Group outlines spending plan for 'Green fee' tourist tax, Houses urges AG to expedite bribery investigation, Case gathers war chest in congressional race challenged by state legislators, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Group outlines spending plan for new climate change tax. The new Green Fee Advisory Council had to choose from among more than $2 billion worth of funding requests to help Hawaii respond to climate change, but will only have $100 million or so annually to recommend through the first statewide tax of its kind in the country, which has been collecting revenue since Jan. 1. The recommendations that the 10-member, volunteer council made to Green include $1.5 million to track and publicize how the Green Fee is being dispersed among three separate funding “buckets” mandated by Act 96: environmental stewardship; climate and hazard resilience; and sustainable tourism. Gov. Josh Green signed the so-called “Green Fee” into law last year as Act 96. It increases the state’s transient accommodation tax by .075% — to 11% — on overnight lodgings for everyone, including local residents. Star-Advertiser.

House urges Hawaiʻi AG to expedite investigation into alleged $35,000 payment. The state House passed a resolution urging the Hawaiʻi attorney general to expedite the investigation to identify a Hawaiʻi lawmaker who is accused of accepting $35,000 in 2022.  Hawaii Public Radio. Big Island Now.

Ed Case Has Substantial Lead In Money Race For U.S. House Seat.  Two state lawmakers, Sen. Jarrett Keohokalole and Rep. Della Au Belatti, have mounted campaigns against Case. Civil Beat.

The State Capitol Is Buzzing About This Prominent Hawaiʻi Lawmaker. Longtime Sen. Michelle Kidani may be leaving office early amid concerns about whether she is mentally fit. Sources say the 77-year-old lawmaker is suffering from dementia and has been under a doctor’s care. Civil Beat.

Bill deferred that would prohibit open carry of bladed weapons. Multiple machete-related violent crimes across Oahu left Hawaii lawmakers to revisit a proposal that would prohibit the open carry of any deadly or dangerous weapon. KHON2.

Nurses brace for a long haul on second week. The United Nurses Association of California/Union of Health Care Professionals, which represents 31,000 workers, including about 250 in Hawaii, began striking on Jan. 26.  Star-Advertiser.

Dozens of traveling preschools in underserved communities at risk of closing. More than 60 of these early learning programs across the state could soon close with millions in federal funds drying up as early as this summer, leaving more than 2,000 keiki without access. KITV4.

Bankoh passing CEO torch as Ho retires. Bank of Hawaii Corp. CEO Peter Ho is set to hand off the chief executive role at the 128-year-old financial institution to company President and Chief Banking Officer James Polk. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaiʻi practitioners say AI has no place in cultural tattoo practices. The rise of AI-generated images has cultural practitioners in Hawaiʻi worried about the misappropriation of Indigenous tattoos and copying designs. Hawaii Public Radio.

Oahu

Judge orders mediation for HART, Hitachi litigation. A state judge presiding over contending, multimillion dollar lawsuits brought by the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation and its main contractor has directed both parties to submit to mediation, a HART lawyer confirms. Star-Advertiser.

University of Hawaiʻi to search for separate Mānoa campus chancellor. The University of Hawaiʻi is thinking about splitting President Wendy Hensel’s job into two positions — similar to how it was a decade ago. Hawaii Public Radio.

State Agrees To Settle Case Over Prison Drug Withdrawal Death. The settlement calls for a $600,000 payment to the estate of Brian Kimo O’Gorman after he suffered heart failure while withdrawing from methadone. Civil Beat.

State, county settle lawsuits over wrongful psychiatric detention. When finalized, the deal will end the state and federal civil lawsuits filed by Joshua Spriestersbach, who was 46 years old in 2017 when he was arrested for someone else’s crimes outside a shelter in Chinatown. Hawaii News Now.

No Parking signs near Lanikai Beach could mean more ticketing, towing. About 170 cars are parked illegally along the loop near the popular Lanikai Beach every day, according to city officials, who drafted a proposal to ease congestion in the area. Hawaii News Now.

