Mark Ladao

1 week ago | hawaiipublicradio.org | Mark Ladao

As Congress weighs a $300 billion cut to SNAP funding, local officials are trying to figure out how they might be able to secure funding for the program in their own communities. That was a topic for Hawaiʻi County Council lawmakers during a budget meeting last week. County officials noted increases in revenue over last year, namely through an additional $12.7 million from real property taxes and $7.3 million primarily from mass transit grants.

2 weeks ago | hawaiipublicradio.org | Mark Ladao

Three months into a pilot project to introduce digital agriculture declaration forms to incoming travelers, state officials say more people are filling them out. Dubbed "Akamai Arrival," the project aims to figure out how compliance in filling out the forms changes if passengers receive them digitally instead of via paper on the plane. That’s been the case so far. Lt. Gov. Sylvia Luke said that it’s likely because the digital forms are more convenient.

2 weeks ago | hawaiipublicradio.org | Mark Ladao

Hawaiʻi County Council lawmakers are advancing a bill that would require rental properties to register with the county. Bill 47 is a renewed effort by some council members to reform what the measure calls “transient vacation rentals,” or short-term rentals offered on sites like Airbnb and VRBO. Under the measure, properties would have to register with the county’s director of finance and provide information such as the location and number of units for rent.

2 weeks ago | hawaiipublicradio.org | Mark Ladao

Hawaiʻi County Council lawmakers are considering a proposal that would let residents produce eggs in their backyards. County law currently only allows chickens to be raised on agricultural land, but Bill 52 would let residents have “household henneries” for non-commercial egg production. Councilmember Matt Kanealiʻi-Kleinfelder, who had introduced a similar measure, said it’d be helpful for food resilience, especially in a time when prices for basic goods are on the rise.

2 weeks ago | hawaiipublicradio.org | Mark Ladao

The Laukahi Slopes Mini Park is about 3.5 acres in size and is tucked in a Waiʻalae Iki neighborhood surrounded by houses. It's hilly and overgrown with trees, bushes and grass, and it doesn't have any facilities, so most neighbors just walk through it. But it's closed right now because about 100 sheep and goats were let into the park earlier this month to eat.