brown to black and approximately 2.2.5 mm in size and are native to Tasmania. They were likely first accidentally introduced in the U.S. in California. Thrips have also been found on Oʻahu and they threaten the overall survival of naio in the wild. Thrips attack naio by sucking tissue out of new leaves. With no known, natural predators, they thrive and feed so heavily on plants, that they stop producing new leaves and eventually die. Pesticide treatments have not been effective at completely removing thrips from naio landscape and there are no effective pesticides for treatment in natural areas. Thrips were recently discovered at the State Kalanimoku Building native garden. They’ve been removed by O’ahu Invasive Species Committee (OISC) staff. The crew clipped off the infested ends, removed entire plants and transported them to H-Power to be burned. A few months ago, thrips were also discovered in DLNR Chair Suzanne Case’s yard. Landscaped naio will provide a jumping off point for these insects and help them spread to important wild spaces like Kaʻena Point, the Kaiwi Shoreline, the National Wildlife Refuge at Kalaeloa and the offshore islets. Removing infected landscape naio is the best way to preserve Oʻahu’s wild naio for future generations. On Hawai’i Island, where naio was an important part of the dry mid-elevation forest, surveys were not able to find 10 healthy trees in the Puʻu Waʻawaʻa forest a decade after the thrips were accidentally introduced there. One conservationist on the Big Island likened the destructive ability of these insects to wildfire. If you would like to help monitor naio trees, you can sign up for the Adopt-a-Naio Program. “So, if you drive past a naio plant or if you have a naio plant in your yard, you can help us by monitoring that plant. What you should look for is curling of the leaves at the end of the plant,” said Erin Bishop OISC Outreach Specialist. If you inform OISC of your infected naio tree, they will help replace it. “OISC can provide aʻaliʻi or hao as a replacement if you have infected naio,” said Bishop. To view video please click on photo or view at this link: https://vimeo.com/359147895 #Naio #NaioTree #NaioThrips #HawaiiIsland #OahuInvasiveSpecies #PuuWaawaa #ErinBishop #SuzanneCase #Hawaii #Environmental #Hawaii #Conservation

The Hawai‘i State Department of Health (DOH) recently launched a statewide broadcast media campaign to educate parents about the new seventh grade attendance immunization requirements, which go into effect at all Hawai‘i schools beginning in school year 2020–2021. Through a partnership with the Hawai‘i Association of Broadcasters, television and radio public education announcements will air throughout the year. Additionally, parents of current sixth grade students will receive an information sheet through their child’s current school. Hawai‘i residents can expect to see campaign ads in MidWeek and other local publications. Posters will also be distributed to schools and healthcare provider offices statewide. Before the first day of school year 2020–2021, all seventh grade students must provide documentation of having received the following vaccines or risk being excluded: • Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis vaccine) • HPV (human papillomavirus vaccine) • MCV (meningococcal conjugate vaccine) One dose each of Tdap and MCV vaccines and two doses of HPV vaccine, given six months apart, are required for all students entering seventh grade. Parents of current sixth grade students are encouraged to contact their healthcare provider to schedule the first HPV vaccination as soon as possible so that the second dose can be administered before the new school year begins. For more information about the campaign and new school immunization requirements, visit www.VaxToSchoolHawaii.com #Vaccines #VAXtoSchoolHawaii #HawaiiDepartmentofHealth #DOH #HawaiiState #HealthCampaign #HawaiiAssociationofBroadcasters

“Without intervention, we will lose this species, and we’ll lose it forever,” said Dr. Hanna Mounce, Project Coordinator at the Maui Forest Bird Recovery Project (MFBRP). “The Kiwikiu is hanging on in a very small and vulnerable population. We are committed to doing everything we can to save this species, and the partnership has used the best science we have to move forward with these recovery efforts.”(Haleakalā, Maui; September 30, 2019) In a bold action aimed at saving the endangered Kiwikiu (Maui Parrotbill, or Pseudonestor xanthophrys), in October four conservation partners will begin translocating both captive-bred and wild birds to a restored forest with the goal of creating a second, “insurance” population for this species. The Kiwikiu has declined by over 50 percent in recent years, and fewer than 312 birds remain in the wild. This unique and beautiful songbird, with its heavy, hooked bill, is only found in the high-altitude native forests on East Maui. As its one remaining wild population has declined, the species’ range has shrunk to less than 7,400 acres. Hawaiian honeycreepers, of which the Kiwikiu is one, make up one of the world’s most endangered bird groups. Over the past few centuries, dozens of Hawaiian species have been lost forever. The committed partnership is dedicated to preventing continued population declines, and another tragic Hawaiian bird extinction. The Hawai‘i Department of Land and Natural Resources, Division of Forestry and Wildlife; Maui Forest Bird Recovery Project; San Diego Zoo Global; and American Bird Conservancy have been working for over a decade to implement an action plan to save this species. These partners have been restoring native forests and preparing to translocate Kiwikiu from the State’s Hanawi Natural Area Reserve to the Nakula Natural Area Reserve, where the birds were previously found on the southwestern slope of Haleakalā Volcano. “We are excited and proud of all that the partners have accomplished, including planting over 250,000 native plants and restoring the native forest within Nakula Natural Area Reserve in preparation for this October’s translocation of Kiwikiu to this site,” said Dr. Chris Farmer, Hawai‘i Program Director for American Bird Conservancy. “Kiwikiu died out from this site historically, and reintroducing them back here will greatly increase the species’ chances of survival for future generations.” “Kiwikiu were once found on these slopes in the drier forests, even down to 500’ elevation in the past,” said Dr. Fern Duvall, the Hawai‘i Department of Lands and Natural Resources’ Maui Natural Area Reserve Manager. “It is hoped that these new releases will once again allow these birds to prosper in their ancestral home range.” The project partners will release birds captured in Hanawi as well as those raised at the Maui Bird Conservation Center. Using individuals from these different sources will increase the likelihood of success, and boost the birds’ chances of doing well at the release site. “Conservation breeding is a critical step in saving Hawai‘i’s most endangered birds,” said Jennifer Pribble, Senior Research Coordinator for the Hawai‘i Endangered Bird Conservation Program, San Diego Zoo Global. “But it is a last resort and a stop-gap measure. The goal is always to return the birds back into the wild where they belong.” The team will move the birds from the Maui Bird Conservation Center into temporary release aviaries at the Nakula release site in mid-October. There they will be intensively monitored to ensure that they are adjusting to the environmental conditions. Soon after, the field team will begin capturing wild birds in Hanawi and transporting them by helicopter to the Nakula release site. Inside the temporary aviaries, the wild Kiwikiu will be paired up with the birds from the Maui Bird Conservation Center and observed daily. After the birds have adjusted to the release site, the pairs will slowly be released into the restored native forest, where supplementary food will be provided to help the birds survive and transition to the newly restored forest. The team will outfit each bird with a small radio transmitter, and the movements of the entire cohort will be intensively tracked. These observations will be used to determine if the birds are surviving and if they start to breed — measures of the overall success of the project — and whether any changes will be necessary in future translocations. #Kiwikiu #MauiParrotbill #NakulaNaturalAreaReserve #Heleakala #MauiForestBirdRecoveryProject #MFBRP #HannaMounce #DLNR #ChrisFarmer #AmericanBirdConservancy #MauiBirdConservationCenter #HawaiiState #Conservation

