FROM THE GOVERNOR: STAYING 'HAWAI‘I STRONG' FOR US ALL

When we needed it most, when it mattered most, Hawai‘i stepped up. During the past eight years, our community has weathered an unprecedented series of crises: a once-in-a-generation global pandemic, the K?lauea eruption, hurricanes, floods, wildfires, and fuel contamination at Red Hill. Through it all, Hawai‘i, its leaders and the community – from keiki to k?puna  – have shown the values that make us strong. This issue of Capitol Connection looks back at all we’ve survived and forward to what we’ve learned for the future. (Read more)

'AMBASSADORS OF ALOHA' HAILED AS HOMETOWN HEROES

It was smiles all around Sept. 8 at Washington Place as Governor and Mrs. Ige congratulated the world series champions from the Honolulu Little League and KADO Hawai‘i, along with their proud coaches and family members. The governor issued two proclamations to honor the teams and spoke as much about their character as “ambassadors of aloha” as their skill on the baseball diamond. (Read more)

GOOD NEWS: TAX REFUNDS ON THE WAY, SAYS GOVERNOR

Governor Ige has announced Hawai‘i taxpayers will be receiving either $300 or $100 tax refunds this fall, depending on their income levels. Checks will either be direct deposited into bank accounts or mailed to individuals through the U.S. postal service. Currently, about 600,000 taxpayers are scheduled to receive approximately $294 million in refunds, thanks to the dramatic rebound in the state’s economy. (Read more)

NEW BIVALENT BOOSTERS OFFER ENHANCED PROTECTION

The state Department of Health (DOH) is urging those eligible to sign up for the recently issued bivalent boosters designed specifically to protect against original COVID-19 and the BA.4 and BA.5 Omicron subvariants. The Pfizer-BioNTech booster is recommended for people age 12 and older.  The Moderna booster is recommended for adults age 18 and older. Bivalent boosters can only be administered if it has been at least two months since a person’s most recent vaccination. (Read more)

BE PREPARED FOR HURRICANE SEASON

Hawai‘i’s hurricane season in the Central Pacific region runs through November, which means residents and visitors need to prepare and plan. The Hawai‘i Emergency Management Agency (HI-EMA) offers these tips for residents and visitors. (Read more)

PANDEMIC SUCCESS CAME FROM MANY HANDS, HEARTS

“I want to thank the people of Hawai‘i for putting the community first.”  

 — Governor David Ige

Three years ago, no one could have imagined we’d be battling a global pandemic. Yet when we needed it most, Hawai‘i stepped up. Governor Ige and the county mayors worked with the Department of Health, the Hawai‘i Emergency Management Agency, the Healthcare Association of Hawai‘i, and multiple state, county and federal agencies to keep us safe. (Read more)

DR. LIBBY CHAR: SOME ADVICE FOR MANAGING THE ROAD AHEAD

She’s been described as “no-nonsense,” “a straight shooter,” a doctor who will tell you the truth, even if it hurts. But if ever Hawai‘i needed someone in the right place at the right time, it was Dr. Libby Char, whom Governor Ige appointed in fall 2020 as the state director of health. Her job has been to lead a vast department of some 2,600 employees whose work we often take for granted — in public and behavioral health and environmental protection. (Read more)

BEHIND THE SCENES: WHAT IT TOOK TO KEEP HAWAI‘I SAFE

We’ve all seen the courage on the COVID-19 front lines as doctors, nurses and staff cared for those hit hard by the virus. But what we didn’t see was the intense, behind-the-scenes coordination between Governor Ige and his team, private sector health care partners, mayors, federal, state and county agencies and community providers as the state navigated a never-ending series of crises with thousands of lives at stake. (Read more)

THE INCIDENT COMMANDER: A CAREER HANDLING CRISES

Maj. Gen. Kenneth Hara has spent 38 years handling disaster response for Hawai‘i, but he said COVID-19 has been “the hardest and most challenging of my career.” Hara wears several hats — as adjutant general and commander of the Hawai‘i Army and Air National Guard; director of the Hawai‘i Emergency Management Agency; and as director of the Hawai‘i Office of Homeland Security. He was appointed incident commander in March 2020 for COVID-19, which meant helping to coordinate multiple elements of prevention, detection, containment and treatment of the disease, in partnership with the Department of Health and numerous other agencies. (Read more)

RESILIENCE IN THE FACE OF FLOODS, HURRICANES AND VOLCANOES

Over the past eight years — especially in 2018 — the Ige administration responded to more natural disasters than any other period in state history. But with each incident, Hawai‘i has learned valuable lessons as communities and agencies came together to help residents rebuild. The state continues to plan for the future, including the threats from climate change, utility and system disruption, and impacts to harbors, airports and highways.(Read more)

HOLDING THE NAVY ACCOUNTABLE ON CLOSING RED HILL

The Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility sits 100 feet above O‘ahu’s sole-source groundwater aquifer, which supplies 77% of the island’s drinking water. In late 2021, the release of an estimated 14,000 gallons of fuel and water from a pipeline about one-quarter mile from the tanks led to contamination of the Navy’s drinking water system, impacting 93,000 users and raising grave concerns about the broader impact on the aquifer. (Read more)

PERPETUATING THE QUEEN'S LEGACY AND WASHINGTON PLACE

"People have said they’ve lived here all their lives but never had the chance to visit Washington Place. I wanted more people to see the home, to experience it,” said First Lady Dawn Amano-Ige. That vision became the driving force behind a nearly eight-year effort by Mrs. Ige and many others to preserve the home and its legacy as well as bring it into the 21^st century for more people to enjoy. (Read more)

BUILDING BRIDGES BETWEEN JAPAN, HAWAI‘I

Governor Ige and First Lady Dawn Amano-Ige traveled to Japan last month for sister-state missions in Hiroshima and Yamaguchi prefectures. Besides signing the first sister-state agreement with Yamaguchi, the trip also marked the 25^th anniversary of a similar, long-standing agreement with Hiroshima. (Read more)

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