Retail, agriculture jobs face steep declines, nonprofit purchases 126-year-old Maui News, Southwest Airlines begins Hilo-Vegas nonstop flights, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Hawaii retail, agriculture jobs face biggest losses by 2034.  Projections from the Hawaii Department of Labor and Industrial Relations show retail trade could lose about 600 jobs by 2034, the largest decline of any industry. Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting follow closely behind retail with a projected loss of almost 500 jobs. KHON2.

Hawaiʻi education department turns to regional kitchen to boost local ingredients. A new regional kitchen, set to open in late 2027, is expected to largely boost the amount of locally sourced ingredients used in school meals across the state Department of Education. Hawaii Public Radio.

Hawaiʻi’s 1st Congressional District race tests incumbent Case. U.S. Rep. Ed Case is facing opposition for his re-election campaign in the Democratic Party primary at a time when some voters have shown they’re in the mood to oust incumbents. Hawaii Public Radio.

High Oil Prices Hammer HECO Customers. Oil is trading at close to $90 per barrel these days thanks to the Iran war compared to $65 to $70 a year ago. As a result, the average monthly residential bill rose 27% from June 2025 to this year on Maui and 30% on Oʻahu. Lānaʻi has it worst, up 55%, an average increase of more than $100 a month. Civil Beat.

Farms hit by Kona Low urged to apply for aid. Hawaii agricultural producers and farmers who were affected by the Kona- low storms from March 10 to 24 have until Friday to apply for financial and technical assistance with the Emergency Conservation Program. Star-Advertiser. Big Island Video News.

$1.8M awarded for wildfire mitigation as Hawaii enters peak fire season. The Hawaii Urban Interface (HUI) Wildfire Grant Program awarded funding to eight organizations on Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, Maui and Hawaii Island. The grants will support projects including firebreak construction, invasive vegetation removal, managed grazing, evacuation studies and improved emergency access. Hawaii News Now.

Oahu

As Flood Aid Trickles Out For North Shore, Southeast Asian Farmers Are Left Behind. For some Thai and Laotian farmers, language barriers and immigration status stand in the way of seeking help they need after the Kona lows. Civil Beat.

Uncertainty, confusion surround East Oahu’s City Council race.  East Oahu voters, some of whom have already cast their primary election ballots, remain in the dark about the status of the race to represent them on the Honolulu City Council. Star-Advertiser.

Internal power outage hits twin office towers in downtown Honolulu. About 100 businesses in two downtown Honolulu office towers could be displaced for roughly three to five weeks due to an equipment-related power failure at the property. Star-Advertiser. KITV4.

Ward Centre closed; looming demolition will make way for new Ward Village towers. Although a timeline has not yet been finalized, sources say that demolition and redevelopment work at the site is expected to begin later this year. Aloha State Daily.

Ex-Social Worker Gets 10 Years In Prison For Daughter’s Death. The public may never know key details about how Sina Pili was able to keep working with children as police investigated her for her daughter’s death. Civil Beat. KHON2. Hawaii News Now.

Hawaii Island

A Viable Cesspool Alternative Emerges On Hawaiʻi’s Coasts. After years of research and planning, Puakō residents’ efforts to create a model for the state using a low-pressure sewer system are finally gaining momentum. Civil Beat.

County names new Animal Control administrator. Hawaii County has announced that Regina DoDaro has been hired as administrator for the Animal Control and Protection Agency, effective Monday, Aug. 3. Tribune-Herald. Big Island Now.

Southwest Airlines launches nonstop flights between Las Vegas and Hilo. The new route launches Aug. 6 and will operate three times a week on Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays. Big Island Now.

Future Hawaiian Homestead hub secures state funding for design, initial site preparation in Panaʻewa. State Sen. Lorraine Inouye announced the release of $350,000 for the Panaʻewa Hub, which is being developed by the Keaukaha Panaʻewa Farmers Association.  Big Island Now.

