Green Looks for Common Ground With Trump to Help Hawaiʻi

Gov. Josh Green said he has chosen a more conciliatory, collaborative approach with President Donald Trump if it means preserving as much federal support for Hawaiʻi as possible.

Star-Advertiser.

Local Hiring Initiative for Impacted Federal Workers Has Received Over 800 Applications

The state has received 827 applications as part of Gov. Josh Green’s Operation Hire Hawaiʻi initiative. He issued an emergency proclamation to tap into the pool of laid-off federal workers and fill over 4,000 open positions in state government.

Hawaiʻi Public Radio.

U.S. Rep. Tokuda Documenting Fallout of Federal Firings

U.S. Rep. Jill Tokuda remains alarmed over ongoing job cuts among Hawaiʻi-­based federal workers, which could lead to more workers leaving the islands while residents lose access to federal services they rely on.

Star-Advertiser.

Salary Commission Approves Hefty Raises for Legislators, State Officials

The state Salary Commission says some of Hawaiʻi’s most influential public officials should get raises over the next six years. The governor would see a 39% pay raise, but the biggest jump goes to legislators. Their salaries would climb 48% from $74,160 to $114,348. Legislative Republicans are already mounting an effort to push back.

Civil Beat. Hawaii News Now.

Hawaiʻi Legislature: Green Fee, New Taxes, Fireworks Enforcement Move Ahead

Tomorrow marks the halfway point of the 2025 Hawaiʻi Legislature, which means we’ve got a clearer picture of what issues are top of mind for lawmakers this year. Get the latest on bills to help bail out Hawaiian Electric, establish a visitor-impact fee, crack down on illegal fireworks, remove vaccine exemptions for schoolchildren and more.

Civil Beat.

O‘ahu Headlines

Corruption Probe Ends With Misdemeanor Sentences

Former Corporation Counsel Donna Yuk Lan Leong, ex-Honolulu Police Commission Chair Max John Sword and then-Mayor Kirk Caldwell’s Managing Director Roy Keiji Amemiya Jr., conspired “in their official capacities as Honolulu city officials to reach a settlement agreement” for former Honolulu Police Chief Louis Kealoha while he was under investigation by the FBI for federal public corruption.

Star-Advertiser. Hawaii News Now. Civil Beat.

Honolulu Hasn’t Prosecuted a Single Ghost Gun Case Since 2020 Ban

Ghost guns are on the rise. It’s why Hawaiʻi moved four years ago to make it a felony to make or have unserialized firearm parts. Yet since then, not a single person on Oʻahu has been charged for possessing these untraceable weapons. Meanwhile, on Big Island and Maui, more than 50 people have been charged under the law.

Civil Beat.

Former O‘ahu Prison Guard Pleads Guilty to Sexually Assaulting Inmates

On Monday, March 3, 47-year-old Mikael Rivera from Kapolei, pleaded guilty to sexual abuse of inmates under his custody or control. Rivera was a correctional officer at the Federal Detention Center in Honolulu from 2014 to 2018.

KITV4.

Hawaiʻi Protesters Hold Another Rally Against Trump, Musk Policies

More than 100 protesters showed up at noon on Tuesday in front of the state Capitol in Honolulu to speak out against President Donald Trump, tech billionaire Elon Musk and their policies.

Star-Advertiser. Hawaii News Now.

Hawai‘i Island Headlines

Downtown Hilo Post Office, HVO Site Among Possible Federal Cuts

The U.S. General Services Administration on Tuesday published a list of buildings and facilities deemed “not core to government operations, or non-core properties” that have been designated for possible sale or closure. The list — more than 400 entries long — includes the historic Federal Building, U.S. Post Office and Courthouse in downtown Hilo on Waiānuenue Avenue.

Tribune-Herald. Big Island Now.

Power Plant Plan Raises Concerns: Proposed 60-Megawatt Facility Would Be Built in Pana‘ewa

The Alahao Renewable Energy Project would develop a 12-acre parcel — owned by the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands — on Railroad Avenue just north of Kukila Street into an energy plant capable of adding up to 60 megawatts of power to the Hawaiian Electric grid on the Big Island.

Tribune-Herald.

Morgue Plan Irks Residents: Work Already Has Started On Temporary Storage Facility

At a community meeting on Monday night at Aupuni Center, about three dozen residents learned from the Hawai‘i Police Department that construction of a temporary morgue started about two weeks ago adjacent to the as yet-unopened call center for police and fire dispatchers in Hilo. Most people who spoke up at the meeting were unhappy about it.

Tribune-Herald.

Adult Coconut Rhinoceros Beetles Found in Kona

A pair of adult coconut rhinoceros beetles were found Monday and Tuesday in Kailua-Kona. The total number of adult beetles found on Hawai‘i Island is now seven, and this week’s discoveries are the first outside of Waikōloa.

West Hawaii Today. Hawaii News Now.

In the Hakalau Forest on Hawaiʻi Island, These Birders of a Feather Flock Together

The wildlife refuge is hailed as a great success story where the habitat of Hawaiʻi’s endangered birds has been restored, and the birds are thriving.

Hawai‘i Public Radio. Hawaii News Now.

Maui Headlines

Lahaina Energy Partnership Invites Public to Third Co-design Workshop

The Lahaina Energy Partnership (LEP) hosts its third public co-design workshop on March 11 as a part of an ongoing effort to develop a community-driven energy future for Lahaina.

Maui Now.

‘Safe Parking’: A 2024 Study Reports Favorable Outcomes in Curbing Homelessness

In Maui County, there were 5,899 people counted as unhoused in 2024, including those who lost their homes because of the 2023 wildfires and were staying in disaster-response shelters, according to the recently released “Recommendations to Address Homelessness in Maui County” study.

Maui Now.

UH President Wendy Hensel Visits UH Maui College

University of Hawaiʻi President Wendy Hensel visited UH Maui College on Monday, March 3, as part of her statewide tour of 10 UH campuses and five education centers within her first 90 days in office.

Maui Now.

Kaua‘i Headlines

Homeless Program Grant Recipients Announced

Out of the nine proposals received, seven were eligible for consideration. A selection committee reviewed and scored these eligible projects, ultimately choosing the top six to receive funding of $500,000.

Garden Island.

Upgraded Imaging at Kaua‘i Veterans Memorial Hospital

Equipment in the newly renovated Imaging Department at the Kaua‘i Veterans Memorial Hospital is already being used, and the Monday blessing of the Department took place in between patients.

Garden Island.