Gov. Ige on tweaked travel requirements; Homelessness conference charts gains and needs; Honolulu weighs options to avoid layoffs; KCC farmers market reopens; Fresh milled rice in Kakaako
Gov. Ige on tweaked travel requirements
This morning, we talked to Hawaii Governor David Ige about the decision to tighten up the pretest Safe Travels program following calls by some mayors to do more since so many COVID hotspots are spreading across the country. The tweak involves making sure travelers have their negative results in hand. Otherwise, they risk being put in quarantine. Ige also comments on the anticipated furloughs to state government employees.
Homelessness conference charts gains and needs
When you wake up in the morning and it's pouring rain, if you were one of the thousand other people who were at the State Homeless Awareness Conference this week, you are either in the rain or thinking hard about people who are. This is Homeless Awareness Month. Heads of critical agencies and services, leaders of community organizations, social workers, and others offered recent data and perspectives. Across the board, they are bracing for the future. Click here to see the conference's full schedule and speakers.
Reality Check: Honolulu weighs options to avoid layoffs
Honolulu expenses ranging from veterinarian visits for police dogs to initiatives addressing homelessness and climate change are on the chopping block as the city grapples with a massive budget shortall, according to city records. Each department was tasked with proposing cuts of 5 to 10 percent of their operating budgets for the current fiscal year, which ends in June. Civil Beat Politics & Opinion Editor Chad Blair tells us more about the City's budget. Click here to read the story at CivilBeat.org.
KCC farmers market reopens
The Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation was a bit nervous as it reopened its market at Kapiolani Community College. Often referred to as the granddaddy of our farmers markets, it drew some 2,000 people every Saturday. But that's not what you want to see during a pandemic. We hear how it's keeping people safe and why vendors and customers are visiting. Click here for more information on the market.
Fresh milled rice in Kakaako
While most rice mills in Hawaii are now historic places, there is one Oahu business that mills rice to order using modern equipment. We take a visit to the The Rice Factory in Honolulu, where imported Japanese rice varieties are milled to your liking. Click here to visit The Rice Factory's website.
