Hawai'i State News
UH enters new partnership connecting academics with real-world challenges
The five-year agreement facilitates collaborative research between students and forensic experts, who are working to recover and identify U.S. personnel.
New study reveals rapid pace of ocean acidification in Pacific waters near Hawaiʻi
Oceanographers from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa have found that ocean acidification is intensifying more rapidly below the surface near Hawaiʻi than previously thought, posing a significant threat to marine ecosystems.
Two companies jump on board to move inter-island fiber infrastructure forward
The state’s first open-access, carrier-neutral inter-island fiber infrastructure is set to connect all islands with cutting-edge technology by late 2026.
First-of-its-kind ‘bare-bones’ supernova upends star evolution models
Rare stellar blast discovery — made possible by spectral data captured by Keck Observatory at the summit of Mauna Kea on the Big Island — reveals a heavy-element core, challenging theories of how massive stars live and die.
Hawaiʻi proclaimed a Purple Heart State
Gov. Josh Green made the proclamation Aug. 7, National Purple Heart Day, and was presented a certificate on behalf of the Hawaiʻi Senate by Oʻahu state Sen. Mike Gabbard to commemorate the milestone.
10.9M cubic yards of lava ejected during Episode 31 of Kīlauea summit eruption
Inclined lava fountains from north vent within Halemaʻumaʻu Crater inside the Big Island volcano’s caldera ejected molten rock 1,000 feet eastward toward the center of the crater for much of the 12.6 hours the latest eruptive episode.
University of Hawaiʻi Foundation shatters fundraising records
Nearly $172 million was given during fiscal year 2025, by nearly 18,000 donors, that will fuel student scholarships, faculty and academic research and more throughout the university’s statewide 10-campus system.
Volcano Watch: Fringes and fractures for Episode 30
With the 30th episode, came one of the most significant changes since the eruption started—a new fissure in the caldera wall.
Secretary of the Army sends letter to Gov. Green urging progress toward extension of state land leases on Big Island, Oʻahu
The military is working to renew its lease at Pōhakuloa Training Area on the Big Island, but the state Board of Land and Natural Resources voted in May not to accept the final environmental impact statement.
Hōkūleʻa and Hikianalia make stop in Cook Islands
Both Polynesian Voyaging Society traditional double-hulled voyaging canoes were welcomed by the Rarotonga community with a traditional ceremony, following a 2-day trek from Bora Bora, French Polynesia under nearly perfect weather conditions.
2025 was hot summer for reading in Hawaiʻi
Participation in this year’s statewide Hawaiʻi State Public Library System’s Summer Reading Challenge surged 44%.
Schatz, others concerned after learning Meta AI chatbots had romantic, sensual conversations with keiki
U.S. senator from Hawai‘i is one of 10 senators who signed a letter putting pressure on CEO Mark Zuckerberg, alarmed by his tech company’s practices related to the artificial intelligence bots, ‘which pose astonishing risks for children.’
Toyota Hawaiʻi gets keiki on gridiron through NFL FLAG Football sponsorship
Firm sponsors three neighbor island squads, Including the D.P.D. (Dynamic Playmaker Development) team on Hawai‘i Island.
Voyaging canoes Hōkūleʻa, Hikianalia leave Tahiti and are approaching Cook Islands
Rarotonga, Cook Islands, will be the final destination for the Moananuiākea Voyage, leg 14 crew, which began in Tautira, Tahiti, more than two weeks ago.
Hawaiʻi State Board of Education hosting public meetings on Big Island about potential statewide changes
The purpose of the meetings is to seek community input for expanding early childhood education and upgrading high school graduation criteria. Today, the Board will host a meeting at Kāʻu High and Pahala Elementary.
Applications now accepted for state Legacy Land Conservation Program grants
About $6.7 million is expected to be available for awards through the Hawaiʻi Department of Land and Natural Resources program aimed at protecting and preserving land with natural, environmental, recreational, scenic, cultural, agricultural production or historic value.
University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo has key role in developing AI suite to fuel scientific innnovation
Hilo campus partners with National Science Foundation, NVIDIA in $152M project — and will receive $1.4M in grant funding from that total — to be a top collaborator on cutting-edge, transformative artificial intelligence infrastructure.
State Land Survey Division charts easier route for public to access maps
Agency within Hawaiʻi Department of Accounting and General Services continues its work to digitize about 90,000 maps, some that go back to 1871, so people can find them online for practical needs and to satisfy their curiosity.
University of Hawaiʻi community colleges among the top of their class
The university’s statewide system of 7 community colleges was recently ranked 11th in the nation in a 2025 Wallethub analysis, which evaluated 653 colleges nationwide on 18 metrics, including tuition, graduation and transfer rates and post-graduation earnings.
39th annual Hawaiʻi Kūpuna Hula Festival and craft fair now just a month away
Nearly 300 kūpuna from Hawai‘i Island, Molokaʻi and Japan will perform during the event Sept. 10-11 at OUTRIGGER Kona Resort & Spa in Keauhou on the west side of the Big Island.
