Top state officials plead not guilty in bribery scandal, bus systems reeling from fuel hikes, 26th homeless village opened on Oahu, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Hawaiʻi Bribery Scandal: Luke and others plead not guilty. Green again calls on lieutenant governor to resign. Gov. Josh Green on Thursday called for Lt. Gov. Sylvia Luke to resign to “focus on this matter with her family” after she and three others pleaded not guilty to orchestrating a bribery conspiracy to secure state money to pay for COVID-19 testing contracts during the pandemic. Star-Advertiser. Civil Beat.  Hawaii Public Radio. KITV4.

Hawaiʻi Lawmakers Demand Special Session Following Bribery Indictments. The legislation would close a government contractor political contribution loophole. Civil Beat.

Gov. Green responds as Luke and other defendants plead not guilty to bribery charges. Green spoke to us for the first time since last Friday, when Luke and four others were indicted on conspiracy and bribery charges. KHON2.

OHA at-large races draw crowded primary field. Four incumbents are seeking another term on the Office of Hawaiian Affairs Board of Trustees in the Aug. 8 primary election, with the crowded at-large race featuring 15 candidates competing for three seats. Star-Advertiser.

OHA Is Looking For A New CEO Amid Legal Battle. The search comes as the office fights a lawsuit from its current chief executive. Civil Beat.

Federal Government Abruptly Cut These Hawaiʻi Markets From Food Stamps Program. USDA moves leave customers who use SNAP with less access to food, and mean that stores can’t buy as much product from the local farmers who supply them. Civil Beat.

Hawaiʻi's public bus systems are feeling the strain of high fuel costs. Fuel costs started to level off this summer, but recent military strikes in the strait have pushed oil prices up again. Hawaii Public Radio.

Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority stresses community input, responsible tourism. The Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority released its most recent strategic plan for 2026-2030, stressing the importance of community input, responsible tourism and visitor spending. Hawaii Public Radio.

Oahu

Hawaii’s 26th tiny-home kauhale blessed. A seven-member resident council of formerly homeless people living in Hawaii’s 26th kauhale, or tiny-­home community, will select the next 45 or so people to move into the newly completed second phase of the Hookahi Leo kauhale, which was blessed Thursday in the shadow of the H-1 viaduct, tucked away off Middle Street in Kalihi. Star-Advertiser.

Honolulu’s Fasi Municipal building faces ongoing elevator problems as City plans modernization. Employees at Honolulu’s Frank F. Fasi Municipal Building said recurring elevator problems have become a daily frustration, with some reporting long delays, missed meetings and concerns about safety. KHON2.

Arrests made and machines seized in illegal gambling bust in Honolulu. The Honolulu Police Department (HPD) busted an illegal gambling operation that was discovered on Kalauokalani Way in Honolulu on Wednesday evening. KITV4.

Standoff erupts at Union Plaza as fumigation plans spark eviction fears. Plans to fumigate a controversial condominium in downtown Honolulu Thursday morning ended with a standoff and renewed cries for help from residents. Tenants at Union Plaza said more than a dozen masked men told them they have to leave to make way for the maintenance. Hawaii News Now.


Hawaii Island

Hawai‘i Island police chief talks story with residents, introduces department’s strategic plan. It outlines six strategic goals and objectives of the department, which currently employs 503 sworn officers and 163 civilian employees, and serves a resident population of approximately 211,000 and nearly 2 million annual visitors. Big Island Now.

Puna, Ka‘u residents surveyed about energy priorities. Vibrant Hawaii surveys gathered input from 340 residents in Puna and 141 in Ka‘u about energy usage, energy concerns and energy-related changes they would like to see in their communities. Tribune-Herald.

Thai restaurant in Kona shut down by state due to ‘rodent infestation’. Baan Thai Family Cuisine in Kailua-Kona has been shut down by the state Department of Health due to a “rodent infestation and multiple critical food safety violations.” Tribune-Herald. KITV4.

Iconic Kauaʻi steakhouse Bull Shed expands to Hawaiʻi Island. The iconic Bull Shed Restaurant, beloved for over 50 years on Kauaʻi, has expanded to the Hilo Hawaiian Hotel, offering its renowned steaks and seafood alongside new Hawaiʻi Island-inspired dishes. Kauai Now. Garden Island. 

Maui

Maui Council weighs $6 million purchase of two private West Maui water systems. Maui County is moving toward a $6 million purchase of two privately owned West Maui water systems, a deal county officials say would bring public utility control to areas long served by private companies, with final approval subject to Maui County Council and Public Utilities Commission approval and closing not expected until April 2027. Maui Now.

The Maui News to be sold to Maui Nui Media and Creativity Collaborative. The Maui News soon will welcome new ownership, as the Maui Nui Media and Creativity Collaborative has reached an agreement to purchase the publication and Maui Publishing Co. from The Ogden Newspapers Inc. Maui News.

FBI assisting investigation into alleged Maui hate crime. The FBI is working with the Maui Police Department to determine whether federal charges are warranted after a group of visitors from California alleged that a July 17 riot at the Kaanapali Alii vacation residences in Lahaina was racially motivated. Star-Advertiser.

Casting shade: Maui County breaks ground on new Lahaina playground. Maui County officials and members of the public gathered Thursday to celebrate the start of construction on the $2.4 million playground project, which Maui County Council Member Tamara Paltin described as "community-led and county-supported." Maui News.

Maui Now, journalist team earns four Hawaiʻi SPJ awards for excellence in journalism. Award recipients were recognized during a dinner held July 29 at the Japanese Cultural Center on Oʻahu.  Maui Now.

Kauai

Kauaʻi lawmakers revisit island's curbside recycling program. The Kauaʻi County Council wants a curbside recycling program on the island to divert waste from its single landfill. Hawaii Public Radio.

Nonprofits can apply for bus passes to help Kaua‘i residents. The County of Kauaʻi Transportation Agency will be accepting applications from Kauaʻi-based nonprofit organizations for its Kauaʻi Bus Pass Outreach Program starting Aug. 3. Kauai Now.

93rd CST joins Kauai first responders in tabletop scenario. The Norwegian Cruise Line’s “Pride of America” berthed at its usual Nawiliwili Harbor pier on Thursday to a greeting not of hula girls, musicians and lei, but by the next-level emergency vehicles like the Kauai Police Department’s armored rescue vehicle, the Kauai Fire Department’s hazmat truck, and an assortment of state Harbors Division vehicles. Garden Island.