HONOLULU –  Gov. David Ige has appointed Tyler Iokepa Gomes as deputy to the chairman of the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands, effective today. Gomes most recently served as the partnership manager at Elemental Excelerator, where he oversaw the Elemental Hui – a partnership network of local business, non-profit, educational, and philanthropic institutions. Previously, Gomes served as deputy public defender in the Office of the Public Defender, and co-authored and co-edited legal pleadings in Waters v. Nago, which successfully overturned the 2018 election results in the District IV Honolulu City Council race. A resident of Maunawili, O‘ahu, Gomes is a graduate of the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, having earned a bachelor’s degree in Hawaiian Language and a J.D. and certificate in Native Hawaiian Law from the William S. Richardson School of Law. Gomes’ appointment is subject to Senate confirmation. #IokepaGomes #DHHL #DepartmentOfHawaiianHomeLands #ElementalExcelerator #HawaiiState #DavidIge

HONOLULU – Gov. David Ige today signed new administrative rules for Planned Communities, Multi-Family Complexes and Rental Housing within the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands (DHHL). The new rules will take effect ten days after the signed rules are filed at the Office of the Lt. Governor. DHHL submitted its final rules to the governor in June after nearly two years of efforts that will expand residential lease offerings to include multi-family housing, along with rental and kupuna housing opportunities. “I’m excited about this set of administrative rules because it really expands the options for beneficiaries. We continue to work with beneficiary communities in every county to pave the way to homeownership for more families across the state. I believe developing Hawaiian Home Lands is an essential part of addressing the state’s affordable housing crisis,” said Gov. Ige. “I would like to thank Gov. Ige for his strong support of Hawaiian Home Lands,” said DHHL Chair William J. Aila, Jr. Today’s culmination of this rule signing is something we wanted to get done as quickly as possible under the Ige administration. These rules offer an excellent tool in our tool chest for serving DHHL beneficiaries.” The adoption of the new rules will create the addition of Chapter 10-7 to the Hawaii Administrative Rules (HAR) — DHHL’s governing rules that implement the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act. DHHL’s approval of beneficiary consultation on the proposed rules was given by the Hawaiian Homes Commission at its December 2017 meeting. From April 2018 through July 30, 2019, DHHL conducted statewide beneficiary consultation meetings with beneficiaries to discuss the proposed rules and gather feedback. Recent awards have included turn-key home lots, the most sought-after product on O‘ahu, as well as vacant lots. Efforts are underway to award subsistence agricultural lots in addition to Kuleana Homestead lots. The former Bowl-O-Drome site in Mo‘ili‘ili will be DHHL’s first urban high-rise project where these new rental rules will be implemented. In 2019, the department will have awarded 395 lots. DHHL has more than 1,300 lots in its production pipeline that are scheduled to be completed over the next five years. For more information or to view the rules in full, visit www.dhhl.hawaii.gov. #GovernorIge #PlannedCommunities #MultiFamilyComplex #RentalHousing #DHHL #DepartmentofHawaiianHomeLands #HawaiianHomesCommission #HawaiiState #Housing

HONOLULU – Gov. David Ige has appointed Anne E. Perreira-Eustaquio as the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations’ deputy director, effective Oct. 1, 2019. Eustaquio is the current unemployment insurance program administrator, managing the safety net of the federal-state program. She has spent her career working in various capacities in the unemployment division, working her way up from auditor to administrator of the program. “I am honored and looking forward to the opportunity to serve under Governor Ige and his administration. I hope to make a positive impact and contribution leveraging my 30 years of public service experience,” said Eustaquio. Eustaquio was born and raised in Hilo and is a graduate of Waiākea High School. She earned her Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting and a Master of Business Administration from Chaminade University of Honolulu. Eustaquio’s appointment is subject to Senate confirmation. #AnnePerreiraEustaquio #DLIR #DavidIge #HawaiiSenate #HawaiiState