Green to host Western Governors' Association winter meeting, Lazar sworn in as Honolulu’s 13th police chief, UH to decommission 3rd Mauna Kea telescope, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Gov. Josh Green leads Western Governors' Association, plans Pearl Harbor meeting. Green, who assumed the position Wednesday at the group’s meeting in Park City, Utah, will serve as host of its winter meeting on Oahu in December. The Dec. 7 gathering, during commemorations of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, will include governors from 19 western states; member representatives from Guam, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands; and governors from Japan. Star-Advertiser.

Supreme Court ruling on campaign spending may not affect Hawaii as much — for now. Tuesday’s ruling does away with limits on the amount of money a political party can spend on its candidates. It doesn’t have as much impact for those running at the state level, such as the legislature. However, it could come into play for federal-level races, such as those for Congress. Hawaii News Now.

New chair Jon Itomura looks to speed up Public Utilities Commission's work. Jon Itomura took the helm of the Hawaiʻi Public Utilities Commission in January. While he’s new to his role, he’s on familiar ground. He spent more than a decade as an attorney with the Division of Consumer Advocacy, representing the interests of utility customers in proceedings before the commission. Hawaii Public Radio.

Study: Hawaii patients spent more than $230M on out-of-state cancer care. Hawaii patients spent more than $230 million on cancer care outside the state from 2021 to 2023, according to a new University of Hawaii Cancer Center study that researchers say underscores the financial strain created when patients must travel for specialized treatment. Maui News.

Oahu

Lazar sworn in as Honolulu’s 13th police chief. David S. Lazar, 55, was sworn in as the Honolulu Police Department’s 13th police chief on Thursday and promised to build a culture focused on the wellness of officers, civilian staff and their families. Star-Advertiser. Hawaii Public Radio. KHON2.  KITV4.

Election announced for vacant Senate District 18 seat. A special election has been scheduled to fill the vacant Hawaii State Senate District 18 seat. The vacancy follows the retirement of Sen. Michelle Kidani. Hawaii News Now.

Storms, Civility And Affordability: State Senate District 10 Candidate Q&As. House member for East Honolulu district is making a move on the incumbent senator for the same area. Civil Beat.

DHHL opens applications for first-ever high-rise rental units in Honolulu. The Department of Hawaiian Home Lands has opened applications for its first high-rise rental development in Honolulu, a 23-story tower at the site of the former Bowl-a-Drome. Hawaii News Now.

Honolulu Honeybees Are Swarming. Yes, That’s A Good Thing. The prevalence of wild, swarming honeybees is concerning for many. But for some, including researchers, it’s a sign of good environmental health.  Civil Beat.

City plans ‘Hawai‘i America250’ celebrations honoring Oahu’s history, diversity. On Oahu, Hawai‘i America250 festivities will include a mix of patriotic and community-focused events, from the annual Kailua Fourth of July Parade and a Kapiolani Park festival to a Pearl Harbor commemoration and a public reading of the Declaration of Independence at Honolulu Hale, according to Mayor Rick Blangiardi’s administration. Star-Advertiser. KHON2. KITV4. 

Hawaii Island

University of Hawaiʻi to decommission third telescope. UKIRT observatory will end astronomy operations in September. Science operations at the United Kingdom Infrared Telescope will conclude Sept. 15 so it can be decommissioned, the University of Hawaii announced Wednesday. Tribune-Herald. Big Island Video News. Big Island Now. Hawaii News Now. 

Emergency Repairs Completed on Hawaiian Ocean View Estates Water Well. Water officials say the Essential Needs Only Notice has been cancelled, and normal water usage from the water spigots may resume. Big Island Video News.

Burial Council rejects iwi kupuna plan at Hawaiian Paradise Park. The Hawaii Island Burial Council voted down the burial treatment plan for iwi kūpuna discovered at Hawaiian Paradise Park. Hawaii News Now.

Inouye honored with Lifetime Achievement Award. State Sen. Lorraine R. Inouye of Hilo was honored on Friday, June 26, with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Chamber of Commerce Hawaii’s Impact Gala, recognizing her decades of dedicated public service and lasting contributions to Hawaii’s communities, economy and quality of life. Tribune-Herald.

