Top headlines from across Hawaiʻi

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Statewide

Across the islands, transportation planning, health care access, and weather are all in focus. The statewide long-range transportation plan is now open for public comment, while bipartisan legislation aimed at Hawaiʻi’s doctor shortage is drawing attention on Maui and across the state. At the same time, high surf and wind advisories are affecting multiple islands, with Big Island districts under wind advisory and Kauaʻi facing the same surf pattern. Maui’s wildfire recovery remains a major thread, from new legal spending tied to the litigation to a community session on Lahaina coastal resilience.

Maui

Maui’s biggest civic stories remain tied to wildfire recovery, with the council panel approving an additional $240,000 in legal fees for wildfire litigation and a Lahaina community meeting planned around coastal ecosystem recovery. Separately, residents can weigh in on the draft statewide transportation plan, while Schatz’s doctor-shortage bill keeps health care access on the agenda. Haleakalā National Park is also set to reopen the Summit Visitor Center, and Maui Ocean Center’s “Migrations” dining experience is returning later this month.

Big Island

On Hawaiʻi Island, the immediate concern is weather, with high surf advisories and a wind advisory covering all districts through Friday morning. Recovery work from the March Kona low is still active, as a FEMA incident management official is visiting Hilo this week. Beyond the weather and recovery updates, Big Island readers also have a local health-science story to watch in the breast cancer blood-test research, plus community coverage ranging from Hilo’s Youth Poet Laureate program to a new book by a beloved Kona professor.

Kauaʻi

Kauaʻi’s main near-term concerns are weather and outdoor safety, with a high surf advisory in effect and a separate local surf forecast showing the strongest conditions on east-facing shores. The island also has a string of practical updates, including the statewide transportation plan open for comment, bipartisan doctor-shortage legislation in Washington, and Kōkeʻe’s rainbow trout season set to open June 20. A Wisconsin visitor’s trail rescue is a reminder to use caution on backcountry hikes, while the island also earned an unexpected national nod in National Geographic’s food ranking.

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