Satellite-Based Map Shares Detailed View of What Hawaiʻi Farms Are Growing

A new high-resolution map of Hawaiʻi has been released to reveal trends in what crops farmers are growing — and can potentially be used to assess and even predict wildfires. The map, called the Hawaiʻi Cropland Data Layer, is free and publicly available through the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service website.

Hawaiʻi Public Radio. Kauai Now.

Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander Youth Face Highest Rate of Sexual Violence in Hawai’i

Published in “JAMA Pediatrics,” the study was co-authored by Thompson School of Social Work & Public Health Dean Alex Ortega and Associate Dean Meripa Godinet. The researchers said the findings highlight a critical but often overlooked public health concern.

Big Island Now. Hawaii News Now.

HTA Announces Advisory Board Committee Leadership

The panels aim to strengthen the authority’s strategic priorities and improve accountability.

Maui Now. 

Affirmative Action Opponent’s Next Target: A Private School With Admissions Preference for Hawaiians

Kamehameha Schools gives admissions preference to the Indigenous people of Hawaiʻi, with a caveat: “to the extent permitted by law.”

Associated Press.

O‘ahu Headlines

Former Secretary Pleads Not Guilty to Making Illegal Political Donations

Prosecutors say Terri Ann Otani, 70, donated $2,000 to former Honolulu mayoral candidate Colleen Hanabusa in 2020 in the names of her sister and niece.

Civil Beat. Hawaii News Now.

Lawmakers Push Oʻahu Officials for More Safety Information During Strong Hurricanes

The state House Public Safety Committee urged the Honolulu Department of Emergency Management to better identify where people should go in the case of a higher category hurricane.

Hawaiʻi Public Radio.

State Development Agency Pitches Final Plan For Westside’s Walkable City

The Hawaiʻi Community Development Authority is closing in on a final plan for Kalaeloa but major infrastructure needs mean it will be years before new development can begin.

Civil Beat.

DHHL Delays ʻEwa Real Estate Swap To Make Sure Donation Isn’t ‘Dirty Land’

The deal would allow a developer to circumvent county zoning rules by tapping into the Hawaiian housing agency’s special powers. In return, the agency could get a revenue boost for building homes.

Civil Beat. Hawaii News Now.

Pilot Program Begins to Reduce Loud Vehicle Noise on Oʻahu

The state is rolling out its pilot program meant to crack down on loud noises coming from vehicles on Oʻahu roadways.

Hawaii News Now.

Public Asked to Pick Ho‘omaluhia Botanical Garden’s Weekly Closure Day

Over the past 43 years, Windward Oahu’s lush, tranquil 400-acre Ho‘omaluhia Botanical Garden has been open to visitors nearly the entire time.

Star-Advertiser.

Battle Continues as Margotto Hawaii Announces Closure

Margotto Hawaii, a high-end Ala Moana area restaurant, announced Aug. 20 it is temporarily closing until 2026, less than two months after a jury awarded $3.15 million to a former sous chef who sued its executive chef for subjecting him to violent abuse.

Star-Advertiser.

Hawai‘i Island Headlines

Applications Sought for Kīlauea Recovery Grant Program

$6 million in funding is available to support community resilience and revitalization in Lower Puna during this next round of funding, officials say.

Big Island Video News.

North Kohala Water Restriction Canceled

Normal water use may resume in the areas from Hāwī to Hala‘ula, following the repair of a failed water well.

Big Island Video News. Big Island Now.

Hawaiʻi County to Distribute 1,500 Free Plants During 5 Adoption Events

The County of Hawaiʻi Office of Sustainability, Climate, Equity and Resilience will distribute 1,500 free plants through five plant adoption events with the first 300 plants available on Saturday during the Hala Fest at the Makuʻu Farmers Market in Pāhoa.

Big Island Now.

Ohtani, Agent Seek Dismissal of Land Deal Lawsuit

Attorneys for Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani and his agent Nez Balelo have filed a motion in state court to dismiss a lawsuit brought against them by real estate investors alleging Ohtani and Balelo conspired to cut them out of a $250 million deal on Hawaiʻi Island.

Star-Advertiser.

Maui Headlines

Maui Doctor Who Promoted Dubious Covid Treatments Joins RFK’s Vaccine Panel

Dr. Kirk Milhoan, a pediatric cardiologist and pastor at Calvary Chapel South Maui, provided the livestock drug ivermectin and the malaria drug hydroxychloroquine to prevent and treat the coronavirus during free house calls for Maui residents. The advisory committee makes recommendations to the CDC on what vaccines the American public should take each year.

Civil Beat.

Old Military Fueling Station, Other Abandoned Maui Sites Targeted for Potential Testing, Cleanup and Future Public Spaces

When the armory shut down and the state Department of Hawaiian Home Lands acquired the 1.77-acre plot of land in 2010, residents were eager to do something with it. The department talked about turning it into a community center. But nearly two decades later, the lot is empty and stubbled with asphalt and dead grass, and neighbors aren’t even sure what’s underground anymore.

Maui Now.

County Confirms It Is Open to Purchasing Maui Land & Pineapple

Maui County confirms it is interested in buying a water distribution system that has been supplying the westside for more than a century. The seller is a company that is being sued for leaving its customers dry.

Hawaii News Now.

Kaua‘i Headlines

Kauaʻi’s Dark Skies Program Aims to Protect Endangered Birds

Developed in partnership with federal, state and community groups, the Pacific Missile Range Facility program  plays a vital role in protecting these threatened birds by reducing light pollution and ensuring safer passage for fledglings from the mountains to the sea.

Star-Advertiser.

Kauaʻi Residents Provide Ideas for Improving Tourism While Balancing Locals Quality of Life

On sticky notes, Kauaʻi residents wrote their insights and ideas about the future of tourism on the island during two public input sessions last week that were run by the Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority.

Kauai Now.