Hawaii Island

Honolulu real estate company buys family-owned Pāhoa Village Center. Watumull Properties Corporation acquired the 101,000-square-foot neighborhood shopping center located at 15-2880 Pāhoa Village Road in Pāhoa in October for $4.39 million from the Bellman family. Big Island Now.

Council urges restoration of Isaac Hale park. A resolution urging the county Department of Parks and Recreation “to prioritize and expedite the restoration of Isaac Kepo‘okalani Hale Beach Park at Pohoiki” was approved 6-0 on Jan. 23 by the County Council with council members Ashley Kierkiewicz and Matt Kaneali‘i-Kleinfelder of Puna and Heather Kimball of Hamakua excused. Tribune-Herald.

Kealakehe Elementary breaks ground on $16 million classroom building. The two-story structure will add more than 13,000 square feet of learning space, including four new classrooms, special education areas, faculty offices, and an outdoor learning space. Hawaii News Now.

Waimea Town Hall to address unexploded ordnance cleanup, drug seizures, proposed legislation. At the upcoming Waimea Town meeting on Thursday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will address the current unexploded ordnance cleanup slated to begin at Waimea-Kohala Airport this month, as well as the latest statistics of drug seizures made by Hawai‘i Island police and proposed county legislation. Big Island Now.

Maui

Oceanfront Lahaina Property Owners May Get Buyout In Updated Disaster Plan. The county is seeking an amendment to create a voluntary buyout program with some of its $1.6 billion fire recovery grant from the feds. Civil Beat.

Hawaii Water Service requests rate increase for Kapalua, Maui. Hawaii Water Service Company, which provides water and wastewater services in Kapalua, Maui, is requesting a rate increase. Hawaii Public Radio.

Kauai

Hawai‘i governor selects new Kaua‘i Circuit Court judge. Hawai‘i Gov. Josh Green has appointed Stephanie R.S. Char to be Circuit Court judge for the Fifth Circuit on Kaua‘i. Char currently serves as a district family court judge for the 5th Circuit, where she presides over a wide range of civil, criminal and family court matters. Kauai Now.

Finance Department, Mayor celebrate installation of DMV kiosk. Mayor Derek S.K. Kawakami and the joined the Western Motor Service ‘ohana, including the Kaiakapu family — Crystal, Koty and Jed — to celebrate the self-service motor vehicle registration kiosk that was installed at the business in December. Garden Island.

Personal incomes predicted to rise slightly, Big Island ballot discrepancies investigated, Honolulu mayor sued by former police chief, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Council on Revenues says personal incomes set to slightly increase for 2025. Despite uncertainty regarding tariffs and federal job layoffs, personal income in Hawaiʻi is expected to slightly increase this year, but remain flat in 2026. Hawaii Public Radio.

Tabular data from July 31, 2025, personal income report. Hawaii Department of Taxation.

Schools Ask Families To Spend Big On Supplies As Kids Go Back To Class. Schools often request more than $150 worth of supplies at the start of each year. Unlike some other states, Hawaiʻi has no rule against it. Civil Beat.

State Sen. Jarrett Keohokalole challenges U.S. Rep. Ed Case for Congress seat. Kāneʻohe state Sen. Jarrett Keohokalole is challenging U.S. Rep. Ed Case for the Hawaiʻi District 1 seat, which covers most of urban Oʻahu. Hawaii Public Radio.

Cesspools contribute to water pollution crisis. According to the state Department of Health, Hawaii is home to approximately 88,000 cesspools — unlined pits that dispose of untreated sewage directly into the ground — with nearly 50,000 on Hawaii island, 14,000 on Kauai, over 12,000 on Maui, more than 11,000 on Oahu and around 1,400 on Molokai. Star-Advertiser.

Senators seek answers on Hawaii veteran ordered to self-deport. U.S. Sens. Mazie Hirono and Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut have sent a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem condemning her agency’s treatment of Sae Joon Park, a Hawaii veteran and Purple Heart recipient who was ordered to “self-deport” to South Korea in June after more than five decades living in the United States. Star-Advertiser. Hawaii Public Radio. 

