McKenna named acting Supreme Court chief judge, economists predict Hawaii recession, arson alleged in latest Maui wildfire, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Sabrina McKenna to lead Hawaii Judiciary as acting chief justice. Hawaii Supreme Court Associate Justice Sabrina McKenna will begin serving as acting chief justice Oct. 1, following the retirement of Chief Justice Mark Recktenwald at the end of September, the state Judiciary announced  Thursday. Star-Advertiser.

Another state lawmaker launches challenge to Ed Case in Congress. Hawaii’s moderate Democrat in Congress, U.S. Rep. Ed Case, is attracting a growing challenge from within his own political party for next year’s midterm election. State Rep. Della Au Belatti announced on Thursday a campaign to run for the U.S. House District 1 seat held by Case. Star-Advertiser.  KITV4. 

OHA’s Chief Executive Has Abruptly Been Put On Paid Leave. Stacy Ferreira, the chief executive officer of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, was quietly placed on paid leave Tuesday by the OHA Board of Trustees. The circumstances surrounding Ferreira’s exit are unclear. Civil Beat. Big Island Video News.

Economists Forecast Hawaiʻi Recession Tied To Job Losses, Trump Tariffs. The University of Hawaii’s Economic Research Organization's third-quarter economic forecast outlines a long list of forces — many driven by Trump administration policies — that are expected to lead to more job losses, rising costs and a “mild recession” for Hawaii that will affect everyone. Star-Advertiser. Civil Beat.  Tribune-Herald. 

State will see SNAP benefit reductions next week. Families across Hawaii are bracing for yet another reduction in food assistance benefits, as the state Department of Human Services prepares to implement federally mandated changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP. Star-Advertiser.

Confessions could be thrown out because of new Hawaii Supreme Court ruling. Police departments in Hawaii are now required to use video and audio recordings of all interrogations done at police stations if the suspect is under arrest. Hawaii News Now.

Driving change: State gives away 1,000 dashcams to make roads safer. The state Department of Transportation is launching a pilot program called “Eyes on the Road.” The goal is to fix road hazards faster and crack down on unsafe drivers. KHON2.

Hawaiʻi recognized for community resilience, equity at Clinton Global Initiative annual meeting. Gov. Josh Green represented Hawaiʻi at an event featuring leaders from around the world discussing solutions for pressing global challenges, focusing on resilience, health and equity. Big Island Now.

Hawaii Seaglider Initiative expands with new partners. The Hawaii Seaglider Initiative — a coalition advocating electric-powered vehicles known as seagliders as a cleaner, affordable interisland transportation option — announced Thursday it added three major organizations to its membership: Hawaii Medical Service Association, The Queen’s Health System and Kamehameha Schools. Tribune-Herald.

Oahu

Honolulu Mayor Defends Bumpy Rollout Of New Building Permit System. The $7 million system, funded by city and federal funds, has had problems since it launched on Aug. 4. Civil Beat. Hawaii News Now. 

New Aloha Stadium contracts signed. Two contracts signed Tuesday give  the New Aloha Stadium Entertainment District's private partnership group, Aloha Halawa District Partners, the go-ahead to dismantle the old stadium and build the new one at the same site. Star-Advertiser. KITV4. 

A New Plan Is Brewing In The Fight To Save O‘ahu’s North Shore Beaches. University of Hawaiʻi Sea Grant teams up with North Shore Community Land Trust to find solutions for the island’s disappearing beaches. Civil Beat.

How Many Crosswalks Have Been Removed In Honolulu? The City Isn’t Sure. The city took out dozens of crosswalks more than six years ago, but city officials they haven’t tallied how many have been removed since then. Civil Beat.

Hawaii Island

Tourism to Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park contributes $571 million to economy last year. A new National Park Service report reveals that 1,433,593 visitors to Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park in 2024 had a cumulative economic benefit of $571 million for the local economy. Big Island Now.

Residents invited to shape tourism plan at 2 Hawaii Island meetings. The Hawaii Tourism Authority invites residents to take part in community input sessions that will provide space for members of the public to share their insights, experiences and ideas about the future of tourism on their island. Tribune-Herald.

Maui

MFD: Paia wildfire that led to evacuations was intentionally set. The Holomua wildfire that burned about 400 acres, led to the evacuation of over 1,600 Paia residents and has closed a school for three days was intentionally set, Maui Fire Department officials said Thursday. Star-Advertiser. Maui Now.  Hawaii News Now.  KITV4.

State-run Ka Laʻi Ola temporary housing for Lahaina fire survivors is finished; 450 units soon-to-be full. There are 432 units completed on site in Lahaina and another 18 units set to go for residential dwellings to be put on property owned by fire survivors. Maui Now.

Maui public schools included in flawed, $100 million-plus solar air-conditioning initiative. On Maui, the schools that received air conditioning were located in Central and West Maui. Kaunakakai Elementary on Moloka’i is listed, but no classrooms received air-conditioning, even though nearly $320,000 was spent for design of units. Maui Now.

Kauai

Access gate to Queen’s Bath closed for winter. Access to the gate is closed due to hazardous ocean conditions and anticipation of the winter season,” said Kauai Fire Department Chief Michael Gibson.  Garden Island. Kauai Now. 

