HONOLULU, Hawai‘i – During the 19th Annual Western Legislative Academy (WLA), a program of The Council of State Governments West (CSG West), fellow class members elected Hawaii Senator Kaiali‘i Kahele as their Class President. In this capacity, Senator Kahele will represent both the 2018 WLA Class and all alumni as an executive committee member of CSG West. Senator Kahele will also host the WLA Alumni reception and Annual Legislative Training Assembly (ALTA) session during the 2019 CSG West Annual Meeting in Big Sky, Montana. As a member of the Executive Committee, which serves as the organization’s governing board, Senator Kahele will participate in reviewing the work of the CSG West policy committees, consider policy positions, and the selection of the next WLA class participants. “Senator Kahele’s dedication, enthusiasm and insights are inspiring and I congratulate him on this achievement and wish him all the best with his work with WLA,” says Senate Majority Leader J. Kalani English ( (Dist. 7- Hana, East and Upcountry Maui, Moloka‘i, Lana‘i, Kaho‘olawe) About the Western Legislative Academy The WLA is an annual training program offered to western state legislators in their first four years of cumulative service. The program convenes in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Participants are selected on the basis of their dedication to public service, desire to improve personal legislative effectiveness, and commitment to the legislative institutions they serve. Training sessions focus on skills needed for effective lawmaking and allow for learning from topic experts, as well as fellow class members. The WLA experience is designed to reinforce CSG West’s purpose to facilitate regional cooperation and strengthen western state legislatures. About the Council of State Governments West CSG West is a non-partisan, non-profit organization serving the western region of the United States. CSG West is one of four regions of The Council of State Governments forming a national community of states. Through its structure, CSG provides a forum for member participation focused on regional topics, as well as a national platform for the exchange of ideas and information. For more information about CSG West, please visit csgwest.org. #westernlegislativeacademy #senatorkahele #kaikahele #kaialiikahele #CSG #WLA #councilofstategovernmentswest #senatorenglish #JKalaniEnglish

HONOLULU – At the direction of the President of the United States, Gov. David Ige has ordered that the United States flag and the Hawai‘i state flag will be flown at half-staff at the State Capitol and upon all state offices and agencies as well as the Hawai‘i National Guard in the State of Hawai‘i, beginning immediately for 30 days, in honor and tribute to the memory of President George H.W. Bush and as an expression of public sorrow. “President Bush lived a life of service to our nation, from a combat plane to the halls of Congress and the White House. As we pay tribute to his leadership, let us vow to serve our communities, our state and our nation with the same spirit. Dawn and I send our heartfelt aloha to the entire Bush family,” said Gov. David Ige. The president’s proclamation can be found here. #GEORGEHWBUSH #President #PresidnetBush #HawaiiRemembers #davidige #hawaiisenate #hawaiistatecapitol #governorige

HONOLULU – Gov. David Ige signed a fifth supplementary emergency proclamation relating to the volcanic activity and lava flows in the Puna District of Hawai‘i County. The fifth supplementary proclamation extends the authority to spend state funds as appropriated for quick and efficient action to protect the health, safety and welfare of Hawai‘i County residents. This proclamation also provides additional time for Puna Geothermal Venture to re-establish, or begin to re-establish, the regulatory framework under which it is required to operate. Gov. Ige signed the initial emergency proclamation on May 3, when the latest Kīlauea eruption began. He signed the first supplementary proclamation on June 5, the third on Aug. 3, and the fourth on Oct. 2. The current disaster emergency relief period continues until Dec. 29, 2018 #puna #governorige #davidige #punageothermalventureKilauea #disasteremergency #disasteremergencyrelief #Punadistrict

