Ben Angarone, Honolulu Civil Beat Journalist Profile

Articles

Fix It! This Wooden Footbridge In Windward Oʻahu Is A Survivor

3 weeks ago | civilbeat.org | Ben Angarone

It’s Groundhog Day in Windward Oʻahu, where a pedestrian bridge has been caught in a cycle of being destroyed, rebuilt and destroyed. Months after being obliterated by a car, a rustic wooden red and white pedestrian footbridge on the edge of a busy highway in Windward Oʻahu is finally under repair. Estimates vary for how long it sat in shambles. Laetitia Atlantis, who runs Sunshine Art Gallery across the street, thinks it’s been about six months.
Here's What Honolulu's Expensive Sewer Upgrade Will Do

3 weeks ago | civilbeat.org | Ben Angarone

Additional upgrades are needed to prevent contaminated wastewater from being discharged into the ocean. Honolulu’s sewage spills have plummeted in the last two decades thanks to extensive federally mandated upgrades, including fixing hundreds of miles of pipes each year and bolstering pump stations that send sewage to treatment plants. But the city says more upgrades are needed, which is why it is poised to raise sewer rates for the first time in 10 years.
Officials targeting unlawful vacation rentals in Honolulu

4 weeks ago | djcoregon.com | Ben Angarone

At a glance:Short-term rental registrations in resort zones more than doubledCompliant owners frustrated as owners of illegal rentals avoid taxesNew tax category aims to capture lost revenue from vacation unitsCity prioritizing enforcement in residential areas over resort zonesHONOLULU (AP) — As Honolulu cracks down on illegal vacation rentals, registrations of units in sanctioned resort areas have more than doubled in the year since the process was streamlined.
Honolulu sees doubling of vacation rental registrations under new rules

1 month ago | apnews.com | Ben Angarone

As Honolulu cracks down on illegal vacation rentals, registrations of units in sanctioned resort areas have more than doubled in the year since the process was streamlined. But neighbors complain some owners are still holding out — avoiding the higher tax rate and costing the city revenue. Short-term rentals aren’t allowed in residential areas, a restriction intended to prevent neighborhoods from being overrun by tourists at the expense of local residents.
Honolulu Sees Doubling Of Vacation Rental Registrations

1 month ago | civilbeat.org | Ben Angarone

The city has made it easier to sign up, but many owners are still flying under the radar even in areas like Waikīkī and Ko Olina where short-term rentals are legal to operate. As Honolulu cracks down on illegal vacation rentals, registrations of units in sanctioned resort areas have more than doubled in the year since the process was streamlined. But neighbors complain some owners are still holding out — avoiding the higher tax rate and costing the city revenue.
Honolulu sees doubling of vacation rental registrations under new rules

1 month ago | milescitystar.com | Ben Angarone

As Honolulu cracks down on illegal vacation rentals, registrations of units in sanctioned resort areas have more than doubled in the year since the process was streamlined. But neighbors complain some owners are still holding out — avoiding the higher tax rate and costing the city revenue. Short-term rentals aren’t allowed in residential areas, a restriction intended to prevent neighborhoods from being overrun by tourists at the expense of local residents.
Honolulu sees doubling of vacation rental registrations under new rules

1 month ago | plaindealerin.com | Ben Angarone

As Honolulu cracks down on illegal vacation rentals, registrations of units in sanctioned resort areas have more than doubled in the year since the process was streamlined. But neighbors complain some owners are still holding out — avoiding the higher tax rate and costing the city revenue. Short-term rentals aren’t allowed in residential areas, a restriction intended to prevent neighborhoods from being overrun by tourists at the expense of local residents.
Fix It! The Leaning Traffic Light Of Kalākaua Avenue

1 month ago | civilbeat.org | Ben Angarone

Three traffic lights used to regulate heavy traffic into Waikīkī via Kalākaua Avenue. For over a year, a scrappy interim traffic light has been holding down the fort. When a water pipe burst last year at the corner of Kalākaua Avenue and Ala Wai Boulevard, city workers had to remove the row of three traffic lights that stood over it. The plan is to eventually restore the traffic light to its former glory.
Ālai Ka ʻAhaʻōlelo I Ko Honolulu Wahi ʻŌpala I Hāpai ʻIa

1 month ago | civilbeat.org | Ben Angarone

Ua mahalo nā mea paipai i ka pila nāna e kiaʻi i ka wai inu, akā, na kēia koho e paneʻe i ka pani ʻia ʻana o ko ka mokuʻāina wahi ʻōpala ma Nānākuli. Ka nota a ka luna hoʻoponopono: Unuhi ʻia na Ākea Kahikina. Click here to read this article in English. Ua ʻāpono nā mea kau kānāwai i pila ma ka Pōʻakolu nāna e pāpā i nā waihona ʻōpāla, ʻaʻole e kūkulu ʻia ma luna o nā kumu wai inu, a ʻo ka hoʻopilikia akula nō ia i ko Honolulu hana e hoʻoneʻe i kona waihona ʻōpala nui.
Honolulu Approves Last Big Covid Hazard Payments For City Workers

1 month ago | civilbeat.org | Ben Angarone

After years of delays, the City Council signed off on a $41 million deal with the state’s largest union after previously reaching agreements with two other unions. When the Covid pandemic struck, North Shore lifeguard Jeff Okuyama and his fellow watermen could wear masks while on lookout duty. But when it came time to rush into the ocean for a rescue, they had to ditch the paper face coverings. “We still had to do our job without the protective gear,” Okuyama said.