Hawaii
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The number of people on the official list of those missing from the Maui wildfire stood at 385 on Friday, nearly unchanged from a week earlier.
In a news release, the Maui Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation said 245 people on the list of 388 made public the previous week were located and removed. However, a nearly equal number of new names were added.
The updated total was a startling departure from what had been expected — a day earlier Gov. Josh Green said he believed the number would fall below 100.
“We think the number has dropped down into the double digits, so thank God,” Green said in a video posted to social media.
After Maui police released the updated list, the governor said the numbers of fatalities and missing are often in flux in mass casualty events until investigations are completed.
“Exact numbers are going to take time, perhaps a long time, to become finalized,” Green said in a statement provided through a spokesperson.
He said there are less than 50 “active missing person cases.” He didn’t elaborate but indicated those are the people for whom more information was provided than the minimum to be on the missing list compiled by the FBI. It only requires a first and last name provided by a person with a verified contact number.
Authorities have said at least 115 people died in the blaze that swept through Lahaina, the deadliest wildfire in the U.S. in more than a century. So far, the names of 50 people have been publicly released and five others have been identified but their identities withheld because next of kin haven’t been reached. The rest have yet to be identified.
The flames turned the picturesque seaside town into rubble in a few short hours on Aug. 8. Wind gusts topping 60 mph ripped through the town, causing the flames to spread exceptionally quickly.
Lahaina has deep significance in Hawaiian history as the one-time capital of former Hawaiian kingdom and as the home to high-ranking chiefs for centuries. In recent decades, the town became popular with tourists, who ate at its oceanfront restaurants and marveled at a majestic 150-year-old banyan tree.
Half the town’s 12,000 residents are now living in hotels and short-term vacation rentals. The Environmental Protection Agency is leading an effort to clean hazardous waste left in a burn zone stretching across some 5 square miles.
Reconstruction is expected to take years and cost billions.
Initially more than 1,000 people were believed unaccounted for based on family, friends or acquaintances reporting them as missing. Officials narrowed that list down to 388 names who were credibly considered missing and released the names to the public last week.
New names on Friday’s updated list were added from the Red Cross, shelters and interested parties who contacted the FBI, Maui Police Chief John Pelletier said. He urged family members of the missing to submit their genetic data to help identify their relatives.
“If you have a loved one that you know is missing and you are a family member, it’s imperative that you get a DNA sample,” Pelletier said in a video posted to Instagram.
The cause of the fire hasn’t been determined, but it’s possible powerlines from downed utility poles ignited the blaze. Maui County has sued Hawaiian Electric, the electrical utility for the island.
The utility acknowledged its power lines started a wildfire early on Aug. 8 but faulted county firefighters for declaring the blaze contained and leaving the scene, only to have a second wildfire break out nearby.
Local government officials have faced significant criticism for their response both before, during and after the Lahaina fire, one of several which sparked on Maui on Aug. 8.
Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen has been vague as to his actions as the Lahaina fire was spreading. In an interview Bissen gave to local station KITV-TV, just after 6 p.m. on Aug. 8, he said, “I’m happy to report the road is open to and from Lahaina.”
However, Bissen was seemingly unaware that, at that point, much of downtown Lahaina was already ablaze. And while it was Bissen’s job to ask the state for emergency backup, the mayor told reporters this week he did not call the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency.
“I can’t speak to what — or whose responsibility it was to communicate directly,” Bissen told CBS News this week. “I can’t say who was responsible for communicating with General Hara.”
Major General Kenneth Hara, the director of the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency, said in a recent interview with Hawaii News Now that he was initially unaware of crucial details about the fire.
“I thought everyone had gotten out safely,” he said. “It wasn’t until probably the next day I started hearing about fatalities.”
Amid calls for his resignation, Bissen released a video statement Thursday in which he said:
“I want to be clear and repeat, that I have been present in our emergency operations center, since Aug. 7,” adding he did “become aware of fatalities” until Aug. 9.
“My first thoughts are, we should really get to all of the facts, whatever they may be, good or bad, that is a deeply personal discussion for any mayor and his or her constituents to have,” Green told CBS News in an interview Friday when asked whether Bissen should resign.
On Aug. 17, a little over a week after the fire broke out, Herman Andaya resigned from his post as chief of the Maui Emergency Management Agency, just one day after he publicly defended his controversial decision not to activate the island’s warning sirens when the Lahaina fire was spreading.
Andaya argued that sounding the sirens could have created confusion by sending Lahaina residents into the path of the blaze because they may have thought the sirens were signaling a tsunami, not a wildfire.
“The public is trained to seek higher ground in the event that the sirens are sounded,” Andaya told reporters on Aug. 16.
“Had we sounded the sirens that night, we were afraid that people would have gone mauka (mountainside), and if that was the case, they would have gone into the fire,” he added.
