Flight reductions coming to HNL, election commission votes to end vote by mail, ICE arrests 44 on Kauai, school chief gets huge raise, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

HNL on list of airports where FAA will reduce flights. FAA says it's cutting thousands of flights a day starting this week due to shutdown. Hawaii News Now. ABC.

Hawaiʻi Schools Chief Gets $45,000 Raise As His 4-Year Contract Is Renewed. DOE Superintendent Keith Hayashi also could see his salary rise up to $400,900 by the end of the decade if he continues to get good performance reviews. Civil Beat.  Star-Advertiser. KHON2. 

Hawaii elections commission calls for end to mail-in voting. The state elections commission has voted to ask the legislature to ban mail-in and early voting and return to traditional in-person voting on Election Day. Hawaii News Now.

OHA Chief Executive Sues Trustees For Retaliation, Damage To Reputation. Stacy Ferreira, who has been on leave from her position as the chief executive of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs since late September, alleged in a lawsuit filed Wednesday that Board Chairman Kai Kahele retaliated against her for reporting misconduct during the office’s budget sessions earlier this year and “orchestrated” her removal from office. Civil Beat. Hawaii News Now. 

Hawaii House leaders won’t investigate bribery scandal citing federal case. Circulating petition asks lawmakers to investigate one of their own. It's been a little more than a week since a petition was circulated to put pressure on state lawmakers to investigate one of their own. It stems from a public corruption case that sent two lawmakers to jail: Sen. J. Kalani English and Rep. Ty Cullen. Hawaii Public Radio. Hawaii News Now.

Ban on e-bikes at Hawaii's public schools. New regulations announced for electric bicycles on school campuses, properties statewide. Hawai‘i Department of Education — effective immediately — implemented new regulations governing the use of electric bicycles, more commonly known as e-bikes, on all department campuses throughout the islands. Big Island Now. KITV4.

Green wants $10B in Hawaii benefits for future Army use of state lands. Gov. Josh Green is proposing a $10 billion deal for future use of state land by the Army for training if the federal government pursues condemnation for such use. Star-Advertiser. Big Island Now.

Hawaiian Airlines Changes Surfboard Policy After PR Wipeout. Travelers can now carry 10-foot, 5-inch surfboard bags on Hawaiian and Alaska Airlines flights. Civil Beat.

Honolulu-bound UPS plane crash kills 12; ‘black boxes’ found. U.S. federal safety investigators have located the “black box” recorders from the wreckage of a Hawaii-bound UPS cargo plane that crashed in flames on takeoff from the airport at Louisville, Kentucky, killing at least 12 people, officials said. Reuters.

Oahu

Queen Emma Land Co. Wants Former Tenant To Tear Down Historic Building. The controversy over the downtown Honolulu building pits one of Hawaiʻi’s oldest real estate services companies against an aliʻi trust established by Queen Emma to benefit her hospital. Civil Beat.

HPD shoots, kills ‘aggressive’ dog; 1 officer injured. Loved ones gathered in the Iwilei area to say goodbye to a beloved pet that was shot and killed by a Honolulu police officer. KHON2.

Filmmaker, caregiver in Hawaii facing deportation to Brazil. A filmmaker from Brazil allegedly living in the U.S. illegally for more than 25 years was arrested by federal agents in Hawaii and is facing deportation after he failed to appear before an immigration judge in August. Star-Advertiser. Hawaii Public Radio. 

Hawaii Island

Legal wrangling continues in fatal dog attack case. A West Hawaii couple facing petty misdemeanor charges for a fatal dog mauling that occurred more than two years ago in Ocean View has filed separate motions to dismiss their cases in Kona District Court. Tribune-Herald.

Lead contamination found in Hawaii school water. Education officials are investigating lead contamination at Waiakea Intermediate School on the Big Island. Drinking fountains have been shut down after the kitchen water tested above federal limits. KHON2.

Maui

Wildfire Risk Reduction Project set to start Nov. 12 off Waiʻale Road in Wailuku. The County’s Maui Emergency Management Agency, in coordination with County staff and contracted partners, will begin removing hazardous wildfire risks from County-owned parcels near a public school and a church in Wailuku on Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2025. Maui Now.

Complaints of living conditions at Maui public housing facility. Chantia Kaulia lives at Kahekili Terrace in Wailuku. Her life improved dramatically when she moved in about two years ago. But her gratitude has now turned into frustration. Hawaii News Now.

