Hawai'i State News
27th annual State Employees’ Food and Fund Drive officially kicks off
State employees have supported the drive since 1999, collecting food and raising funds for Hawaiʻi Foodbank and its statewide affiliates; this year’s drive runs through May 8.
Hawaiʻi couple found guilty of $200,000 tax fraud scheme
Beverly Braumuller-Hawver and Scott Hawver of ʻEwa Beach were convicted as co-conspirators in tax fraud, which involved manipulated tax filings and other tactics to conceal fraudulent tax refunds.
Volcano Watch: U.S. Geological Survey updates Volcano Observatory Notice to Aviation alerts
Hawaiian Volcano Observatory on the Big Island will issue its first Volcano Observatory Notice to Aviation in the new format when the next Kīlauea fountaining episode begins — and the aviation community will get that information more quickly and effectively than ever before.
State launches 2026 Hawaiʻi Quality of Life and Well-Being Survey: Let your voice be heard
The state of Hawaiʻi and University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa are asking residents to again share their experiences by completing the 2026 survey, which asks about health and well-being, housing and cost of living, transportation, community concerns and solutions, work and school, access to services and more.
State alerts residents to false claims from door-to-door solar sales representatives
State officials caution against deceptive tactics by solar door-to-door salespeople alleging state-provided free solar systems.
3-year global business degree program at Hawaiʻi Pacific University gains accreditor approval
The global business degree is a pioneering 90-credit, 3-year undergraduate degree designed from the ground up to be fast, flexible and future-focused.
Hawaiʻi Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs launches redesigned website
The upgraded site makes it easier for users to access vital resources, navigate services and engage with the department online, underscoring the department’s ongoing commitment to increase accessibility in delivery of its services to the public.
Public schools advance farm-to-school effort with new small farm partnerships
Additional micropurchasing agreements are in development throughout the state, including collaborations between school cafeterias and school gardens, as well as additional small farm produce purchases on Kauaʻi, Hawaiʻi Island and Maui.
Apply now for open positions throughout Hawaiian Islands as part of Kupu ʻĀina Corps
The conservation and environmental education nonprofit has opportunities on all islands with new host sites.
Bridging gap between funding and ʻāina stewardship: 5 organizations selected for first-of-its-kind hubs
The five regional hubs are across the moku/hui moku (districts) of West Kauaʻi, Waiʻanae (Oʻahu), Molokaʻi, Central Maui and Kohala (Hawaiʻi Island).
Community invited to celebrate law enforcement during Officer of the Month luncheon
Hawaiʻi Police Department officers Jason Cunefare and Lawrence Matsumoto will be honored for their exemplary service.
Tee up to register for membership in Hawai‘i State Junior Golf Association
Junior golfers throughout Hawai‘i are invited to tee up and join a competitive and educational tournament schedule designed to develop skills on and off the course; the 2026 Spring season opens March 14-15 at Wailuā Golf Course on Kaua‘i, with a tournament for juniors ages 14 years old and younger.
Volunteers observe more than 1,900 humpbacks during second count of 2026
Data was collected Feb. 28 from 46 sites throughout the main Hawaiian Islands; a total of 1,935 whales were observed throughout all islands, down just 12 whales from February 2025.
‘Living laboratory’: University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo genetics students visit traditional Hawaiian fishpond in Keaukaha
Students of the lab class worked with community stewards of Kaumaui, a loko iʻa in the community on the south side of Hilo Bay on the Big Island, to help with restoration and preservation efforts and collect water samples for DNA testing back on campus as part of their semester-long experiment.
Cyberattack possibly exposes personal info on records at University of Hawaiʻi Cancer Center
The records contain Social Security numbers and driver’s license numbers, mostly from Hawaiʻi driver’s license records collected in 2000 from Hawaiʻi Department of Transportation and City and County of Honolulu voter registration records collected in 1998 — both times when identifiers were usually Social Security numbers.
Preparing Hawaiʻi’s ʻōlelo educators at University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo
Hawaiian language immersion programs throughout the islands are growing fast. Fast enough they are strained to keep up with the demand, needing more qualified teachers; a University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo program director and educator is dedicated to filling the gap.
Hawai‘i lawmakers in Washington share reactions following U.S.-Israel strikes on Iran
Perhaps as expected, Congress is divided largely along party lines in reaction to the strikes on multiple sites in the capital of Tehran and other locations throughout Iran, with Democrats calling it ‘a war of choice’ that required approval from Congress and Republicans toeing the party line and supporting President Donald Trump’s actions.
Hawaiʻi’s statewide emergency siren test scheduled for Monday
The all-hazard Outdoor Siren Warning System for Public Safety is one part of the Hawaiʻi Statewide Alert and Warning System used to notify the public during emergencies.
Instagram video series celebrates Mahina ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi with closer look at musical lexicon
University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo doctorate candidate Nicholas ‘Kealiʻi’ Lum uses social media to unpack poetic soul of Hawaiian music, uncovering unique phrases that make songs distinct.
Matson increases Hawaiʻi Foodbank support as demand for food spikes throughout islands
Matson is absorbing more shipping costs this year for the Hawaiʻi Foodbank to serve nearly a third of local households experiencing food insecurity.
