Thomas Heaton

Reporter at Honolulu Civil Beat

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Articles

Hawaiʻi's First State Fire Marshal In Decades Has A Long To-Do List

5 days ago | civilbeat.org | Thomas Heaton

State Fire Marshal Dori Booth will work to implement changes recommended after the Lahaina wildfire. Hawaiʻi has hired its first state fire marshal in more than 45 years, bringing in Dori Booth from Arizona to oversee fire prevention in the aftermath of the wildfire that destroyed much of Lahaina. Gov. Josh Green announced Booth’s appointment Monday,almost two years after that fire exposed just how vulnerable the island state is to a massive, wind-driven blaze.
After Fumbling Fire Priorities Last Year, Hawaiʻi Lawmakers Make Amends

1 week ago | civilbeat.org | Thomas Heaton

After the 2023 fires destroyed much of Lahaina, Hawaiʻi vowed to improve prevention measures. More than two years later, the state has finally paved the way for that to happen. As wildfire season looms over Hawaiʻi, West Oʻahu has called on the state’s utilities to remove and repair derelict infrastructure residents fear will ignite the overgrowth they have watched burn countless times in the past. Driving the Farrington Highway corridor it’s easy to see why they are worried.
Hawaiʻi Is Facing A Food Crisis. Can A State Plan Finally Help?

2 weeks ago | civilbeat.org | Thomas Heaton

Lawmakers are pushing for a comprehensive plan to address Hawaiʻi’s overreliance on imported foods and the growing number of residents who can’t afford groceries. For more than 30 years Hawaiʻi has recognized the need to diversify agricultural production, boost self-sufficiency and reduce food insecurity in a state with some of the highest grocery prices in the nation.
Is The Military In For A Wake-Up Call As Hawaiʻi Leases Near End?

3 weeks ago | civilbeat.org | Blaze Lovell |Thomas Heaton

The state’s rejection of the U.S. Army’s environmental assessment of impacts of its training may foreshadow the future, one some Native Hawaiians say won’t be smooth sailing. Longtime Hawaiian activist Walter Ritte beamed with pride last week while watching throngs of people tear into the U.S. Army’s latest bid to retain use of a large swath of the Big Island known as the Pōhakuloa Training Area.
Data Dive: GMO Seed Companies In Hawai‘i Earn More Money With Less Land

3 weeks ago | civilbeat.org | Thomas Heaton

Federal data shows the state’s once large seed industry has reduced in size while becoming more lucrative. Hawaiʻi’s genetically modified seed industry has been on the decline for at least a decade, but it is still worth more financially than any other agricultural commodity in the state. Seeds emerged as the state’s strongest cash crop as pineapple and sugarcane production began declining on the islands in the 1990s, .
Progress Report: Hawaiʻi Primes Itself To Battle Biosecurity Threats

1 month ago | civilbeat.org | Thomas Heaton

Some fear the state Department of Agriculture does not have what it takes to do the work laid out for it by the Legislature. Scalloped fronds of freshly planted palms on Keʻeaumoku Street caught Puakea Busby’s eye as she cycled toward Ala Moana Center last week. The O‘ahu teacher confirmed her suspicions the next day: Coconut rhinoceros beetles had eaten their way into the heart of the trees, causing the telltale V-shaped cuts.
Hawaiʻi Consumer Advocate Pushes Back Against Young Brothers' Rate Hike

1 month ago | civilbeat.org | Thomas Heaton

The state watchdog could get behind a more modest increase if public utility regulators investigate the interisland shipper’s relationship with its parent company. The state Division of Consumer Advocacy says it could support a temporary rate increase for Young Brothers to pay off outstanding debts while maintaining the vital interisland shipping service it provides.
Hoʻāpono Lua ʻIa Ko Hawaiʻi Pila Hoʻokuʻu Makika No Ka Hoʻopakele Manu

1 month ago | civilbeat.org | Thomas Heaton

Ua luku ʻia ka nui manu ʻōiwi o ka pae ʻāina e ka malaria manu, ka mea hoʻi a ka mokuʻāina e hoʻoponopono aku ai ma o kahi lāʻau hoʻohāpai ʻole. Ka nota a ka luna hoʻoponopono: Unuhi ʻia na Ākea Kahikina. Click here to read this article in English. ʻO ka hoʻolālā a ka mokuʻāina no ka hoʻēmi ʻana i ka laha o ka malaria manu, ka mea e luku nei i ka nui mana ʻōiwi, ua hoʻāpono lua ʻia ua hoʻolālā nei e ko Hawaiʻi ʻAha Hoʻokolokolo Waena no ka Hoʻopiʻi Kūʻē.
New Hawaii ag park aims to let Kauaʻi farmers ‘just focus on farming’

1 month ago | apnews.com | Thomas Heaton

Tools, greenhouses, customers and, most importantly, land and water — these are basic needs sorely lacking for farmers in Hawaiʻi. So a nonprofit on Kauaʻi is stepping up to fill the void by developing an agricultural park it hopes will help farmers grow and sell more food locally. The Olohena ʻĀina Center project is in the beginning stages, but local group Mālama Kauaʻi has acquired 87 acres of arable land near Kapaʻa and begun accepting applications from potential tenants.
New Ag Park Aims To Let Kauaʻi Farmers 'Just Focus On Farming'

1 month ago | civilbeat.org | Thomas Heaton

Mālama Kauaʻi, which runs its own food hub, is embracing the challenge of making farming as accessible and streamlined as possible on a newly leased plot near Kapaʻa. But it won’t be easy. Tools, greenhouses, customers and, most importantly, land and water — these are basic needs sorely lacking for farmers in Hawaiʻi. So a nonprofit on Kauaʻi is stepping up to fill the void by developing an agricultural park it hopes will help farmers grow and sell more food locally.

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