Over 130 health care professionals convene for Maui County Healthcare Stakeholders’ Summit. Health care professionals, administrators, educators, government leaders and nonprofit directors from Maui, Molokaʻi and Lānaʻi gathered for a daylong meeting aimed at building bridges and finding solutions to Maui County’s health care woes.  Maui Now.

Kauai

44 people arrested in immigration raids on Kauai. Federal agents have arrested 44 people on Kauai for allegedly violating U.S. immigration law, including two “suspected associates” of the Venezuelan criminal gang Tren de Aragua, after serving warrants at six homes and one business, according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Star-Advertiser. Kauai Now.  Hawaii News Now. KHON2.  KITV4.

Kauaʻi County Council approves taxi fare increase to support local drivers. The Kaua‘i County Council has approved an ordinance to raise taxi rates across the Garden Isle, marking the first major fare adjustment in years for local drivers. Kauai Now.

Surfer suffers leg injuries after being bitten by shark at Hanalei Bay. Kauai’s Hanalei Bay is closed until further notice after a surfer was bitten by a shark — leaving him with multiple leg injuries. KHON2. 

Appetite returns for green sea turtles following recovery from extinction, officials seek to build Thirty Meter Telescope on Mauna Kea decommissioned telescope site, HART wants to become permanent agency, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Green Sea Turtles Have Rebounded. Should Hawaiians Be Able To Eat Them? The honu has recovered from the brink of extinction, prompting some to ask if it’s time to give Native Hawaiians the right to resume traditional harvesting. Civil Beat.

DOE’s Top Leader Could Get Big Pay Raise. Superintendent Keith Hayashi’s salary could increase 60% by 2029 under a new contract up for approval Wednesday. Civil Beat.

Recorded call reveals alleged threat to arrest deputy sheriff in ‘political push’.  Wayne Ibarra is being sued by multiple deputies who accuse him and the Department of Law Enforcement’s former director, Jordan Lowe, of abuse of power. Hawaii News Now.

Hawaii residents face steep Obamacare premium increases amid subsidy uncertainty. The premium increases are affecting roughly 25,000 people in Hawaii as open enrollment begins, with costs rising 10-12 percent. Hawaii News Now.

Hawaiʻi food distribution events ramp up while residents await delayed SNAP funds. The Trump administration says it will restart SNAP food benefits, but will pay out only half the amount people normally get — and there could be lengthy delays. Hawaii Public Radio.

Demand is growing in Hawaii for food, financial assistance. A state program to use $100 million in federal funds to help island families with housing and utility assistance resulted in over 9,000 requests for applications and information while library supporters donated canned goods and nonperishable food in response to the ongoing closure of the federal government and reduction in federal SNAP benefits. Star-Advertiser.

Libraries accept food donations in response to SNAP disruptions, federal shutdown. The state of Hawaiʻi has launched the Kōkua Food Drive, a weeklong food collection campaign that began Monday  in partnership with the Hawaiʻi State Public Library System to support food banks across the islands. Maui Now. KITV4. 

Aloha United Way responds as calls to 211 skyrocket following Hawaiʻi Relief Program updates. 211 normally handles about 150 calls a day, but that number skyrocketed to over 850 contacts (calls, texts and chats) in one day from residents looking for resources and information. Maui Now.

Office of Hawaiian Affairs to vote on $6.1 million relief plan due to federal government shutdown. The Office of Hawaiian Affairs Board of Trustees will meet Thursday in Hilo to vote on a proposal to distribute more than $6.1 million in emergency aid to Native Hawaiian beneficiaries affected by the ongoing federal government shutdown and by delayed Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits. Big Island Now.

Hawaii’s pineapple shortage could soon be over. Distributors and stores said the shortage has lasted months, but growers say that will soon change. KHON2.

UH law school brings recruitment events to neighbor islands. The University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa William S. Richardson School of Law is taking its admissions outreach to Maui, Kauaʻi and Hawaiʻi Island in November. Maui Now.

Oahu

HART looks to extend its life beyond 2031 sunset date. Options to turn the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation into a permanent agency, and potentially expand its mission to construct things other than the city’s more than $10 billion Skyline project, appear to be coming down the tracks. Star-Advertiser.

$62M project expands affordable housing for seniors. EAH Housing, a nonprofit developer and property manager, has redeveloped the former ‘Aiea Sugar Mill site into Aloha Ia Halewiliko — a 140-unit community for residents 62 and older. Star-Advertiser.

Trial is rescheduled in fatal hit-and-run of McKinley student. The family of Sara Yara, the 16-year-old killed in a crosswalk by a hit-and-run driver, expected Mitchel Miyashiro to plead guilty to first-degree negligent homicide at his change-of-plea hearing Monday. Instead, Miyashiro apparently changed his mind and asked for a new trial date. Star-Advertiser.

