Forecasters Issue Fire Weather Watch for Hawaiʻi Due to Low Humidity, High Winds

The National Weather Service has issued a fire weather watch for all Hawaiʻi islands from Friday morning through Saturday afternoon as high winds, dry brush and low humidity increase the threat that any wildfire could spread quickly.

Star-Advertiser.

Hawaiʻi Set to Offer Aid for Snap Families as Federal Shutdown Threatens to Disrupt EBT

On Nov. 1, people who rely on food stamps may find their EBT cards no longer working if Congress doesn’t reopen the government by the end of the month. That would leave about 85,000 households in Hawaiʻi scrambling to put food on the table. But state officials say they have a contingency plan.

Hawaii News Now.

Hawaiʻi Film Industry Shrunk 80% Since Pandemic, Hope on the Horizon

Hawaiʻi’s film industry has been struggling since the pandemic and has seen a massive reduction in locally-produced projects, but lawmakers and those in the industry said they are working on solutions to encourage more opportunities.

KHON2.

Hawaiʻi Balked at Natural Gas. Now, It Could Lower Energy Bills

Critics say an agreement between the state and a Japanese energy firm lacks details and could bind Hawaiʻi to using fossil fuel to produce electricity.

Civil Beat.

Trump’s Drug War Using the Military Has Come to the Pacific

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the strike took place in the “Eastern Pacific” without further details, but the New York Times reported that the strike took place near Colombia’s Pacific Coast.

Star-Advertiser.

O‘ahu Headlines

Will New Bonuses Keep Honolulu’s 911 Staff on the Job?

The dispatchers will recieve between an extra $500 to $2,000 per month depending on their job. Some say that’s welcome but more needs to be done to address concerns about working conditions.

Civil Beat.

Dole St. Main Break Floods Properties; BWS Requests Water Conservation in Area

Crews continue to respond to a 20-inch water transmission main break for a second day on Dole Street, fronting Kanewai Community Park near the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa.

Star-Advertiser.

Suspect in Kapahulu Barricade Shooting Is Felon From Kauaʻi

Robert Melvin Morris is in custody at the Federal Detention Center in Honolulu after his 15-hour standoff with Honolulu Police Department officers, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agents and Sheriff’s deputies ended in surrender just before 1 a.m. Wednesday.

Star-Advertiser. Civil Beat. KHON2.

Judge Allows Trial to Move Forward in Kakaʻako Road Rage Case

An Oʻahu Circuit Court judge wasted no time in setting a trial date for California serial road rage offender Nathaniel Radimak, who was denied use of an insanity defense in his alleged attack against an 18-year-old driver and her 35-year-old mother in Kakaʻako.

Star-Advertiser.

Hawai‘i Island Headlines

State Admits Pohoiki Boat Ramp Dredging Effort Has Failed

Despite months of dredging work to reopen the Pohoiki Boat Ramp, the entrance channel has again filled with volcanic debris and sand, the state Department of Land and Natural Resources confirmed Tuesday.

Tribune-Herald. Big Island Video News. Hawaii News Now.

Fire Weather Watch Issued for Parts of Hawaiʻi Island

Dry and windy conditions will develop by the end of the week, producing fire weather conditions across portions of the Big Island.

Big Island Video News.

Progress Made in Effort to Restore Ka‘u Estuary

A draft environmental assessment filed with the state Office of Planning and Sustainable Development in September advances Ka‘u wetland restoration that has been almost 20 years in the making.

Tribune-Herald.

Maui Headlines

New Maui Ethics Board Rules Silence Citizens With Pending Complaints

The Maui Board of Ethics unanimously approved sweeping new rule changes Wednesday, including what several members of the public described as a gag order against anyone who files an ethics complaint against a county employee or elected official.

Civil Beat.

Mayor Bissen Urges Council to Pass Bill 9, Citing Need to Restore Housing Balance

Mayor Richard Bissen urged Maui County Council members to pass Bill 9, which would phase out apartment district properties operating as transient vacation rentals, arguing the move is critical to addressing direly needed long-term housing for residents.

Maui Now.

Maui Gold Pineapple Wants to Increase Production, but Deer and Drought Stand in the Way

Hungry wild deer and pigs have been wreaking havoc on about 20 acres of the Hāli‘imaile pineapple farm.

Maui Now.

Kaua‘i Headlines

DOH Finds Measles in Kaua‘i Wastewater, No Cases Reported

Officials said the sample was collected on Sept. 24 from a site in East Kaua‘i County, and that DOH was notified of the result on Oct. 20.

Star-Advertiser. Kaua‘i Now. KITV4.

Public Invited to Comment on the Top Road Safety Concerns

The Planning Department has created an online survey for the Comprehensive Safety Action Plan, which will identify ways to improve road safety and work toward the goal of eliminating traffic deaths and serious injuries for all road users.

Kaua‘i Now.

Nonprofit North Shore Give Delivers Ultrasound Machine to Kauaʻi’s Rural Urgent Care

With no hospitals and only one urgent care clinic on Kauaʻi’s remote North Shore, residents have long faced challenges in accessing timely medical imaging and specialized care.

Kaua‘i Now.