The Honolulu City Council’s full meeting at 10 a.m. Thursday includes a possible vote to override Mayor Rick Blangiardi’s veto of Bill 22, which would again allow the sale and use of low-impact consumer fireworks such as sparklers and ground fountains on certain holidays. Read more
It brings relief that the hotel workers’ strike at the Hilton Hawaiian Village has ended, with staffers back on the job after 40 days on the picket line. Read more
Dedicated bus lanes sound reasonable — they help buses move more quickly without jockeying with cars — but could be dubious if the traffic corridor is relatively narrow. Read more
It’s certainly gratifying to see hundreds of public school kids successfully rallying to keep intact nearly $2 million for learning centers that provide after-school and weekend programs in areas of interest, such as STEM, performing arts and agriculture. Read more
Feral cats might be a problem, yes, since they are known to spread toxoplasmosis, a disease that can be deadly for endangered Hawaiian monk seals. Read more
After California’s 2018 Camp Fire, that county’s district attorney brought criminal charges against Pacific Gas and Electric Co. The utility ended up pleading guilty to 84 counts of involuntary manslaughter and one felony count of unlawfully starting a fire. Read more
The decorative vermilion wooden bridge and pavilion in Hilo’s Lili‘uokalani Gardens are no more — the termites got ’em — but Hawaii County will rebuild the structure in its original form. Read more
While it’s somewhat good that many folks are willing to wait in line at the last minute — literally — to vote on Election Day, there is absolutely no reason for them to do so. Read more
In recent years, a cooperative state-city relationship has helped make some inroads on very tough problems, such as homelessness. Read more
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Citing fire safety concerns, Mayor Rick Blangiardi vetoed the Honolulu City Council’s Bill 22 to make “consumer fireworks” such as ground-level fountains and sparklers legal to buy and sell on designated dates, such as New Year’s Eve or July Fourth. Read more
Colleen Hanabusa is staying on as chair of the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation (HART) board, despite an open rift between her and HART Executive Director/CEO Lori Kahikina. Read more
The front-line staffers who work with homeless people know that the unhoused are made up of many subgroups — ranging, for instance, from the mentally unstable, to drug or substance addicts, to the working poor struggling for housing. Read more
Gang activity is nothing new in the islands, but the case of Gabriel Antone Eberhardt is drawing attention for a potent mix of drugs and firearms. Read more
The first shoe has dropped at Hawaiian Airlines, with the announcement that 73 of its 1,400 noncontract workers will get laid off with severance packages in mid-December, in the wake of its merger with Alaska Air Group Inc. Read more
It was encouraging to see Tuesday’s show of youth activism, with hundreds of teens waving “vote” signs before walking to Honolulu Hale to drop off their general election ballots or to cheer on the process. Read more
At long last, let the voting begin! Read more
More than a year after a devastating wildfire ripped through Lahaina, a Maui County report provides insight on the long-term recovery and rebuilding process. Read more
The numbers aren’t in yet, but expectations are high for a record-breaking year of attendance for Honolulu Pride events, including an exuberant, rainbow-hued parade along Kalakaua Avenue on Saturday and a sold-out Universal Show Queen pageant on Oct. 12. Read more
The U.S. District Court will monitor the agreement, under proposed terms, and the city will pay $670,000 to claimants. The Honolulu City Council must approve the settlement to make it final. Read more
The Navy’s positive spin on results from an Environmental Protection Agency summer inspection of its Hickam-Pearl Harbor water system: that enhanced water sampling has found only relatively low-level traces of petroleum and of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, mostly below environmental actionable levels. Read more
This year’s accolades for 2025 Hawaii State Teacher of the Year go to Bryan Silver of Kalani High School, a career technical education teacher with 24 years of experience. Read more
