Power outages more frequent, longer lasting; Schofield Army sergeant believed first banned under transgender policy; Dolly Parton's Oahu connections, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

It’s True: Power Outages Happening More Often In Hawai‘i. The power isn’t just going out more frequently. It’s staying out for longer. Statewide, HECO’s customers lost power an average of 2.6 times in 2004, a significant increase from five years ago when the average household or business lost power 1.5 times. Civil Beat. 

Trump OKs emergency declaration for Hawaii. President Donald Trump on Tuesday approved a disaster declaration for Hawaii, making federal assistance available to clean up and rebuild after the devastation from Hurricane Lala. Star-Advertiser. Tribune-Herald. Big Island Video News.

Tropical Storm Iselle unlikely to pose a threat. A storm with the same name as a cyclone that wreaked havoc on the southeastern Big Island in August 2014 is unlikely to do the same this year, predict forecasters. Tribune-Herald.

OpenAI partners with Kamehameha Schools to expand AI access for educators. OpenAI on Wednesday announced a partnership with Kamehameha Schools to provide educators and staff with secure, institution-managed access to ChatGPT, along with training and support aimed at helping schools use artificial intelligence responsibly. Star-Advertiser.

Settlement spares Hawaii Job Corps center closures. Job Corps programs in Waimanalo and Makawao are celebrating an agreement with the U.S. Department of Labor that reverses the department’s 2025 decision to shut down 99 Job Corps centers around the country. Star-Advertiser.

Oahu

Hawaii Supreme Court hears arguments in Tommy Waters’ eligibility. The Hawaii Supreme Court on Tuesday heard oral arguments but issued no formal ruling in two consolidated cases challenging the outcome of the Aug. 8 primary election for the City Council’s East Honolulu seat currently held by Tommy Waters. Star-Advertiser. Civil Beat.  KHON2. 

Schofield Army sergeant fights ‘tooth and nail’ to return after Trump’s trans military ban. U.S. Rep. Jill Tokuda has filed a congressional inquiry on behalf of an Army sergeant from Schofield Barracks. Sgt. Clara Davis believes she was the first soldier to be involuntarily discharged from the military because of President Donald Trump’s ban on transgender troops. Hawaii Public Radio.

Topa Financial Center still without power, set to fully reopen in September. Basic electricity returned to the Topa Financial Center over the weekend of Saturday, Aug. 22 — more than one month after a basement chiller leak damaged critical electrical equipment and forced the towers to shut down. KHON2.

Wilson Tunnel lights could remain out for weeks after Lala. Drivers could be without lights inside the Wilson Tunnel for another two to three weeks following damage from Tropical Storm Lala. Hawaii News Now.

HPD investigates flight attendant’s death in Waikiki. The Honolulu Police Department is investigating the death of a 50-year-old Southwest Airlines flight attendant from Oklahoma who was found dead outside her Waikiki hotel after falling from her 24th-floor room during a layover Thursday. Star-Advertiser.

Lawsuit Alleges Hawaiʻi Prison Staff Enabled Gang Attack. A lawsuit filed by the family of a Hawaiʻi prisoner who was severely beaten at Hālawa Correctional Facility early this year alleges prison staff allowed gang members to pass through security checkpoints to attack a protective custody inmate who was housed in another part of the facility. Civil Beat.

Dolly Parton ‘gave the world hope,’ honored for contributions in Hawaiʻi. The late legend owned a Portlock estate, opened a Hawaii Kai restaurant and raised wildfire relief funds. She had more than 40 years of connection to the islands. While in Hawaiʻi, she performed for local audiences and gave back to the community, the city said. KHON2. Hawaii News Now. 

Hawaii Island

Water cut off for thousands of cattle in the Big Island's Ka'u district. Hawaiʻi Ranchers Welcome Rain But Endure Weather Whiplash. Broken fences, destroyed roads, new gulches, dead cattle and lost land may soon be the price to pay for greener grass as climate change aggravates extreme weather events. Civil Beat. KITV4. 

Water Board updated about restoration of service in Ka‘u. At a meeting of the Water Board on Tuesday, Manager-Chief Engineer Keith Okamoto said the department has been using generators to power wells and booster stations in areas where electricity has not yet been reconnected and tankers to haul water to impacted communities. Tribune-Herald.

Hawaii DOT: Washed-out sections of Kau’s Highway 11 repaired. The state Department of Transportation said repairs have been completed to the sections of Mamalahoa Highway in Kau that were washed out from Hurricane Lala’s torrential rains. Star-Advertiser. Big Island Video News. 

Kilauea lava fountains reach 500 feet before episode 54 ends. Lava fountaining at Kilauea volcano’s Halemaumau crater ended tonight after earlier marking the 54th episode since the ongoing eruption began on Dec. 23, 2024. Star-Advertiser. Big Island Video News. Big Island Now. 

Maui

Maui County to hold four community meetings on ferry service. Maui County’s Department of Transportation will hold four community meetings in September to gather public input on ferry service between Maui, Lanai and eventually Molokai. Maui News. Maui Now. 

Maui Council committee advances Haʻikū fire station project, 6-2. A Maui County Council committee voted 6-2 Monday to advance three bills clearing the way for construction of a long-awaited fire station in Haʻikū, over the objections of two council members who argued the project sits on land wrongfully taken from Native Hawaiians. Maui Now.

