Ariyoshi dies at 100, PGA cuts Hawaii events, Big Island Forest Service facilities targeted for closure, auditor warns of problems with $40M homeless program, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

George Ariyoshi, Hawaii's third governor and nation’s first governor of Asian American descent, dies at age 100.  Hawaii’s longest-­serving governor and the first Asian American to serve as governor of any U.S. state, George Ariyoshi, died Sunday night at the age of 100, leaving a “quiet and effective” legacy grounded in shaping the state’s future. Star-Advertiser. Civil Beat. Associated Press. Hawaii News Now.  KHON2.  KITV4. 

Legislation to curb corporate influence in elections awaits final negotiation by lawmakers. The state Legislature is looking at a new, untested legal approach to curb corporate money in elections. Hawaii Public Radio.

Hawaiʻi Transportation Officials Want A New Military Partnership. A bill being considered by the Legislature would allow the state DOT to act as a military contractor to expedite federal projects for improvements to airports and roads. Civil Beat.

Hawaiʻi gambling regulations would likely be complex to accommodate the evolving industry. That was advocates' message to state lawmakers looking at how it could impact Hawaiʻi, one of two states that outlaw all forms of gambling. Hawaii Public Radio.

PGA Tour cuts Hawaii events in 2027, dealing a $150M blow to state. The PGA Tour confirmed on Monday that its two Hawaii golf tournaments — the Sony Open in Hawaii and The Sentry at Kapalua — will not be included in the 2027 tour schedule, representing a more than $150 million annual loss in visitor industry revenue for the islands. Star-Advertiser. Maui Now.  Hawaii News Now.  KHON2. KITV4. 

Auditor Issues Urgent Warning About Key Hawaiʻi Homeless Program.  In a letter addressed to legislators and the state’s human services director Monday, Auditor Les Kondo explained why he was raising early alarm bells about the kauhale initiative and payments to HomeAid Hawai‘i that have cost taxpayers nearly $40 million so far, some of which he said was spent with little public oversight and weak internal controls. Civil Beat.

Oahu

Lambert must return to HPD to protect pension benefits. Mike Lambert, 46, is one of the 41 applicants to serve as Honolulu’s 13th police chief. If he is not picked to lead HPD, he also applied to continue his law enforcement career where it began, as a HPD patrol officer. Star-Advertiser.

'Get rid of the dam': Residents, farmers have conflicting feelings about Wahiawā dam. As the state moves closer to acquiring the aging more than 120-year-old earthen dam, there are conflicting feelings from longtime North residents and farmers. Hawaii Public Radio.

Kaimuki’s iconic Queen Theater, now in disrepair, prepped for sale. The Queen Theater, a once-beloved 1930s-era landmark in the heart of Kaimuki that fell into dec­ades of disrepair, is being readied for sale, city leaders say. Star-Advertiser.

Cleanup underway of floating homeless encampments. Heavy machinery continued Monday to tear out thick and overgrown mangroves along Keehi Stream in Kalihi that had camouflaged 25 or so floating and land-based homeless structures that have occupied the waters from Keehi Stream to Keehi Lagoon for years. Star-Advertiser.

Honolulu Cyclists Lament Safety Barriers, Green Paint In Bike Lanes. New asphalt along South King Street meant bike path safety features had to be removed temporarily. They are taking too long to be replaced, cyclists say. Civil Beat.

Hawaii Island

ʻŌhiʻa Trees, Invasive Species: Years Of Research Could Be Lost. The Hilo-based Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry headquarters and a biocontrol lab in Volcano are among at least 57 Forest Service facilities targeted for closure across the country in an agency restructuring plan rolled out by the Trump administration late last month. Civil Beat.

2,000 acres in Kapoho being considered for preservation. A Hawaii County Council committee today will consider a resolution calling for the purchase of nearly 2,000 acres of rugged coastal land in Kapoho using public land preservation funds. Tribune-Herald.

Former Kamehameha Schools employee indicted for internal theft. Zachary Heltz, a 32-year-old Big Island man, has been indicted for allegedly stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from Kamehameha Schools Hawaii. Tribune-Herald.

Kīlauea Volcano Alert Level Raised As Lava Activity Begins. Low-level lava activity began at the summit of Kīlauea overnight, prompting a change in the Alert Level for the Hawaiʻi Island volcano. Big Island Video News. Big Island Now.  Hawaii News Now.

Work to replace lava tube bridge begins Thursday. Work to replace the deteriorating bridge into Nahuku lava tube in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park will start Thursday. Tribune-Herald.