Army’s ‘Pacific Division’ gets a new commander. On Monday, Maj. Gen. Marcus Evans handed command of the division over to Maj. Gen. James Bartholomees — who previously served as U.S. Army Pacific’s chief of staff at Fort Shafter. Star-Advertiser.

6 Charged In Killing Of Hawaiʻi Inmate At Arizona Prison. Six Hawaiʻi inmates have been charged — five of them with first-degree murder — in the death of  fellow Hawaii inmate Anton Myklebus at an Arizona prison last year. Civil Beat.

Oahu

Former Honolulu police chief sues mayor over alleged threats. Former Honolulu police Chief Arthur “Joe” Logan filed a civil lawsuit Thursday accusing Mayor Rick Blangiardi of micromanaging the department, issuing illegal orders and threatening to “make it very difficult” for him and his family if he refused to step down. Star-Advertiser. Civil Beat. 

Honolulu police, city, SHOPO try to tackle record vacancies. According to HPD’s Human Resources Division, as of July 1 there were 465 vacancies for uniformed officers and 189 civilian openings — and 228 officers eligible for retirement. Star-Advertiser.

City selects nonprofit to redevelop Waikiki housing site. The City and County of Honolulu has selected EAH Housing as its preferred negotiating partner for the redevelopment of 436 Ena Road, one of four sites included in the city’s first-ever affordable housing portfolio solicitation, city officials announced Thursday. Star-Advertiser.

YMCA of Honolulu requests city rezone of Atkinson property. The YMCA of Honolulu says it wants to sell its Central Y property near Waikiki, but only after the site is formally rezoned by the City & County of Honolulu. Star-Advertiser.

HPD busts two illegal game rooms in a week. Narcotics and vice officers seized 20 gambling machines, more than $3,615 in cash and drugs from a home on Kahaha Street in Kalihi on Monday.  Then on Wednesday, police seized 18 gambling devices, $4,300 and more drugs from a home on Wanaka Street in Salt Lake. Hawaii News Now.

Buying Lei Is A Cost Of Doing Politics In Hawaiʻi. Here’s a look at how much City Council members spend on the colorful and often fragrant garlands. Civil Beat.

Hawai‘i Foodbank raises donations for over 573k meals during 2025 Food Drive Day. The event took place at six collection sites across O‘ahu on Saturday, Aug. 2 to fight hunger.  KITV4.

HPR wins best overall news site, sweeps 2 major categories at SPJ Hawaiʻi journalism awards. Hawaiʻi Public Radio was named best overall news site and swept two top categories — eight awards total — in the Excellence in Journalism Contest, presented by the Society of Professional Journalists Hawai‘i Chapter.  Hawaii Public Radio.

Civil Beat Reporter Honored For Public Service Reporting. Civil Beat garnered 28 awards total, 12 of them winning first place. Civil Beat.

Hawaii Business Wins 19 Awards, Including 7 Top Prizes. The accolades were handed out during the Society of Professional Journalists’ annual statewide competition.  Hawaii Business.

Hawaii Island

Hawaiʻi Elections Officials Tackle Big Island Ballot Discrepancies. After finding major discrepancies in how many Kauaʻi ballots were cast, a state commission is looking at the Big Island numbers. Civil Beat.

Hawaiʻi County reviving program to give victims of minor crimes a louder voice, reduce backlog of cases. Located within the Hawaiʻi County Office of the Prosecuting Attorney, the Restorative Justice program can be an option for eligible offenders if the victims want to pursue it. Big Island Now.

Groundbreaking research reveals potential underwater reservoir off Hawaiʻi Island coast. A groundbreaking scientific expedition was just completed off the west coast of Hawai‘i Island in search of something unexpected – fresh water beneath the ocean floor.  Big Island Now.

Maui

Final Maui report on wildfires offers 3 new recommendations.  While a 98-page preliminary After-Action Report was issued in February 2024, this final report includes three new recommendations from the Maui Fire Department, a joint report by the Fire Safety Research Institute and the Hawaii Attorney General, and one additional recommendation from the Maui Police Department. Star-Advertiser.