Medical Examiner identifies 2 women killed in Ewa Beach fire. The two women killed Wednesday in an Ewa Beach care home fire have been identified as Kimiko Takamiya, 93, and Rizza Lee Souther, 32. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii Island

Thirty Meter Telescope Planners Consider Other Sites On Mauna Kea. Gov. Josh Green and the entire Hawaiʻi congressional delegation signed a letter last month promising to work with state officials to establish a permitting process for construction on the sites of decommissioned telescopes on Mauna Kea. Civil Beat.

Immigration enforcement impacting production at some small Kona coffee farms. As the coffee harvesting season comes to a close, some small Kona farmers say they have experienced an impact to their farm production due to fear and concern stemming from reported arrests of immigrant workers on the Big Island. Big Island Now.

Bill addresses requirements for Civil Defense chief. The Hawaii County Council’s Governmental Operations and External Affairs Committee today will discuss Bill 89, which proposes changes to the County Code regarding the appointment of the Civil Defense administrator. Tribune-Herald.

Hilo Benioff Medical Center improves records access for patients. Hilo Benioff Medical Center on Nov. 1 launched its new digital system for managing medical records, appointments, prescriptions and payments, and hospital officials are urging the community to prepare for the change. Tribune-Herald.

New Women's Court on Hawaiʻi Island seeks to provide tools to heal and rebuild. In Kona, Drug Court has already proven to be overwhelmingly successful and many of the practices that guided that program are now being extended to the newly formed Women’s Court on the island as well.  Hawaii Public Radio.

Maui

Maui Council Looks To Fill Vacant Seat As Emotional Debate Begins. Members of the public and the council will have until Monday to nominate individuals to be considered for the seat previously held by the late Tasha Kama. Civil Beat. Maui News. 

Bill 9’s first reading to be scheduled after council fills vacancy. Maui County Council Chair Alice L. Lee announced that first reading of the bill to phase out transient vacation rentals in Apartment Districts will be scheduled for a council meeting hopefully in December while the council turns its attention to filling the vacancy created by the passing of Council Member Tasha Kama. Maui Now.

Kauai

Tyler Saito is new County Attorney. Saito succeeds Matthew Bracken, who is moving from more than a decade of county service to join the Kauai office of McCorriston Miller Mukai MacKinnon, LLP. Garden Island. Kauai Now.

Hurricane Kiko strengthens, Japan arrivals rebounding, bumper coffee crop hampered by ICE raids, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Hurricane Kiko strengthens, no threat to Hawaii today. As of early this morning, the storm was located about 1,815 miles east of Hilo, moving slowly west at 6 miles per hour with maximum sustained winds of 85 miles per hour.  KITV4. Hawaii News Now. 

Clock is ticking on how to spend new green fees. When the legislative session begins, it’ll be up to Green to turn the Green Fee Advisory Council’s recommendations into bills for the Legislature to debate and potentially send back to Green by the time the session ends in May. Star-Advertiser.

Japan arrivals rebounding in the back half of the year.  Japanese arrivals to Hawaii were expected to drop below last year’s levels after a sluggish start to the year, but visitor industry members say that the market is gaining ground and has a shot at finishing flat to slightly better. Star-Advertiser.

Who Uses The Most Water In Hawaiʻi? Golf courses, big resorts and the Marine Corps Base on the Windward side of Oʻahu top the list of the state’s biggest water-hungry consumers. Civil Beat.

Hawaiʻi legislators call for a special session to address immigration enforcement. This year, from January through the end of July, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement made almost 150 administrative arrests in Hawaiʻi. The agency made 45 arrests locally in all of 2024. Hawaii Public Radio.

Gas prices up slightly in Hawaii. According to AAA Hawaii, the statewide average price for regular unleaded was $4.47 as of Aug. 28, which is one cent more than last week and 19 cents lower than this time last year. Maui News.

Oahu

HFD fund lacks public transparency, city audit states. A Honolulu Fire Department fund meant to collect public payments for fire plan reviews related to the city’s building code is non- transparent to the public it serves, the Office of the City Auditor says. Star-Advertiser.

Oʻahu is updating its climate plan ahead of 2030 state goals. The Honolulu Resilience Office is in the process of updating its climate plan. It will lay out actions that the City and County of Honolulu will take over the next five years to help the state meet its goal of slashing the state’s greenhouse gas emissions in half compared to 2005 levels.  Hawaii Public Radio. 

