Fuel cost rise spikes grocery prices, AI not helping Honolulu permit backlog, Miske ties in Kailua shooting death, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Rising fuel costs prompt spike in Hawaii grocery prices. About 90% of items in a Hawaiʻi shopping cart are shipped in. Containers being unloaded at the warehouse cost about $760 more to bring in than in January, an increase of about 7.5%. Multiplied by 2,000 containers a week, that amounts to $80 million a year out of consumers’ pockets. Hawaii News Now.

Alaska Airlines plans major upgrades for Hawaii brand. Alaska Air Group is expected to use its Investor Day today to signal that Hawaiian Airlines has not been absorbed into Alaska Airlines and instead is being positioned as the company’s flagship brand for Hawaii travel, backed by more than $600 million in planned investments through 2030. Star-Advertiser.

Judges’ Crackdown On Virtual Hearings Adds Hurdles For Immigrants In Court. The changes documented in federal data and noted by advocates increase the financial burden on immigrants living on neighbor islands — and even more so for people living outside of Hawai‘i who have to appear in person.  Civil Beat.

Extreme Weather, Energy Prices Put A Damper On Tourism. A particularly intense year for storms plus surging energy prices driven by war in Iran contributed to sluggish tourism numbers, according to a new UHERO report. Civil Beat.

Farmers Wanted: Hawai‘i Tries To Fix Its Unique ‘Ulu Problem. Breadfruit advocates from around the Pacific and farther afield are all trying to iron out supply chain issues to get more people eating — and growing — the canoe crop. Civil Beat.

Oahu

Honolulu building permit backlog grows despite AI processing tools. Honolulu’s Department of Planning and Permitting said new digital and AI tools will help attack the backlog of residential and commercial building permit applications, but under the new system, the backlog has appeared to grow. Hawaii Public Radio.

After a grueling 10-month deployment, the USS Frank E. Petersen Jr. returned to Pearl Harbor on Monday. The destroyer and its crew of 330 sailors had been participating in the U.S. and Israeli war against Iran, coordinating missile defense for the USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group as they repelled Iranian drones and missiles. Star-Advertiser.

FBI finds 2 more alleged victims of former coach Sean Sakaida. Two more alleged victims of a former Moanalua High School girls wrestling coach who was arrested last week for sexually exploiting one of his players have come forward to tell their stories to the FBI. Star-Advertiser. Hawaii News Now.

Kaimuki neighbors try to stop the stench at abandoned Happy Days Chinese Seafood Restaurant. The popular restaurant on Waialae Avenue has been closed since the roof caved in during lunch hour on Aug. 18, injuring a handful of elderly customers. KITV4.

Kailua Shooting: Son Of Miske Associate ID’d As Victim. The son of Defend Hawaiʻi owner Michael Buntenbah was killed in the Target parking lot. On Monday, the Honolulu Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed the victim was 30-year-old Thomas Malone, who is the son of Michael Buntenbah, a former associate of crime boss Mike Miske. Civil Beat. KITV4. Aloha State Daily. 

The Portable Pool That Could Help Prevent Hawaiʻi Youth Drownings. The nonprofit Nā Kama Kai says a new mobile pool on the Westside of Oʻahu can offer swim lessons for kids with limited access to public pools. Civil Beat. KHON2. 

Hawaii Island

Nolo dropped less rain than Lala before spinning away.  Big Island residents over the weekend braced for rain that could’ve caused a second dose of Hurricane Lala-type destruction from flooding but were spared any major damage when Hurricane Nolo took a hard turn to the west. Tribune-Herald.

Natural disasters devastated some Big Island business, while boosting income for others. With the storms toppling trees on roads and properties, there has been a boon for debris-clearing and tree-cutting businesses. Damaged residences, stores and other buildings have led to new business for construction companies. Big Island Now.

Maui

Residents Near Maui Wildfires Show Elevated Metals Linked To Impacted Lung Health, Study Says. A study of 1,400 adults found higher internal metal levels associated with respiratory harm up to a year and a half after the fires. Civil Beat. Maui News. Maui Now. 

Chamber of Maui Political Action Committee announces Its 2026 candidate endorsements. The Chamber of Maui Political Action Committee (COMPAC), a non-partisan non-sectarian committee who handles the Maui Chamber’s candidate endorsement process, announced the Chamber’s “business-friendly” endorsements for State and Maui County races this year. Maui Now.

Rules protecting Molokai from invasive beetles expected to be reinstated. Rules regulating the movement of plant materials to prevent the coconut rhinoceros beetle is expected to be reinstated after a Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity employee admittedly misinterpreted precedent and possibly state law. Star-Advertiser.

Kauai

Relief organizations urged to assist Kauaʻi as Hurricane Lowell recovery continues. Kauaʻi faces continued challenges in the aftermath of Hurricane Lowell as local organizations strive to fill the void left by limited national aid. Kauai Now.



 

Hurricanes batter state economy, growth lowest since COVID; Nolo becomes a hurricane; Kauai Shrimp company latest Lowell victim, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Spate of storms batters forecast for state economic growth.  Natural disasters in Hawaii this year are contributing to a big drain on the state economy, where growth is now projected to be its weakest since a 2020 contraction due to COVID-19. University of Hawaii researchers forecast that Hawaii’s economy, after factoring inflation, will grow by a scant 0.6% this year, down from 3.3% last year. Star-Advertiser.