Maui 

Maui Fraud Risk Assessment reveals inadequate policies, identifies millions of dollars in ‘direct pay’. The County of Maui’s Office of the Auditor presented findings from a Fraud Risk Assessment report during a committee meeting Tuesday and outlined 2027 plans to address concerns. Maui Now.

First storefronts returning to Lahaina’s Front Street. Front Street’s commercial core remains largely empty nearly three years after the Aug. 8, 2023, wildfire, but Maui County and the Hawaiian Council on Thursday unveiled an $8 million pilot marketplace that will return the first storefronts to what was once one of Hawaii’s busiest economic corridors. Star-Advertiser. Maui Now. KHON2. 

Do humpback whales fertilize Hawaiian waters? Maui study tests the “Whale Pump”. PacWhale Eco-Adventures has completed the first round of seawater sampling for a study led by the Marine Mammal Research Program (MMRP) at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, testing whether the seasonal arrival of humpback whales measurably enriches the waters of Maui Nui. Maui Now.

Kauai

Kauaʻi’s Hospice’s ‘Concert in the Sky’ is main 4th of July event on the island after military canceled its event. For the United States’ 250th anniversary celebration, Kauaʻi Hospiceʻs 33rd annual “Concert in the Sky” will be the island’s only major Fourth of July event. In early June, the Pacific Missile Range Facility at Barking Sands announced it was canceling its annual America’s Most West Freedom Fest for reasons that included high costs and budget constraints. Kauai Now. Garden Island.

Hawaii in bottom third of states for academic and economic outcomes, sugary drinks banned from SNAP purchases, state Supreme Court asked to free elephants at Honolulu Zoo, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Report: Teen Pregnancy Is Down But So Are Test Scores. Hawaiʻi ranks in the bottom third of states for academic and economic outcomes for kids, even as it posted improvements in other areas. Hawaiʻi is seeing fewer teen pregnancies and improvements in child mortality rates, but student achievement has yet to fully recover after dipping during the Covid-19 pandemic, according to a recent report from the Annie E. Casey Foundation.  Civil Beat.

State to restrict sugary drinks for SNAP recipients. Along with alcohol and tobacco, those using their EBT cards will not be able to buy sugary beverages. KITV4.

Ed Case Says No To Debating Jarrett Keohokalole In Congressional Race. Experts say there’s little advantage for incumbents to debate their opponents even though the event benefits voters. U.S. Rep. Ed Case said he will not debate state Sen. Jarrett Keohokalole in advance of the Aug. 8 Democratic primary, arguing that his opponent has had nothing substantive to offer in terms of policy or explaining how he would better represent Hawaiʻi in Washington.   Civil Beat.

Military leaders from 25 countries gather in Waikiki to talk coastal warfare. About 300 service members from 25 countries are meeting at the Asia Pacific Center for Security Studies for the 12th Pacific Amphibious Leaders Symposium, a gathering organized by U.S. Marine Corps Forces Pacific that each year takes place in different locations around the region. Star-Advertiser.

Oahu

Should Other Animals Have Human Rights? Hawai‘i Court To Decide. The Hawaiʻi Supreme Court is being asked to free two elephants at the Honolulu Zoo based on the idea that the animals are entitled to legal personhood. Civil Beat.

New HPD Chief Lazar meets with police commission ahead of swearing in. Honolulu’s next police chief met with the Police Commission as he prepares to take office. David Lazar emphasized recruitment, retention, and modernization efforts. He will be officially sworn in on July 2nd. KITV4.

Honolulu Ocean Safety Department goes digital. The City and County of Honolulu’s Ocean Safety Department is moving to a fully digital reporting system, which will replace the previous manual system that required lifeguards to handwrite incidents on paper logs. Hawaii Public Radio.

Makiki Community Garden members happy that city finds funding. After false starts and a funding mistake, Honolulu officials announced it is finally installing fencing around the Makiki Community Garden. KHON2.

Police presence to rise amid Oahu accidents. Oʻahu has recorded 19 traffic fatalities in 2026, and multiple crashes causing serious injuries. This includes Saturday’s, June 13, multi-vehicle crash, which involved six vehicles, one with multiple children in it, including a 5-day-old infant.  KHON2.