Honolulu County Employee Fired After Nearly 5 Years Of Paid Leave. The employee was paid not to work for years as officials mulled over his “impossible” mileage reports. Civil Beat.

Hawaii Island

North Kohala Customers Told To Use Water for Essential Needs Only. The Hawi #2 well is suspected to have failed around mid-day September 1st, prompting the Essential Needs Only Notice. Big Island Video News. Big Island Now. Hawaii News Now. KHON2. 

ICE Takes Aim At Immigrant Kids In Big Island’s Coffee Belt. President Trump has said he wants to deport hardened criminals. But on Hawaiʻi, agents are snaring undocumented children and their adult relatives. Civil Beat.

Immigration Raids Throw Long Shadow Over Big Island Coffee Harvest. As their workers are arrested and deported, flee the country or stay away, coffee farmers are struggling to bring in a bumper crop. Civil Beat.

Hawaiʻi County partnership aims to increase affordable housing. The partnership between Hawaiʻi County and the HALE o Hawaiʻi Community Land Trust is opening doors to affordable housing for local families. Hawaii Public Radio.

Playground project underway at Greenwell Park. Redevelopment of the playground of Arthur L. Greenwell Park in Captain Cook began last week and will continue for about five months, according to Hawaii County. Tribune-Herald.

Maui 

County encourages Hoʻokumu Hou applicants to get official information. The County of Maui Office of Recovery is encouraging residents to find official information on Hoʻokumu Hou housing programs directly through the County due to potential fraud by third-party entities.  Maui Now.

Residents encouraged to attend in-person Lahaina Community Meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 3. Residents are encouraged to attend the County of Maui’s Lahaina Community Meeting at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 3, 2025, at the Lahaina Intermediate School cafeteria. Maui Now.

Kula Hospital celebrates 115 years of providing care in Upcountry Maui. Maui’s oldest upcountry hospital is celebrating its 115th birthday this year. Hawaii News Now.

Kauai

Brutal beating that ended the life of a Kauai man under investigation. Authorities are investigating a beating on an east Kauaʻi shoreline that left a man near death, crying out for help on the side of a busy highway. Hawaii News Now.

Department of Public Works announces lane closures in Kōloa. The Department of Public Works, in partnership with contractor Maui Kupono Builders, reported that lane closures will be in effect on portions of Hailima Road, Iuka Place, and Aka Road in Kōloa starting Tuesday. Kauai Now.

Special session may not be needed, Matson stops shipping electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids, 2 women's bodies found in toppled banyan debris, Ellison now world's second-richest person, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Legislative special session may not be needed. State House Speaker Nadine Nakamura recently said dates remain reserved for a potential special session because federal funding decisions and their impact on Hawaii are still unclear. But Gov. Josh Green believes an immediate threat has passed, and that a special session isn’t needed. Star-Advertiser.

State held ‘fruitful’ talk with USDA to boost Hawaii exports. The added costs of President Donald Trump’s tariffs on international imports has hurt some local businesses, but the state’s agricultural industry is working to capitalize on the administration’s support for “made in America” and homegrown products by pushing to remove some of the restrictions on produce that cost Hawaii an estimated $760 million a year. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaiʻi Public Defender Urges Governor To Bar Cops From Working With ICE. The state’s Office of the Public Defender has stepped into the convulsive national fray over immigration enforcement, asking Gov. Josh Green to issue an executive order largely barring law enforcement agencies from collaborating with federal immigration authorities. All four county police departments have existing contracts with Homeland Security Investigations — a division of ICE — and other federal law enforcement agencies such as the Drug Enforcement Administration, under which they work together on what officials have said are investigations unrelated to immigration.  Civil Beat.

Matson stops shipping electric vehicles to Hawaiʻi. Hawaiʻi’s largest shipping company told customers this week that it won’t ship electric vehicles to Hawaiʻi anymore. Matson has told customers in a letter that it will stop transporting not only electric vehicles to Hawaiʻi but also plug-in hybrids because of the fire risk. Hawaii Public Radio.

State Medicaid administrators seek to ensure coverage amid federal changes. About 60% of people on Medicaid in Hawaiʻi are currently working, but it’s not yet clear if they would all meet the hourly requirements in the new law. Hawaii Public Radio.

Federal cuts leave Hawaii stations scrambling. Hawaii’s public broadcasting stations are scrambling to make up for a sudden loss in federal funding — forcing Hawaii Public Radio to pull from reserves and hold an emergency fundraising drive, as PBS Hawaii said it remains committed to its community emergency preparedness mission despite the financial strain. Star-Advertiser.

