Case wants Dems to take on Trump, Maui prosecutor says Bissen not under investigation, Punaluʻu Black Sand Beach to be in public hands, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Hawaiʻi’s Ed Case Wants Dems To Take On Trump — Cautiously. All but assured another term, the congressman is campaigning and plotting a future where Democrats “come up with actual solutions.” Civil Beat.

Voting explainer: 2026 state constitutional amendment ballot questions. Hawaiʻi voters will have the chance to weigh in on two constitutional amendment questions in the November election. One question asks if the state Senate should have more time to confirm a judicial appointment, and another tackles infrastructure bonds. Hawaii Public Radio.

Hawaiʻi’s Youth Are Leaving. Meet The People Keeping Talent Here. A local nonprofit is empowering high school students to tackle some of the state’s biggest problems while taking on its own challenge of addressing Hawaiʻi’s brain drain.  Civil Beat.

Federal aid for individuals after Lala, Lowell still pending. Federal emergency assistance for individual residents impacted by Hurricane Lala and Hurricane Lowell remains in limbo despite presidential approval last week for the funding for state and local governments as well as qualified nonprofits. Star-Advertiser.

Oahu

Honolulu charter amendment would create Oʻahu food security fund. Question 1 on Oʻahu's ballot this year will ask voters if they're for or against establishing a new Special Fund that would dedicate 0.5% of real property tax revenue to a Food Security Fund. Hawaii Public Radio.

Oʻahu voters to weigh proposed Native Hawaiian cultural office. Honolulu voters will decide this year if an Office of ʻŌiwi Resources and Cultural Stewardship should be created within the Mayor’s office, along with a cultural advisory council to help guide its work. Hawaii Public Radio.

Ranked-choice voting: How proposed charter amendment could change elections in Honolulu. With ballots set to arrive in mailboxes this week, election officials urge voters to take their time and do their homework, especially on the amendment questions. KITV4.

Lottery open for new low-income kupuna housing tower in Kalihi. The 15-story Ho‘ohiki Senior Living complex features 249 apartments reserved for seniors who are at least 55 years old and earn no more than 60% of Honolulu’s annual median income, though many units are reserved for senior households earning no more than 50% or 30% of the median. Star-Advertiser.

Veteran’s family challenges VA hospital over her death during ‘routine’ procedure. Fredenalda Kuulei Price was born in Kahaluu on Feb. 1, 1969, during an intense storm. Her mother went into labor while the family was stranded at home and firefighters had to carry her through rushing floodwaters to an ambulance.  Star-Advertiser.

Golden Coin in Kalihi reopens after violations fixed. The state Health Department has authorized the reopening of Golden Coin Bake Shop in Kalihi after multiple food safety violations were corrected. Star-Advertiser.

Police investigating kittens thrown from cars onto Oahu freeways. Honolulu police are investigating several heinous animal cruelty cases involving reports of cats and kittens being thrown from moving vehicles onto Oahu freeways. KHON2.

Hawaii Island

Punaluʻu Black Sand Beach Park To Belong To The Public. Hawaiʻi County has reached a tentative agreement to buy Punaluʻu Black Sand Beach Park for $1.46 million after prior negotiations with the private landowner failed in August, Mayor Kimo Alameda announced Tuesday. Civil Beat. Tribune-Herald.  Big Island Video News.  Big Island Now.

Hawai‘i County Fire Commission reschedules interviews with 6 finalists for chief. The Hawai‘i County Fire Commission has rescheduled candidate interviews for a new Hawai‘i County fire chief after Hurricane Nolo forced the postponement of the original dates. The six finalists now will be interviewed on Oct. 21 at 9 a.m. Big Island Now.

Improvements to Hilo veterans cemetery to begin in January. The project — which will raise and realign almost 4,500 grave markers, install burial section markers and flower watering stations, and do grading, soil and turf rehabilitation work on 5.5 acres of the Laimana Street cemetery — is being funded by a grant of up to $6,132,225 awarded Sept. 30 to the state by the Department of Veterans Affairs’ National Cemetery Administration. Tribune-Herald.

Hearings Set On Changes To Hawaiʻi Conservation District Land Use Rules. Changes are being proposed to the rules governing land use and permitting within Hawaiʻi’s State Land Use Conservation District. Big Island Video News.

