Hawaii News

Hawaiʻi is juggling recovery, preparedness and major public events across the islands. On Kauaʻi, county officials are still cleaning up and rebuilding after Hurricane Lowell, with Kauaʻi County residents and visitors told what to know about recovery. The same day, the state is urging people to stay current on flu and COVID vaccines as respiratory virus activity increases, while Governor Josh Green proclaimed Fire Prevention Week 2026 with fire officials from across the state in attendance. Kauaʻi also remains under a patchwork of brown water advisories at several beaches, even as one advisory was canceled.

On the Big Island, public safety and infrastructure issues are front and center. An elderly Hilo man was critically injured in a two-vehicle crash, and the Hawaiʻi Public Utilities Commission has scheduled public meetings to discuss Hawaiian Electric’s response to recent storms. The state is also moving into election season, with ballots expected in mailboxes by the end of next week. In Kona, the Ironman World Championship is underway, bringing race-day road impacts and spectator activity.

Maui’s mix of civic, community and political coverage includes Judge James Rouse being honored as 2026 Jurist of the Year, a Kamehameha Schools Maui fundraiser that raised more than $19,800 at the Maui Fair, and a Maui Police Commission investigation that has placed Chief John Pelletier on leave. Maui Now also reports on roadwork in Makawao and a visitor rescue on Pīpīwai Trail.

Across the islands, higher education and research also show up in the news: the University of Hawaiʻi and the University of Massachusetts have signed a five-year agreement on energy resilience and national security research, and a deep-sea expedition is taking 10 local scientists, students and educators around the Hawaiian Islands.