Maui 

MEMA, other agencies to participate in April 23 training in Kahului.  A multiagency, full-scale training exercise will be held Thursday, April 23, 2026, from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Kahului, according to Maui Emergency Management Agency. Maui Now.

Kauai

Kaua‘i Fire is seeking public input on how to improve. The Kaua‘i Fire Department is looking for public input to see how they can improve their emergency response and overall community safety. Kauai Now.

Trump signs Hawaii disaster declaration, Honolulu firefighters ratify $11.7M COVID hazard pay, Maui doctor found guilty of attempted manslaughter, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Trump signs disaster declaration for Hawaii. President Donald Trump has approved a federal disaster declaration for Hawaii in the aftermath of the two Kona-low storms that pummeled the islands over a 14-day period last month, Gov. Josh Green announced Wednesday night. Star-Advertiser. Maui Now. Hawaii News Now. KHON2. KITV4. Big Island Video News.

Cut State Jobs, Keep Tax Cuts? Hawaiʻi Senate Makes Budget Pitch. Faced with federal budget cuts, lawmakers hope to balance the budget in part by wiping out positions that have been vacant for more than five years. Civil Beat.

Lawmakers consider banning disposable e-cigarettes. Disposable e-cigarettes could be banned in Hawaiʻi starting in 2027. State lawmakers are advancing a measure that would make it illegal to sell electronic smoking devices that don’t have refillable cartridges or a rechargeable battery. Hawaii Public Radio.

State legislators continue to question HPH-HMSA deal. The  House Committee on Consumer Protection and Commerce had many lingering concerns over the impacts of Hawaii Medical Service Association joining forces with Hawaii Pacific Health. Star-Advertiser.

Conservative Activists Take Aim At Native Hawaiian Health Scholarship. A new lawsuit filed by a legal advocacy nonprofit says a 35-year-old federal scholarship program that brought Native Hawaiian doctors to the islands is unconstitutional. Civil Beat.

Hawaiʻi Law Enforcement Director Wants To Return To Honolulu Police Department. Mike Lambert said he had hoped to stay longer with DLE but plans to step down this summer because of a retirement system issue. Civil Beat.

‘Strongest in the nation’: DBEDT on Hawaii unemployment rate. January’s unemployment rate of 2.2 percent compares to the national rate of 4.3 percent, which was down from 4.4 percent in December. KHON2.

Oahu

Firefighters ratify $11.7M COVID hazard pay. Honolulu firefighters are set to receive $11.7 million in temporary hazard pay for working during the COVID-19 pandemic, city officials say. The agreement provides up to $7,500 in compensation for each city firefighter who worked during the national public health emergency that began in March 2020 and ended in March 2022. Star-Advertiser.

COVID-19 fraud case is possibly resolved. A 31-year-old Kapolei woman facing federal criminal charges after allegedly stealing another person’s identity in a scheme to steal more than $36,000 in unemployment insurance and COVID-19 assistance may have reached a resolution with the U.S. Department of Justice. Star-Advertiser.

About 4,000 more Oʻahu properties could be required to have flood insurance. Decades-old maps that the federal government uses to determine which properties are high flood risks will be updated on June 10, expanding to include more homes near coasts and streams. Hawaii Public Radio.

Hawaii Island

General Plan changes blasted; Kierkiewicz’s revision draws sharp criticism. The Hawaii County Council chambers rang out with criticisms Tuesday as a committee meeting meant to consider a long-term planning document devolved into accusations, lawsuits and conspiracy theories. Tribune-Herald.

Kona attorney confirmed as District Court judge. The Hawaii State Senate on Tuesday voted to confirm Andrew Michael Kennedy to serve as a Hawaii Island District Court judge, following his appointment by Acting Chief Justice Sabrina S. McKenna. Tribune-Herald. Big Island Video News. 

Maui

Maui doctor who attacked wife on Nuuanu trail found guilty of attempted manslaughter. An Oahu Circuit Court jury rendered a guilty verdict on the lesser charge of attempted manslaughter Wednesday in the trial of 47-year-old Maui anesthesiologist Gerhardt Konig accused of trying to kill his wife March 24, 2025, while hiking on the Pali Puka Trail in Nuuanu. Star-Advertiser. Associated Press.  Maui Now.  Hawaii News Now.

Palm-Killing Beetle Found On Molokaʻi For First Time, Rediscovered On Maui. The beetle has become emblematic of the state’s decades-long struggle to contain and mitigate the impacts of invasive species throughout the islands.  Civil Beat. Maui Now. 

