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 October 24, 2026
Today’s Top Stories
OHA CEO decision deferred: OHA trustees voted 5-4 to put off choosing a permanent CEO until Nov. 2, the day before the general election, after hours of testimony largely opposing Todd Apo; Summer Sylva remains interim CEO. Source: Hawaii News Now
Jobless rate at two-year high: Hawaiʻi’s unemployment rate rose to 2.8% in September, and Kauaʻi’s jumped from 2.5% to 5.1% after Hurricane Lowell. Source: Hawaiʻi Tribune-Herald
Kīlauea eruption paused: As of HVO’s Oct. 23 update, the Alert Level is Advisory (aviation color code Yellow); episode 55 ended Oct. 17 and episode 56 is preliminarily forecast for Oct. 29 to Nov. 5. Source: USGS HVO
Statewide ALL ISLANDS
Hawaiian affairs, the economy, and storm recovery
HAWAIIAN AFFAIRS
OHA trustees defer CEO decision after hours of testimony
Trustees voted 5-4 to delay selecting a permanent CEO until Nov. 2 after late testimony against Todd Apo, who had won a subcommittee vote. Summer Sylva remains interim CEO.
ECONOMY
State jobless rate hits a two-year high of 2.8%
An economist says labor force growth is driving the September rise from 2.7%. Kauaʻi jumped from 2.5% to 5.1% after Hurricane Lowell; Hawaiʻi County is at 3.5%.
STORM RECOVERY
$81.4 million coming for Kona low road and bridge repairs
Sen. Brian Schatz announced U.S. DOT funds to repair roads, bridges, and structures damaged by this year’s Kona low storms.
ENVIRONMENT
Teams race to restore reefs turned to rubble by hurricanes
Hurricanes Lala and Lowell left reefs badly damaged. A reef restoration network funded in part by a $500,000 coral insurance payout has reattached thousands of broken corals.
Oʻahu HONOLULU CO.
Public housing, rail, and Hawaiian culture
HOUSING
2,400 homes, 10 towers: Mayor Wright public housing redevelopment
Highridge Costa and the Hawaiʻi Public Housing Authority are rebuilding the 75-year-old Kalihi-Pālama site. The first building is due in 2029 and more than half the units target households under 80% of area median income.
INFRASTRUCTURE
Kakaʻako braces for the next phase of rail construction
Starting Monday, Skyline work moves to Halekauwila Street. HART says noise monitors will enforce evening limits, and segment three runs through December 2030.
CULTURE
“Making the Line” hula documentary premieres at HIFF
Zilla Barbosa’s film follows Hālau Hiʻiakaināmakalehua for three years of Merrie Monarch preparation. A second screening is Sunday at 2:30 p.m. at Consolidated Kahala.
Maui MAUI CO.
Molokaʻi lands, Lahaina recovery, and cultural stewardship
MOLOKAʻI
Mayor proposes $30M in bonds to protect Molokaʻi lands and water assets
Bills 150 and 151 passed first reading 8-1. Buying specific properties would need later Council action, and second reading is set for Nov. 13.
LAHAINA RECOVERY
100 fire-survivor ʻohana become first-time homebuyers
Eighteen more households received shopping letters through the Hoʻokumu Hou program, bringing the total to 100. So far 43 homes have been bought and more than $24 million awarded.
CULTURE
Descendant-led Ulu-a-Paeahu takes root in Honuaʻula
The new organization of lineal descendants aims to share Honuaʻula’s history through local voices and protect storied places in South Maui.
Hawaiʻi (Big Island) HAWAIʻI CO.
Kīlauea, water, and county leadership
VOLCANO
Kīlauea summit eruption paused; episode 56 forecast Oct. 29 to Nov. 5
HVO’s Oct. 23 update (9:37 a.m., about 16 hours old) lists the Alert Level as Advisory and the color code as Yellow. Episode 55 ended Oct. 17 and summit reinflation continues.
COUNTY
Daniel Volpe named Hawaiʻi County fire chief
The Fire Commission voted 5-1 to hire the interim chief from more than 30 applicants. He takes office Nov. 12, replacing the late Chief Kazuo Todd.
COMMUNITY
Punaluʻu taps dry for nine weeks after Hurricane Lala
Residents want a community nonprofit to take over the privately owned system, whose owner’s attorney says there is no repair timeline.
HISTORIC SITES
Arrest after vandalism of Star of the Sea Painted Church
A Pāhoa man is accused of breaking windows and smashing saint statues at the historic Kalapana church. His case continues Oct. 27.
Kauaʻi KAUAʻI CO.
Hurricane Lowell recovery
PARKS
Waimea Canyon Lookout reopens Saturday; other parks stay closed
Only the first lookout reopens Oct. 24 in daylight hours. Kōkeʻe State Park and the other Kauaʻi state parks remain closed until further notice.
RECOVERY
Lowell recovery: power mostly restored, business grants open
Small businesses and nonprofits can apply for $5,000 or $10,000 grants. Residents with needs can call 211 or visit kauairecovers.org.
HOUSING
Kawailehua public housing residents organize over conditions
Residents describe dead pigs and stripped cars and say their complaints have gone unaddressed.
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.