Senate Bribery Bills Progress as Corruption Allegations Linger

Bribing an elected official would bring increased penalties under three bills that passed out of a key Senate committee Tuesday as the state attorney general continues to investigate an unidentified “influential state legislator” allegedly taped in 2022 by federal investigators accepting $35,000 in a paper bag.

Star-Advertiser.

Clean Elections Advocates Call On Lawmakers to Reform Campaign Finance

Citing a “trust deficit,” the Clean Elections Hawaiʻi Coalition is asking for an impartial, independent special prosecutor to look into pay-to-play donations within the state.

Hawai‘i Public Radio.

Hawai‘i Emergency Proclamation Powers Could Be Curtailed Under New Legislation

Concerns about executive overreach during emergencies are sparking action at the State Capitol. Lawmakers are pushing new legislation aimed at reining in emergency powers and adding more oversight.

KHON2.

O‘ahu Headlines

Honolulu Investigator Obstructed His Own Criminal Case, Hawaiʻi AG Says

A 52-year-old investigator with the Department of the Prosecuting Attorney was indicted by an O‘ahu grand jury Friday for allegedly abusing his ex-fiancee in 2024 and then threatening her into silence.

Star-Advertiser. Civil Beat.

Pacific Leaders Gather in Hawai‘i for Business Summit

Leaders from Pacific Island nations and territories gathered this week at the East-West Center in Manoa for an inaugural diplomatic and business summit aimed at promoting private sector investments and contracts across island communities in Oceania.

Star-Advertiser.

Lawmaker Wants to Create Homeless Buffer Zones Around Bus Stops

Safety concerns could clear homeless residents from O‘ahu bus stops, under a bill proposed this legislative session.

KITV4.

Repairs Underway for Water Main Break in Haleiwa

On Tuesday, Feb. 24, around 2 p.m., BWS crews responded to the break on Kamehameha Hwy. near Tutu St., about a half-mile from Waimea Bay.

Hawaii News Now.

Kailua Military Officer Admits to ‘Compulsive’ Online Chatting, Denies Sexual Attraction to Minors

Lt. Col. Ross Andrew Brown, a Kailua-based Air Force lieutenant colonel and attorney took the stand in his own defense Tuesday at his federal trial for attempted sexual enticement of a 14-year-old girl.

Hawaii News Now.

Hawai‘i Island Headlines

County Acquires Kona Property to Preserve Shoreline Access

The 15,372-square-foot site is located near the popular “Banyans” surfing spot and is one of the few undeveloped coastal properties in the area along Ali‘i Drive.

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

Hawaiʻi Police Department Welcomes New K9 Trina

A three-year-old Labrador Retriever who was trained as a live-find human tracking canine has joined the Hawaiʻi Police Department.

Big Island Video News.

Maui Headlines

Maui Planning Commission Rejects Bill to Save Thousands of Vacation Rentals

The County Council would now need a supermajority vote to allow thousands of apartment-zoned units to keep operating as short-term rentals.

Civil Beat. Hawaii News Now.

Maui Stream Monitoring to Flow From Fine Penalty

The Commission on Water Resource Management has accepted a Maui Land & Pineapple Co. proposal to spend $150,680 to improve stream-level monitoring in lieu of a maximum $140,000 fine for West Maui stream management violations.

Star-Advertiser.

Feasibility Study Underway for New Kapalua Recycled Water Treatment Plant

Hawaii Water Service has selected Carollo Engineering Inc. to complete a feasibility study for a decentralized wastewater treatment plant in Kapalua that would produce recycled water and provide the community with a drought-resistant irrigation supply.

Maui News.

Kaua‘i Headlines

Controversial Kōloa Housing Project Gets Green Light in Unanimous Vote

Over objections, the commission cited the dire need for more homes. At least 45% of the units must go to locals. A controversial 148-unit Kōloa housing project got the green light from Kaua‘i’s Planning Commission with the conditions that the units never be turned into vacation rentals and that at least 45% of them go to existing county residents.

Civil Beat.