HONOLULU – The Hawaii Department of Education (HIDOE) has received a $1 million grant from the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) Partnership that will fund Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) education for kindergarten through eighth grade students at eight military-impacted schools in the Campbell-Kapolei Complex Area over five years. These schools will be able to integrate an online science curriculum to support their existing STEM program, Project Lead the Way (PTLW). The grant will focus on increasing students’ science academic achievement by providing quality instruction and relevant hands-on lessons and opportunities to utilize technology in-class to support more problem-based learning. “STEM-related education positively impacts students’ academic potential and career readiness and the DoDEA grant will help them to develop this vital learning foundation at early ages,” said Superintendent Dr. Christina Kishimoto. “Previous grants from our generous partners at DoDEA have provided funding for teacher training, lesson materials and equipment and their continued support will help to expand STEM learning to new schools in West Oahu.” The grant includes Ewa Makai Middle School and seven elementary schools: Ewa Beach, Holomua, Hoʻokele, Iroquois Point, Keoneʻula, Makakilo and Mauka Lani. Each of these eight schools has significant populations of military-dependent students whose parents serve in the various branches of military service. “Our continued partnership will impact the academic achievement of military-dependent students from kindergarten through eighth grades,” said Sean Tajima, Campbell-Kapolei Complex Area Superintendent. “We are honored to receive this third DoDEA grant that will provide quality Science learning experiences and STEM learning opportunities so our students can be college and career ready.” PLTW also has a built-in STEM Professional Development component that offers teachers tools for robust and flexible instructional support leading to increased academic achievement, as well as an ongoing professional community. “I am very grateful that we will be able to move STEM education forward for our students via a quality science curriculum aligned with Next Generation Science Standards,” said Project Director Hope Espinda. “We will also be integrating research-based strategies, such as Response to Intervention and STEM extra-curricular activities during each year of the five-year grant.” For more information on STEM education at Hawaii’s public schools, please visit https://bit.ly/1FhRlAS. ### About the Hawaii State Department of Education
 The Hawaii State Department of Education is the ninth-largest U.S. school district and the only statewide educational system in the country. It is comprised of 256 schools and 36 charter schools, and serves about 180,000 students. King Kamehameha III established Hawaii’s public school system in 1840. To learn more, visit HawaiiPublicSchools.org #STEW #DEPARTMENTOFEDUCATION #STEM #EWAMAKAIMIDDLESCHOOL #EWABEACHELEMENTARY #HOLOMUAELEMENTARY #HOOKELEELEMENTARY #IROQUOISPOINTELEMENTARY #KEONEULAELEMENTARYMAKAKILOELEMENTARY #MAUKALANIELEMENTARY #SEANTAJIMA #PLTW #NEXTGENERATIONSCIENCESTANDARDS #HOPEESPINDA #CHRISTINAKISHIMOTO

HONOLULU, Hawai‘i – The Hawai‘i State Senate today confirmed the Senate Committee Chairs and Vice Chairs for the 30th Legislature. #HAWAIISENATE #25 #RONALDKOUCHI #MICHELLEKIDANI #JKALANIENGLISH #DRUKANUHA #LESIHARA #lesiharajr #kaialiikahele #lorraineinouye #gilbertskeithagaran #braintaniguchi #clarencenishihara #mikegabbard #russellruderman #karlrhoads #laurahielen #kurtfevella #rozbaker #gilriviere #jarrettkeohokalole #sharonmoriwaki #glennwakai #stanleychang #maileshimabukuro #MikeGabbard #donnamercadokim #donovandelacruz

HONOLULU – Gov. David Ige and Lt. Gov.-elect Josh Green will be sworn-in on Monday, Dec. 3, 2018 at the State Capitol Rotunda. The public is invited to attend. There are seats available for the public, on a first come-first served basis. This will be Gov. Ige’s second inauguration. He was initially sworn in as the 8th governor of the State of Hawai‘i on Dec. 1, 2014. He will be accompanied by his wife, First Lady Dawn Amano-Ige and his three children, Lauren, Amy and Matt as he takes the oath of office for his second term. This will be the first inauguration for Lt. Gov.-elect Josh Green, formerly a state senator from Hawai‘i Island. He will be accompanied by his wife Jaime and children Maia (11) and Sam (8). Additional information: PARKING: There will be no public parking in the State Capitol or surrounding state garages/parking lots, including the Department of Health Lot L, ‘Iolani Palace and the Judiciary Building, until the conclusion of the inaugural ceremony. All public metered parking along Punchbowl Street, King Street, and Richards Street surrounding the State Capitol will be reserved and not available to the public until after the inaugural festivities are complete. Parking on other streets or in private garages such as Alii Place or Bishop Square may be available. PROGRAM: 10:30 a.m. — Musical Prelude by the Royal Hawaiian Band and The Kamehameha Schools Children’s Chorus 11:25 a.m. – Processional of the inaugural party. Former Gov. George Ariyoshi and Jean Ariyoshi, Former Gov. John Waihee and Lynne Waihee, Former Gov. Ben Cayetano and Vicky Cayetano, Former Gov. Linda Lingle, Former Gov. Neil Abercrombie and Dr. Nancie Caraway. Chief Justice Mark Recktenwald will administer the Oath of Office to both Gov. Ige and Lt. Gov.-elect Green. Traditional 10 cannon salute by the Hawai‘i National Guard Brief remarks by both Gov. Ige and Lt. Gov. Green. Photos of the inauguration will be available following the event, at: https://www.flickr.com/photos/govhawaii/ ### #stateofHawaii #governorige #davidige #LtGovelect #JoshGreen #DawnamanoIge #royalHawaiianBand #KamehamehaSchool #KamehamehaSchoolsChildrensChorus #GeorgeAriyoshi #JeanAriyoshi #JohnWaihee #LynneWaihee #BenCayetano #VickyCayetano #LindaLingle #NeilAbercrombie #NancieCaraway #MarkRecktenwald #chiefjusticrecktenwald #HawaiiNationalGuard #HawaiiInauguration