Andaya has since been replaced by Darryl Oliveira, a former Hawaii Fire Department chief who also served as the head of the Hawaii County Civil Defense Agency.
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Hawaii
Rain Brought by Hone Cancels Hawaii's Wildfire Warnings
![Rain Brought by Hone Cancels Hawaii's Wildfire Warnings Rain Brought by Hone Cancels Hawaii's Wildfire Warnings](https://img2-azrcdn.newser.com/image/1555299-12-20240825121002.jpeg)
Hurricane Hone passed just south of Hawaii on Sunday, dumping enough rain for the National Weather Service to call off its red flag warnings that strong winds could lead to wildfires on the drier sides of islands in the archipelago. Hone had top winds of 85mph Sunday morning as it moved west, centered about 45 miles off the southernmost point of the Big Island, reported Jon Jelsema, a senior forecaster at the Central Pacific Hurricane Center in Honolulu. He said tropical storm force winds were blowing across the island’s southeast-facing slopes, carrying a foot or more of rain, per the AP.
“As the rain gets pushed up the mountain terrain it wrings it out, kind of like wringing out a wet towel,” Jelsema said Sunday. “It’s been really soaking those areas, there’s been flooding of roads.” Hurricane Gilma, meanwhile, increased to a Category 4 hurricane Saturday night, but it was still far east of Hawaii and forecast to weaken into a depression before it reaches the islands. Some Big Island beach parks were closed due to dangerously high surf, and officials opened shelters as a precaution, Big Island Mayor Mitch Roth said.
(More Hawaii stories.)
Hawaii
A Glimpse Into Living In An Ultra-Exclusive Hawaiian Private Oasis
![A Glimpse Into Living In An Ultra-Exclusive Hawaiian Private Oasis A Glimpse Into Living In An Ultra-Exclusive Hawaiian Private Oasis](https://imageio.forbes.com/specials-images/imageserve/66b27567feb1cf419137419b/0x0.jpg?format=jpg&height=900&width=1600&fit=bounds)
View from the Kohanaiki clubhouse terrace
“I just pulled into the pickup area near baggage claim, and will be wearing all navy blue with a gray cap,” texts my personal driver Luke, shortly before my plane lands in Kona. His sign-off emoji: A hang ten hand gesture. It’s so Hawaii.
As we emerge from the airport on the Aloha State’s Big Island, I see Luke waving to me and my family. The five-minute ride to Kohanaiki – an 11-year-old, ultra-luxurious private golf and real estate community – takes us through a combination of desert and black lava rock, before entering the property. Instantly, the surroundings are transformed into something much more upscale – gorgeous houses, a lush green golf course, quaint streets and plenty of palm trees. I am instantly relaxed.
And seriously, everyone is smiling at one another. Every golf cart we pass, people give a friendly nod. Disneyland claims to be the happiest place on Earth. After a few minutes here, I beg to differ. Luke rolls us up to our personal golf carts for the next three days, and introduces me to Taylor – a personal attendant for our hale – that’s Hawaiian for home. He escorts us into our villa while Luke brings in the luggage. Neither will accept tips, and tell us all employees here are well-paid and will not accept our money. Taylor walks us through every detail of the incredibly luxurious four-bedroom, five-bath unit overlooking the first tee of the golf course. The hot tub on our patio is already heated, the freezer is stocked with Haagen-Dazs ice cream bars, there are about a half-dozen water bottles in the fridge, peanut butter pretzels on the counter, and fresh Kona coffee beans waiting to be ground. “Just let me know what you need more of during your stay, and I will get it for you,” says Taylor – of course with a huge smile.
Our patio overlooking the 1st hole
While we can’t agree on what to explore first, we concur that this property is stunningly beautiful. I was here for a work trip seven years ago and can remember a little bit about how to get around. I show my family the clubhouse first, starting with the infinity pool, world-class fitness center, pilates room, spa and terrace restaurant – all overlooking the Pacific. Then I take them downstairs to show them the private movie theater with its all-you-can-eat snack bar, four-lane bowling alley, and sports bar that has foosball, shuffleboard, arcade machines, and private Xbox suites. There’s even a cigar and scotch lounge, a private brewery, and a 350-locker wine storage area within this building. Next we hop into a golf cart and drive the vast 450-acre development that runs along 1.5 miles of shoreline. We preview a couple of the golf holes and come across one of three golf comfort stations that are fully stocked with snacks, candy, freshly prepared sandwiches, homemade ice cream cookie sandwiches, soft drinks, liquor, and my personal favorite frozen grapes – among many other items. It’s not attended and residents and guests are invited to dig in. We continue around the property checking out some of the gorgeous and mostly large homes – before ultimately coming back to the pool and chilling.
