After a fatal incident last fall, Hawaii County outfitted its K-9 unit with vehicle heat sensors and sensor collars and upgraded kennels at the Kona station. The changes aim to give handlers faster warning if a dog overheats.

Lawmakers introduced HB1644 and SB2032 to force a one‑page solar disclosure and require licensed contractors, aiming to curb misleading residential solar sales.

A Kailua Air Force officer testified he sent about 6,000 online messages and denied attraction to minors as he faces federal enticement charges. Court exhibits include chats with purported minors.

A proposed bill would bar sleeping and storing belongings at Honolulu bus stops, allowing warnings, citations and police clearings and drawing pushback from civil‑rights groups.

Paia favorite Tobi’s Poke & Shave Ice opened a second shop at Kīhei's Kukui Mall, serving poke plates, shave ice and breakfast in a beach‑friendly counter.

Emails in the public Epstein files reference Maui and Honolulu, and local advocates say the phrasing could be coded language tied to trafficking concerns. The documents are available in searchable public archives.

Howard Hughes has asked HCDA to approve a taller Mahana tower in Ward Village that would add 111 condo units and could begin presales later in 2026.

Lahainaluna students and Treecovery Hawaiʻi have launched a campus grow hub to raise trees and saplings for Lahaina homeowners rebuilding after the 2023 wildfires. The project pairs hands-on education with community recovery work.

The 15th annual Maui 5K returns to Māʻalaea next Sunday, raising funds for Maui County schools. New youth pricing and packet pickup details are in place.

A Flood Advisory covered Maui on Saturday, Feb. 21; officials warned of ponding on roads and rising streams through 9 PM HST. Residents were urged to avoid flood‑prone areas.

Two men were taken to the hospital after a moped collided with a car on Kalākaua Avenue in Waikīkī. Both riders were wearing helmets and are in serious condition.

Treecovery and partners installed endemic loulu palms at Lahaina Harbor this week as part of ongoing recovery. The palms were grown in Kula from seeds collected on Moloka‘i.

Act 278 makes landlords notify mediation centers when they serve nonpayment notices; tenants get 10 days to request free, state-funded mediation under a two-year pilot.