Maui

Maui Prosecutor Says Mayor Bissen Was Not Targeted In AG Investigation. The prosecutor says he has been involved in that case and knows it did not target the mayor. Civil Beat. Star-Advertiser. Maui Now.  Hawaii News Now. KHON2. 

Man who killed Maui officer to serve life in prison. Prosecutors will ask a judge to impose the “maximum sentence allowed by law” when sentencing a Makawao man convicted of shooting and killing Maui Police Department Officer Suzanne O on Aug. 15, 2025. Star-Advertiser. Maui News. 

Unexpected tariffs increase the cost of West Maui’s Olowalu Fire Station project. An unexpected increase in costs resulting from US tariffs on Canadian steel and steel components has created a financial challenge for the West Maui Improvement Foundation’s Olowalu Fire Station project. Maui Now.

DLNR schedules Maui hearings on conservation district rule changes. The state Department of Land and Natural Resources will hold public hearings on Maui on Oct. 28 and 29 on proposed changes to rules governing land use and permitting within Hawaii's Conservation District.  Maui News.

Kauai

Hā‘ena State Park reopens later this week to public. Hawai‘i Department of Land and Natural Resources notifies the public that Hā‘ena State Park reopens Oct. 15 to the public following a closure that began Sept. 6 because of concern for public safety upon the arrival of Hurricane Lowell. Kauai Now. Garden Island. 

In-person voting begins today, Navy to start draining Red Hill tanks, health experts urge bivalent COVID booster, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Voter Service Center on Election Night 2020 ©2022 All Hawaii News

Voter service centers to open for in-person voting Tuesday. Hawaiʻi voters should have received their mail in ballots last week. For those who prefer to vote in-person, voter service centers open Tuesday, Oct. 25. Hawaii Public Radio.

Ranked choice elections coming to Hawaii. Although the process will not be used in this year’s general election here at home, starting next year when Hawai’i has a special federal election or special election of vacant county council seats the process will be used. KHON2.

Bank of Hawaii posts strong loan growth, but profit falls. Bank of Hawaii posts strong loan growth, but profit falls. Bank of Hawaii Corp. showed strong loan growth in the third quarter but saw its stock price tumble to a 52-week low Monday after reporting a 14.9% decline in net income primarily due to some one-time items. Star-Advertiser.

With fentanyl driving up Hawaii overdoses, drug agents are urging caution for trick-or-treaters. Hawaii drug agents are urging extra caution this Halloween, advising trick-or-treaters (and their parents) to only accept candy from trusted family and friends. Hawaii News Now.

Expert: Protection from early COVID vaccines ‘pretty much totally gone’. As new COVID-19 variants spread throughout the community, protection from previous infections and prior vaccinations is waning. Tribune-Herald.

Hawaii health officials urge kupuna to get bivalent boosters as soon as possible. For some kupuna, getting the updated bivalent booster for COVID-19 was top priority once it became available over Labor Day weekend in Hawaii. For others there seems to be no particular rush. Star-Advertiser.

Oahu

‘Unpacking’ of Red Hill fuel pipelines begins today. Joint Task Force Red Hill, the military group tasked with draining the tanks at the Navy’s underground fuel storage facility, is slated today to begin “unpacking” 1 million gallons from pipelines that connect the tanks to Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam. Star-Advertiser. Civil Beat. Hawaii News Now. KHON2. KITV4.

OCCC is obsolete and overcrowded. What’s next for this jail is up for debate. Between calls for tougher treatment of criminals and movements for bail and prison reform, Oahu Community Correctional Center remains in limbo. Hawaii News Now. KHON2.

Proposed City Council resolution looking to improve officer retention and police coverage. A new resolution is making its way through Honolulu City Council as concerns mount about police coverage on the West Side of Oahu. But it may have far reaching affects going well beyond that area. KITV4.

Politics Afoot? A Long-Sought Civic Center In Wahiawa Has Been Stalled For Nearly A Year. Sen. Donovan Dela Cruz’s signature project for Wahiawa has been on Gov. David Ige’s desk since January. Ige’s not saying why he won’t sign off. Civil Beat.

Few short-term rental owners register upon launch. The mad rush for short-term rental owners in resort districts to register under the city’s new short-term rental law, Ordinance 22-7 (Bill 41), didn’t happen Monday, the first day that the city made the online process available. Star-Advertiser.