This is a serene getaway for multi-, multi-millionaires. One of the custom homes we eventually got to tour is on the market for $24.5 million. I’m not sure if this is an average price, but it definitely sets the tone. From what I understand, the smallest price of admission here is investing $800,000 into a fractional ownership of a hale, plus an annual fee. That gives you 40 nights per year on property, which you can divide any way it fits the schedule. There are also several levels of housing available. We’re also told that for many of the homeowners here, Kohanaiki serves as their second or third home. Ah, the good life.
Dare you to find a blemish on these greens.
The next day we checked out the private beach club. There’s another restaurant there that’s flanked by a pool and an artificial-turf field decked out with croquet, kids toys, soccer nets, etc. Trust me, children will never grow bored. There are also covered canopies down on the lava rocks and touching some beach sand. If you want a quiet escape, you can find it. Then there’s a restaurant – appropriately referred to as The Beach Club – that has tables under the open-air roof as well as literally down in the sand. Tiki torches only enhance the aura. And the food is fantastic.
One of Kohanaiki’s many gorgeous holes
While on property here, my daughter and I get to play the 7,329-yard golf course – Hawaii’s only Rees Jones original design. It’s in immaculate condition – sans the 15th hole that’s currently being regrassed. It’s temporarily closed, so par is automatic. The fairways are wide open and inviting, the greens are large and roll true – as if you’re on carpeting, and it’s one of Jones’ most player-friendly courses I’ve played. Mind you, there are some tough shots. The 12th hole, for example, plays 637 yards from the tip – into the wind and slightly uphill. I’m a single-digit handicap, but there’s little chance I’m reaching it in three. That said, I think it’s an easy course to score well on. Several of the holes are visually defined by the high-contrast black lava rocks that may come into play. And every hole sports an ocean view. The day we played, we saw a grand total of one other golfer on the course. Yes it’s a golf-centric community, but they seem to deliberately spread out groups so that you can play at your own pace. We took our time and finished in less than three hours. My daughter is learning the game, and we both found equal enjoyment from the different tee boxes. It’s playable for every skill level. Plus, the staff is incredibly welcoming and outgoing. If that’s a glimpse of how members are treated, then I completely understand the appeal of wanting to establish a home here.
There are discovery visits available for prospective homeowners. While we will likely never be able to afford such luxury on a permanent basis, our visit was a nice glimpse into what that lifestyle is like.
Hawaii
Hawaii-style taro donuts with Holey Grail Donuts
HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – A brother-sister duo from Kauai have mastered the art of making the quintessential Hawaii donut.
Nile and Hana Dreiling joined HNN’s Sunrise to talk about their taro donuts fried in coconut oil and topped with innovative flavors. They showcased their Pau Hana POG, created with Hawaiian Airlines for the Made in Hawaii Festival (running through Sunday at the Hawaii Convention Center), Island Chocolate made with Lydgate Farms Chocolate, and the Hot Peach with peach, local honey and mom’s almond crumble.
The siblings created Holey Grail in early 2018 as a Sunday ritual out of a little red hamburger trailer in Hanalei on Kauai. It developed a cult following, with people lining up at 6:30 a.m. on a Sunday to try the donuts and listen to live DJs. They started with a $100 fryer and a “Reincarnated” donut. Now they have a Honolulu flagship store in Kakaako, two trucks on Kauai, and plans to expand in Los Angeles.
They offer four classic flavors year-round, four weekly seasonal flavors and a selection of coffee-based and tea-based beverages. They also just launched Holeys, taro donut holes that are gluten-free.
They also do a “Breaking Bread” monthly flavor collaboration with various chefs and celebrities to create masterful donut flavors with proceeds going to different charities.
The current collaboration runs through September 25 and is with Taiwanese soul food chef, David Kuo, owner of Little Fatty in Mar Vista, California. The “Little Fatty” donut features banana, coconut, caramelized sesame, and peanut flavors, and is available at all Holey Grail Donuts locations for $6. Part of the proceeds will go to benefit No Us Without You LA, a charitable organization in Los Angeles that provides food relief to disenfranchised hospitality workers affected by the pandemic.
They said their business philosophy is to support local farmers and artisans, so they use local ingredients such as vanilla bean from Laie Vanilla Company, taro from Kauai Taro Company, honey from AlohaHoneyBee Family Farm, and more.
Honolulu:
- 1001 Queen Street #101, Ward Village (808) 482-0311
- Sun-Thu: 7 a.m. – 5 p.m.; Fri & Sat: 7 a.m. – 9 p.m.
Kauai:
- Hanalei Food Truck: 5-5100 Kuhio Highway, Hanalei (808) 212-7174
- Mon-Wed: 7 a.m. – 1 p.m.; Thu-Sun: 7 a.m. – 4 p.m.
- Kapa’a Food Truck: 4-1543 Kuhio Highway, Kapa’a (808) 635-5495
For more information, visit holeygraildonuts.com or follow them on Instagram at @holeygraildonuts.
Copyright 2024 Hawaii News Now. All rights reserved.
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