Hawaii 2nd in nation for drownings, labor force shrinks, 2 Navy employees indicted for lying about size of Red Hill spill, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

It’s Not Just Tourists: Hawaiʻi Residents Drown At Alarming Rates. The number of residents who die each year is surprising, even to lifeguards. And the danger is not limited to inexperienced swimmers or surfers chasing Hawaiʻi’s notorious big waves.  Civil Beat.

Burden For Preventing Drownings In Hawaiʻi Falls On Counties — And Residents. Hawaiʻi has the second highest rate of resident drownings in the nation, but there’s been no serious statewide effort to address the problem. Ocean safety efforts are left up to individual counties, leading to big disparities in drowning prevention across the islands. The state does little to help them.  Civil Beat.

Hawaii labor force is shrinking as population ages, workers leave. In July, Hawaii had 650,800 jobs led by employees in government (126,000), leisure and hospitality (124,400) and trade, transportation and utilities (118,700), according to the state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism. Star-Advertiser.

Operation Hire Hawaii initiative fills less than 3% of state job vacancies. An effort to expeditiously fill chronically high state job vacancies with displaced federal workers in Hawaii since February is being touted as a success, though program use has been selective. Star-Advertiser.

New De Minimis rules to bring higher prices, shipping delays. The de minimis exemption, which previously allowed packages valued under $800 to bypass duties and taxes, has now been scaled back, which means higher costs and potential shipping delays for consumers across the islands. KHON2.

Hirono, Tokuda, Case introduce resolution recognizing history, contributions, and significance of Maunaloa Observatory.  US Sen. Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) and US Reps. Jill Tokuda (D-HI) and Ed Case (D-HI) introduced a resolution after the Trump Administration announced its plans to cancel the lease for several National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) facilities earlier this year, including an office needed to support the observatory. Maui News.

Federal funding cuts to University of Hawai‘i threaten work on sea level, climate research. A recent round of federal funding cuts is expected to impact the University of Hawai‘i’s modeling of sea level rise impacts, which could result in the loss of accurate climate projections, university officials fear. Maui Now.

State’s EV perks, federal tax credits nearing an end. These changes come at a time when Hawaii is being held accountable for its ambitious, state-mandated goals of achieving 100% clean energy and net-zero emissions by 2045, and are expected to hamper efforts to get more residents to drive electric in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Star-Advertiser.

State Fund Aims To Get More Kids Walking To School. Over a dozen engineering projects designed to make it safer for students to walk or bike to and from Hawaiʻi schools will receive an $8 million boost from a special fund as the state seeks to reverse a heavy dependence on vehicles for school travel. Civil Beat.

Oahu

Two Navy employees indicted for lying about size of Red Hill fuel spill. John Floyd, 63, of Mililani, who worked as Fuels Department Deputy Director for the Navy , and Nelson Wu, 38, of Waipahu who was Fuels Department Supervisory Engineer were indicted by a federal grand jury Thursday. Star-Advertiser. Associated Press. 

Nimitz lane closures intensify evacuation gridlock worries. The lane closures on Nimitz Highway through 2030 for Honolulu rail construction are raising concerns not only about daily traffic but also about how the city will move people in the next evacuation emergency in the aftermath of last month’s tsunami-scare gridlock. Star-Advertiser.

‘Deeply affordable’ Halawa rental tower nearly full. The 25-story project, Naulu Apartments, features 302 units that rent for as little as $704 a month and are near fully leased. Star-Advertiser.

Homeless youth will find support at new drop-in center. Leeward Coast youth who are living on the street will finally have a nearby resource hub when Residential Youth Services &Empowerment opens its first youth-focused drop-in center in the region. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii Island

Big Island Buildingʻs Solar Panel System Is On The Blink — Again. It costs taxpayers $4,000 every month that system isn’t producing electricity. Civil Beat.

Honolulu Landing in Puna eyed for preservation. The Hawaii County Council is renewing its push to acquire a historic stretch of coastal land in Puna, urging the Department of Finance to proceed with the purchase of a 364-acre property in Pahoa using dedicated conservation funds. Tribune-Herald.

Work starts to restore 4.5-mile section of Pohoiki Road. The Hawaii County Department of Public Works has issued a notice to proceed to Nan Inc. for the restoration of Pohoiki Road, which was inundated by lava during the 2018 Kilauea eruption. Tribune-Herald.

Work to replace Waiaka Bridge in Waimea could start next summer. The Hawaii Department of Transportation plans to seek bids soon for a replacement bridge and roundabout for the 93-year-old Waiaka Bridge at the intersection of Kawaihae Road and Kohala Mountain Road in Waimea. Tribune-Herald.

Maui

Ghost guns tough to regulate in Hawaiʻi, police and legislators agree after one used in fatal shooting of Maui officer. The weapon was a “ghost gun” that was untraceable until the suspected killer — a convicted felon who police say should never have had a gun — allegedly used it to fire at O as she responded to a call at the Pā‘ia Sugar Mill. Maui Now.

Honoring a hero: With heavy hearts, community celebrates the life of Officer Suzanne O. Hundreds of officers from agencies across Maui County joined members of the community Friday inside the Maui Arts & Cultural Center’s Castle Theater to pay their respect to Officer Suzanne O. Maui News.

Kauai

Department of Public Works announces lane closures in Kōloa. The Department of Public Works, in partnership with contractor Maui Kupono Builders, reported that lane closures will be in effect on portions of Hailima Road, Iuka Place, and Aka Road in Kōloa starting Tuesday. Kauai Now.