Hawai'i State News
Rising housing, food needs throughout Hawaiʻi revealed in annual 211 Report
The 2025 Aloha United Way report draws on more than 51,000 calls, texts and chats to the statewide 211 helpline.
Deadline approaches to apply for 2026 Fukunaga Scholarship
Students who are selected each receive $20,000 throughout 4 years — or a pro-rated amount for fewer years — that can be applied to tuition, books, housing and other educational expenses; deadline to apply online is Feb. 23.
Applicants sought to fill vacancy on state Campaign Spending Commission
Those interested in serving in the vacant commission seat should submit an application along with a résumé and three letters of recommendation attesting to the applicant’s character and integrity no later than March 13.
Hawaiʻi House advances bill to increase DUI penalties for highly intoxicated drivers
The state bill that would make a second DUI offense with a blood-alcohol content more than 0.15% — and within 10 years of a driver’s first DUI conviction — a Class C felony.
Power remains on in communities with high exposure to wildfire risk
Hawaiian Electric says public safety power shutoffs remain possible, however, for North and South Kohala on Big Island and Upcountry, Central and West Maui with wind advisory still in effect through Thursday morning (Feb. 19).
Union: Hawaiʻi’s Social Security services at risk with field office staffing at only 66 workers
Hawaiʻi now has a 1 to 4,772 ratio of Social Security Administration field office employees to beneficiaries, one of the most challenging workloads in the nation.
Turbulent times discovered in sun’s corona through University of Hawaiʻi eclipse research
The study reveals the origin and evolution of turbulence in the corona, a process long linked to coronal heating and the acceleration of the solar wind.
Deadline extended for applications to fill two Hawaiʻi State Ethics Commission seats
The new deadline is March 13. Applications were originally due Feb. 13 for the two seats, which each is for 4-year terms from July 1 through June 30, 2030.
‘Da Pidgin Guerilla’ is Hawaiʻi’s new poet laureate
Lee Tonouchi hopes to inspire diverse, local voices and uplift Pidgin as a legitimate language for creative and academic expression as poet laureate for the next three years.
Hawaiʻi Senate committee advances bill to allow state to sue Big Oil for climate damage
The bill’s purpose is to attempt to stabilize Hawaiʻi’s volatile insurance market.
State staff discover one of oldest Hawaiian honeycreepers on Big Island
The ʻiʻiwi likely hatched in the winter/spring of 2015-16 and is a minimum of 10 years old, which is rather amazing considering the typical lifespan of ʻiʻiwi is, maybe, half of that at 3 to 5 years.
UPDATE: Lava fountains reach up to 1,300 feet tall before end of Episode 42 in ongoing Kīlauea summit eruption ends
An estimated 15 million cubic yards of lava erupted and covered about 50% of Halemaʻumaʻu Crater floor.
Economic impact of U.S. military in Hawai‘i detailed in new factbook
The factbook is designed for residents, policymakers and business leaders; it includes easy-to-read charts and explanations covering personnel spending, contracting, federal assistance, community programs and the broader economic effects of defense activity throughout all islands.
Public safety power shutoff watch: Hawaiian Electric monitoring wildfire risk conditions this week
Strong winds, low humidity forecast for West Maui and South Kohala on the Big Island.
Hawaiʻi Department of Education ‘Alumni Spotlight’ features ‘Chief of War’ star, Kaua‘i native Kaina Makua
Advice for students from the man who plays King Kamehameha I in the Apple TV series: “You don’t need to go to college to be “somebody.” But how will you help your community? How do you contribute and bring value to the lives of others instead of just yourself? Don’t live for just yourself. You should be living for everybody. If everyone had that mindset, imagine the things we could do.”
New statewide policy on student cellphone use adopted by Hawai‘i Board of Education
New statewide rules set grade-level limits on student cell phone use; implementation begins next school year.
Hawaiʻi attorney general addresses ongoing investigation into possible public corruption
Hawaiʻi Department of the Attorney General conducted a press briefing Friday (Feb. 13) to address an ongoing investigation into possible public corruption.
Hawaiʻi Medical Service Association Kaimana Scholarship application deadline nears
Applications are due by 4 p.m. Feb. 27 and must be submitted online; this year marks the 21st year of the scholarship program, honoring Hawaiʻi high school seniors for all-around excellence and their commitment to well-being.
All but 2 state parks, forest areas open again following severe weather earlier this week
Two exceptions remain, including Pāʻulaʻula State Historic Site, formerly Russian Fort Elizabeth State Historical Park, on Kauaʻi which is closed because of construction improvements that began before the storm.
