Soaring air fares hit interisland flights. Since the Iran War began, air fares on domestic flights have surged 18%, and international flights have risen by over $100 a ticket because of jet fuel prices that have doubled to over $220 a barrel. Hawaii News Now.
Anti-ICE Masking Bills In Hawaiʻi Doomed After Court Ruling. Advocates and lawmakers are pressing forward on other bills to limit police cooperation with immigration enforcement. Civil Beat.
3 things to know about proposed changes to the state's income tax plan. Under the current income tax plan, the state is expected to be in a $400 million financial hole by 2032 due to cuts in federal funding. The historic tax cut that started last year for all Hawaii residents, including its highest income earners, is expected to cost the state over $1 billion when it’s in full effect. Hawaii Public Radio. Big Island Now.
Aging Hawaiʻi: 60,000 More Housing Units Needed By 2050. New report projects population trends will lead to increased demand for affordable housing for kūpuna and says that departures of younger residents are creating a hole in the workforce. Civil Beat.
It’s Illegal To Ride A Moped Without A Helmet. Does Anyone Care? Hawaiʻi made moped helmets mandatory last year, but police aren’t issuing tickets and few riders appear to be voluntarily donning the protective gear. Civil Beat.
State seeks public review for statewide preservation plan draft. The State Historic Preservation Division of the Department of Land and Natural Resources said the 30-day review plan will guide how state and county agencies, Native Hawaiian organizations and communities work together to identify, protect and steward the state’s historic and cultural resources from 2026 through 2034. Hawaii News Now.
Tree planting effort to increase canopy at island schools. Ten schools have been selected to participate in the statewide Shade Trees for Schools program, a joint effort of the DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife’s Kaulunani Urban & Community Forestry Program and the Hawaiʻi Department of Education. The schools are located on Oʻahu, Maui, Lanaʻi, Kauaʻi and Hawaiʻi Island. Maui Now.
Oahu
Skyline reaches ridership record as downtown expansion continues. April has been a banner month for the Honolulu rail system, which made headlines in the past few weeks with some major achievements. Hawaii Public Radio.
Storms cripple Oahu’s North Shore, drive $325M in statewide tourism losses. The state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism estimates the storms already have triggered at least $325 million in statewide tourism losses, erased roughly 360,000 room nights, and pushed hundreds of small businesses — especially on Oahu’s North Shore and parts of Maui — into steep and ongoing revenue declines. Star-Advertiser.
City urged to improve stream maintenance and emergency monitoring. The Honolulu City Council and community members are calling on the City and County of Honolulu to improve its efforts to prevent, predict and respond to natural disasters. Hawaii Public Radio.
Frustrations over DMV processing delays on Oahu. The dealer center at Kapalama Hale is the only place car dealerships can process registrations and titles and they said there are thousands of cars needing to be processed. KITV4.
Meet Akamai: City’s AI voice assistant is ready to help. This AI-driven speech recognition tool is available 24/7 by quickly responding to routine, simple questions regarding driver’s licenses, motor vehicle registrations and state ID cards. KHON2.
Honolulu City Council mulls bill-rounding measure. The city Department of Budget and Fiscal Services is proposing to round all cash payments for taxes, fees and services to the nearest nickel. Star-Advertiser.
Hawaii Island
Police Commission Office In Hilo Closed Due to Staffing Shortages. The Hawai‘i County Police Commission office in Hilo is closed to the public due to staffing shortages. Members of the public may still pick up complaint forms and submit them using the office drop box. Big Island Video News.
Hawaii Commissions launch civil rights awareness campaign: ‘No Hate in the 808’. Hele-On buses across the island will soon feature a new informational advertisement to educate residents about their civil rights and provide resources for those facing discrimination. Tribune-Herald.
Maui
Billionaire’s Private Airline Prepares New Moloka‘i Route. Lānaʻi Air was formed to fly guests in style to Larry Ellison’s luxury resorts. Now the company wants to help close the gulf in access to off-island doctors for Moloka‘i residents amid a shortage of air travel options. Civil Beat.
MEO welcomes Jared Appleby as CFO; Melissa Magonigle as HR Director. Jared Appleby and Melissa Magonigle joined the Maui Economic Opportunity executive leadership team in April as Chief Fiscal Officer and Human Resources Director, respectively. Maui Now.
Traffic-calming devices stir bumpy protest in Haiku. After seeing a petition with nearly 1,000 signatures on it, Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen placed a moratorium on the design and construction of proposed speed tables, speed humps, and similar traffic-calming devices in the area. Maui News.
Off-site parking required for state high school surf championship Friday-Saturday at Hoʻokipa. Spectators for the inaugural Hawai‘i High School Athletic Association Surfing State Championships (HHSAA) will only be allowed to access Ho’okipa Beach Park via free HHSAA event shuttles from the parking lot off Holomua Road on Friday and Saturday, the County of Maui Department of Parks and Recreation announced. Maui Now.
Kauai
Kekaha residents advised of planned April 30 water outage. A temporary water service shutdown is scheduled for portions of Kekaha on Thursday, April 30, as crews complete system upgrades, according to the Kauaʻi County Department of Water. Kauai Now.
Online registration for Summer Fun Program begins May 13. Registration for the county’s 2026 Summer Fun Program will open on May 13 at 8 a.m., through the county’s website, https://bit.ly/428VQLN, according to the Department of Parks and Recreation. Garden Island.
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