ALASKA VOLCANO OBSERVATORY INFORMATION STATEMENT U.S. Geological Survey Friday, November 30, 2018, 10:46 AM AKST (Friday, November 30, 2018, 19:46 UTC) The large earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of M7.0 that occurred this morning at 8:29 AKST north of Anchorage was tectonic in nature and not related to volcanism. For more information on the earthquake, see the NEIC website: https://earthquake.usgs.gov/ AVO has offices in Anchorage and Fairbanks, Alaska. The Fairbanks office is unaffected and continues to monitor Alaska’s volcanoes. The Anchorage facility has power and limited communications. Essential monitoring personnel continue to staff the Anchorage office. Ground-based monitoring data from our Veniaminof, Aniakchak, Okmok, and Korovin networks is currently unavailable following the earthquake; but we continue to monitor those volcanoes using satellite and infrasound data. Veniaminof remains at ORANGE/WATCH, Cleveland, Semisopochnoi, and Great Sitkin remain at YELLOW/ADVISORY. For updated information on Alaska volcanoes, visit https://avo.alaska.edu OTHER ALASKA VOLCANOES Information on all Alaska volcanoes is available at : http://www.avo.alaska.edu. For definitions of Aviation Color Codes and Volcano Alert Levels, see: http://www.avo.alaska.edu/color_codes.php SUBSCRIBE TO VOLCANO ALERT MESSAGES by email: http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/vns/ FOLLOW AVO ON FACEBOOK: https://facebook.com/alaska.avo FOLLOW AVO ON TWITTER: https://twitter.com/alaska_avo #alaskavolcano #USGeologicalSurvey #Earthquake #fairbanks

THE SENATE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES THE THIRTIETH LEGISLATURE INTERIM OF 2018 COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE, CONSUMER PROTECTION, AND HEALTH Senator Rosalyn H. Baker, Chair COMMITTEE ON HEALTH Rep. John M. Mizuno, Chair NOTICE OF MEETING DATE: Thursday, November 29, 2018 TIME: 2:00 p.m. PLACE: Conference Room 325 Hawai'i State Capitol 415 South Beretania Street The Office of the State Auditor published a report on November 16, 2018 which found that during 2016 and 2017 many adult care homes were operating without a valid license or with a license issued before the licensing requirements were completed. Moreover, the audit found that the Department of Health's Office of Health Care Assurance (OHCA) does not routinely make follow-up visits to care homes to correct deficiencies even after finding a problem such as mislabeled medication, wrong dosages given or discontinued medications without a physician's order. The purpose of this Joint Senate-House Informational Briefing will be to allow the Department of Health to address the Auditor's findings and provide the Legislature with information on their response to address the deficiencies. A G E N D A Review and discussion of the Audit of the Office of Health Care Assurance’s Adult Residential Care Homes Program (Office of the Auditor, State of Hawai‘i, Report No. 18-18, Nov. 2018) Actions required to address problems identified in the Auditor's Report Questions from Legislators No public testimony will be accepted. If you require special assistance or auxiliary aids and/or services to participate in the meeting (i.e., sign language interpreter or wheelchair accessibility), please contact the Committee Clerk at 586-6070 or 586-6050 to make a request for arrangements at least 24 hours prior to the meeting. Prompt requests help to ensure the availability of qualified individuals and appropriate accommodations. For further information, please call the Committee Clerk at 586-6070 or 586-6050. Website Post: https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session2018/hearingnotices/HEARING_CPH-HLT_11-29-18_INFO_.HTM #OFFICEOFHEALTHCAREASSURANCEADULTRESIDENTIAL #CAREHOMES #HAWAIIELDERS #KUPUNACARE #ohca #audit #DEPARTMENTOFHEALTH

