Historic moment might energize Hawai‘i voters

HONOLULU — Most Hawai‘i political leaders welcomed President Joe Biden’s decision to drop out of the 2024 presidential race and swiftly expressed support for his replacement pick of Vice President Kamala Harris, but it’s still unclear whether these historic events will energize Hawai‘i voters enough to affect local elections.

Brush fire burned about 1,600 acres in Koke‘e

KOKE‘E — A mop-up was underway on Monday at the site of a brush fire, which scorched approximately 1,600 acres before it was extinguished by air and ground attacks from personnel with local, state and federal agencies.

Ballot drop boxes ready to accept ballots

LIHU‘E — Ballot packets for the 2024 Primary Election were mailed on Wednesday, July 17, and the county’s Office of the County Clerk said voters should have either gotten their packets, or should be getting them, shortly.

Red Hill community group told it won’t be disbanded

HONOLULU — The Red Hill Community Representation Initiative received an email Friday from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency confirming that the organization will not be disbanded, despite being notified in June about its potential dissolution in response to Navy complaints.

Democrats and Republican push back against voter apathy

HONOLULU — Isabelle Enriques — a 16-year-old, incoming junior at Mililani High School — is too young to vote but worries about Hawai‘i’s traditionally low voter turnout with the approach of the Aug. 10 party primary election and Nov. 5 presidential general election.

Efforts drag on to finalize $4 billion Maui wildfire settlement

An all-encompassing tentative litigation settlement over the Aug. 8, 2023, Maui wildfires was still being wrestled over Friday by stakeholders in hundreds of lawsuits filed against Hawaiian Electric, Maui County, the state, large landowners and other defendants.

Lane closures scheduled on Kaua‘i

LIHU‘E — A lot of road-related work is scheduled for the upcoming week on the island of Kaua‘i, the Hawai‘i department of Transportation said in an update on Friday.

Waikiki nonprofit eyes affordable housing

HONOLULU — The Waikiki Community Center is planning for the first major redevelopment of its site, which could include senior affordable housing to support its goal of providing holistic services.

Road repairs to begin in Kaka‘ako

HONOLULU — With legal ownership issues resolved, Kaka‘ako streets in one of Honolulu’s major residential and commercial hubs are about to undergo long-awaited repairs and refurbishment to fix potholes, bumps and overall disrepair.

Man gets life sentence for fatal stabbing and arson

HONOLULU — Scott David DeAngelo, who in 2022 escaped by jumping from a burning fourth-floor Pearl City apartment that he set on fire after fatally stabbing his roommate in the neck, has now escaped a possible sentence of life without parole.

Body found at Carter’s Point

NAWILIWILI — Law enforcement is seeking the community’s assistance in identifying a body that was found at Carter’s Point on Thursday, July 18.

Global tech outage disrupts local services

LIHU‘E — A tech outage disrupted services around the globe, leaving airline passengers stranded, surgeries canceled and government agencies working through the night to restore systems.

HPD officer gets probation for insurance fraud

HONOLULU — An O‘ahu Circuit Court judge sentenced a Honolulu Police Department (HPD) officer to fines, community service and forced him to abide by specific probation conditions for four years or risk jail time for insurance fraud.