Top headlines from across Hawaiʻi

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AI-generated from recent headlines

Statewide

Storm recovery remains the biggest thread across the islands, with utility crews still clearing out the last outages on Hawaiʻi Island and donated fuel now going out to residents and facilities that are still running on generators, as reported by BigIslandNow.com. On Maui, Hawaiian Electric says fewer than 400 customers remain without power, while the Big Island also saw Kaʻū Hospital get back on grid service after 11 days and Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park reopen most areas after storm-related closures. At the same time, communities are shifting back toward long-term needs: Maui has new FEMA money lined up for King Kamehameha III Elementary repairs, Kauaʻi is moving ahead with a second round of cesspool conversion grants and a utility headquarters purchase proposal, and the Big Island and Kauaʻi both have new reporting on storms intensifying across Hawaiʻi. There are also signs of everyday rebuilding and investment, from new medical services on Maui and Kauaʻi to local leadership changes and school-campus repairs.

Maui

Maui’s main local developments center on recovery and rebuilding, led by $9.3 million in FEMA post-disaster funding for King Kamehameha III Elementary and Hawaiian Electric’s work to clear the remaining pocket outages on Hawaiʻi Island, which reflects the wider storm-recovery picture across the state. MauiNow.com also reports Kelly Maluo-Pearson’s retirement from Boys & Girls Clubs of Maui after nearly 30 years, damage at a Maui High School restroom construction site, and new imaging upgrades at Maui Diagnostic Imaging.

Big Island

The Big Island is still in recovery mode after Hurricane Lala, with fewer than 400 Hawaiian Electric customers remaining without power islandwide and donated fuel being made available to communities still dependent on generators. Kaʻū Hospital’s power restoration and Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park’s reopening of most areas show how services and access are gradually returning. Beyond the storm response, BigIslandNow.com also highlights new research on stronger short-duration storms across Hawaiʻi, state unemployment data, and the return of national-champ UH men’s volleyball to Hilo.

Kauaʻi

Kauaʻi’s biggest local issues are infrastructure and public services: construction in Kōloa near the elementary school is affecting traffic around the Poʻipū Road Safety and Mobility Project, while Kauaʻi Island Utility Cooperative’s proposed $11.8 million purchase of its longtime Līhuʻe headquarters could lock in a key utility asset. Residents also have a new Wilcox Medical Center suite for minimally invasive procedures and the next round of cesspool conversion grants to watch, alongside new coverage of storm trends that are intensifying across the islands.

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