CDC is advising consumers, restaurants, and retailers not to eat, serve, or sell any romaine lettuce as it investigates an outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 infections linked to romaine. Read the investigation announcement: https://www.cdc.gov/ecoli/2018/o157h7-11-18/index.html. Key Points: CDC, public health and regulatory officials in several states and Canada, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration are investigating a multistate outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 infections. Thirty-two illnesses have been reported from 11 states, including 13 people who have been hospitalized. One person developed hemolytic uremic syndrome, a type of kidney failure. No deaths have been reported. Epidemiologic evidence from the United States and Canada indicates that romaine lettuce is a likely source of the outbreak. Illnesses started on dates ranging from October 8, 2018 to October 31, 2018. Ill people in this outbreak were infected with E. coli bacteria with the same DNA fingerprint as the E. coli strain isolated from ill people in a 2017 outbreak linked to leafy greens in the United States and to romaine lettuce in Canada. The current outbreak is not related to a recent multistate outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 infections linked to romaine lettuce. Advice to Consumers, Retailers, and Restaurants: CDC is advising that U.S. consumers not eat any romaine lettuce, and retailers and restaurants not serve or sell any, until we learn more about the outbreak. This investigation is ongoing and the advice will be updated as more information is available. Consumers who have any type of romaine lettuce in their home should not eat it and should throw it away, even if some of it was eaten and no one has gotten sick. This advice includes all types or uses of romaine lettuce, such as whole heads of romaine, hearts of romaine, and bags and boxes of precut lettuce and salad mixes that contain romaine, including baby romaine, spring mix, and Caesar salad. If you do not know if the lettuce is romaine or whether a salad mix contains romaine, do not eat it and throw it away. Restaurants and retailers should not serve or sell any romaine lettuce, including salads and salad mixes containing romaine. People with symptoms of an E. coli infection, such as severe stomach cramps, diarrhea (often bloody), and vomiting, and think you might have gotten sick from eating romaine lettuce, should talk to their doctor and report their illness to the health department. This investigation is ongoing and CDC will provide more information as it becomes available. Advice to Clinicians: Antibiotics are not recommended for patients with E. coli O157 infections. Antibiotics are also not recommended for patients in whom E.coli O157 infection is suspected, until diagnostic testing rules out this infection. If you have further questions about this outbreak, please call the CDC media line at (404) 639-3286. If you have questions about cases in a particular state, please call that state’s health department. #USDEPARTMENTOFHEALTHANDHUMANSERVICES #EColi #CDC #Epidemiologic #Outbreak

The initiative involves streamlining how HIDOE contracts repair services to fast-track priority projects, increasing the community’s access to project details with an online database under development, and implementing a data-driven analysis to plan for future school needs. The Hawaii State Department of Education (HIDOE) is redesigning its facilities maintenance program to align the Department’s strategic focus on providing respectful learning environments with its core value of ensuring access to a quality public education for every student in every community across the state. Superintendent Christina M. Kishimoto said the effort reflects the Department’s commitment to a well-defined accountability structure and to making project data both understandable and publicly available. The three-part initiative involves streamlining how the Department contracts repair services to fast-track priority projects, increasing the community’s access to project details with an online database under development, and implementing a data-driven analysis to plan for future school needs. The initiative, already underway, is being called Future Schools Now, conveying the urgency of modernizing all Hawaii public schools to foster innovation and world-class learning. HIDOE’s facilities maintenance branch oversees 4,425 buildings and more than 20 million square feet of space across 256 campuses statewide with a fiscal 2018 facilities budget of $274 million. “Our school facilities play a critical role in providing equitable access to a quality public education for all students,” Superintendent Kishimoto said. “Every student, educator and administrator needs to be able to walk onto campuses and into classrooms that provide safe, respectful, ready access to world-class learning opportunities. I want to acknowledge and thank my facilities staff for their commitment to this goal.” “This redesign effort will provide our stakeholders and partners with information that allows them to be data-informed advocates for equitable funding and resources,” said Dann Carlson, Assistant Superintendent for School Facilities and Support Services. “While this is a huge undertaking — with 1 in 5 HIDOE schools over 100 years old — we are confident that we can carry out this important work with fidelity under the Future Schools Now framework.” Future Schools Now New Contracting Process HIDOE will use a proven method called Job Order Contracting, or JOC, to expedite work on repairing school roofs, the largest category on HIDOE’s repair and maintenance (R&M) backlog. The method allows the Department to contract several vendors through competitive bidding for commonly encountered projects over the life of a multiyear contract, rather than having to bid out individual jobs for repairs. Using the traditional design-bid-build method takes on average seven years to move through the appropriation, design, bidding and construction phases; job order contracting can be completed within months, providing an additional avenue to more quickly process common repair projects. HIDOE plans to start with roof repairs and will be awarding up to three roofing contractors per island on Oahu and the Big Island using job order contracting starting in December. The aim is to eventually handle all roof repairs with this method, followed by heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems and electrical upgrades in future rollouts. CIP Project Tracker HIDOE is creating an online database of its Capital Improvements Program (CIP) projects statewide to better track projects in the pipeline and establish a “systems of record.” The searchable database provides information on design and construction contract amounts, the status of projects, and awarded vendors. The database is being beta-tested internally with HIDOE facilities and Complex-Area-level administrators, with broader staff access planned for early 2019 along with state legislators and other stakeholders. A public version of the project database will be developed for the broader community and scheduled for release during the 2019-20 school year. Facilities Master Plan HIDOE has engaged Jacobs Engineering to provide a comprehensive facilities study that will provide a 14-point analysis to drive future facilities development. The study will establish a facilities master plan that is data-driven, and will ensure the state gives equal weight to “where we need to go” with “what we need fixed now.” Repair & Maintenance (R&M) Backlog As part of the Future Schools Now effort, the Department also will be restating its R&M backlog to better align with industry standards and accurately reflect pending projects that require funding to complete. HIDOE is shifting away from a focus on a multimillion-dollar total and instead moving toward tracking R&M needs across the system according to the type of repair — by number of projects and estimated cost. (See chart, below.) This will increase visibility around the greatest needs in our schools and allow decision-makers to target resources for priority areas. Reducing the R&M backlog, which contains approximately 3,800 projects, is included in the Department’s Strategic Plan as a statewide success indicator. Going forward, HIDOE will use data from the CIP project tracker to provide real-time updates to the R&M backlog as part of its regular quarterly fiscal reports to the state Board of Education. Click here or click image below to enlarge chart. #HawaiiStateDepartmentofEducation #christinekishimoto #HIDOE #DannCarlson #FutureSchools #NewContractingProcess