Storm updates: Hurricane Nolo steadily grows stronger. Nolo strengthened into a hurricane Thursday afternoon and is expected to become a major hurricane on Saturday. Hawaii Public Radio. Big Island Video News. Big Island Now.  Hawaii News Now. KHON2.

It’s already been an intense hurricane season in the Pacific Ocean — and there’s still quite a ways to go. Tropical storms have spawned in what seems like assembly-line fashion in recent weeks, as El Nino conditions that emerged in June have caused waters to grow warmer than normal, setting off a chain of unusual weather around much of the world. Associated Press.

From the archives: The history behind naming Hawaiian hurricanes. Tropical Storm Nolo joins Lala and Moke as tropical storms and hurricanes that have been given ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi names this hurricane season. The name Nolo, which means "filled full" or "crowded," was picked from a list reserved for storms formed in Hawaiian waters. Hawaii Public Radio.

Aloha, healing and resilience occupy spotlight at Hawai‘i Tourism Conference. More than 700 tourism industry leaders, government officials and community stakeholders gathered Thursday at Hilton Hawaiian Village for a sold-out Hawaiʻi Tourism Conference, where discussions centered on the future of Hawaii’s visitor industry and the role tourism plays in helping communities become more disaster-­resilient. Star-Advertiser.

Unknown odor on Honolulu-bound flight from LA leaves multiple flight attendants feeling sick. Multiple flight attendants were reportedly left feeling sick on Thursday afternoon due to an unknown odor on an Alaska Airlines flight arriving at the Daniel K. Inouye International Airport. KITV4.

Oahu

This Stretch Of Hawaiʻi Is Edging Republican. The energy seems on the GOP side in part of West Oʻahu that is no longer reliably Democratic. Here, there are opportunities for Republican growth. Civil Beat.

FBI arrests ex-Moanalua High School girls wrestling coach. The ex-Moanalua High School girl’s wrestling coach who led the program to four state titles has been arrested by the FBI and charged with possession and receipt of child pornography. Star-Advertiser.

Oʻahu Charter School Without Leadership But Avoids Closure For Now. A power struggle with school funders prompted at least one governing board member to resign.  Civil Beat.

‘So Stink’: Flies And Stench Overwhelm Collapsed Dim Sum Restaurant. The ceiling of a Kaimukī eatery caved-in, leaving diners to evacuate. A month later, the leftover food remains untouched, swarming with flies. Civil Beat. KHON2. 

Hawaii Island

Hurricane-weary Hawaii Island residents get ready for Nolo. Nolo strengthened into a hurricane Thursday afternoon but there was hope for a bit of a reprieve for the Big Island as the Central Pacific Hurricane Center adjusted its forecast track with a substantial shift south of the islands. Star-Advertiser. Civil Beat. 

Nolo strengthens as it nears Big Island; County to open five more shelters this morning. Forecasters are predicting heavy rainfall — 20 or more inches in some locations — and high winds for the next several days. Tribune-Herald.

Maui

State aims to open temporary Lahaina library in early 2027. While state officials continue working to get a permanent library in West Maui, they're one step closer to opening a temporary "pop-up" library.The Hawaii State Public Library System announced Wednesday that the temporary location is moving forward after a 20-by-20-foot self-contained unit was installed at the Lahaina Civic Center's upper parking lot next to the Lahaina District Court. Maui News.

Draft environmental assessment released for ʻAlelele rockfall netting project in Kīpahulu. Public comments are due Oct. 23 on a draft environmental assessment on a project to replace deteriorated rockfall netting along the ʻAlelele slope on Hāna Highway in Kīpahulu. Maui Now.

Deaths of three nene prompt warning to drivers. Following the deaths of three nene earlier this month on Molokai, state wildlife officials are urging drivers to watch out for the endangered birds. Maui News.

Kauai

Federal waiver extends relief for Kauaʻi commercial drivers during DMV outage. Kauaʻi commercial drivers and their employers will receive temporary relief from some licensing and record-review requirements under a federal waiver issued Thursday as the island’s driver’s license services remain disrupted following the Sept. 9 fire at the Kapule Building. Kauai Now. Hawaii News Now. 

Kauaʻi Section 8 landlords warned of possible delays in housing assistance payments. Kauaʻi County's Section 8 landlords may face delays in housing assistance payments as recovery efforts from Hurricane Lowell continue.  Kauai Now.

KIUC prepares to restore power to Wainiha and Ha‘ena. Kaua‘i Island Utility Cooperative, working alongside crews from Premium Utility Contractor, Hawaiian Electric and with helicopter support from Vertical Worx, has made significant progress repairing transmission and distribution infrastructure serving Wainiha and Ha‘ena. Garden Island.

Kauai Shrimp is Hurricane Lowell’s latest victim. Kauai Shrimp has made the difficult decision to close its shrimp farming operations in Kekaha following extensive damage from Hurricane Lowell on Sept. 7. Garden Island.

These Trees Wreaked Havoc During Storms. Hawaiʻi Is Fed Up. As the islands brace for yet another hurricane, community members push for better management of albizia and other fast-growing invasive species that break easily. Civil Beat.