Hawaii Business Magazine Newsletters

Proponents look to create a new Hawai‘i marine sanctuary ASAP in case of a Trump return
Former president Donald Trump, currently locked in a close race with incumbent Joe Biden, considered changes to Papahānaumokuākea when he was in office. Civil Beat.

Early drought brings wildfire potential this summer
The latest U.S. Drought Monitor shows about 17% of the state is already in severe drought, while 25% is in moderate drought. Star-Advertiser.

Biomedical research funding for UH earns $158M for state
Funding from federal biomedical research grants awarded to UH in 2023 generated $158 million in state economic activity and supported 819 local jobs, according to a report released in March. Star-Advertiser. Big Island Now.

NEH awards funding for research on Hawaiʻi’s history of industrial schools
The North Shore Community Land Trust received National Endowment for the Humanities funding for oral history research and story mapping of the Waialeʻe Industrial School for Boys and the Kawailoa Industrial School for Girls. Hawaii Public Radio.

State Hospital stabber declared ‘unfit’ to proceed
Tommy Carvalho, the man charged with stabbing a Hawai‘i State Hospital nurse to death, has been found unfit to proceed with trial. KHON2.

Queen’s nurses start contract talks with staffing among top issues
The Hawai‘i Nurses’ Association, which represents nearly 2,000 nurses at Queen’s, said it met at the bargaining table with hospital management Tuesday and Wednesday, with additional meetings scheduled for next week. Star-Advertiser.

Hawai‘i lobbyist fined $2,500 for vet clinic violation
Alicia Maluafiti, a politically connected lobbyist who used to run an O‘ahu-based veterinary clinic, will avoid prison time after she admitted to using a vet’s credentials to order drugs for animals who underwent spay and neuter surgeries.  Civil Beat.

Kalaeloa wave-pool opponents concerned about effect on aquifer
An association opposed to a planned Kalaeloa 5-acre wave pool, which will take 7 million gallons of fresh water to fill from the same aquifer that O‘ahu communities depend on, says its members were heartened by developments at a court hearing Thursday. Star-Advertiser. KHON2.

City relocating Waikīkī lifeguard tower due to erosion
City officials on Thursday removed the remains of a concrete pillar for a lifeguard tower at Queen’s Beach in Waikīkī, about three-and-a-half years since waves damaged it. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaiʻi lawmakers call for updated lava-zone maps
A State Senate resolution urging federal officials to update the lava-flow hazard map of Hawaiʻi Island is advancing at the Capitol. The Senate committee noted that the USGS lava-flow hazard map was prepared in 1974 and updated in 1992. It has not ben updated since. 

Most of East Hawai‘i, Kona coffee belt had above-average rainfall
March is the wettest month of the year for the windward side of the Big Island, says Kevin Kodama, a senior service hydrologist for the National Weather Service in Honolulu. 

No more coconut rhinoceros beetles detected on Hawai‘i Island
There have been no additional coconut rhinoceros beetles detections on Hawai‘i Island, state officials say, since the discovery of several live CRB grubs in Waikoloa in October 2023. 

New adult assisted living care home opens in Hilo
Pōhai Mālama Care Home, an adult residential care home supported by Hawaiʻi Care Choices, is located at 590 Kapiʻolani St. Applications are now being accepted for prospective residents. 

Lahaina’s Santa Claus joins the exodus from Maui
An official estimate of how many people have left Maui since the destructive wildfire may not be available until next year. But it’s a lot, by most accounts. 

Maui nonprofits see greater need for services but may get less county funding
The County Council is looking for ways to up the budget, which is limited by the cost of the fire recovery. 

Concerns are being raised about the new elementary school in West Maui
A temporary campus for King Kamehameha III Elementary opened earlier this month, but hosting students at the West Maui site could cost over $100 million, Department of Education officials say.  

Maui fire survivors decry decision to cut back on meals for those still living in hotels
The Hawai‘i Emergency Management Agency and the American Red Cross will soon start cutting back free meals they serve to fire survivors living in hotels from three meals a day to one meal a day. 

La‘akea Chun nominated to Charter Commission
Ellen Ching, Administrator for the Office of Boards and Commissions, received support from Mayor Derek S.K. Kawakami and Council Chair Mel Rapozo, in nominating the 18-year-old student to a seat on the Charter Commission. 

Division of Aquatic Resources team extracts coral colonies in water off Anini Beach
The DAR team believes the non-native corals are a result of an individual dumping the contents of a saltwater aquarium in the ocean.