Supporters of Night Sky Bill Say People Are ‘In the Dark About Light’

Efforts to protect Hawaiʻi’s night skies are gaining momentum at the state Legislature through a new bill that would regulate artificial lighting. HB1579 would establish outdoor light fixture requirements based on the Kelvin scale and the direction of the light, and it suggests that the fixtures operate on a timer or motion sensor basis.

Hawai‘i Public Radio.

ICE Unmasking Bill Is Amended

The first of several bills designed to unmask federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents was amended Thursday in response to concerns from the Honolulu Police Department and state Department of Law Enforcement to allow some of their non-undercover officers to cover their faces in certain instances.

Star-Advertiser. Hawai‘i Public Radio.

Could Hawaiʻi Pioneer This ‘Untested’ Approach to Stop Corporate Campaign Spending?

Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Karl Rhoads said he wants to get corporate spending in elections under control. In 2024, the last election year, the largest single donation to a political candidate running for state office did not come from a person. It came from a housing development company.

Hawai‘i Public Radio.

Rodeos Could Be Permitted on Hawaiʻi’s Agricultural Land

Rodeos and related activities could be permitted on Hawaiʻi agricultural-zoned land — if a proposal passes through the state legislative session this year.

Hawai‘i Public Radio.

Hawai‘i’s Economy Remains Stable, Says Gov. Green at State of Economy Event

Governor Josh Green expressed optimism about Hawai‘i’s economy at a State of Economy event on Thursday, stating it is stable and likely to remain so for the rest of the year.

KITV4.

O‘ahu Headlines

Honolulu City Council Defers Affordable Housing Bill

A Honolulu City Council measure that seeks to amend the city’s affordable housing requirements to allow below-market-rate for-sale and rental units either to be sold or leased more quickly was first under review then just as quickly postponed this week.

Star-Advertiser.

Red Hill Victims Dealt a Blow in Their Fight Against the Navy

Red Hill water contamination victims accused the federal government last year of tainting fuel samples which they say would’ve been key to their pending lawsuit, but a federal judge on Wednesday rejected those claims.

Civil Beat.

Man Charged With Threatening to Kill Federal Officer and Family

 A 40-year-old Waianae man is free on bond and facing a criminal charge after he allegedly threatened to kill a federal law enforcement officer and their family. Nehemiah Kealoha was indicted on Jan. 22 for threatening to assault and murder a federal law enforcement officer in connection with a Nov. 7 incident, U.S. Attorney Ken Sorenson announced in a statement.

Star-Advertiser.

HPD Officers Fired for Burglary, Assault and Fraud Could Be Rehired

Discharges are usually challenged and can be bumped down to suspensions, the records show, allowing cops to return to work.

Civil Beat. Star-Advertiser.

City Pushes to Install Paved Sidewalks in Congested McCully Neighborhood

The city’s Complete Streets program is looking at increasing safety in a McCully neighborhood where the streets are narrow, traffic is heavy, and the sidewalks are missing. The densely populated neighborhood is just west of McCully Street, between Kapiolani Boulevard and South King Street.

Hawaii News Now. KHON2.

Makiki Community Garden Hit Again as Fencing Plans Remain Unfinished

Police detectives were in the garden asking questions and hearing from others about the ongoing theft problem. HPD said they are currently investigating the incident as a Theft 4.

KHON2.

Hawai‘i Island Headlines

Officers’ Misconduct Detailed

Two Hawai‘i Police Department officers were fired in 2025, although neither dismissal is final, and an officer fired in 2023 for burglary and assault is seeking to return to the force after a deferred plea acceptance resulted in his conviction being expunged from the record. That’s according to the department’s annual disciplinary report for 2025 to the state Legislature, which also lists 16 incidents of officers being suspended from duty without pay ranging from a day to 30 days.

Tribune-Herald.

Mauna Loa Seismic Activity Increased Over Past Month

Seismic activity under Mauna Loa increased slightly over the past month, the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory reported in its monthly update on the massive Hawaiʻi island volcano, published Thursday.

Big Island Video News.

West Hawai‘i Region of Hawai‘i Health Systems Corporation to Celebrate Opening of New Infusion Center on Big Island

West Hawai‘i Region of Hawaiʻi Health Systems Corporation invites the public to join the celebration for its newly expanded infusion center at Kona Community Hospital in Kealakekua on the west side of the Big Island.

Big Island Now.

Maui Headlines

Hawaiʻi Wrongly Jailed Him for 20 Years. Reparations Came Too Late

Alvin Jardine fought for nearly a decade to be paid under the state’s wrongful conviction compensation law. He died before receiving payment.

Civil Beat.

Man Whose Mother Was Found Among 189 Decaying Bodies Tells the Story

Derrick Johnson buried his mother’s ashes beneath a golden dewdrop tree with purple blossoms at his home on Maui’s Haleakalā Volcano, fulfilling her wish of a final resting place looking over her grandchildren.Then the FBI called. Hundreds of families learned from officials that the ashes they ceremonially spread or kept close weren’t actually their loved ones’ remains. The bodies of their mothers, fathers, grandparents, children and babies had moldered in a room-temperature building in Colorado.

Associated Press.

Judge Unseals ‘Salacious’ Evidence in Maui Doctor Attempted Murder Case

New details in the case of a Maui doctor accused of trying to kill his wife revealed shocking claims on both sides, and the judge decided new evidence should be unsealed.

Hawaii News Now.

Kaua‘i Headlines

Kaua‘i Chickenpox Outbreak Increases to 10 Cases Across 4 Schools

In addition to the five cases reprted last week, reported last week linked to Kilauea Elementary School, five additional cases were reported this morning from three other schools — Hanalei Elementary, Kaua’i Christian Academy and Island School.

Star-Advertiser. KITV4.

Jennie Chahanovich Confirmed to Serve Partial Term on Kauaʻi County Fire Commission

Kaua’i Mayor Derek Kawakami on Wednesday nominated and confirmed Jennie Chahanovich to fill a partial term that was vacant on the Kauaiʻ County Fire Commission.

Kaua‘i Now.