Island News
What's happening in Hawaiʻi.
Hawaiian Homelands, state issues, culture and history — across the islands, refreshed overnight, ready for your morning. We start with what matters statewide, then go island by island.
How it works: Stories are scanned overnight from Star-Advertiser, Civil Beat, Hawaii News Now, KHON, KITV, Ka Wai Ola (OHA), regional papers (West Hawaiʻi Today, Hawaiʻi Tribune-Herald, Maui News, The Garden Island), and DHHL/state sources. We summarize, link to the original, and never republish full articles. Refreshed daily at 11:30pm HST.
Updated July 25, 2026
Today’s Top Stories
815 Hawaiian Home Lands leases awarded on Oʻahu: DHHL handed out 815 residential leases in a single day on July 18 — including hundreds each in Waimānalo and ʻEwa, and the first new Nānākuli homestead lots since 1996. Source: KHON2
Bill-signing season closes with 266 new laws: Gov. Josh Green finished the 2026 signing period with 266 of 267 measures enacted and just one veto — the fewest in recent history. Source: Maui Now
Kīlauea’s next fountaining episode expected July 27–31: The Halemaʻumaʻu eruption is paused, but USGS models point to episode 52 lava fountains beginning between July 27 and 31. Alert level remains Advisory. Source: USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory
Statewide ALL ISLANDS
New laws take effect across the pae ʻāina
STATE POLICY
Conservation and governance bills signed into law
Gov. Green signed a slate of measures on July 13 expanding support for conservation efforts and strengthening state governance.
GOOD GOVERNMENT
Bribery statute of limitations extended to nine years
Act 225 (SB 2494) gives prosecutors nine years to pursue bribery offenses, allowing more time for thorough corruption investigations.
HOUSING
Rainwater catchment law opens doors for rural housing
HB 1728, effective July 1, lets residents statewide install rainwater catchment systems — a boost for building homes where county water hookups aren’t available.
Oʻahu HONOLULU CO.
Housing policy takes center stage
HOUSING
Council advances Bill 18 to speed affordable rentals
The Honolulu City Council voted 6-2 to pass second reading of Bill 18, which eases development standards to accelerate affordable rental construction on underused urban parcels.
TAX POLICY
Empty-homes tax one vote short of the November ballot
Charter Commission Proposal 170, which would direct the city to establish an empty-homes tax, has eight of the nine commission votes it needs to reach voters this fall.
HAWAIIAN HOMELANDS
Applications open for DHHL’s first high-rise rentals
The 23-story, 278-unit Ke Ola Hou tower in Mōʻiliʻili — DHHL’s first high-rise rental development — is now accepting applications, with studios to three-bedroom units.
Maui MAUI CO.
Lahaina recovery milestones and West Maui water
LAHAINA RECOVERY
Front Street walkway and railing project blessed
A July 1 blessing marked completion of new sidewalks, light poles, benches, and landscaping along the 700 block of Front Street — groundwork for businesses to reopen.
WATER
County proposes $6M purchase of West Maui water systems
Mayor Bissen’s proposal to acquire Launiupoko and Olowalu water assets — wells, reservoirs, and 19 miles of pipeline — would put 93% of West Maui drinking water under public stewardship.
LAHAINA RECOVERY
Displaced residents look to jobs as the way home
Nearly three years after the fires, about 220 homes have been rebuilt of the 2,200-plus structures lost, and access to steady work is emerging as the key to bringing families back.
Hawaiʻi (Big Island) HAWAIʻI CO.
Homestead awards in Panaʻewa and Kīlauea watch
HAWAIIAN HOMELANDS
200 Panaʻewa leases — first East Hawaiʻi awards in 20 years
DHHL awarded 200 project leases for the 334-acre Panaʻewa Homestead, which will hold 400 residential lots; another 200 leases are expected in August.
COUNTY
Grace period advances for short-term rental registration
Bill 175 would waive registration-violation fees from Sept. 1 to Dec. 31 while Hawaiʻi County refines its short-term rental registration platform.
VOLCANO
Episode 51 sent lava fountains 950 feet high
Kīlauea’s July 15 episode lasted about eight hours, with tephra confined to the closed area of Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park; HVO is now watching for episode 52.
Kauaʻi KAUAʻI CO.
Plantation Days finale and community programs
CULTURE
Kōloa Plantation Days wraps “The Last Harvest”
The 10-day festival honoring Kauaʻi’s plantation-era communities closes Sunday, July 26, with the historic parade through Kōloa and the Family Fun Run at Poʻipū.
COMMUNITY
KPD launches paid Cadet Program
The Kauaʻi Police Department opened a new paid, hands-on cadet pathway on July 15 for residents interested in public-service careers.
HOUSING
Free first-time homebuyer series set for July 30
The county Housing Agency and Kauaʻi Board of Realtors host a no-cost homebuyer education session July 30, 4–6 p.m., at the War Memorial Convention Hall.
Molokaʻi MOL
Molokaʻi's only print newspaper is The Molokai Dispatch — weekly print, daily online, in continuous publication since 1985 under editor Catherine Cluett Pactol. The most reliable source for community news, county council coverage, school board, and the long-running conversations around food sovereignty, tourism limits, and the Molokaʻi Plan.
For statewide context on Molokaʻi-related issues, Honolulu Civil Beat covers Maui County government decisions affecting Molokaʻi, and Hawaiʻi Public Radio reports occasional features.
Lānaʻi LAN
Lānaʻi has no dedicated daily newspaper. The closest thing to a community news hub is lanai96763.com, a community website covering events, county notices, and island life. Lānaʻi Today is a monthly community paper that circulates on-island.
Lānaʻi is part of Maui County, so larger stories — county budget, water rights, the long-running conversations about land use under Pulama Lānaʻi stewardship — are typically covered by The Maui News and Honolulu Civil Beat.
Niʻihau NII
Niʻihau is privately stewarded and outside conventional news coverage. There is no Niʻihau newspaper, and the community has chosen a quieter relationship with the press. What follows is where Niʻihau-related news occasionally surfaces — not a steady feed.
The Garden Island (Kauaʻi) is the closest regional paper and occasionally covers Niʻihau ʻohana on Kauaʻi, including the two Niʻihau-language charter schools (KKNOK and KANAKA) and Niʻihau shell lei artists. Honolulu Civil Beat and Hawaiʻi Public Radio have published longer features over the years, typically tied to language preservation, conservation on the island, or legal questions affecting the Robinson stewardship.
Kahoʻolawe KAH
Kahoʻolawe news clusters around four themes: UXO (unexploded ordnance) cleanup status, native species restoration, water and erosion control, and Hawaiian sovereignty.
The primary sources: Kahoʻolawe Island Reserve Commission (KIRC) publishes program updates and annual reports; Protect Kahoʻolawe ʻOhana (PKO) shares Makahiki and Aloha ʻĀina news. For press coverage, Ka Wai Ola (Office of Hawaiian Affairs) runs the most consistent reporting; Hawaiʻi News Now, UH News, and Honolulu Civil Beat cover bigger stories — most recently around the 50th anniversary of the Aloha ʻĀina movement in 2026.