Hawaii News

Hawaiʻi’s immediate focus is on weather and wildfire risk, with Hawaiian Electric continuing to monitor the threat on Maui and Hawaiʻi Island in a Public Safety Power Shutoff update. The same weather pattern is also driving surf and shower advisories across the islands, including high surf forecasts for Maui, Hawaiʻi Island and Kauaʻi, which could affect travel, shoreline safety and outdoor plans.

State agencies are also working through a business-registration problem that has affected multiple islands. The Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs outlined steps to improve the state’s business registration system and address processing delays in a Maui Now report, while Big Island Now and Kauaʻi Now both reported the state is trying to fix problems with the new online system that went live in July. The issue appears to be ongoing, but the supplied material does not say when the fixes will be completed.

On the public-safety front, Hawaiʻi Island police renewed their request for information about a military veteran missing from Pāhoa since May 2023, and Kona Patrol Officer Michael Gusman was honored for work that led to an arrest tied to a burglary at a Hawaiʻi County fire station. On Kauaʻi, the state declared a traffic emergency zone along Kūhiō Highway near Lumahaʻi Beach to speed repairs after heavy rain on Halloween, signaling continued transportation impacts from recent storms.

Community and cultural coverage is also prominent. Maui is marking Protect Kahoʻolawe ʻOhana’s 50th anniversary with a concert and new album, while Rotary clubs are organizing island-wide food drives for the Maui Food Bank and The Salvation Army. On the Big Island, the return of Smoke It Up! is being framed as part of a broader effort to strengthen local food systems, and Kauaʻi is hosting a sold-out Jake Shimabukuro event at Porter Pavilion, with lawn space still available. Across the state, Spectrum OC16 will carry the Hawaiʻi High School Athletic Association football playoffs without a fee or subscription, expanding access for fans on multiple islands.