State and local governments, schools, universities closed today as storms continue; mayors scrap GET tax extension request; recreational marijuana bills effectively dead; Blangiardi asks Taiwan to fix Chinatown Cultural Plaza, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

State, DOE schools, UH campuses close due to rain, flood and winds. State offices, public schools and all University of Hawaii campuses will be closed today as a powerful storm brings heavy rain, flash flooding and damaging winds across the islands, Gov. Josh Green announced at a Sunday news conference. Star-Advertiser. Civil Beat. Hawaii News Now KITV4.  KHON2.

Hawaiʻi Mayors Scrap Controversial Tax Pitch In Election Year. The mayors decided against asking the Legislature for a 20-year extension of the general excise tax surcharge for rail and other transportation projects to allow time for more due diligence. The excise tax surcharge generated more than $351 million for Honolulu in 2024, money that was used to help fund the rail project. Maui County received about $77 million that year from the surcharge, and Hawaiʻi County received more than $74 million. Kauaʻi County received nearly $37 million in surcharge revenue that year. Civil Beat.

DOE Travel: $4 Million, 8,000 Trips And Few Details On Educational Value. The Department of Education’s failure to provide detailed travel records is part of a broader pattern of poor record-keeping for Hawaiʻi schools, lawmakers and government transparency advocates say. Civil Beat.

Tighter laws, tougher penalties sought by lawmakers. More bills aimed at “clean government” have been introduced again this legislative session ahead of the November general elections that will determine the future of all 51 House seats and 13 of the 25 Senate seats amid an ongoing Attorney General’s investigation into the identity of a mystery legislator who allegedly accepted $35,000 “in funds.” Star-Advertiser.

Bills seek to rein in free-roaming cat population in Hawaii. Both animal welfare groups and conservationists agree there is a cat overpopulation problem in the islands requiring action, and are backing a pair of bills before the state Legislature to rein in free- roaming cats. Star-Advertiser.

Bills aimed at legalizing recreational marijuana lack support. Two bills aimed at legalizing recreational marijuana — or even creating marijuana guardrails — are effectively dead, according to House Speaker Nadine Nakamura and Rep. David Tarnas, who has pushed for legalization for years. Star-Advertiser.

Teacher harassment prompts push for protections. Reports of harassment and threats against Hawaii public school teachers have gained more traction since the COVID-19 pandemic, prompting renewed calls from educators and union leaders for stronger state protections — even as a package of proposed safety bills failed to advance last legislative session. Star-Advertiser.

Global rivals start to gain ground amid flat growth. Hawaii entered 2026 with a visitor industry still well below its prepandemic peak, and new forecasts point to another year of modest gains as Maui’s recovery drags and international markets — especially Japan and Canada — continue to lag. Star-Advertiser.

Oahu

HART rail planning to UH Manoa rolls toward approval. A Honolulu City Council measure, which calls for plans and feasibility studies toward construction of future city rail routes to the University of Hawaii at Manoa or to West Oahu locations near Ko Olina resort, is rolling toward its final approval. Star-Advertiser.

‘Incredibly Frustrating’: Affordable Oʻahu Rentals Sit Empty For 10 Months. As the city housing program behind it comes under the microscope, the Makiki building has struggled to clear the last bureaucratic hurdles. Civil Beat.

Blangiardi wants Taiwan to fix crumbling, crime-plagued Chinatown Cultural Plaza. A “beyond frustrated” Mayor Rick Blangiardi is pressing Taiwan to fix its deteriorating Chinatown Cultural Plaza in Honolulu, taking his appeal directly to President Lai Ching‑te and arguing that years of inaction have turned the 4-acre complex into a magnet for crime and a public‑safety threat. Star-Advertiser.

Tenants describe decades of decline at Chinatown plaza. Tenants at the Chinatown Cultural Plaza say worsening safety hazards, deteriorating facilities and years of management inaction have hollowed out what was once a bustling commercial hub and threaten the survival of the few businesses left. Star-Advertiser.

Honolulu ‘Hell-Hole’ Building Now Without Water. Despite the deteriorating condition of the building, embattled Honolulu developer Chad Waters is defending his record of managing 1136 Union Mall. Civil Beat.

HPU says active shooter alert sent by mistake. An active shooter alert was accidentally sent out, according to Hawaii Pacific University officials on Sunday. The initial text said there was a lockdown in place. Hawaii News Now.

Hawaii Island

County, state announce weather-related school and facilities closures. Shelters are open in North Hilo, Hamakua and Kohala districts. They include: Waimea Community Center, 65-1260 Kawaihae Rd., Waimea; Ikuo Hisaoka Gymnasium, 54-382 Kamehameha Park Rd., Kapaau; Honokaa Sports Complex Gym, 45-541 Lehua St. Honokaa; and Papaaloa Park Community Center, 35-1994 Government Main Rd., Papaaloa. Tribune-Herald. Big Island Now.

