Hawaii lawmakers award $49.5M in emergency grants to nonprofits. Four state lawmakers on Thursday picked 95 Hawaii nonprofits to receive $49.5 million in emergency grants to offset impacts of federal cuts by the Trump administration. The special legislative panel made selections from among 213 organizations that applied for $143 million. Star-Advertiser. Civil Beat.
75% of middle-income households may or will leave Hawaiʻi, affordability survey finds. The results of a new survey show that almost half of middle-income workers are unsure if they will have to leave Hawaiʻi to go to a less expensive state. Holomua Collective, a nonprofit focused on affordability issues in Hawaiʻi, asked over 3,000 local workers about cost-of-living issues. Hawaii Public Radio.
Oahu
City Council committee approves settlement in Sykap shooting death. A Honolulu City Council committee has recommended that the city settle a lawsuit brought by the family of Iremamber Sykap, who died after a police pursuit. The shooting happened in April 2021. Sykap, 16, was shot and killed after leading officers on a chase in a stolen car. Hawaii News Now.
Crime drops in Waikīkī as ‘Safe and Sound’ program expands to West Oʻahu. Crime in Waikīkī is down, and officials said a partnership between the Honolulu Police Department and the Waikīkī Business Improvement District is the reason why. KITV4.
Developer looks to build luxury high-rise at Ala Moana Center. Dubbed 1588 Ala Moana, the project is being eyed for the eastern end of a 4.3-acre section of the busy shopping center, specifically the makai parking lot fronting the Macy’s department store, near Atkinson Drive. Star-Advertiser.
City selects partner for Iwilei Center development. On Thursday, the city announced it selected EAH Housing to redevelop the nearly four-acre public parcel, located adjacent to the future Kuwili Skyline Station. Hawaii News Now.
Honolulu Officials Are Doing Little To Help ‘Hell-Hole’ Tenants. For months, as living conditions at 1136 Union Mall descended from squalor to violence, tenants have sought help from city officials, the police, city council and neighborhood board members, the courts — anyone who might help — to no avail. Civil Beat.
Here's when Hoʻomaluhia Botanical Garden will be closed for road repaving. Hoʻomaluhia Botanical Garden will be periodically closed from Nov. 24 to Dec. 19 to have its roads repaved. Hawaii Public Radio.
Hawaii Island
Limited backyard hens will be allowed in residential areas on Big Island — and their eggs can be sold. During Wednesday’s meeting, Council Member Heather Kimball, the creator of Bill 52, addressed some of the concerns that were voiced during public testimonies on the measure, which included criticism over the number of birds being allowed, the coop requirement for the hens and the prohibition of selling eggs or birds. Big Island Now.
Police across the state set to receive largest raises in nearly 2 decades . On Wednesday the Hawaiʻi County Council voted to approve the “across-the-board” raises, which will cost the county a total of $57.3 million by the end of the contract in 2029. Hawaii Public Radio.
Parking Fees Coming To Two Hawaiʻi Island State Parks. Nonresidents will soon have to pay a parking fee to visit Wailuku River State Park and Kekaha Kai State Park. Big Island Video News.
Some relief for isle nonprofits: State announces recipients of $50M in emergency funds. Out of over 200 applications from nonprofit organizations statewide, more than a dozen serving the Big Island were among the 95 selected Thursday to received a portion of $50 million in emergency state funding awarded by the state Legislature from the 2025 Nonprofit Grants Program of Act 310. Tribune-Herald.
Hakalau refuge marks 4 decades of conservation amid funding threats. The nonprofit Friends of the Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge runs the "Find Your Wild" event, which reached capacity this year. 2025 marks the 40th anniversary that Hakalau has been managed as a National Wildlife Refuge by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Hawaii Public Radio.
Maui
Controversial Vacation Rental Bill Splits Maui Council Vacancy Candidates. Because the eight current council members are evenly split on major policy issues, the late Tasha Kama’s successor will likely determine the fate of hotly contested legislation such as Bill 9, Mayor Richard Bissen’s proposed plan to phase out thousands of vacation rentals in an effort to create more long-term housing for residents. Civil Beat. Maui Now.
BLNR holds off on contested case decision for East Maui streams. The state Board of Land and Natural Resources has deferred making a decision on whether to hold a contested case hearing over the diversion of public surface water from the Ko’olau Forest Reserve. Maui News.
Coastal limu testing shows nutrient pollution patterns across Maui shores. The latest round of coastal limu sampling on Maui appeared to find unusually high nitrogen levels at Kahului Harbor and Pōhaku Park, also called “S-Turns,” but low wastewater indicators, according to the Maui Nui Marine Resource Council, which coordinated the project. Maui Now.
Kauai
Kauaʻi Police Commission Narrows Search For New Chief To These 4 Finalists. The finalists include Teresa Ewins, a former police chief in Lincoln, Nebraska; Roderick Green, a Kauaʻi police captain; Robert Larson, a police captain in Reno, Nevada; and Rudy Tai, a deputy police chief in San Diego. A fifth unnamed candidate pulled out of the running. Civil Beat.
Wailuā River State Park in Kapaʻa among four more state parks to charge nonresidents for parking. Nonresidents are charged $10 to park noncommercial vehicles at state parks, state monuments, state recreational areas, state historic parks and state wilderness parks, as well as $7 to park at state wayside parks where parking fees have been implemented. Kauai Now.
‘Don’t forget kupuna’. The county’s Employee Council message on Thursday was short and sweet as volunteers canvassed the campus at the Kaniko‘o Rice Camp Senior Housing. Garden Island.
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