Hurricane Concerns for Isles Increase After Federal Cuts

Hawaiʻi’s hurricane outlook calls for a below-normal season, but ongoing cuts to the federal government have U.S. Rep. Jill Tokuda concerned about the state’s ability to both predict the weather and respond if a hurricane hits the islands.

Star-Advertiser.

Some Hawaiʻi Counties Are Shortchanging Efforts to Keep Government Ethical

Experts agree full-time staff support is essential to the success of the neighbor island boards, but only Maui is taking that step.

Civil Beat.

UH Board to Vote on President’s Athletics Director Pick

The University of Hawaiʻi’s President Wendy Hensel picked Matt Elliot to lead the athletics department, now it’s up for approval at the UH Board of Regents meeting.

Hawaii News Now.

O‘ahu Headlines

Honolulu Inflation Among Worst in Nation

It’s a mixed bag. Inflation on Oʻahu ticked up very slightly in May and was higher than the nationwide rate, but continued an overall decline.

Civil Beat.

City Seeks Developer for Iwilei Transit-Oriented Housing

A master planning effort to potentially transform about 80 acres along Honolulu’s over $10-billion rail line into mixed-use, transit- oriented development is underway, city officials say.

Star-Advertiser.

Hawai‘i Island Headlines

An Embarrassing Housing Scam Triggers Big Island Reforms

A dishonest public worker and his partners slurped up millions of dollars by illegally manipulating a complex system of affordable housing credits.

Civil Beat.

Goal of New Partnership of Hospitals: More Specialty Doctors for Big Island, Fewer Medical Trips to Oʻahu

To alleviate the increasingly unmanageable workload, a shared workforce agreement was entered into at the beginning of June by Hawai‘i Health Systems Corporation’s West Hawaiʻi Region, The Queen’s Health Systems on O‘ahu and Aliʻi Health Center in Kona.

Big Island Now.

The Food Basket Distributes $700,000 to Dozens of Big Island Ag Operations

The Food Basket on Hawaiʻi Island has distributed around $700,000 in grants to over 30 island producers in an effort to promote local farming and improve food security.

Hawaiʻi Public Radio.

Ali‘i Drive to Return to Two-Way Traffic by Monday

The Hawaiʻi County pilot program created 46 additional free parking stalls in the south-bound lane of that busy section of roadway. The program concluded after measuring the community’s feedback about the one-lane traffic pattern for more than 30 days.

Tribune-Herald.

Maui Headlines

Drones Drop Mosquitoes Over Maui to Save Honeycreepers

Conservationists working to save Hawaiʻi’s endangered, native birds are now using drones to deliver lab-reared, male mosquitoes over Maui.

Star-Advertiser.

As Maui County Farmers and Ranchers Grow Old, Younger Replacements Are Desperately Being Sought

An aging farming community drastically needs to develop younger farmers to be able to take over the food production. Farms are not being handed down generation to generation as much as in the past.

Maui Now.

Maui Wildfire Debris Is on the Move Again. What Happens Next?

Maui County officials are still discussing the future use of the Olowalu site where wildfire debris is being temporarily stored.

Civil Beat.

Kaua‘i Headlines

High Winds, Rotor Flap Caused Fatal Kauaʻi Helicopter Crash

Three people died during an air tour over the Nāpali Coast in July 2024. Investigators attributed the accident to weather and a known weakness in the model of the helicopter.

Civil Beat.

Princeville Public Library Reopens Today After Closing for Nearly 20 Months for Renovations

The project included replacing the air conditioning, repainting, re-flooring, and making structural improvements to both the interior and exterior of the building.

Kauai Now.