Hawaii News

State’s surveillance of avian influenza, or bird flu, continues, and while no other birds have become ill from the virus, it has been detected in waste water on the Big Island and Kauaʻi. So state officials, out of an abundance of caution, said extending the pause is prudent at this time.

“Housing affordability in Hawaiʻi is already a serious challenge. As lawsuits become more frequent and larger in scale, they add financial uncertainty for developers, insurers and homebuyers alike.” — Trey Gordner, report lead author and a policy researcher at University of Hawaiʻi Economic Research Organization.

Hawaiian Volcano Observatory reported geysers of molten rock ceased from north vent at 3:11 p.m. March 11 and then just 2 minutes later from south vent after just 12 hours and 37 minutes of eruptive activity in Halemaʻumaʻu Crater.

Maui Police Department Chief John Pelletier was named in a lawsuit alleging he posed as a sheriff to a woman who reported being raped by Sean “Diddy” Combs in 2018.

US Sens. Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawai‘i) and Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), members of the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, have introduced the Veteran Caregiver Reeducation, Reemployment, and Retirement Act to help family caregivers transition into the workforce or retirement after their caregiving responsibilities end.

All of the gauges on Kauaʻi had near- to below-average rainfall totals for 2025 through the end of February.

Kiane Prietto from Kanu o ka ʻĀina hopes to end Hawaiʻi’s tenure as the extinction capital of the world as she vies for the title of: “America’s Favorite Teacher.”

Pride at Work-Hawaiʻi protest in honor of International Women’s Day seeks future where everyone, regardless of gender identity or sexual orientation, is treated respectfully and equitably.

Several past eruptions of the Big Island volcano were characterized by similar lava fountaining episodes, including at the start of the Puʻuʻōʻō eruption in 1983, the start of the Maunaulu eruption in 1969 and the 1959 Kīlauea Iki eruption.

Fountains once again reached heights of 600 feet in the volcano’s caldera, which were sustained until the north vent in Halemaʻumaʻu Crater quit erupting at 8:26 p.m. March 4. Sustained fountains from the south vent saw heights of 200 to 400 feet throughout the night before decreasing. Just like the best season finale, however, the exciting, roaring eruptive event ended all too soon at 10:37 a.m. March 5, just less than 22 hours after it started.

The bill secures that no law or state action can interfere with the ability to obtain birth control, including methods like IUDs and emergency contraceptives. 

The Hawai‘i Native Species Conservation and Recovery Act would fund conservation and recovery projects to address invasive species, habitat restoration and population recovery.

Statewide program that gives 3- and 4-year-olds an early start to learning has 92 classrooms on 74 Hawai‘i Department of Education campuses throughout the islands and hopes to add 50 more during the next 2 years.

Hawaiian Volcano Observatory reported Tuesday afternoon that the most recent eruptive activity of the ongoing eruption in Kaluapele, the volcano’s summit caldera, started at 7:30 a.m. Tuesday with sporadic small lava flows alternating between the south and north vents in the southwest portion of Halema‘uma‘u Crater. A transition to fountaining began at 2 p.m.

Office of Hawaiian Affairs Board of Trustees chairperson and former U.S. congressman returns to Washington for discussions with federal officials and lawmakers. He will also attend President Donald Trump’s address today to a joint session of Congress.

Elected last month, Jason Ford will serve one year as president-elect before assuming presidency of Association of Hawaiʻi Archivists.

The survey, conducted by the Hawaiʻi Department of Health, will collect critical information about the understanding of bird flu as well as practices and needs of those who keep poultry or care for rescued birds.

The Instagram post by actress China McClain was taken down by midday March 3 after garnering tens of thousands of reactions and more than 2,000 comments, many of which pleading for the video to be removed and an apology for potential cultural insensitivity.

All statewide outdoor warning sirens sounded a 1-minute steady tone at 11:45 a.m. The public should contact Kauaʻi County Emergency Management at 808-241-1800 to report any siren operation issues.

Some Hilo and Mānoa campus students lost their research funding and educational stipends as a result of stop work orders and freezes on federal grant funds.