New map app details agriculture land, wildfire risks; controversial Maui doctor, pastor named to RFK vaccine panel; retired Honolulu cop claims $236K overtime, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Satellite-based map shares detailed view of what Hawaiʻi farms are growing. A new high-resolution map of Hawaiʻi has been released to reveal trends in what crops farmers are growing — and can potentially be used to assess and even predict wildfires. The map, called the Hawaiʻi Cropland Data Layer, is free and publicly available through the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service website. Hawaii Public Radio. Kauai Now.

Download the app: The Hawaii Cropland Data Layer (HCDL) is the first-ever raster, geo-referenced crop-specific land cover data layer for Hawaii. USDA.

Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander youth face highest rate of sexual violence in Hawai’i. Published in “JAMA Pediatrics,” the study was co-authored by Thompson School of Social Work & Public Health Dean Alex Ortega and Associate Dean Meripa Godinet. The researchers said the findings highlight a critical but often overlooked public health concern. Big Island Now. Hawaii News Now. 

HTA announces advisory board committee leadership. The panels aim to strengthen the authority’s strategic priorities and improve accountability. Maui Now.

Affirmative action opponent’s next target: A private school with admissions preference for Hawaiians. Kamehameha Schools gives admissions preference to the Indigenous people of Hawaii, with a caveat: “to the extent permitted by law.”  Associated Press.

Oahu

Former Secretary Pleads Not Guilty To Making Illegal Political Donations. Prosecutors say Terri Ann Otani, 70, donated $2,000 to former Honolulu mayoral candidate Colleen Hanabusa in 2020 in the names of her sister and niece.  Civil Beat. Hawaii News Now. 

Lawmakers push Oʻahu officials for more safety information during strong hurricanes. The state House Public Safety Committee urged the Honolulu Department of Emergency Management to better identify where people should go in the case of a higher category hurricane. Hawaii Public Radio.

HPD probes $236K+ overtime haul by notorious officer. The top-earning officer at the Honolulu Police Department is now the subject of a probe into his overtime claims. Darren Cachola retired in July as a sergeant. He made $371,105.66 in fiscal year 2025 which ended in June. Hawaii News Now.

State Development Agency Pitches Final Plan For Westside’s Walkable City. The Hawaiʻi Community Development Authority is closing in on a final plan for Kalaeloa but major infrastructure needs mean it will be years before new development can begin.  Civil Beat.

DHHL Delays ʻEwa Real Estate Swap To Make Sure Donation Isn’t ‘Dirty Land’. The deal would allow a developer to circumvent county zoning rules by tapping into the Hawaiian housing agency’s special powers. In return, the agency could get a revenue boost for building homes. Civil Beat. Hawaii News Now. 

Pilot program begins to reduce loud vehicle noise on Oahu. The state is rolling out its pilot program meant to crack down on loud noises coming from vehicles on Oahu roadways.  Hawaii News Now.

DHHL approves development agreement for Kalaeloa racetrack project. On Monday, the Department of Hawaiian Homelands approved a Project Developer Agreement with Legacy Ventures LLC for a ‘world-class raceway.’ KHON2.

Public asked to pick Ho‘omaluhia Botanical Garden’s weekly closure day. Over the past 43 years, Windward Oahu’s lush, tranquil 400-acre Ho‘omaluhia Botanical Garden has been open to visitors nearly the entire time. Star-Advertiser.

Battle continues as Margotto Hawaii announces closure. Margotto Hawaii, a high-end Ala Moana area restaurant, announced Aug. 20 it is temporarily closing until 2026, less than two months after a jury awarded $3.15 million to a former sous chef who sued its executive chef for subjecting him to violent abuse. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii Island

Applications Sought For Kīlauea Recovery Grant Program. $6 million in funding is available to support community resilience and revitalization in Lower Puna during this next round of funding, officials say. Big Island Video News.

North Kohala Water Restriction Canceled. Normal water use may resume in the areas from Hāwī to Hala‘ula, following the repair of a failed water well. Big Island Video News. Big Island Now. 

Hawaiʻi County to distribute 1,500 free plants during 5 adoption events. The County of Hawaiʻi Office of Sustainability, Climate, Equity and Resilience will distribute 1,500 free plants through five plant adoption events with the first 300 plants available on Saturday during the Hala Fest at the Makuʻu Farmers Market in Pāhoa. Big Island Now.

