General News

Updated 2/18/21, 2:36 p.m.

Various measures that would affect funding for art and culture in Hawaii are moving through the state legislature. While the need in other sectors has never been greater, arts advocates say cutting state funding for the arts could eventually hamper the state's recovery.

HONOLULU — A new Hawaii State Department of Health survey indicated the rate of daily vaping among high school students more than doubled over two years.

When a Hawaii inmate dies at any of the state's jails or prisons, the state Public Safety Department is required to provide a report to the governor withing 48 hours. A legislative proposal would require that same report be made available to the public and a copy given to the inmates' family.

HONOLULU — A Hawaii father told police he hit, shook and squeezed his 18-month-old daughter and then placed her lifeless body in a duffel bag before arranging for another man to dispose of it, court documents said.

HONOLULU — The state House education committee on Tuesday passed legislation compelling the state Department of Education to use federal coronavirus relief money to support public school teacher salaries instead of allocating the funds for uses including tutoring and school security.

Updated 2/17/21, 12:08 p.m.

The Honolulu City Council is considering two measures that address abandoned boats and trailers on city streets today. The measures aim to address safety concerns in communities, while also clarifying jurisdictions and procedures for their removal.

Updated 2/16/21, 12:43 p.m.

Hawaii ranked second-to-last in providing school breakfasts to low-income students, but the tide may have shifted because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

WAILUKU — The Hawaii Department of Health said suicide rates decreased during the COVID-19 pandemic compared with previous years.

HONOLULU — Police have arrested the father of a missing 18-month-old girl and a second man on suspicion of second-degree murder.

HILO — Proposed changes would make Hawaii's aid-in-dying law more accessible for terminally ill patients who want to end their lives.

HONOLULU — City officials in Honolulu have extended the deadline to renew driver's licenses, state identification cards and permits to mid-April in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

HONOLULU — Hawaii has received $87.4 million from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to open more coronavirus vaccination sites.

HONOLULU — Before the pandemic, a Hawaii state senator drafted legislation to compel the University of Hawaii's board to livestream its meetings so faculty and students on different islands could watch. University officials asked for two years to implement the idea.

HONOLULU — A Hawaii oil refinery has agreed to pay a civil penalty of $219,638 for chemical safety and hazardous waste violations, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said.

Updated 2/12/21, 12:05 p.m.

A Hawaiian housing organization plans to file federal racketeering charges against Bank of America for failing to fulfill a decades-long pledge to provide home loans to Native Hawaiians.

The state is considering a measure that would create a state lottery system to fund public education. But some think it may hurt low income families.

HILO — A Hawaii family discovered a rare nest of olive ridley sea turtles on the Big Island before alerting experts, who said the hatchlings are not normally encountered in the area.

HONOLULU — Hawaii's statewide moratorium on residential evictions is expected to be extended for another two months in a coronavirus emergency proclamation that the state's governor plans to issue.

Updated 2/11/21, 11:57 a.m.

A recent statewide survey found 91% of participants plan to get the COVID-19 vaccine. State officials say it's a strong indication that attitudes about the vaccine are rapidly shifting since vaccinations began in mid-December.

HONOLULU — Hawaii's governor has said he is cautious about loosening air travel restrictions for people who have received a coronavirus vaccine, while stressing that new virus variants are not widespread in the state.

HONOLULU — Hawaii Gov. David Ige said Tuesday that coronavirus relief aid from the U.S. government and better-than-expected tax revenues have prompted him to reduce the size of budget cuts he has proposed for public schools.

Updated 2/10/21, 12 p.m.

Hawaii is awaiting federal approval of an additional 175 million dollars for its vaccination program against COVID-19.

HONOLULU — Hawaii lawmakers are considering bills that could force oceanfront property owners to remove sandbags and heavy tarps that can significantly contribute to coastal erosion.

Updated 2/9/21, 12 p.m.

The pandemic has been difficult for many local restaurants, but one restaurateur keeps fighting in the same spirit as his father.

HONOLULU — A man was unharmed after sliding hundreds of feet down a slope from the summit of Hawaii's highest mountain, authorities said.

HONOLULU — Hawaii's commercial landlords would be prohibited from evicting tenants under a bill that state lawmakers are considering to help businesses hurt by the coronavirus pandemic.