Allison Schaefers
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Past articles by Allison:
Kaiser therapists ratify contract, ending long strike
Therapists employed by Kaiser Permanente in Hawaii — members of the National Union of Healthcare Workers — voted overwhelmingly Saturday to ratify a new contract ending a nearly six-month strike that the union says is the longest work stoppage by mental health care workers in U.S. history. → Read More
Hawaii’s lodging industry workers missing out, expert says
Spending is up only if you own a hotel, not if you work there. → Read More
Fight over Ala Wai Small Boat Harbor’s free parking stalls heats up
Tow trucks circle the Ala Wai Small Boat Harbor almost as often as the surfers, who are looking to nab one of the facility’s free public parking spots. → Read More
Fireworks keep Honolulu paramedics, HFD busy for New Year’s
Honolulu Emergency Medical Services personnel this afternoon responded to Nanakuli for a fireworks-related hand injury, adding to the dozen fireworks-related injury calls that kept paramedics and EMTs busy from New Year’s Eve into today. → Read More
State’s top U.S. tourism contract stalls again
Mike McCartney, director of the state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism, in his role as head of the purchasing agency for the Hawaii Tourism Authority, told the Senate Committee on Ways and Means on Monday that HTA’s U.S. tourism contract is likely headed for a third round of procurement. → Read More
City to ramp up enforcement of fines for illegal Oahu vacation rentals
Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi put owners and operators of illegal vacation rentals on notice Monday that the city is hiring a collection agency to handle the fines —up to $10,000 per day. → Read More
Hang glider crash victim was a Texas teenager
The Visitor Aloha Society of Hawaii is assisting the family of a 17-year-old male visitor who died along with the pilot when a powered hang glider crashed during a Saturday morning flight lesson at Kaena Point State Park on Oahu’s North Shore. → Read More
Hawaiian Airlines loses $9.3 million amid Japan visitor lag
A continued lag in visitors from Japan to Hawaii and a protracted interisland fare war with competitor Southwest Airlines were among the headwinds that Hawaiian Holdings Inc., the parent company of Hawaiian Airlines, faced before reporting a third-quarter loss. → Read More
Few Oahu short-term rental owners register upon launch
The mad rush for short-term rental owners in resort districts to register under the city’s new short-term rental law, Ordinance 22-7 (Bill 41), didn’t happen Monday, the first day that the city made the online process available. → Read More
Judge halts Honolulu’s 90-day short-term rental law
A U.S. District Court judge has granted a preliminary injunction ordering the city not to enforce the provisions in a new Oahu law that pertains to increasing the minimum allowable stay for Oahu rentals outside of resort districts to 90 days from 30 days. → Read More
City might set South Shore surfing contest limits
Surfing contests on Oahu’s South Shore, where Olympian Duke Kahanamoku and his fellow Waikiki beachboys put the sport on the map, dropped off heavily in the earlier part of the pandemic. But a return to normal is giving rise to more events and reinvigorating discussions about whether the city should set limits. → Read More
Increasing Waikiki building height and density might be on table for first time in half century
A movement is underway to increase building height and density in the Waikiki Special District for the first time in about 50 years to allow smaller parcels to be turned into affordable housing and make the district more resilient to climate change and sea-level rise. → Read More
Rainbow crosswalk to honor LGBTQ+ community proposed for Waikiki
In Hawaii, there are rainbows, but so far none in the form of the brightly colored city crosswalks that many other destinations have installed to honor the LGBTQ+ community. → Read More
Housing study cites government barriers
High housing demand, heightened by low supply, drives up Hawaii’s home prices, not out-of-state buyers, according to new research released today by the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii. → Read More
SEC sues Semisub tour boat, alleging investor fraud
The Securities and Exchange Commission has filed a suit against the Hawaii Semisub tour boat and its founders, who they allege misappropriated at least $1.5 million from investors to pay for personal expenses, including $8,500 per month to rent a Kahala home and over $200,000 on psychics and recreational drugs. → Read More
High surf produces historic swells
A large south swell, which contributed to thousands of ocean rescues over the weekend, is expected to begin slowly subsiding today — although some impacts could be felt into the week. → Read More
Easing of restrictions returns Kiwi travelers to Hawaii
The New Zealand tourism market has returned to Hawaii after a two-year, COVID-19-related hiatus. → Read More
Union, Hilton reach tentative OK on 2-year contract
Unite Here Local 5 has reached an agreement with Hilton for a two-year contract at Hilton Hawaiian Village that is expected to end months of negotiations between the parties. → Read More
Japanese tourists begin a slow return to Hawaii
The turtles are flying again in Hawaii — a superjumbo jet-size sign that visitors from Japan are returning. → Read More
Hawaii tourism funding again under threat
The Hawaii Tourism Authority’s future is uncertain again. → Read More