Hawaiʻi Lawmaker Wants to Put Legalizing Cannabis on State Ballot

Hawaiʻi voters would be asked in November whether to pass a constitutional amendment legalizing recreational marijuana use for adults under a bill that state Rep. David Tarnas plans to introduce this month.

Star-Advertiser.

National Turmoil Is Adding to Hawaiʻi’s Budget Angst

With visitor arrivals to Hawaiʻi from Japan and Canada lagging, the state’s economy relies heavily on mainland visitors who account for 80% of the tourism industry. That means lawmakers are watching the national economy closely, particularly the impact of President Donald Trump’s domestic policies.

Civil Beat.

Homebuyers in Limbo With Mortgage Financing

An expanding pipeline of Native Hawaiian homestead development has led to a bottleneck serving lower-­income households trying to buy new homes using federally funded low-interest loans.

Star-Advertiser.

State Expands Nutrition Access to Support Families in Need

Under a new referral process, the state’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, will now share monthly referrals with the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, commonly known as WIC.

Star-Advertiser.

DFS to Close Hawaiʻi Operations, Laying off 183 Employees

DFS Hawaii is closing its operations in Hawaiʻi, including its shops in Waīkikī and at Honolulu and Kahului airports, resulting in 183 layoffs. DFS Group LP, which has had a 63-year presence in Hawaiʻi catering to duty-free shoppers, reinvented itself several times.

Star-Advertiser.

O‘ahu Headlines

O‘ahu’s North Shore Erosion Leaves Homeowners Without Solutions

Oʻahu’s North Shore is impacted by long-term gradual erosion and huge erosion episodes that accompany large storms. A new beach management plan is in the works to better understand these seasonal sand dynamics. But property owners have largely been left to navigate the issue on their own, often forced to choose between violating environmental protections by installing illegal barriers or leaving their homes vulnerable to destruction.

Civil Beat.

Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall Replica Returning to Hawaiʻi

The wall will arrive there today and will have an official 10 a.m. opening ceremony on Wednesday with a military flyover and dignitaries giving speeches. It will begin its 2026 tour on Oʻahu at University of Hawaiʻi’s West Oʻahu campus.

Star-Advertiser.

New Records Detail How State Bungled ‘Lord of the Flies’ Foster Home

Last year, Civil Beat reported on a foster dad who sexually preyed on and beat the boys he was charged with caring for. That’s when the state moved to prevent the release of court records that detailed how this could have happened. But today, those documents are public.

Civil Beat.

Affordable Housing Village Loses Bus Service, Putting Residents at Risk

Kahauiki Village, managed by the Institute for Human Services, houses more than 500 residents including kupuna and formerly homeless families.

Hawaii News Now.

Virus to Fight Coconut Rhinoceros Beetle Shows Promising Results

UH Mānoa is assistant investigating a virus to kill the coconut rhinoceros beetle, also referred to as CRB, which is decimating Oʻahu’s coconut and palm trees.

Star-Advertiser.

Waikīkī Roosters Remain at Large, for Now

Chicken nuisance complaints have doubled to 321 complaints per year from 160 since the Honolulu Department of Customer Services started keeping track in 2023. Waikīkī has the most complaints out of any ZIP code on Oʻahu.

Civil Beat.

Hawai‘i Island Headlines

Council Resolution Urges Ban on Aquarium Fishing

A resolution urging a ban on the taking of ornamental fish for aquariums received a 9-0 vote Tuesday by the County Council’s Committee on Government Operations and External Affairs, which forwarded the measure to the full council with a positive recommendation.

Tribune-Herald.

Lack of Progress at Isaac Hale Peeves Council Members

A resolution urging the county Department of Parks and Recreation “to prioritize and expedite the restoration of Isaac Kepo‘okalani Hale Beach Park at Pohoiki” received a unanimous 9-0 vote Tuesday by the County Council’s Committee on Government Operations and External Affairs.

Tribune-Herald.

Fisherman Gets Maximum Penalty for Longline Violation off Kona

Konane Zager, owner of the vessel Waiʻaka, will be fined $10,051.90 and have his Commercial Marine License revoked for one year, following a vote by the Hawaiʻi Board of Land and Natural Resources on Friday.

Big Island Video News.

Fire Chief Kazuo Todd Remembered for His Efforts to Leave the Big Island a Safer, Better Place

More than 200 people gathered Sunday at Afook-Chinen Civic Auditorium in Hilo in reverence of Hawaiʻi County Fire Chief Kazuo Todd, who died unexpectedly from natural causes on Dec. 14 at age 45.

Big Island Now. KHON2.

Maui Headlines

Man Wounded in Shootout With Police Succumbs to Injuries

According to the Maui Police Department, dispatch received a call at 7:27 p.m. Thursday reporting a possible terroristic threatening incident involving a man armed with a gun in an open field off Kuikahi Drive in Wailuku next to the Hele gas station.

Maui News.

With Rising Seas, Erosion Threatening Youth & Cultural Center, Plans Underway to Build New One

Located at the edge of Pā‘ia town just off Hāna Highway, the youth center has served an estimated 6,000 kids since it was founded in 1993 out of a former sugar plantation workers’ home.

Maui Now.

Molokai High School Begins $18.7m Gym Renovation

The 21,000-square- foot gym, affectionately known as “The Barn,” is undergoing a comprehensive upgrade aimed at modernizing student athletic facilities while reinforcing the structure to serve as a Category B hurricane shelter during severe weather events.

Star-Advertiser.

Kaua‘i Headlines

New Club Leads Revival of Anahola Trails; Organizes Mountain Bike Race

A new nonprofit, Mountain Biking Kauaʻi, has revived the Anahola trail system, enabling organized off-road cycling and competitive racing on the island’s East Side.

Kauaʻi Now.