Legislators urge DOE to fix bus driver shortage

HONOLULU — State legislators met with the Department of Education on Thursday to address protracted concerns about ongoing public school bus driver shortages, following the DOE’s abrupt announcement of suspended routes right before the school year began.

HART awards $1.66B contract for final segment

HONOLULU — The Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation on Thursday announced a $1.66 billion contract award to Los Angeles-based Tutor Perini Corp. to design and build Skyline’s last 3-mile segment to Kaka‘ako.

Polynesians lead 3 top tourism agencies

HONOLULU — Come September, all three of Hawai‘i’s top state-funded tourism management and destination branding organizations, which together control more than $128 million in state funds, will have a Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander at the helm.

Pokemon event to draw thousands to Waikiki

HONOLULU — It’s “Gotta Catch ‘Em All” time, and that’s a tall order with so much planned for this week’s 2024 Pokemon World Championships, which Meet Hawai‘i estimates will generate more than $57 million in visitor spending and $6.7 million in taxes.

Agency detects chemical plume in Aiea wells

HONOLULU — Testing by the Honolulu Board of Water Supply earlier this summer indicated that a plume of contaminants often associated with petroleum fuel recently passed through a pair of drinking wells in Aiea near the Navy’s underground Red Hill fuel storage facility.

Team tackles climate change’s impact

Gov. Josh Green created a tough assignment in May for the retired leader of a Hawaii real estate investment firm to assemble a team that can recommend policies to minimize climate-related natural disaster impacts in the state.

Ke Ala Hele Makalae Trail named to Hall of Fame

LIHU‘E — The nation’s largest trail advocacy organization announced that Ke Ala Hele Makalae Trail is the newest member of the Rails to Trails Conservancy Organization Hall of Fame.

The process of rebuilding begins in Lahaina

LAHAINA, Hawai‘i — Kari and Rich Alexander have a goal to celebrate this Christmas with their two children in a new home just like the one they lost in the Lahaina wildfire more than a year ago.

Kahului man arrested in blast investigation

Maui Police Department officers arrested a 47-year-old Kahului man Saturday in connection with the discovery of a series of improvised explosive devices, one of which detonated and took out a sport utility vehicle in Pukalani on Thursday.