Articles by Audrey McAvoy

Hawaii Study: Nearly 75% of Wildfire Survey Participants Have Respiratory Issues

A University of Hawaii study examining the health effects of last year’s deadly wildfires on Maui found that up to 74% of participants may have difficulty breathing and otherwise have poor respiratory health, and almost half showed signs of compromised …

After Maui, Hawaii Lawmakers Budget Funds for Firefighting Equipment and a State Fire Marshal

Hawaii lawmakers appropriated funds for more firefighting equipment and a state fire marshal after the deadliest U.S. wildfire in more than a century ripped through the historic Maui town of Lahaina and exposed shortcomings in the state’s readiness for such …

Hawaii Lawmakers Take Aim at Vacation Rentals After Wildfire Amplifies Housing Crisis

Amy Chadwick spent years scrimping and saving as a single mother of two to buy a house in the town of Lahaina on the Hawaiian island of Maui. But after a devastating fire leveled Lahaina in August and reduced Chadwick’s …

Oregon Schools Sued for $9M After Young Girl Allegedly Raped

A young girl and her guardian have sued an Oregon nonprofit organization, Portland Public Schools and Multnomah County for $9 million, alleging they were negligent when male classmates sexually abused her at school and raped her during an after-school program …

Hawaii Says 30 Lahaina Fire Survivors Are Moving Into Housing Daily But 3K Still in Hotels

Hawaii Gov. Josh Green said some 3,000 people displaced by Lahaina’s wildfires are still living in hotels more than seven months after the August blaze but that up to 30 people are moving to longer-term housing each day. Green told …

Maui’s Mayor Prioritizes Vows to Hire More Firefighters After Hawaii Wildfire

Maui’s mayor says he is prioritizing housing, evaluating evacuation routes and hiring more firefighters as his Hawaii community recovers from the deadliest U.S. wildfire in more than a century. Mayor Richard Bissen outlined the steps in emotional remarks more than …

Magnitude 5.7 Earthquake Struck Mauna Loa Volcano in Hawaii

A magnitude 5.7 earthquake struck the world’s largest active volcano on Friday — Mauna Loa on the Big Island of Hawaii — knocking items off shelves and cutting power in a nearby town but not immediately prompting reports of serious …

Wildfire Prevention, Helping Maui Recover Top Agenda for Hawaii Lawmakers

Hawaii lawmakers convened this week for the first time since the burning of historic Lahaina awakened the state to the deadly and costly threat posed by wildfires in an age of climate change. The tragedy refocused the attention of lawmakers. …

Maui Needs Tourists. Can They Visit Without Compounding Wildfire Trauma?

The restaurant where Katie Austin was a server burned in the wildfire that devastated Hawaii`s historic town of Lahaina this summer. Two months later, as travelers began to trickle back to nearby beach resorts, she went to work at a …

Hawaii Governor’s First Budget After Maui Wildfire Includes Funds for Recovery and Fire Prevention

Hawaii Gov. Josh Green said he was requesting $425 million from lawmakers during the next fiscal year to help Maui recover from August’s wildfires, and millions more to reduce the risk of wildfires statewide. The proposed budget is Green`s first …