Kauai

Kauaʻi blesses first dedicated medical helicopter that started operations Wednesday. The new air medical service through Hawai’i Life Flight also will support inter-facility transfers to Līhuʻe’s trauma center, cardiac catheterization laboratories and specialty care facilities on Oʻahu. Kauai Now.

HDLE director calls for 5-year fireworks ban, petition seeks info on $35k given top lawmaker, Hawaii awarded $190M for rural health care, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Hawaiʻi Law Enforcement Leader Calls For 5-Year Ban On All Fireworks. Officials say this New Year’s Eve was quieter than last, but state Department of Law Enforcement Director Mike Lambert is calling for more drastic measures to cut off the state’s supply of illegal fireworks. Civil Beat.

Hawaii gets nearly $190 million for rural health care. Hawaii has been awarded nearly $190 million in federal funding to augment rural health care under President Donald Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill” through a plan co-written by Democratic Gov. Josh Green. He said it’s the result of working with fellow Pennsylvania native and physician Dr. Mehmet Oz, administrator for the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Star-Advertiser.

PUC study supports creation of Hawaiʻi wildfire recovery fund. The Public Utilities Commission has concluded that a state recovery fund is likely warranted to compensate future victims of major wildfires. Hawaii Public Radio.

$35K Mystery Payment: Petition Calls For Hawaiʻi Legislature To Investigate. More than 900 Hawaiʻi residents are asking the Legislature to get to the bottom of a mysterious transaction in 2022 that involved a man handing $35,000 in a paper bag to someone federal investigators have described as an influential legislator. Civil Beat. Hawaii News Now.  KHON2. 

Hawaiʻi ICE Arrests And Detentions In 2025 Spiked From Year Before. Updated tallies are not yet complete but already eclipse those in 2024. Data show immigration arrests are increasingly likely to take place at ICE offices and at the state’s civil court houses. Civil Beat.

Hawaiian announces $600 million airport, wide-body upgrades. Hawaiian Airlines CEO Diana Birkett Rakow announced an investment of more than $600 million over five years to improve airport passenger areas across the state and interior upgrades to widebody aircraft. Star-Advertiser. Maui Now.  Hawaii News Now. KITV4.

Oahu

Crackdown nets 61 tons of illegal fireworks. Honolulu police and state law enforcement officials stepped up joint enforcement against illegal fireworks on New Year’s Eve, responding to a sharp increase in fireworks-related calls while reporting fewer serious injuries and fires than in previous years. Star-Advertiser.

ABC Stores CEO Lags On Fixing Up ‘Eyesore’ In Busy Waikīkī Corridor. Property owner says renovation plans are on hold due to high construction costs, but neighbors are frustrated by the lack of action. Civil Beat.

Off-leash dog park opens in Makiki. Honolulu’s dogs have more space to explore and exercise after city leaders officially opened an off-leash dog park in Punahou Square. Hawaii News Now.

Celebrate Year of the Horse with festival, parade in Chinatown. Get ready to celebrate the Year of the Horse! Chinatown 808 will host its 50th Chinatown Festival & Parade celebrating the Lunar New Year on Saturday, Feb. 14. Hawaii News Now.

Hawaii Island

Nalani Kanaka‘ole-Zane, renowned kumu hula and Merrie Monarch judge, dies at 79. Nalani Kanaka‘ole-Zane, revered kumu hula of Halau o Kekuhi, cultural matriarch and veteran judge of Merrie Monarch Festival hula competitions, died Saturday in Hilo. She was 79. Tribune-Herald. Big Island Now.  Hawaii News Now.  KITV4. 

Maui

Batangan takes seat on Maui County Council. Kauanoe Batangan was sworn into office as a Maui County Council member Monday morning, saying he was honored to have been selected by his late predecessor, Tasha Kama, to serve out the remainder of her term. Maui News. Maui Now.  Hawaii News Now.

Maui To Settle Landfill Legal Battle After Scrapping Plan To Seize Property. The county won’t say how much it intends to pay the company in damages over the eminent domain case to acquire a dump site for Lahaina fire debris. Civil Beat.

Kauai

Kaua‘i Island Utility Cooperative offers new rebates for medical device power backup. The Medical Device Power Backup Rebate Program provides eligible members with a rebate of up to $200 for the purchase of a qualifying backup power solution, such as a battery backup or portable generator, according to a news release from the power company. Kauai Now.