Hawaii News

State support for health care and infrastructure is a major thread across the islands. On Hawaiʻi Island, Gov. Josh Green released $50 million for a proposed outpatient care center in Kona, while the Public Utilities Commission is heading to Pāhala to address a private water and sewer system that has left 100 customers without basic services since Hurricane Lala damaged a well site and infrastructure. On Kauaʻi, county leaders approved covering kiosk convenience fees after the Sept. 9 fire at the Kāpule Building in Līhuʻe, and the county is also highlighting water’s importance through an “Imagine a Day Without Water” event.

Housing and community resilience are also in focus. Maui County is seeking applicants for grants to support people experiencing or at risk of homelessness, and Kauaʻi has a separate housing update with a $7 million renovation extending the life of 80 affordable rental homes in Līhuʻe. On Maui, residents also have a slate of community events, from Holoholo Halloween at Queen Kaʻahumanu Center to a Go Green Recycling drop-off in Lahaina and a 25th-anniversary gathering at Kamaʻole Point Park. Maui Now also reports that the Hawaiʻi Congressional delegation is questioning a shift to in-person immigration hearings that affect Maui residents.

Several stories point to ongoing environmental and conservation work. The University of Hawaiʻi is tied to a new framework for moving endangered species to safer locations, with coverage from both Big Island Now and Kauaʻi Now. Maui residents are being asked to report downed seabirds during fallout season, and the Surfrider Foundation is hosting a screening of “The Cigarette Surfboard” later this month. On Hawaiʻi Island, a joint training exercise is scheduled at Hilo Benioff Medical Center, and Big Island Now also reports on an elderly man who died after a Hilo traffic collision a week earlier.

Tourism, culture and local business remain active as well. Maui’s Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea has announced its 2026 Festivals of Aloha schedule, while Kauaʻi Now says the Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority is offering workshops to help businesses, farmers and cultural institutions connect with visitors. Across the islands, Young Brothers is changing gate hours at the Port of Hilo and Maui’s Port of Kahului next week, a reminder that shipping schedules can affect multiple communities at once.