Hilo Man Arrested At Malama Park, Charged With Drug Offenses. Police: Hilo man with nearly 2 pounds of cocaine nabbed at public park.  On Saturday, detectives with the Hawaii Police Department’s Vice Division conducted an operation that resulted in the arrest of Michael Bratt at a public park in Hilo. Tribune-Herald. Hawaii News Now.   Big Island Video News.

Maui

Maui News changes owners. New nonprofit purchases 126-year-old newspaper. (subscription only print). Maui News.

Law firm fights judge’s ruling on attorney fees in Maui wildfire settlement. A law firm is appealing a Maui judge’s ruling over how attorneys will be paid from the multibillion-dollar wildfire settlement. Hawaii News Now.

Maui to open larger emergency operations center in August. County officials say the facility in Wailuku will strengthen preparedness capabilities and emergency response. The building is nearly 10,000 square feet and will increase capacity for partnerships and personnel during activation. Hawaii Public Radio.

Waiohuli Hawaiian Homesteaders Association on Maui and ʻĀina Momona on Molokaʻi to benefit from wildfire mitigation funding. The Hawaiʻi Wildfire Management Organization, in partnership with the Hawaiʻi Department of Land and Natural Resources, Division of Forestry and Wildlife, awarded $1.8 million to projects on Kauaʻi, Oʻahu, Molokaʻi, Maui and Hawaiʻi Island, an increase from the $1.5 million awarded through the program in 2025. Maui Now.

Kauai

Kauaʻi Police Department conducts sex offender compliance checks. Kauaʻi Police Department, in partnership with U.S. Marshals Service and task force officers, recently conducted compliance checks of registered sex offenders to help ensure Hawaiʻi’s Covered Offender Registry remains accurate and current. Kauai Now.

Council candidate Skyler Workman. Skyler Wailea Workman is a candidate for Kauai County Council. He submitted the preceding introduction to himself and his campaign goals. Garden Island.

US Supreme Court to tackle Hawaii's strict gun law, statewide doctor shortage worsens, tourists attacked on Maui's iconic road to Hana, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Hawaii’s strict gun law faces Supreme Court scrutiny in landmark case. Hawaii’s gun laws, long among the strictest in the nation, will be the focus of arguments before the U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday. The court is taking up the state’s ban on firearms on private property that is open to the public, such as stores and hotels, unless the owner explicitly allows it. Associated Press.

Democrats lay out their agenda for the 2026 session. State officials are preparing for the possibility that federal funding cuts for Hawaii could continue in 2026, with Gov. Josh Green considering the possibility of dipping into the state’s $1.6 billion “rainy day fund” to compensate for lost support.  Star-Advertiser.

 We Asked Hawaiʻi Lawmakers: Did You Take $35,000 In A Paper Bag? Civil Beat contacted all the potential suspects. Many were quick to deny involvement. Some let others speak for them. Others remain silent.  Civil Beat.

Statewide doctor shortage has worsened, a new report finds. The Hawaii Physicians Workforce Report Opens in a new tab found the state short of 833 full-time equivalent doctors in 2025 compared to 768 in 2024, with the greatest gaps continuing on neighbor isles. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaiʻi Judges Face More Threats. Courts Want Armed Guards To Help. The Judiciary is seeking $3.25 million to hire private security as the Department of Law Enforcement, which protects the courts, faces staffing shortages. Civil Beat.

DAGS proposes in-house staff for complex real estate projects. A state agency wants to hire a special team of highly paid experts in an effort to save Hawaii taxpayers money on complex public real estate redevelopment projects involving private partners. The state Department of Accounting and General Services is proposing to start with three positions, including a special project executive with annual pay of about $220,000, which rivals the annual salary of Gov. Josh Green. Star-Advertiser.

UHERO forecast of mild recession puts focus on family support services. As Hawaii edges into what economists describe as a mild recession, social service providers say growing economic uncertainty is already being felt by families struggling to afford housing, food and transportation. Star-Advertiser.

