State reconvenes ocean safety task force, Hawaiian Electric settling wildfire claims, Oahu hospitals to join HMSA, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Hawaiʻi To Step Up Anti-Drowning Efforts. After more than a decade of refusing to convene the task force charged with putting up warning signs at dangerous beaches, the state is now recommending the group meet again. About 800 people have drowned in the waters off Hawaiʻi’s roughly 1,000-mile coastline in the last decade, with an increasing number of people frequenting remote stretches of coastline with little to warn them of risks. Yet the state has not called for a single new warning sign to be put up on a beach in more than 13 years. Civil Beat.

HEI settling wildfire-related litigation with shareholders. The parent of Hawaiian Electric expects to use $100 million in insurance proceeds to settle eight lawsuits filed by shareholders who allege company leaders didn’t properly disclose wildfire risks before the 2023 Maui wildfire disaster. Plaintiffs in the case accused Hawaii’s biggest utility ‌operator of misleading them about its wildfire prevention and safety protocols before high winds toppled utility poles blamed for starting the blaze. Star-Advertiser.

‘We Really Are Hurting’: Hawaiʻi Deputy Pay Lags $20K Behind Cops. State law enforcement Director Mike Lambert asked lawmakers for help addressing staffing shortages. Civil Beat.

DOT seeks more Kauaʻi, Maui, Big Island drivers to be 'Eyes on the Road'. The state Department of Transportation is partnering with the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa’s College of Engineering to give out 1,300 free dashcams to drivers across the state. Hawaii Public Radio.

Petition calls for inquiry on unnamed lawmaker in paper-bag-of-cash corruption case. Former deputy Federal Public Defender Alexander Silvert asked state lawmakers Monday to convene a committee with subpoena and contempt powers to investigate an “unknown but influential legislator” who accepted $35,000 in a paper bag during an ongoing public corruption investigation. Star-Advertiser.

SNAP emergency funds expire for thousands in Hawaii. HEFAP recipients lose unused benefits after Dec. 31 deadline. Thousands of residents received funds through the Hawaii Emergency Food Assistance Program (HEFAP) during the 2025 federal government shutdown. Hawaii News Now.

Perspectives on Hawaiʻi housing crisis examined in new survey. The state’s housing crisis continues to grab the attention of island residents who rate the need for affordable housing as their No. 1 concern elected leaders should focus on, according to a study commissioned by Pacific Resource Partnership. Maui Now.

Oahu

HMSA plans merger with Hawaii Pacific Health hospitals. HPH includes Pali Momi, Kapiolani, Straub, and Wilcox hospitals, as well as affiliated clinics and specialists. Ray Vara, CEO of Hawaii Pacific Health, said the company would create an entity similar to Kaiser, eliminating duplicate administrative costs and establishing a model of care so HPH doctors wouldn’t need to get preauthorization for care from HMSA. Hawaii News Now.

Oahu home sale price record notched in 2025 amid year of small market changes. Changes in Oahu’s housing market were pretty muted in 2025, but included a new annual median sale price peak for single-family houses at $1,139,000. Star-Advertiser.

Skyline numbers continue to rise; December grows by nearly 11K. December had a total of 281,281 riders throughout the month, which is 10,666 more riders than November’s 270,615 total riders. KHON2.

Rebuilt Mokapu Elementary campus opens on Marine Corps Base Hawaii. Mokapu Elementary School marked a major milestone Tuesday with the grand opening of its newly rebuilt campus, completing the first phase of a full reconstruction of the decades-old school on Marine Corps Base Hawaii. Star-Advertiser.

177 Days: Bumpy City Parking Lot Still Waiting For Its Overdue Makeover. The asphalt surface of the parking lot at Kapālama Hale in Honolulu caps soil contaminated by decades of use as an automotive workshop. Civil Beat.

In long-running Oʻahu landfill saga, city considers expanding Waimanalo Gulch. The City and County of Honolulu says it’s out of options and is considering expanding the Waimanalo Gulch Sanitary Landfill by 3.7 acres. Hawaii Public Radio.

Hawaii Island

New rules, fees for Hawaiʻi Island vacation rentals to take effect this year. Bill 47, now Ordinance 25-50, was extended to July 1, 2026, from Dec. 20, 2025. Council member Heather Kimball said this will give the county more time to get a registration management and enforcement system in place. The bill doesn’t change any zoning requirements or limit the number of rentals that can operate, instead, it sets up a new system of registration that for the first time includes hosted rentals. Hawaii Public Radio.

Downpours from kona low system should positively affect East Hawaii.  East Hawaii received the brunt of that rainfall, with Glenwood, in the midst of the upper Puna rainforest, receiving 14.21 inches between 8 a.m. Saturday and 8 a.m. Tuesday. Tribune-Herald.

Maui

Proposal for new hotel zoning for vacation rentals deferred in Housing and Land Use Committee. The Maui County Council’s Housing and Land Use Committee on Monday deferred action on the creation of new hotel zoning districts following an executive session that lasted over an hour. Maui Now.

Restoration now complete at Olowalu temporary wildfire debris storage site. The closure and restoration of the Temporary Debris Storage site in Olowalu was completed recently and honored with a pule ceremony on Monday, Jan. 5, 2026. Maui Now.

Kauai

State starts work on Līhu‘e Airport parking improvements.  The Hawai‘i Department of Transportation has started improvements to an employee parking lot at the Līhu‘e Airport meant to relieve some congestion in the airport’s public lot. Kauai Now.

Kelvin Moniz retires from Kauai Independent Food Bank. Moniz, born and raised on the Westside and a graduate of Waimea High School, joined the KIFB in 1998 following 22 years of honorable military service and retirement from the U.S. Army. Garden Island.