Departure of House Speaker Scott Saiki will test lawmakers’ appetite for reform

Kim Coco Iwamoto has an ambitious plan to try to reorganize the House, but her future colleagues are moving ahead with plans of their own.

Civil Beat. Star-Advertiser. KHON2.

Hawaiʻi saw the worst voter turnout Saturday of any primary since statehood

Just 269,912 of the 839,618 people registered statewide filled out a ballot. That works out to 32.1%. It’s a significant drop from the 39.8% turnout for the 2022 primary and an even more dramatic decline from the 51.2% in 2020.

Civil Beat.

Customers won’t pay for HECO’s $2 billion wildfire settlement, CEO says

Hawaiian Electric Industries said there is risk it cannot continue as a going concern if it can’t find financing to cover wildfire liabilities.

Civil Beat. 

Hawaiʻi’s teacher shortage is finally improving. Will it last?

The Hawaiʻi Department of Education has the lowest number of teacher vacancies the state has seen since 2019, but schools may experience a surge in retirements in the coming years.

Civil Beat. 

Multiple Hawaiʻi athletes medal at Paris Olympics

Hawaiʻi’s Olympic athletes fared quite well, with multiple athletes across multiple sports earning medals.

KHON2. 

O‘ahu Headlines

Police continue search for attempted murder suspects after teen shot on city bus in Kalihi

Officials say the suspects are part of the attempted murder investigation launched after a bullet hit a 17-year-old boy. Police say it was fired by two males on a moped near School Street and Kamehameha Four Road.

Hawaii News Now.

City looks to restore the historic Waikiki War Memorial Natatorium

The Waikiki War Memorial Natatorium is almost 100 years old, but it’s been closed to the public for the last 45 years because of deteriorating conditions.

Hawaiʻi Public Radio. 

City delays removal of Haiku Stairs segments

The city administration’s sanctioned removal of 10 to 15 steel stair modules — out of the hundreds of such modules bolted to a sheer ridgeline in Windward Oʻahu that comprise the “Stairway to Heaven” was not done because modules in question were not “fully” detached, as the city previously claimed.

Star-Advertiser.

Mayor Blangiardi handily beats challengers in re-election bid

As predicted by many political pundits and interested observers, Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi handily beat his challengers Saturday evening. In the second set of results posted after 10:30 p.m., the 77-year-old retired media executive took nearly 79% of the vote — or 116,039 votes — to secure the city’s top elective office for another four years.

Star-Advertiser. Hawaii News Now. Civil Beat.

Hawai‘i Island Headlines

Puainako Street resurfacing project extended

Work on Puainako is currently being done between 5 p.m. to 5 a.m. in order to ease the impact to the surrounding Waiakea schools. The project is being extended through September.

Big Island Video News.

Hawai‘i County Council races headed for a runoff in general election, preliminary reports show

Five of the nine Hawai‘i County Council seats are headed for runoffs in the Nov. 5 general election, according to preliminary primary election results posted late Saturday by the state Office of Elections.

Big Island Now.

Maui Headlines

Process of rebuilding begins in Lahaina

Overall, rebuilding in Lahaina is being challenged in many cases by daunting forces that include financial constraints of property owners and regulations governing special areas such as the town’s historic district and nearshore parcels.

Star-Advertiser.

Maui County Council incumbents are cruising on to the general election

Former three-term Maui County Council member Kelly King was trailing incumbent Tom Cook in her effort to reclaim the South Maui seat, according to preliminary results in Saturday’s primary election.

Civil Beat.

Kaua‘i Headlines

Kaua‘i Police names new deputy chief after position was vacant for 2 years

Kaua‘i Police Department’s Mark Ozaki was named the new deputy chief, effective Oct. 1, after two years of the second-in-command position being vacant.

Kauai Now.