State Capitol showing its age as session set to begin. The Capitol first opened in 1969, replacing Iolani Palace as Hawaii’s seat of government, and has undergone extensive repairs ever since. Star-Advertiser.

State Capitol pools conversion submerged by procurement failure. Plans have been dashed to inaugurate Hawaii’s next governor against a resplendent new backdrop outside the state Capitol after a contracting snafu to create a decorated glass panel lanai atop long-empty reflecting pools. Star-Advertiser.

Foreign Oil Floods Into the Islands — But Venezuelan Crude Is Too Tainted. Over the past decade, crude from countries, such as Libya, Russia and Argentina have helped keep the lights on in the Aloha State. In fact, since 2016 data tracked by the Hawaiʻi State Energy Office shows that only about one-fifth of the islands’ oil was domestic. Civil Beat.

Oahu

City reviews oversight agreement in Chinatown. The Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation’s planned construction of the more than $10 billion Skyline into Chinatown may coincide with the city’s desire for an updated agreement with the state to gain greater oversight over historical sites and future development projects along that portion of the rail line’s route. Star-Advertiser.

Young professionals express concerns with state legislators. Sixty young professionals like Jordan Odo got to meet nine young state legislators and City Council members Wednesday night to lobby for issues they believe in, especially the need to make Hawaii more affordable. Star-Advertiser.

Researchers investigate whale carcass at Waimanalo Beach. Researchers were seen at Waimanalo Beach removing a whale carcass that washed up over the weekend.  KHON2. KITV4. 

Hawaii Island

County: Bridge to Moku‘ola will be reconstructed. Hawaii County officials have decided, after consulting with an engineer, that it would be more prudent to reconstruct the pedestrian bridge between Waiakea Peninsula and Moku‘ola (Coconut Island) than to simply repair the damaged section. Tribune-Herald.

Hawaiʻi County Offers Right-of-Way Permits Through EPIC. Online payments are also being accepted for Grading, Grubbing, and Stockpiling Permits, officials say. Big Island Video News.

Hilo Forest Reserve Cabins Reopen For Camping. The Keanakolu Bunkhouse and Ranger cabins have been closed since October due to drought and dry conditions in the area. Big Island Video News.

Maui

Maui police investigate alleged attack against tourists on Road to Hana. Texas couple David and Angie Carroll's visit went awry after a confrontation on the Road to Hana last Friday. What was supposed to be a scenic drive ended with an alleged attack and damage to their rental car. David claims he was also called a racial slur. Hawaii News Now.

Oceanside property owners on Lahaina’s Front Street face dilemma: Sell to Maui County or wait to rebuild? The county has reached out to owners in hopes of turning the makai side of Front Street into a connected stretch of open space to protect against flooding and create more shoreline access.  Maui Now.

Updates to Maui County’s CDBG program available for public review. Proposed updates to Maui County’s Community Development Block Grant – Disaster Recovery Action Plan are now available to view on the Hoʻokumu Hou website. This is the official online site for the Office of Recovery Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery Program. Maui Now.

Lawmakers prioritize ‘community concerns’ after $8M released for Lahaina Boat Harbor. State officials announced the release of $8 million in Capital Improvement Funds for the reconstruction of a major part of the Lahaina Small Boat Harbor.The funds are for the reconstruction of the outer marginal wharf after the harbor was destroyed in the August 2023 wildfires. Hawaii News Now.

US Senate bill includes millions for East Maui rainforest, Kahului Harbor maintenance. A bipartisan appropriations deal passed by the US Senate on Thursday includes millions of dollars in federal funding designated for the acquisition of East Maui rainforest lands, maintenance for Kahului Harbor and an assessment of Maui watersheds. Maui Now.

Kauai

Kauai to benefit from nearly $5 million in new earmark funding. Of the share designated for Kauai, the County of Kauai, Department of Water is earmarked for $1 million. This project supports the installation of a water storage tank to increase water storage capacity in the Kilauea community. The new storage tank will support approximately 2,800 full-time residents and 6,500 acres of agricultural lands. Garden Island.