HONOLULU – At the direction of the President of the United States, Gov. David Ige has ordered that the United States flag and the Hawai‘i state flag will be flown at half-staff at the State Capitol and upon all state offices and agencies as well as the Hawai‘i National Guard in the State of Hawai‘i, until sunset on November 10, 2018, as a sign of respect for the victims of the mass shooting in Thousand Oaks, California. “My heart breaks for the families of the victims of this tragedy, and I am hoping for a speedy and complete recovery of those who were injured. Hawaiʻi’s connections to California are strong, and we grieve along with the Thousand Oaks community,” said Gov. David Ige. www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/presidential-proclamation-honoring-victims-tragedy-thousand-oaks-california/ #THOUSANDOAKS #HalfStaff #Flag #Hawaii #davidige

COMMEMORATING 40 YEARS OF CITIZEN ACTIVISM TO PROTECT O’AHU’S WILD KA IWI COAST Bronze Plaque Will Recognize Extraordinary Efforts (Honolulu) – Grassroots groups Ka Iwi Coalition and Livable Hawaii Kai Hui (LHK), together with the DLNR Division of State Parks, will unveil and dedicate a bronze commemorative plaque during a ceremony at noon on Thursday, November 8, 2018. The ceremony is open to everyone. The date marks the 30th anniversary of the historic Sandy Beach Initiative vote, a key turning point in the people-powered defense of the open-space wilderness between Hanauma Bay and Makapu’u. The plaque is mounted on a free-standing lava-rock plinth located at the first “hairpin” on the Makapuu Point Lighthouse Trail, where sea and coastal views are broadest. It is a gift to the state from the Ka Iwi Coalition and LHK. Surmounted by a bas-relief rendering of the coalition’s iconic wave logo, the text reads: In recognition of the many residents from all parts of O’ahu who, over the past four decades, steadfastly opposed urban development along the Ka Iwi coast from Hanauma to Makapu’u, mauka to makai. Their aloha ‘aina protected the natural landscape, the endemic plant habitats, and the cultural and historic values of Ka Iwi for the enjoyment of present generations––– and those yet to come. Mahalo nui loa! 2018 Several community members and government leaders will offer comments during the ceremony. Light refreshments will be served and motorized vehicles will be available for those who need them. There are no restrooms available. Dedication: 12:00 noon, Thursday, November 8, 2018 At the first hairpin turn on the Makapuu Point Lighthouse Trail, Kaiwi State Scenic Shoreline #makapuupointlighthousetrail #kaiwistatescenicshoreline #DLNR #KaIwiCoalition #LivableHawaiiKaiHui #LHK #HanaumaBay