Featured
Is your pet a baller? Enter them in the Mini Hoopers cutest pet contest
One nation. Infinite pets. Only one baller-in-chief. Enter now for a chance to win the $3,000 grand prize and earn your furry family member the title of America’s Cutest Pet baller.
LEAP Act would ensure grad students get same borrowing capacity as ‘professional’ students
After the GOP spending bill slashed student loan limits for healthcare professionals, Hawai‘i U.S. Rep. Jill Tokuda and colleagues introduced the legislation to level the playing field.
Schatz introduces legislation to protect, expand Social Security
More than 280,000 people in Hawai‘i, or more than 1 in 6 residents, rely on Social Security benefits; the SAFE Social Security Act will increase benefits for seniors in Hawai‘i and throughout the United States.
‘Chief of War’ star, respected Kauaʻi cultural practitioner Kaina Makua to give keynote at Toastmasters conference
The Kauaʻi native portrays Kamehameha I in the Apple TV+ series and is co-founder and executive director of West Kauaʻi nonprofit and social enterprise Kumano I Ke Ala, where he leads initiatives dedicated to restoring ancestral relationships to ʻāina through education, food systems revitalization and Hawaiian language immersion.
University of Hawaiʻi study reveals how ocean’s most abundant bacteria diversify
Understanding SAR11 marine bacteria is vital because they are one of the main drivers of the global ocean’s life-support system; they move and recycle the carbon and nutrients that sustain all other marine life.
Hawai‘i Government Employees Association: Public servants should not have to work in fear
Union demands action by Hawai’i Department of Education after alleged assault on Moanalua High School Assistant Athletic Director Natalie Iwamoto following a preseason basketball game earlier this month at the Honolulu school.
Lawmakers blast White House for making it harder for taxpayers to receive full refunds
U.S. Sen. Mazie Hirono, a Hawai‘i Democrat, is joined by 24 of her Senate colleagues in urging President Donald Trump’s Administration to restore staff and resources at Taxpayer Advocate Service, which assists taxpayers with resolving any issues within the Internal Revenue Service.
University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa English Dept. chooses ‘analogue’ as 2025 Hawaiʻi Word of the Year
The choice is meant to highlight the enduring value of human-centered thinking, creativity and interpretation in an age of rapidly growing artificial intelligence.
State launches new centralized phone number to improve public access, service
The new number brings multiple state Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs divisions onto a unified call center platform, improving call routing, case tracking and consumer support.
Hawaiʻi Legislature accepting applications for 2026 grant-in-aid funds
The deadline to apply is 4:30 p.m. Jan. 23; final determinations about which nonprofit organizations will receive funding will be made as Council on Revenue forecasts in January and March are published.
Volcano Watch: Unraveling Kīlauea’s volcanic whirlwinds. Is it a twister? Or not?
Often spotted by onlookers in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, or even by YouTube livestream viewers, the long, ashy gray or brown, ropy cloud-like structures tend to appear near or downwind of active lava fountains.
Excellence in action: Kaua‘i Police Department honors Employees of Month
Officers Kevin Kamakahi and Branden Barroga were named October 2025 Employees of the Month, Public Safety workers Ernest Ganiron and Ronald Aceret were honored as November 2025 Employees of the Month and Officer Desmond Thain received the award for December 2025.
No state roadway closures scheduled week of Dec. 27 through Jan. 2, 2026
A holiday lane closure restriction continues through Jan. 4, 2026. Only closures with demonstrated need — such as those necessary for safety or to avoid lengthy construction delays — are approved.
December 2025 updates from Kauaʻi Office of Economic Development
Happy holidays from Kauaʻi County Office of Economic Development. The staff and administration wish you and your ʻohana a happy, healthy and prosperous 2026. Check out these updates about programs, grants and events happening around the island.
Kaua‘i middle schoolers compete in second Makahiki championship
The traditional Hawaiian sporting events took place on Friday. Kumano I Ke Ala Executive Director Kaina Makua said the games are for everyone, and they bring the community together.
Recruitment for state conservation officers starts in January
Vacancies for these officer positions are located across the state.
Kauaʻi film commissioner finds success bringing productions to the island
Sandy Kaʻauwai is working hard to solidify Kauaʻi as a prime location for film and television, despite rising production costs and global competition.
Incentive program aids in keeping children healthy in Hawaiʻi
The Hawaiʻi Child Wellness Incentive Program offers a $50 reward for a well-child examination to encourage preventive care and support the well-being of keiki.
Wildfire preparedness education to continue with outreach event in Anahola next month
Kauaʻi Emergency Management Agency will continue wildfire preparedness efforts to give residents evacuation strategies and safety tips with an outreach event in Anahola on Jan. 13.
U.S. Senate passes Schatz legislation to expand Veterans Affairs services
The Caring for Veterans and Strengthening National Security Act would require U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to provide U.S. veterans in the Freely Associated States of Palau, Micronesia and the Marshall Islands with telehealth services, mail-order pharmacy benefits, beneficiary travel reimbursements and access to the health care and benefits all American veterans should receive.