City moves forward with project to install ‘bus only’ lanes on busy Waikiki thoroughfare. The city says the new street plan for Kuhio Avenue is designed to make the road safer, but residents believe it will do the exact opposite. Hawaii News Now.

Hawaii Island

State high court to determine burden of proof in Maunakea rules case. A legal challenge against the University of Hawaii’s rules for managing Maunakea cannot proceed until the Hawaii Supreme Court settles a question of legal procedure. Tribune-Herald.

SHOPO: Detectives, officers put investigations on hold to provide security at 2-day Ironman event. The State of Hawaii Organization of Police Officers says it’s investigating how security was handled for the IRONMAN World Championship event in Kona earlier this month. Hawaii News Now.

Plans Detail New Hilo Medical Center Building. Hilo Medical Center is proposing a new 2-story, 18,750 square foot Medical Office Building, which would occupy space on its existing campus on Waianuenue Avenue. Big Island Video News.

County to unveil repair plans for dangerous Waipiʻo Valley Road at public meeting Oct. 26. Over the past year, the narrow, steep Waipiʻo Valley Road has been the focus of a geotechnical engineering evaluation, an emergency closure, a lawsuit, a partial reversal of the emergency closure, community meetings and protests. Big Island Now.

Unexploded ordnance meeting slated today in Waikoloa. Members of the public are invited to a meeting today to learn about efforts to remove unexploded military ordnance from the former Waikoloa Maneuver Area. West Hawaii Today.

Maui

Charter Question Recommends Reforms For Maui Boards And Commissions. The ballot measure features a series of questions about the recruitment process for county boards and commissions, as well as some staff positions. Civil Beat.

Applicants sought for Maui County Boards and Commissions. Applicants are being sought from residents willing to provide public service on various Maui County boards, commissions, councils and committees. Citizen volunteer responsibilities include attending meetings, receiving public testimony, and reviewing policies and standards. Maui Now.

Maui affordable housing project triggers land dispute. The family claims the parcel in Waiehu is “kuleana land,” which was land that was granted to Native Hawaiian farmers back in the 1800s. MEO says the property in question is actually a royal patent grant, which is an outright purchase of government land. Hawaii News Now.

Kauai

Community group lays out vision for Coco Palms. As the plan to develop the ruins of Coco Palms into a 350-room hotel slowly creeps forward, a community group has proposed an alternative vision for the site. Garden Island.

Kauaʻi County launches online road resurfacing and bridge status map. The County of Kaua‘i has launched an online Road Resurfacing and Bridge Status map, which enables the public to easily track the location of past, current and upcoming road projects. Kauai Now.

Hawaii set to test ranked-choice voting, Supreme Court explains redistricting decision, NTSB says deadly Kauai tour helicopter crash 100% preventable, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

 

Ballot testing in Hawaii ©2022 All Hawaii News

Ranked-choice voting set to be used in some special elections. Hawaii is set to use ranked-choice voting for the first time after state law‑ makers passed a bill that would test the voting method in certain winner-take-all special elections. Star-Advertiser.

Supreme Court explains reapportionment decision: Majority and dissenters release long-awaited opinions. Hawaii Supreme Court justices have released their opinions on why they voted as they did in a divided ruling that dismissed a challenge to how the state Reapportionment Commission determined boundary lines for state legislative districts. West Hawaii Today.

Hawaii police officers’ union endorses former Honolulu councilman in Lt. Gov. race. The state’s police union is putting its support behind Ikaika Anderson in the race for Lieutenant Governor. Hawaii News Now.

Stiffer penalties ahead: Bill doubling prison term for fatal DUI crashes awaits Ige’s signature. A measure increasing the penalty on a person convicted of first-degree negligent homicide while driving under the influence of an intoxicant is one step away from becoming law. West Hawaii Today.

A ‘poor tool’ for justice? Bail reform measure heads to Gov. Ige for consideration. A bill passed last week by state Legislature would eliminate the use of monetary bail and require defendants to be released on their own recognizance for certain nonviolent offenses. Tribune-Herald.

Lawmakers request audit of driver’s ed program: Goal is to reduce backlog of students awaiting instruction. House Concurrent Resolution 125 requests a performance audit of the Hawaii driver’s ed programs to examine administrative policies and procedures. Tribune-Herald.