Saving history from the ashes: Volunteers work to restore thousands of cultural artifacts that survived Lahaina wildfire. On a crystalline morning, with humpback whales leaping in the indigo waters offshore, a group of archivists, curators, conservators and volunteers took on a “CSI”-like challenge: identifying, cleaning and cataloging the surprising array of artifacts that survived the fires, some nearly unrecognizable beneath flaking metal, scorch marks, ashes and soot. New York Times.

Two years after wildfires, Maui Fire Department’s changes to staffing, fleet, fire code aim to prevent another tragedy. The wildfires exposed multiple vulnerabilities in the emergency preparedness and response of the small county spread over three islands. Maui Now. Hawaii News Now.

Kauai

Kauai beaches are getting trashed. Kauai’s beaches are on the front lines of a growing marine debris crisis. In 2024, Kauai alone collected more than the next leading state, Washington state. Star-Advertiser.

Collecting for tomorrow: Hundreds donate to well-being of Hawaii Foodbank Kauai. On Saturday, a steady stream of people stopped at multiple locations from Hanalei to Waimea to contribute to the Hawaii Foodbank Kauai Food Drive Day.  Garden Island.

New law could speed up housing construction, Big Island bioenergy plant tries to strike deal with HECO, Keohokalole mulling challenging Case for Congress, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

New law aims to speed up local housing construction. In a bill-signing ceremony Wednesday, Gov. Josh Green enacted a reform to the state's Contractor Repair Act, which gives contractors and property owners the option to fix building issues without lawsuits. Hawaii Public Radio.

House’s New Money Man Talks About His Hopes For Changing The Legislature. Hawaiʻi State Rep. Chris Todd is taking over one of the key financial positions in the Hawaiʻi Legislature amid growing uncertainty about how federal budget cuts might affect the islands. Civil Beat.

Military’s role in immigration policy spurs debate. The Hawaii National Guard confirmed to the Honolulu Star-Advertiser that 30 Hawaii guardsmen, members of a Hilo-based helicopter unit, are deployed to California as part of Task Force Sentinel, a military operation providing air support to the U.S. Border Patrol and other agencies. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaiʻi Braces For Cuts That Could Strip Medicaid From Tens Of Thousands. Community health clinics offer a window into how the state might be impacted by hundreds of millions of dollars in cuts expected in the coming years. Federal funds are about three quarters of the $3 billion Hawaiʻi spends on Medicaid each year. Civil Beat.

Cheaper solar energy in Hawaii threatened by new federal law.  Changes enacted July 4 under President Donald Trump’s domestic policy bill threaten to imperil several planned utility-scale solar farms and thousands of additional residential rooftop solar systems across the state by eliminating a 30% federal tax credit for such project costs much sooner than previously slated. Star-Advertiser.

School Smartphone Bans Reflect Growing Concern Over Mental Health, Academics. Hawaiʻi’s Legislature considered several bills aimed at banning smartphones in school but none of them passed. Civil Beat.

Keohokalole mulling challenging Case for Congress. State Sen. Jarrett Keohokalole (D, Kaneohe-­Kailua) may challenge incumbent U.S. Rep. Ed Case to represent urban Honolulu in the 2026 midterm elections. Star-Advertiser.

UH awarded $1.5M to aid rural health disparities. The University of Hawaii has been awarded more than $1.5 million in private grant funding to strengthen rural health care systems and shape policy solutions across Hawaii and the U.S.-Affiliated Pacific Islands, where residents face some of the most severe health challenges in the nation. Star-Advertiser.

Commentary: How The FBI Interfered In The Legislature And Let A Dirty Lawmaker Get Reelected. A new legal filing makes a compelling argument for why the public needs to be able to scrutinize federal law enforcement investigations. Civil Beat.

Oahu

Could this Hawaii community be the next Lahaina? Some residents fear a similar wildfire fate. Waianae and Lahaina have a lot in common. They’re both situated on parched western island coasts, with road access pinched by topography, and are bastions of Native Hawaiian culture. Associated Press.

Waikiki storm drainage system could fail by 2050. Researchers from the University of Hawaii at Manoa are sounding an alarm that by 2050 large rain events coupled with sea level rise could cause major failure of storm drainage across 70% of Waikiki. Star-Advertiser.