Lawmakers host Manoa emergency prep forum after Kona low flooding. On Wednesday, a forum was held at Noelani Elementary School. Organizers said the meeting aimed to provide information to prepare for weather emergencies or other public safety threats, as well as to highlight “lessons learned” from the recent flooding. Hawaii News Now.

Hawaii Island

Council postpones eminent domain resolution targeting Puna land. The Hawaii County Council on Wednesday agreed to postpone a resolution calling for the acquisition of 3.74 acres of coastal Puna land using eminent domain to widen Government Beach Road — a measure described by opposition testifiers as “criminal” and an attempt to “trample” on the landowner’s rights. Tribune-Herald.

FEMA joins county, state emergency management teams to assess South Kona earthquake damages. The Federal Emergency Management Agency is in South Kona this week to assess properties damaged by the 6.0 magnitude earthquake that struck on May 22, rocking homes off their foundations and destroying dozens of catchment systems that left residents without potable water. Big Island Now. Big Island Video News. 

Meeting set to discuss Kona airport master plan. The state Department of Transportation is holding its third community information meeting for the Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport at Keahole master plan update. Tribune-Herald.

Maui

Maui Council panel rejects charter amendment to set aside transient accommodations tax for climate fund. A Maui County Council committee decided against a proposed Maui County Charter amendment to dedicate a fifth of the County’s transient accommodations tax revenue to climate change and impacts.  Maui Now.

Affordable-housing project awaits County Council action Friday. The project is on more than 160 acres of vacant land connected to Hansen and Pūlehu roads, with a variety of commercial, recreational and light-industrial uses and 1,608 multifamily housing units, including about 800 affordable units. Maui News.

Maui Police Chief: Recent Scare Underscores Lax Security At County Offices. After a suspect flashed what he implied was a gun at a planning office, Police Chief John Pelletier and others are calling for urgent action. Civil Beat.

‘Īao Valley emergency flood repairs approved; but questions arise about long-term impacts to river. On Tuesday, the Hawai‘i Commission on Water Resource Management decided the work done by residents in the days after the flood to move rocks with excavators and redirect the Wailuku River was in line with emergency rules and won’t require additional permitting. Maui Now.

Plan to expand facilities at Makena State Park sparks criticism. Some Maui residents are critical of a plan to expand the facilities at Makena State Park in South Maui, saying the project would threaten endangered hawksbill turtles and increase the likelihood of serious spinal injuries. Maui News.

Kauai

Kauaʻi grand jury indicts Billy Sinclair on all 28 counts following homicide in Hanalei. Fifth Circuit Court Chief Judge Michael Soong issued a no bail warrant for the 51-year-old murder suspect who has been in custody since he was captured by law enforcement on June 8 after a two-day manhunt.  Kauai Now. Garden Island. 

Concealed firearms carry licenses jump 70%, defense contractors arrested for bribery, conspiracy; Lazar picked for Honolulu police chief; Mauna Loa Atmospheric BaselineObservatory road restored, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Statewide concealed carry licenses climb in Hawaii. The Hawaii Department of the Attorney General has released new 2025 statewide statistics on concealed carry firearm licenses. According to the report, 3,764 people in Hawaii held a valid license to carry a concealed handgun as of Dec. 31, 2025. Officials said that marks a 70.5% increase from the 2,207 license holders reported at the end of 2024. Hawaii News Now.

Two defense contractors arrested for bribery and major fraud conspiracy scheme involving Hawaiʻi-Pacific Innovation Campus. The Justice Department announced criminal charges against Leonard Pick, 62, of Palm Beach Shores, Florida, and Brian Kent, 59, of Tampa, Florida, for allegedly orchestrating a bribery and major fraud conspiracy that corrupted the competitive procurement process for a Department of War technology innovation lab in the Pacific. These indictments result from ongoing federal investigations into fraud and collusion in the defense contracting industry in Hawaiʻi.  Maui Now.

Jarrett Keohokalole files for Congress, launches campaign focused on affordability. Hawaii State Sen. Jarrett Keohokalole has officially filed to run for Hawaii’s First Congressional District, launching a campaign centered on affordability, health care and what he calls the need for new leadership. Keohokalole filed his candidacy on Wednesday, setting up a challenge to longtime U.S. Rep. Ed Case. KITV4.