US Rep. Ed Case says White House is open to Jones Act exemption amid fuel import monopoly. U.S. Rep. Ed Case says it’s time for the Biden Administration to support an exemption for Hawaiʻi when it comes to the federal 1920 Jones Act. That law requires any cargo, including fuel, transported between two U.S. ports to be carried on U.S.-built and U.S-flagged ships. Hawaii Public Radio.

Oahu

Honolulu City Council picks projects for COVID-19 relief funds. Honolulu City Council members Tuesday added about $167 mil­­­lion in projects they want funded through the federal American Rescue Plan Act to the proposed city budget, with a focus on housing and job development. Star-Advertiser.

Oahu to launch agricultural grant program for farmers. A new $3 million federally funded agricultural grant program for farmers, ranchers and other growers on Oahu is being developed by Honolulu’s city government to support local agriculture. Star-Advertiser.

HART says $330M park-and-ride facility may need to be relocated to cut costs. The CEO of the rail authority said they may have to relocate a massive park-and-ride structure in order to cut costs on the embattled project. The 1,600-stall garage slated for the industrial area by the Pearl Highland Shopping Center has been put on hold because it could cost $330 million. Hawaii News Now.

Spending over $100 per bird, city discusses more effective ways to combat feral chickens. Over the last two months, traps in 5 locations have caught 67 chickens. Hawaii News Now.

Crime On Oahu Is Bouncing Back To Pre-Pandemic Levels. The number of homicides and car thefts have spiked on Hawaii’s most populous island, according to HPD data. Civil Beat.

Waikīkī opens first all-rental property in decades. Līlia Waikīkī sits across from the International Market Place on Kūhiō Avenue. Monthly rents start at $2,300 for studios to $6,255 for three-bedroom units. Hawaii Public Radio.

Document shows sailor found dead last year at Pearl Harbor served aboard a deeply troubled submarine. More than a year after a submariner died of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound while on guard duty at Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard, a Navy report on its investigation into the command climate aboard the USS Charlotte shines a light on the toxic work environment he and his crewmates endured in the months leading up to his death. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii Island

NELHA to grow research village, add visitor center. NELHA has announced plans to build new innovation center, which will expand the research campus located in North Kona. Also planned is a visitors center where the community can host events, such as concerts, birthdays, etc., at the Hawaii Ocean Science Technology Park, also known as the Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaii Authority. West Hawaii Today.

2022 Hawaiian International Billfish Tournament Cancelled. The event is called off due in part to uncertainty around travel logistics as well as rapidly rising costs. Big Island Video News.

Celebration of Life Lantern Floating Event Returns to Reeds Bay. The Celebration of Life Lantern Floating Event returns after a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Big Island Now.

Maui

Lawsuit against Maui County remains despite council’s vote to allow Taser sales. Maui residents are the only ones in Hawaiʻi who can’t buy a Taser in their county, and the representative of a lawsuit against the county said the legal pressure won’t stop until that changes.  Maui Now.

State’s $192M housing, civic center project in Kahului advances. A $192 million Kahului plan to develop 300 affordable and market-rate units, along with a civic center for state office space, cleared a hurdle in the approval process. Maui Now.

Developer wants to turn proposed hotel site into apartment complex. Six-story Hotel Wailuku on pause, landowner supportive of new plans for site. Lokahi Global Corporation’s proposal envisions a four-story housing building and a four-story parking structure on a piece of property near the corner of Main and Market streets. Maui News. Maui Now. Hawaii News Now. KITV4.

Pacific Island Nations Want More Renewable Power. Climate Financing May Help. Maui-based Mana Pacific is helping to give Pacific nations greater access to renewable energy infrastructure through collective buying power and resource sharing. Civil Beat.

Kauai

Kauai helicopter crash that killed 7 was ‘100% preventable,’ report says. Federal investigators blamed a deadly 2019 helicopter crash on Kauai on the pilot’s decision to keep flying into worsening weather, and in a report today they accused regulators of lax oversight of air tours that are popular among tourists to the islands. Associated Press. Garden Island. Hawaii News Now.

The Kauai Landfill ‘Conundrum’ Could Quickly Become A ‘Public Health Hazard’. The island’s only landfill is filling up fast. But the places available to put a new landfill are severely limited. Civil Beat.