Kawakami delivers State of the County address
LIHU‘E — In his sixth State of the County address since taking office, County of Kaua‘i Mayor Derek S.K. Kawakami laid out a sweeping plan for the island as he navigates a final term in office.
The U.S. has its first presidential rematch since 1956
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Just when Americans thought they were out, Joe Biden and Donald Trump pulled them back in.
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Biden clinches nomination, Trump getting closer
WASHINGTON, D.C. — President Joe Bidenclinched the Democratic presidential nomination with decisive victories in Georgia and Mississippi on Tuesday, overcoming concerns about his leadership from within his own party as the 2024 presidential contest shifts to a general election rematch that many voters do not want.
Republican Rep. Ken Buck to leave Congress
DENVER — Colorado Republican Rep. Ken Buck said Tuesday that he’ll resign next week, narrowing his party’s razor-thin House majority and potentially short-circuiting Rep. Lauren Boebert’s effort to succeed him.
State of the County Address on March 14
LIHU‘E — Mayor Derek S.K. Kawakami will deliver the State of the County Address on March 14.
Kaua‘i to get millions in federal funding
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Sen. Brian Schatz announced on Tuesday that he secured $394 million in new congressional directed spending, known commonly as earmarks, in the first half of this year’s government funding bill.
GOP presidential caucus to be held March 12
LIHU‘E — The 2024 Hawai‘i Republican Presidential Caucus will held on Tuesday, March 12. The caucus will run from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Evslin to host town hall meeting on Monday
LIHU‘E — Capitalizing on the Legislature’s five-day recess, House Representative Luke Evslin is inviting the public to attend a community town hall meeting where he will deliver an update on the 2024 Legislative session.
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Haley sharpening contrasts with Trump before South Carolina primary
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Nikki Haley is using the closing days of her South Carolina Republican primary matchup with Donald Trump to hone her argument that she is the lone remaining candidate who can unite Americans, despite the former president’s electoral wins thus far and his popularity in her home state.
Pot legalization bill advances in Legislature
HILO, Hawai‘i — A bill that would legalize the recreational use of cannabis by adults 21 and over cleared its first legislative hurdle on Tuesday.
‘Clean elections’ bill has widespread support
HILO, Hawai‘i — A proposal to publicly finance Hawai‘i election campaigns is riding a wave of public support through the state Legislature.
Committee hearing set for cannabis bill
HILO, Hawai‘i — A bill that would legalize adult-use recreational marijuana in Hawaii on Jan. 1, 2026, will receive a committee hearing this week.
Assault will cost state $1.25M: Settlement reached in Hilo case involving DLNR officer
HILO, Hawai‘i — Companion bills in the Hawai‘i Legislature that appropriate money to settle claims against the state and its employees contain $1.25 million for a Hilo woman who was sexually assaulted when she was on a Hilo beach by a Department of Land and Natural Resources enforcement officer.
Hawai‘i Supreme Court issues gun rights ruling
HONOLULU — A ruling by Hawai‘i’s high court saying that a man can be prosecuted for carrying a gun in public without a permit cites crime-drama TV series “The Wire” and invokes the “spirit of Aloha” in an apparent rebuke of a U.S. Supreme Court decision that expanded gun rights nationwide.
Connecting to Kaua‘i’s endangered forest birds
LIHU‘E — The primary objective of Makahiki o na manu, or the Year of the Forest Birds, is to rekindle people’s pilina, their relationship, with the native forest birds, said Julie Diegmann of the Kaua‘i Forest Bird Recovery Project on Wednesday.
Short-term vacation rental bill blasted
HILO, Hawai‘i — A proposal to rewrite how Hawai‘i County regulates short-term vacation rentals led to hours of backlash from residents accusing the Hawai‘i County Council of overreach.
Alaska judge will preside over upcoming Hawai‘i bribery trial after an unexpected recusal
HONOLULU — A U.S. judge in Alaska will preside over an upcoming bribery trial in Hawai‘i against Honolulu’s former top prosecutor after a judge suddenly recused himself.
Council chair to host series of town halls
LIHU‘E — The Office of the County Clerk, Council Services Division announced on Monday that Kaua‘i County Council Chair Mel Rapozo will host a series of town halls throughout the island starting on Jan. 25.
Hawai‘i governor hails support for Maui in State of the State address
HONOLULU — Hawai‘i Gov. Josh Green on Monday used his annual State of the State address to lead lawmakers and guests in a moment of silence for victims of the Lahaina wildfire and to propose aggressive steps to shift more vacation rentals into residential use to meet both Maui and the state’s acute housing needs.
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Trump wins New Hampshire primary
MANCHESTER, N.H. — Former President Donald Trump easily won New Hampshire’s primary on Tuesday, seizing command of the race for the Republican nomination and making a November rematch against President Joe Biden feel all the more inevitable.