Update: Water service gradually returns following well outage in West Kuiaha and Awalau areas of Haʻikū. After a severe electrical issue caused a well outage Sunday, Aug. 23, 2026, Department of Water Supply (DWS) water service gradually returned to affected areas of Haʻikū and surrounding communities beginning Monday afternoon. Maui Now.

Maui boaters call for more security after Maalaea Harbor burglaries. Boats can be vulnerable to theft when left unattended, and boaters at Maalaea Harbor say burglaries have become a growing problem. Hawaii News Now.

Kauai

U.S. Navy, NASA release final environmental impact statement for proposed use of state lands. The Navy’s proposal involves maintaining the use of 8,172 acres of state lands on Kauaʻi for operational continuity and sustaining military training, testing, and facility operations at the Pacific Missile Range Facility. Kauai Now.

Wilcox new interventional radiology suite blessed. The new suite will expand services for specialized, minimally invasive procedures so patients don’t have to leave the island, according to a Hawaii Pacific Health press release. Garden Island.

Hawaiian paradise eroding, Puna to get federal ag relief for Tropical Storm Iselle, lava within a mile of homes, Oahu sends mulch to incinerator, solar power backlog tops 4k, Maui mayor storms out of meeting amid trash gripes, Kauai council debates ag-research land tax, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Ka'u coastline © 2014 All Hawaii News

The look of paradise is changing: Rising seas mowing over reefs that were once able to slow and break the swells are starting to swallow Hawaii’s iconic white beaches. Civil Beat.

Red Cross urges climate change preparedness. The disaster relief organization is calling on governments and international organizations at the Conference on Small Island Developing States to take concrete actions to reduce climate-change related disaster risks. Hawaii Independent.

The Hawaii Civil Rights Commission is holding a research organization and its CEO liable for religious and sexual harassment and discrimination of a former executive director. Associated Press.

Oahu

About 4,400 rooftop solar applications on Oahu are waiting to be approved by Hawaiian Electric Co. while the utility and solar companies blame each other for the stall in photovoltaic installations. Star-Advertiser.

Hoopili Decisions Loom: ‘Prime Farmland’ May Give Way in West Oahu. While tractors roll along in the shadows of rail pillars, a huge housing development awaits Supreme Court and City Council action. Civil Beat.

Mulch to be incinerated in attempt to eradicate coconut rhinoceros beetle. KHON2.

After the state installed concrete barriers at Laniakea Beach last December, a new wooden barrier has appeared literally overnight along the beach. But both the city and the state said they have nothing to do with it. Hawaii News Now.

After years of complaints and thousands of dollars in fines, City and County of Honolulu councilmembers are moving forward on a plan to clean up a neglected house in Kaimuki. But some fear the proposed solution may go too far. KHON2.

Hale Kula Elementary School's librarian beat out 91 other public and private school librarians nationwide to be named School Librarian of the Year by School Library Journal. Star-Advertiser.

Since the University of Hawaii Shidler College of Business began admitting freshmen its undergraduate program three years ago, the college has seen interest from new students increase each year. Pacific Business News.

Hawaii

FEMA said no but the USDA says yes to a disaster declaration for the Big Island in the wake of Tropical Storm Iselle. The U.S. Agriculture Department's Farm Service Agency has declared a "primary natural disaster" for Hawaii County, triggering the availability of emergency loans for some qualifying farmers. Hawaii News Now.

Hawaii County Civil Defense could elevate the lava threat level for Puna residents to a warning from a watch Thursday. Star-Advertiser.

State and county officials on Wednesday visited with residents within the 40-or-so households in Kaohe Homesteads in advance of a possible evacuation because of encroaching lava. Tribune-Herald.

Hawaii County Civil Defense crews are making the rounds in Puna. They're warning people to make their exit plans, in case the lava reaches their homes. Hawaii News Now.

Hawaii County is moving forward on the final phase of converting 10,000 street lights to energy-saving light-emitting diode, or LED, lights. West Hawaii Today.

Maui

Mayor Alan Arakawa stormed out of a Maui County Council Budget and Finance Committee meeting Tuesday afternoon while council members discussed recent cutbacks in landfill hours and trash pickup services. Maui News.

The Maui County Council Budget and Finance Committee recommended passage of a resolution Tuesday that would allow the county to move forward with its proposal to buy about 4 acres in Alexander & Baldwin's Maui Business Park II in Kahului. Maui News.

Maui Memorial Medical Center (MMMC), the only acute care hospital on the island, with approximately 200 beds, has financial difficulties again. It has problems as part of the Hawai'i Health Systems Corporation (HHSC). It has problems with collective bargaining. And it has problems with getting adequate funds from the state Legislature. Maui Weekly.

A national meeting to address coral reef issues will be held on Maui next week. Maui Now.

Seventeen individuals were added to the Maui Police Department’s Crisis Intervention Team during the program’s fourth graduation ceremony, held on Friday. Maui Now.

Kauai

After circulating several amendments, and following a spirited discussion, a Kauai County Council committee on Wednesday deferred for another two weeks a bill that seeks to tax crop-research land separate from other agricultural land. Garden Island.

A small but outspoken group was on hand for the Lihue Community Plan meeting Wednesday at the War Memorial Convention Hall. Garden Island.

Molokai

Molokai residents can learn how to transform scrap lumber into a powerful soil amendment at a Biochar Production Workshop on Friday, Sept. 5. Molokai Dispatch.