Ohtani, agent seek dismissal of land deal lawsuit. Attorneys for Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani and his agent Nez Balelo have filed a motion in state court to dismiss a lawsuit brought against them Opens in a new tab by real estate investors alleging Ohtani and Balelo conspired to cut them out of a $250 million deal on Hawaii Island. Star-Advertiser.

Maui

Maui Doctor Who Promoted Dubious Covid Treatments Joins RFK’s Vaccine Panel. Dr. Kirk Milhoan, a pediatric cardiologist and pastor at Calvary Chapel South Maui, provided the livestock drug ivermectin and the malaria drug hydroxychloroquine to prevent and treat the coronavirus during free house calls for Maui residents. The advisory committee makes recommendations to the CDC on what vaccines the American public should take each year. Civil Beat.

Old military fueling station, other abandoned Maui sites targeted for potential testing, cleanup and future public spaces. When the armory shut down and the state Department of Hawaiian Home Lands acquired the 1.77-acre plot of land in 2010, residents were eager to do something with it. The department talked about turning it into a community center. But nearly two decades later, the lot is empty and stubbled with asphalt and dead grass, and neighbors aren’t even sure what’s underground anymore.  Maui Now.

County confirms it is open to purchasing Maui Land & Pineapple. Maui County confirms it is interested in buying a water distribution system that has been supplying the westside for more than a century. The seller is a company that is being sued for leaving its customers dry. Hawaii News Now.

This Lahaina fire survivor has launched a clothing brand that's risen from the ashes. Lahaina resident Courtney Lazo sells her clothing online and at local markets and pop-ups through her clothing company, called Henōhea. Hawaii Public Radio.

Kauai

Kauai’s Dark Skies Program aims to protect endangered birds. Developed in partnership with federal, state and community groups, the Pacific Missile Range Facility program  plays a vital role in protecting these threatened birds by reducing light pollution and ensuring safer passage for fledglings from the mountains to the sea. Garden Island.

Kauaʻi residents provide ideas for improving tourism while balancing locals quality of life. On sticky notes, Kauaʻi residents wrote their insights and ideas about the future of tourism on the island during two public input sessions last week that were run by the Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority. Kauai Now.

Honolulu rail inches toward downtown, Matson navigates shipping losses from China, COVID infects Hilo longterm care, jail facilities, UH football free on TV, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Phase 3 of Skyline Rail project breaks ground. Phase 3 of the $1.4 billion project will add six new stations and about three miles of elevated guideway from Middle Street to Civic Center.  Construction is expected to be complete by 2030. KHON2. HART press release. KITV4. 

HART to receive $112M state funding; the review before the reimbursement. Honolulu’s Skyline rail is a semi-autonomous entity of the City and County, but it does get funding from the state through general excise taxes as well as transit accommodation taxes. KITV4.

Matson navigates drop in Chinese business. Matson Inc. recently reported a 14.6% decline in cargo volume for its China service during the April-June quarter that included a rebound in mid-May after a 30% drop in April attributed to Trump tariff announcements. Star-Advertiser.

UH televising free football home games this season, ending pay-per-view. On Monday, UH and Spectrum Sports announced an agreement on a one-year deal in which the pay-per-view format of the past 22 years will be scrapped.  Star-Advertiser. Aloha State Daily.

The former Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement unveiled a new name, logo, and tagline as part of a broader rebranding initiative. The rebrand also introduces a new tagline: “Hawaiians Advancing Hawai‘i,” a reflection of the organization’s deep commitment to its homeland and people. Big Island Video News.

Oahu

Why This Honolulu Housing Strategy Is Not A ‘Super Successful’ Program. A new state law requires counties to let homeowners build two additional housing units on eligible properties. Honolulu is struggling to persuade people to build just one. Civil Beat.

Honolulu legislation seeks to create a downtown business improvement district. The pandemic changed the workplace, and downtown is on the cusp of more change: new investment by local developers and a push to rebrand downtown as DOHO to revitalize the financial district for those who live and work in this hub.  Hawaii Public Radio.

Mayor Wants To Buy Wo Fat Building In Chinatown For Housing. Developers ran out of money to convert the landmark former restaurant into a hotel. Star-Advertiser.

City continues roadwork on Kapiolani Boulevard. The city Department of Design and Construction on Monday began installing striping and pavement markers along a roughly half-mile stretch of Kapiolani Boulevard, from Waiaka Road to Date Street. Star-Advertiser.