Snow Covers Hawaiʻi Summits, Winter Storm Warning Continues. The summits of Maunakea and Mauna Loa are buried in snow and closed to travelers. Webcams show snow covering the roads surrounding observatories at the Maunakea summit. Big Island Video News.

HPD’s new chief discusses his approach to policing, priorities for the department. Policing is in the DNA of Hawaii County’s new top cop, Reed Mahuna. Born and raised on Hawaii Island, Mahuna, 49, is the son of retired HPD Chief Lawrence Mahuna. Tribune-Herald.

Mauna Kea Stewardship and Oversight Authority to host last 3 community workshops this month. The series of 10 workshops have taken place across the state intentionally to create space to listen to more voices and co-create a new management paradigm for Mauna Kea. Big Island Now.

Maui

Maui County opens shelters, asks drivers to stay off roads. The Maui Emergency Management Agency is asking residents and visitors to stay off roadways unless travel is essential during the severe weather event that began Saturday and is anticipated to extend into Tuesday. Maui News. Maui Now. 

Committee meetings canceled, Office of Council Services closed on Monday. The Water Authority, Social Services and Parks Committee meeting and the Water and Infrastructure Committee meetings that were scheduled for 1:30 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 9, have been canceled because of the continuing threat of severe weather, the Office of Council Services announced. Maui Now.

St. Anthony School to cease Grades 9-12, with preschool to eighth grade continuing. The planned closure of grades 9-12 will become effective in the next school year, allowing existing St. Anthony High School students to complete their current academic year without disruption. Maui Now.

Kauai

County services to continue Monday pending weather updates. As severe weather continues, Kauaiʻi County operations are set to remain open and continue services. County of Kauaʻi officials are still urging the public to stay home, avoid all unnecessary travel, and prioritize safety as severe weather continues today and into next week.  Kauai Now. Hawaii News Now. 

Kauaʻi County awards 15 culturally-based projects, events with grant funding. Grant funding has been awarded to 15 community-based cultural projects and events that will strengthen Kauaʻi’s cultural landscape, celebrate place-based knowledge, and create meaningful experiences for residents and visitors. Kauai Now.

Trash Pickup: 1 In 5 Chance Yours Could Run Late On Kauaʻi. Residential trash on Kaua‘i is only picked up four days a week, but over the last nine months there’s been a nearly 1 in 5 chance on any given service day that at least one area of the island would experience a delay.  Civil Beat.

Coral reefs recognized as 'legal persons' under bill, Green seeks to repeal 5 years of income tax cuts, Hilo lawyer gets 6 years in affordable housing scam, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Bills would protect reefs, bar military live-fire training, expand robotics. Hawaii’s watersheds and coral reefs would be recognized as “legal persons” with legal rights; high school robotics could become an interscholastic sport; military live-fire training would be banned on state land; and a new fee would be charged on any “sugar-sweetened” beverages under new House and Senate bills to be considered during the legislative session that’s scheduled to adjourn May 8. Star-Advertiser.

Green’s tax cut freeze plan repeals five years of additional savings for taxpayers. Hawaii taxpayers stand to receive dramatically stunted financial savings under a plan by Gov. Josh Green to cancel future state income tax cuts. A single person earning $75,000 a year would miss out on $3,855 in estimated tax savings over the next five years, and $1,103 a year after 2031 if Green’s legislation is approved by the Legislature, according to calculations by the state Department of Taxation. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii lawmakers look to ban popular ‘prediction market’ wagering. Ahead of Gov. Josh Green’s annual State of the State address last week, online betters placed $448,667 in “prediction market” wagers on whether he would say phrases that included “affordable,” “affordability,” “mainland,” “cost of living,” “aloha,” “kauhale,” “housing,” “health care,” “tourism” and “volcano” as part of an online gambling phenomenon that would be prohibited under House Bill 2198. Star-Advertiser.

Bills address nurse staffing levels and patient safety. A coalition representing thousands of nurses is backing legislation to address what they say have been chronic staffing issues statewide at hospitals in Hawaii to improve patient safety. Star-Advertiser.

New legislative bills would allow residents to kill wild chickens. Two bills being considered this legislative session would allow residents to kill feral chickens, under House Bill 1852 and the latest version of HB 980, which stalled in the 2025 legislative session but automatically rolled into this one. Star-Advertiser.

End of aquarium collecting does not lead to recovery of reef fish in Hawaiʻi waters, new analysis finds. A new analysis of state and federal monitoring data finds that yellow tang populations on Hawaiʻi reefs failed to recover — and in some cases declined — after commercial aquarium fish collecting ended, contradicting long-standing claims that the practice was sustainable. Maui Now.

