A new $8 million settlement will fund lifetime care for a severely autistic Oahu resident after 17 years of denied special‑education services. Lawyers say the award covers mental‑health, housing and rehab supports.

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.

A state audit found DOBOR can't show whether the 2019 salvage-insurance law saved taxpayers. Records and collection practices are incomplete, the report says.

State health inspectors closed Jade Palace 2 in Kailua-Kona after finding live and dead cockroaches and multiple critical food-safety failures. The restaurant must remain shut until DOH signs off.

A two-alarm fire at an abandoned Kalihi home was controlled Friday; no injuries were reported and investigators were on scene.

A flood advisory covered Oahu Friday, with officials warning of rapid runoff and ponded roads in windward neighborhoods.

Matson added 100 shipping containers to Hawaiʻi Foodbank’s program — a boost Matson says equals about 3.5 million meals and frees funds for local food purchases.

Scattered showers and gusty east winds Friday with a Flood Watch for Kauai from 3 PM. Highs near 80°F and brief heavy downpours possible in stronger storms.

A bill to scrap complex-area superintendents set off a raucous Capitol hearing, with principals and unions accusing lawmakers of bullying and new ethics guidance complicating the fight.

HI‑EMA warns of a flood watch for Niihau and Kauai Friday into Saturday as forecasters monitor heavy rain. Expect ponding and possible road closures.

Arborists are preparing an invasive health check on Lahaina’s 150‑year‑old banyan after recent damage; the tree and park remain closed while crews test for hidden decay.

A Hilo jury sided with Hawaiʻi County and former R&D director Douglass Adams, rejecting discrimination claims tied to the 2022 film commissioner hire.

A proposal to make buses and rail free for keiki moved forward in the Hawaii Legislature, with funding proposed from a slice of the barrel tax and advocates pointing to equity and climate benefits.