Water Has Been Leaking From This State Building For Over A Month. Community members near the Diamond Head Health Center have noticed a steady stream of water leaking from the property around the clock. Civil Beat.

Hawaii Island

Hawaii County planning commissions to consider household hennery bill. Bill 52 would permit residents in certain residential and mixed-use zones to raise hens and other female poultry for household egg production under specific regulations. Tribune-Herald.

Hawaii County seeks dismissal of claims against officers. Hawaii County civil attorneys are attempting to have the county and unnamed police officers removed as defendants in a wrongful death lawsuit filed by family members of a Holualoa woman who claim the officers are at least partially responsible for the woman’s death from a drug-and-alcohol overdose. Tribune-Herald.

Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani and agent accused of sabotaging $240M Hawaii real estate project. A Hawaii real estate investor and broker are suing Shohei Ohtani, claiming the Los Angeles Dodgers star and his agent got them fired from a $240 million luxury housing development on the Big Island’s coveted Hapuna Coast that they brought him in to endorse. Associated Press.

As COVID-19 infection rates rise across Hawaii, Hilo Medical Center’s long-term care facility reported an outbreak among its residents and staff. A total of 13 people at the center tested positive for the coronavirus in the past week. The spike in infections at the care home comes after another outbreak among Hilo inmates that canceled visitation this past weekend at a reintegration facility in Panaewa.  Hawaii News Now.

BISAC’s behavioral health services earn highest level of accreditation. Big Island Substance Abuse Council earns accreditation for comprehensive behavioral health services, marking over 25 years of national recognition. Big Island Now.

Hilo-based youth circus club teaches LGBTQ+ teens aerial tricks and techniques. Last week was the grand opening of Aerial Arts Hawaiʻi's Queer Youth Circus Club. It’s a free social club that teaches self-identifying LGBTQ+ youth circus arts while connecting them with like-minded peers and instructors. Hawaii Public Radio.

Two-lined spittlebug continues to devastate Hawaiʻi Island ranches. The two-lined spittlebug has been a growing problem for ranchers on Hawaiʻi Island over the last couple years — and experts warn it’s also a threat for the whole community. Hawaii Public Radio.

Maui

Council to focus on budget adjustments, discounted water rates and Honuaʻula this week. The Maui County Council will meet Tuesday, Aug. 12 at 9 a.m. to consider the mayor’s requests to amend the fiscal year 2026 budget for the Department of the Prosecuting Attorney and Department of Water Supply a bill to establish discounted water rates for preservation and restoration of native species habitats. Maui Now.

Two years After Wildfire, Maui Homeowners Face A New Threat: Foreclosure. A local nonprofit, Hawaiʻi Community Lending, surveyed 257 Lahaina homeowners with mortgages affected by the fire and found their average balance was $696,983, more than twice the national average.  Civil Beat.

Guide To Keeping And Rebuilding Homes In The Wake Of 2023 Maui Wildfires. Two years after the devastating 2023 wildfires, homeowners may be facing the prospect of repaying mortgage loans previously in forbearance. Civil Beat.

Lahaina meeting to cover sewer project, housing programs, more. Maui County will host a Lahaina community meeting at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Lahaina Intermediate School cafeteria. Maui News.

Maui County finance department recognized for ‘excellence in financial reporting.  The Maui County Department of Finance Accounts Division was recently recognized by the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada for excellence in financial reporting. Maui News.

Restaurant at historic Kula Lodge in Upcountry Maui burns. Maui Fire Department arrived Monday at 3:33 a.m.  to find the restaurant at 15200 Haleakala Highway engulfed in flames. They had the fire under control at about 5:30 a.m. Star-Advertiser. Maui News.  Maui Now. Hawaii News Now. 

Kauai

Governor says Kauai is strong. Gov. Josh Green, MD, had the opportunity for an in-person meeting with more than 300 people who attended the 27th Annual Governor’s Luncheon hosted by the Kauai Chamber of Commerce and Southwest Airlines at the Koloa Landing Resort. Garden Island.

East Kauaʻi community to discuss the future of transportation tonight. Community members are invited to participate in two more focused public workshops for the East Kauaʻi Community and Circulation Plan. Kauai Now.

Repaving project on Wawae Road will limit access to homes next week. Residents living off Wawae Road are asked to prepare for a repaving project that will fully close the road during the day next week in Lāwaʻi. Kauai Now.