New UHERO report finds Hawaiʻi’s economy has “lagged behind the rest of the U.S. for years”  According to a new report from the University of Hawaiʻi’s Economic Research Organization, Hawaii’s economy is among the worst in the nation.  KHON2.

DOE to open priority placement process for Kaiapuni education. The state Department of Education announced that a new statewide priority placement process for Hawaiian language immersion programs will open Monday, with the application window to close March 13. Star-Advertiser.

Commentary: Hot Political Topics Are Stoking Sunshine Bills This Year. Now that the bill-filing deadline has passed, here’s our handy roadmap for following hundreds of government accountability and political reform bills proposed for the 2026 session. Civil Beat.

Oahu

Honolulu City Council’s affordable housing bills face strong resistance. A trio of Honolulu City Council measures is drawing opposition from building developers and housing advocates alike over an effort by some Council members to potentially roll back existing incentives related to affordable housing development on Oahu. Introduced on Jan. 22, Bills 14, 15 and 17 variously look to revise the city’s existing affordable housing laws to reduce or eliminate real property tax exemptions and similar requirements for housing incentives and waivers for developers. Star-Advertiser.

Meet The Oʻahu Woman On A Mission To Stop The Ala Wai Canal Bridge. Laura Ruby has opposed a bridge over the Waikīkī canal for almost 20 years. Even as construction inches closer, she has no plans to stop. Civil Beat.

Hawaiʻi tech company Servpac is adding a new building to its data center in the Mililani Technology Park. Despite the additional space, most Hawaiʻi data is stored on the continent. Hawaii Public Radio.

Road rehabilitation project to take place in Kaneohe. The city said construction will begin on an 18-month-long project on Monday along Kamehameha Highway from Haiku Road to Likelike Highway and Kaneohe Bay Drive.  Hawaii News Now.

Hawaii Island

Operation Reverse Robinhood: Big Island Lawyer Gets 6 Years For Scam. Gary Zamber is the first of the four defendants to be sentenced for conspiring to take advantage of loopholes in the Big Island’s system for handing out affordable housing credits to developers. Civil Beat.

Reed Mahuna Tapped To Serve As Hawaiʻi County’s Next Police Chief. The 28-year veteran cop was born and raised on the Big Island. The Hawaiʻi County Police Commission unanimously chose longtime Big Island cop Reed Mahuna as the department’s next police chief after a two-day hearing that wrapped up Friday.  Civil Beat. Star-Advertiser.

Tram collision at Hilton Waikōloa Village prompts suspension of service. Two trams at the Hilton Waikoloa Village on Hawaii Island crashed Saturday night. No one was hurt, and the hotel said emergency services were called to the scene. Hawaii News Now. Big Island Now. 

Spittlebug threatens Hawaii Island’s cattle industry. The tiny black bug has destroyed an estimated 320,000 acres of ranchlands from Pu‘u Wa‘awa‘a to South Point. Star-Advertiser.

Kawili Street Paving Project Begins This Week. The project will be carried out in phases, totaling 1.6 miles between Kanoelehua Avenue and Puainako Street. Big Island Video News. Big Island Now. 

Maui

PUC to hold public hearing on proposed Hawaiʻi water rate increase in Kapalua, Maui. The Hawaiʻi Public Utilities Commission will conduct a public hearing Monday, Feb. 2 at 6 p.m. at the Maui Preparatory Academy on Hawaii Water Service Company, Inc.’s request for a rate increase for its Kapalua Water and Wastewater Divisions. Hawaii Water is asking the commission to approve  a 59% increase over revenues at current effective rates, including a 7.46% rate of return, a power cost charge pass-through, a water purchase rider and refunds of excess 2021-2025 revenues. Maui Now.

Bezos donation boosts Lahainaluna scholarships and wildfire research. A $3.5 million donation from Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez  includes $1.5 million for Lahainaluna High School graduates affected by the fires and $2 million for vegetation management and land stewardship research. Star-Advertiser.

Kauai

Hawaii health officials investigate chickenpox outbreak at Kauai school. The Hawaii Department of Health today said it is investigating an outbreak of chickenpox at Kilauea Elementary School on Kauai. To date, five cases have been reported among four students and one household member. Health officials said none of the individuals were vaccinated against chickenpox, also known as varicella. Star-Advertiser.

Found human remains ends search for missing 19-year-old fisherman on Kauai.  The massive multi-agency search for a 19-year-old Kapaa man was suspended after three days when human remains were found in the waters off Kahili Beach on Saturday afternoon. KITV4.

 

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.