Hawaiʻi Student Vaccinations Fall Below Average Rate

Kindergarten vaccination rates in Hawaiʻi continue to lag behind the national average, according to the latest data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. While there was a slight improvement over the year, the rates of routine childhood vaccinations for measles, mumps, whooping cough and chickenpox, among others, remain below the national average and failed to meet most rates required to reach so-called herd immunity.

Star-Advertiser.

Hawaiʻi Minimum Wage to Rise by $2 in 2026

Hawaiʻi workers earning minimum wage will see the state’s biggest pay bump in years when the new rate takes effect on Jan. 1, 2026, jumping from $14 to $16 per hour — an increase of $2 that outpaces most other states.

Tribune-Herald.

It’s Official: Boards Can’t Go Behind Closed Doors For Most Personnel Matters

The Office of Information Practices has finally formally acknowledged court rulings on hiring, firing and evaluating top public officials.

Civil Beat.

Senator Voted For Bills Backed By Lobbyists He’s Going To Work For

State Sen. Henry Aquino is stepping down to go to work for one of the biggest lobbying firms in the state after serving in the Hawaiʻi Legislature for 17 years.

Civil Beat.

Campaign Commission Will Push Again For Reforms Lawmakers Keep Rejecting

Commissioners voted unanimously Wednesday to resurrect four government reform measures next year that were rejected by the 2025 Legislature.

Civil Beat.

O‘ahu Headlines

Federal Shutdown Casts Doubt on Honolulu Rail Funding Payment

The Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation is expecting $125 million in federal funds toward its ongoing rail construction.  Since the federal government’s Oct. 1 shutdown, however, President Donald Trump has acted to suspend federal funds to mass transit projects across the United States.

Star-Advertiser.

Skyline’s Newest Segment Opens With High Expectations

Honolulu’s Skyline rail system has passed its testing phase — with some lingering challenges — before Thursday’s opening of the next 5.2-mile route for public ridership that will take passengers into four new stations at Makalapa/Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Daniel K. Inouye International Airport, Lagoon Drive and Middle Street in Kalihi, amid elevated expectations of a significant boost in ridership.

Star-Advertiser.

National Report Calls for Urgent Action to Protect Coastlines

A new national report from the Surfrider Foundation is spotlighting Oʻahu’s North Shore as a leading example of how communities can take the lead in confronting climate change — and calls for more urgent action as Hawaiʻi’s beaches and shorelines face growing danger from erosion and rising seas.

Star-Advertiser.

Renovation Of Ala Wai Driving Range Is Months Overdue

After missing a spring deadline to reopen, a city spokesperson said the popular golf course driving range will be back in business in November.

Civil Beat.

Parents Are Hopping Fences To Sneak Into Playgrounds

Lawmakers have pushed schools to open their facilities for recreational use, but the education department has raised concerns about liability and safety.

Civil Beat.

Hawai‘i Island Headlines

Building Department Considered

A proposed charter amendment to create a new Department of Building in Hawaiʻi County was postponed Tuesday following growing concerns about the department’s cost, scope and necessity.

Tribune-Herald.

Drought Severe in Hilo

Hilo International Airport received just 2.76 inches of rain in September, 32% of its normal total for the month. For the year, the Hilo airport’s rain gauge has recorded 38.17 inches through September, just 46% of its norm.

Tribune-Herald.

Hawaiʻi AG Investigates Case of Fallen Banyan Tree

The circumstances surrounding the collapse of a large banyan tree that killed two women July 12 on Kilauea Avenue in Hilo are now being investigated by the state Department of the Attorney General.

Tribune-Herald.

Maui Headlines

Legal Feud Over Maui Water Expands to Land

Litigation between two companies on Maui with billionaire owners has spread from contention over water to land, and specifically control of an association representing landowners at Kapalua Resort.

Star-Advertiser.

Maui Contends With Tourism and Housing Troubles Amid Ongoing Fire Recovery

The rebuild efforts are expected to give the island’s economy a boost, but it’s also facing a tourism slowdown, workforce shortage issues and housing supply scarcity.

Hawaiʻi Public Radio.

Hundreds More ‘Paper Leases’ for Hawaiian Home Lands Are Being Awarded on Maui

 Now the state must deliver. Driven by a historic $600 million allocation from the State Legislature and an urgent need for housing after the 2023 Maui wildfires, the department is making a big push to award more than 2,600 leases statewide this year, including more than 1,200 on Maui.

Maui Now.

Kaua‘i Headlines

Kauai Comic Con Packs the Kauai War Memorial Convention Hall

Hundreds of people streamed through the secured entry point at the Comic Con that moved from the previous event at the Royal Sonesta Kauai Resort.

Garden Island.