ʻEwa Developer Settles Marina Case For $40 Million. A 14-year legal battle over a disappeared marina in ʻEwa has finally ended. Civil Beat.

Nonprofits join to serve community at Opportunity Center in Kakaako. Goodwill Hawaii and Big Brothers Big Sisters Hawai‘i on Friday announced their recently opened Opportunity Center after hosting a Hawaiian blessing for the property, which they bought in December for $6.3 million from Hawaii State Federal Credit Union. Star-Advertiser.

Waimanalo Beach Park Campground named after George Mahoe Jr. The City and County of Honolulu officially renamed the campground at Waimanalo Beach Park after longtime city parks employee George Kea Mahoe Jr., following a ceremony held Thursday that recognized his more than 40 years of public service to Windward Oahu. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii Island

Honua Ola, HECO mull possible power deal. After numerous thwarted attempts to go online, a completed but long-idle bioenergy power plant in Pepeekeo is once again in contract negotiations to generate power and sell it to Hawaiian Electric Co. Tribune-Herald.

Hawai‘i County Police Commission to discuss appointment of interim chief. At its next meeting on July 18 in Kona, the Hawaiʻi County Police Commission will discuss the selection of an interim police chief to take over for Ben Moszkowicz, whose last day as chief is Aug. 31. The commission also will discuss the next steps to hiring a new chief. Big Island Now.

Banyan uproots and crashes onto Hilo’s Kilauea Avenue. A portion of Kilauea Avenue, a busy crosstown thoroughfare in Hilo, remained closed Sunday after a massive banyan tree near the corner of Aupuni Street uprooted, toppled and crashed Saturday afternoon. Tribune-Herald. Big Island Video News.  Big Island Now.

Parking lot expansion underway at Kona’s hospital. Parking lot expansion, resurfacing and paving at Kona Community Hospital will begin Tuesday and continue through mid-October, the hospital announced Friday. Tribune-Herald.

Maui

New ownership unlikely to quench conflict over Maui water. A kamaaina company that once operated the biggest sugar plantation in Hawaii has surrendered its interest in a historic water system on Maui after a decade of litigation over state allocations of the public trust resource. Star-Advertiser.

Homeless community at Amala Place must leave by next week, Maui County says. Some 40 unhoused people who received notices to vacate from Maui County, nearly four years after county and state officials forced everyone to leave the area in a sweep that the courts later ruled had violated residents’ rights. Maui Now.

Kahului pump prices steady. According to the latest AAA Hawaii weekend gas watch, as of July 10, the average price in Kahului was $4.48, which is one cent less than last week and 25 cents lower than the price was a year ago. Maui News.

For these Maui paniolo, an annual rodeo is about more than wins — it's about tradition. Thousands of fans cheered as announcer Rob Smets welcomed the crowd at the Fourth of July Makawao Stampede on Maui. It’s Hawaiʻi’s largest rodeo — and a tradition that’s been going strong for almost 65 years. Hawaii Public Radio.

Kauai

Social security to school supplies for Congresswoman Jill Tokuda. Tokuda’s trip was added to as the Kauai County Farm Bureau General Membership Meeting had Tokuda talking about the cut in SNAP benefits and how that impacted farmers by eliminating opportunities to provide for the SNAP program. Earlier, the congresswoman opened her Kauai tour with a stop at the Back to School Bash taking place at the Kukui Grove Shopping Center where 2,500 backpacks of school supplies were distributed to elementary, middle and high school students. Garden Island.

Part of county parking lot in Nāwiliwili to be closed until further notice starting July 15. Kaua‘i County Department of Parks and Recreation notifies the public that a portion of the county parking lot in Nāwiliwili — adjacent to Anchor Cove — will be closed until further notice beginning July 15. Kauai Now.

Residents tackle excessive traffic, other issues near trailhead to Ho’opi’i Falls in Kapaʻa. Every day, carloads of mostly tourists drive down the narrow, one-lane, dead-end Kapahi Road in search of the trailhead in Kapaʻa that leads to Hoʻopiʻi Falls, a location used in the 1993 blockbuster Jurassic Park. Kauai Now.