Oahu

Police commission taps retired deputy chief from San Francisco to lead HPD. For the first time in the 94-year history of the Honolulu Police Department, an officer who never worked in Hawaii will lead the largest law enforcement organization in the state. Honolulu police commissioners voted 5-2 to appoint David Lazar, 55, as the 13th chief of HPD.  Star-Advertiser. Civil Beat. Hawaii Public Radio.  Hawaii News Now. KHON2. KITV4.

Oahu homeless count shows slight uptick, but some improvements. The 2026 Oahu Point-in-Time Count Community Report conducted on Jan. 26 identified 4,539 people experiencing homelessness on the night of Jan. 25 — a roughly 1% increase from the 4,487 counted in 2024. Star-Advertiser. Civil Beat.

Raised crosswalks in Kailua to be removed, prompting lane closures. State officials say lane closures are scheduled next week for the removal of two raised crosswalks that were installed on Kailua Road about four years ago. Star-Advertiser.

Marine institute shores up Moku o Loʻe against climate change. The Hawaiʻi Institute of Marine Biology has released its Mālama ʻĀina Plan, which guides how the islet will adapt to climate change. Hawaii Public Radio.

Vigilante Curb Painting Has ʻAiea Resident Seeing Red. Red paint on public curbs is reserved for Honolulu bus stops, but at The Pearl One condominiums, the enamel has been more widely applied. Civil Beat.

Hawaii Island

General plan bill advances in County Council. The Hawaii County Council voted 6-3 on Wednesday in favor of passing a long-term public planning document that has garnered significant public outcry, at times described by council members as “personal attacks,” “vilifying comments,” “conspiracy theories” and “AI psychosis.” Tribune-Herald.

Council holds public meeting on proposed property rates. The Hawaii County Council held a public hearing Tuesday seeking feedback on plans to raise property tax rates for nonresidents and owners of second homes in a push to make up for an estimated $15 million budget shortfall. At the same time, many island residents would see a reduction in their property taxes. Tribune-Herald.

Permits granted to carry concealed guns up 54%. According to a report released Wednesday by the state Department of Attorney General, the total number of active concealed-carry licenses in Hawaii County as of Dec. 31, 2025, was 656. That’s 231 more licenses than reported as of Dec. 31, 2024, or a 54% increase. Tribune-Herald.

Mauna Loa Observatory Road Restored, 3 Years After Lava Flow. Access to NOAA’s Mauna Loa Atmospheric Baseline Observatory, or MLO, has been restored following the late-2022 eruption of Mauna Loa volcano. Big Island Video News.

Maui

Maui County committee defers overnight parking ban, discusses water fee overhaul. The Maui County Council’s Water and Infrastructure Committee deferred action Monday on a proposed overnight parking ban on three industrial area streets in Kahului after hearing community concerns about its impact on homeless people living out of their cars and the need for safer alternatives. Maui Now.

Maui Council committee advances $4M budget amendment for Hālau of ʻŌiwi Arts. A Maui County Council committee recommended first reading approval Tuesday of a $4 million bond funding request for the Hālau of ʻŌiwi Arts project in Wailuku, even as council members raised pointed questions about why items originally represented as part of the project had been dropped before construction began. Maui Now.

Schatz visits site of future Hālau of ‘Ōiwi Art in Wailuku. U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz recently visited the construction site of the future Hālau of ‘Ōiwi Art in Wailuku to view ongoing work on the cultural center, which will serve as a hub for hula and Native Hawaiian arts as well as a disaster resilience facility. Maui News.

Kauai

Kauai Fire Department blesses three brush trucks and high water rescue vehicle. The Kauai Fire Department (KFD) held a blessing on Wednesday to welcome three new brush trucks and a new high water rescue vehicle in front of the Historic County Building in Lihue.  Garden Island.

Maui's marshy wetlands can play a role in Hawaiʻi's climate solution. Wetlands can store up to five times as much carbon as forests. They’re rich in native biodiversity, and can help protect coral reefs from runoff and absorb floodwater during storms.  Hawaii Public Radio.