Coalition forms to save Hawaii’s struggling film industry. Hawaii’s film industry is organizing amid a slump in shooting major television series and feature films to better fight for improved state incentives after a bruising legislative session earlier this year. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii’s visitor industry looks to isle residents to bolster business. Visitors to Hawaii like to see how the locals live, but increasingly, locals are staycationing or island- hopping like visitors due to the many kamaaina specials that have emerged as softening in Hawaii tourism has extended into the peak summer period. Star-Advertiser.

Bloomberg reports Ellison is now world’s second richest person. Oracle founder and Lanai majority landowner Larry Ellison has overtaken Mark Zuckerberg, who owns a large estate on Kauai, to become the world’s second-richest person with a net worth of $251 billion — up nearly $60 billion in 2025 — according to Bloomberg News. Maui News.

Oahu

Trial run for rail’s airport extension delayed, HART says. Segment 2 — built to run from the old Aloha Stadium in Halawa, past the airport, to the Middle Street Transit Center in Kalihi — is scheduled to open for public ridership by Oct. 1. Star-Advertiser.

Nonprofit pushes for new Ala Wai Watershed District. A local nonprofit that wants to advance investments in nature-based solutions to protect the watershed and its communities is circulating an unofficial draft bill requesting that the Honolulu City Council establish a so-called Ala Wai Watershed Special Improvement District No. 6. Star-Advertiser.

HPD to add officers to combat rising crime rate in West Oahu. The Honolulu Police Department is adding a dozen officers to its West Oahu patrol district to address a 24% increase in calls for service and a spate of shootings and violent crime. Star-Advertiser.

Waikīkī Restaurant War Reveals Gaps In Hawaiʻi Business Protections. The dispute between two restaurants with the same name on the same block underscores a weakness in the state’s trademark system. Civil Beat.

Twice Torched Bird Watch Overlook Remains Shut. The popular birdwatching spot in ʻEwa Beach had been closed, then reopened for barely a year before it was closed down again last August. Trespassing brings a hefty fine. Civil Beat.

Hawaii Island

Hawaii County names new interim police chief. On July 18, Hawaii County named Deputy Chief Reed Mahuna as the interim chief of police effective Sept. 1. KHON2.

Big Island police recover remains of women from fallen banyan tree. Hawaii Island police on Sunday recovered the remains of two women from within the debris of a downed banyan tree, which had fallen on Kilauea Avenue in Hilo on July 12. Star-Advertiser. Big Island Video News. Big Island Now.  Hawaii News Now. 

Episode 29 of the Halemaʻumaʻu eruption abruptly ends after 13 hours.  Episode 29 of the ongoing Halemaʻumaʻu eruption ended abruptly around 6:35 p.m. on Sunday after over 13 hours of continuous lava fountaining. Big Island Video News. Big Island Now. 

New Electric Buses Headed To Hawaiʻi Island. 12 new battery-electric buses, manufactured by the Gillig company, are replacing diesel buses on Kauaʻi, Maui and Hawaiʻi Island. Big Island Video News.

Maui

Better late than never: ‘Ohana Hope Village nears completion 2 years after Maui wildfires. Just 11 days after the devastating Maui wildfires on Aug. 8, 2023, the privately funded ‘Ohana Hope Village broke ground in Kahului, moving fast to provide housing for people who had lost their homes. But the off-the-grid, 88-unit temporary village that initially was expected to take six months to build now is approaching the two-year mark. Maui Now.

Maui middle schoolers explore community challenges with 3D printers, coding, AI. A group of Maui middle school students has spent the summer 3D printing ʻohe kapala stamping sticks, creating scenes of the Hawaiian demigod Maui using virtual reality, and using drones in real-world applications. Hawaii Public Radio.

Kauai

5 new homes celebrated by Kauai Habitat for Humanity. The new homes were built with qualified homebuyers in partnership with USDA Sect. 502 Direct Loan to Homebuyers, down payment assistance from the County of Kauai HOME Investment Partnership program, Title Guaranty Hawaii, as well as many community donors and volunteers. Garden Island.

One lane of alternating traffic open on Kūhiō Highway near Hanalei River Bridge. Kaua‘i Emergency Management Agency reported just before 6 p.m. Sunday that Kūhiō Highway near Hanalei River Bridge is open to one lane of alternating traffic after being closed that morning and for much of the day because of being inundated from flood waters. Kauai Now.