Hawaiʻi Votes Lag 2020 Election; Long Lines Expected Tonight

Only 375,000 Hawaiʻi ballots had been returned by Monday — a day ahead of today’s election — suggesting that the total number of votes cast by tonight will trail the previous presidential race in 2020.

Star-Advertiser. Civil Beat. Hawaii News Now.

Hawaiʻi Democrats Travel to Key Swing States in Final Push Before Election Day

Ahead of the election, several Hawaiʻi Democrats spent the weekend knocking on doors — not in Hawaiʻi but in Michigan.

Hawaiʻi Public Radio.

Solar Developer Pulls Out of 3 Major Projects, Citing HECO’s ‘Financial Distress’

After the wildfire destroyed Lahaina on Aug. 8, multiple rating agencies downgraded Hawaiian Electric’s credit to “junk” status, which has limited the utility’s access to capital.

Hawaiʻi Public Radio.

Water Commission Confirms Lahaina Native Ciara Kahahane as New Deputy

Kahahane said some of her priorities include improving water resource monitoring and building community trust.

Hawaiʻi Public Radio.

Hawaiʻi Farmers Navigate a Tricky Taro Market

Even as part of the islands’ crop goes unharvested, some buyers turn to imports. Pacific imports accounted for 137,000 pounds of taro during the 2024 fiscal year that ended last June, an almost 63% increase from the year before, worth $232,099.

Civil Beat.

O‘ahu Headlines

Honolulu Council to Review Sewer Fee Hike Measure

A city-initiated measure that calls for a more than 124% increase to sewer fees for Honolulu’s average single-family residential customer over a 10-year period comes under City Council review this week.

Star-Advertiser.

Thousands of Homeowners May Need Flood Insurance

According to a new flood hazard map by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, thousands of homes in Honolulu now fall within a flood zone.

KHON2.

Striking Hilton Workers Return to Jobs After Ratifying Contract

Hilton Hawaiian Village Waikiki Beach Resort offered striking Local 5 UNITE HERE hotel employees up to $10 per hour in wage increases over four years in a new contract that workers ratified Monday to end a 40-day strike.

Star-Advertiser. Hawaii News Now. KHON2.

DLE Proposes High-Tech Hub near Honolulu Airport

Request for proposals for a brand new public safety facility went out last week that would replace a nearly two-acre empty lot near Honolulu’s Daniel K. Inouye Airport with a multi-story, multi-functional facility.

KHON2.

President of East-West Center to Leave Post for Defense Forum

East-West Center President Suzanne Vares-Lum, who is both the first Native Hawaiian and the first woman to lead the organization, will leave her position at the end of this year to head the Daniel K. Inouye Asia Pacific Center for Security Studies, located in Waikīkī.

Star-Advertiser. Civil Beat.

Hawai‘i Island Headlines

Election Day Votes Could Impact Too-Close-to-Call Race for Hawai‘i County Mayor

Today is the day 59-year-old incumbent Mitch Roth of Hilo and 54-year-old challenger Kimo Alameda find out who will lead Hawai‘i County for the next 4 years as its mayor.

Big Island Now.

Emergency Shelters Open on Hawaiʻi Island as Heavy Rain Triggers Flash Flooding

Three emergency shelters remain open Tuesday for residents in need of a place to stay amid flooding rains. According to Hawaiʻi County Civil Defense, roughly 10 roads remain closed due to flooding or hazardous conditions.

Hawaii News Now. KHON2.

Hawai‘i Island Cyclists, State Representative Ride for Bike Safety Advocacy

State Rep. Greggor Ilagan (District 4, Lower Puna) and 21 cyclists from across Hawai‘i Island convened at the Herbert Shipman Park in Keaʻau to begin the nearly 22-mile roundtrip journey to the Billy Kenoi Park in Pāhoa.

Big Island Now.

Maui Headlines

Campaign Contributions Show What’s at Stake in Maui County Council Elections

So far this election cycle, the most heavily funded candidate has been incumbent Council Member Tom Cook. He had received $170,440.84 in contributions as of Oct. 21, far outpacing the next-closest candidate by nearly $100,000.

Maui Now.

Maui County Looks to Extend Tax Exemptions for Wildfire Survivors

The tax credits also benefit landlords who rent to people displaced by the August 2023 fires.

Civil Beat.

Maui Health Care Workers Go on 3-Day Strike

Hundreds of unionized health care workers at Maui Memorial Medical Center walked off the job Monday morning, the first day of a planned, three-day strike.

Star-Advertiser. Maui News. Hawaii News Now.

Kaua‘i Headlines

Massachusetts Teacher Runs Kalalau Trail in 50 State Challenge to Raise Funds for Alzheimer’s Cure

Since July 18, Glenn Caffery has been running an ultramarathon almost every other day in states around the country to fundraise for research to cure Alzheimer’s.

Kauai Now.