Gov. Green considering pausing state, county gas tax during summer to ease prices at pump. Gov. Josh Green says he’s considering pausing state and county gas taxes for part of summer. The state gas tax is 16 cents a gallon. The county’s tax ranges from 16 to 24 cents. Depending on your vehicle, that could mean a savings of $4-to-$6 every time you fill up. KHON2.EPA Just Walked Back Hawaiʻi’s Plan To Retire Its Dinosaur Power Plants. By throwing a wrench in the state’s Regional Haze State Implementation Plan, advocates say HECO can sidestep rules years in the making. Civil Beat.Candidate Faced Little Vetting For Charter School Board. The Hawaiʻi education board reviews applications to the state charter school commission. Some school leaders say the process should be more rigorous. Civil Beat.Hawaiʻi Board of Education commits to better communication. As the school year comes to a close, the Hawaiʻi Board of Education is committing to higher standards of communication and transparency with its community. Hawaii Public Radio.Partnerships formalized to expand locally sourced school meals in Hawaiʻi. State leaders gathered at Mililani High School to sign a joint memorandum of agreement formalizing a statewide partnership to expand the use of locally sourced foods in Hawaiʻi public school meals and strengthen Hawaiʻi’s agricultural and food systems. Maui Now.OahuCouncil authorizes $350K contract to defend against Hitachi litigation. A private law firm with a longstanding role defending the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation in court will be paid more to advise the city as it navigates ongoing legal disputes with the prime contractor of the city’s more than $10 billion Skyline project. Star-Advertiser.Crisis teams use new law to get mentally ill homeless into treatment on Oahu. Pilot program allows involuntary transport to mental health facilities with law enforcement backup. About 60 people from across the island have been taken to hospitals or mental health crisis centers. Of those, six would not go willingly and had to be handcuffed and driven in patrol cars to the treatment facility. Hawaii News Now.Tour of problems at Oahu Community Correctional Center. The state wants to build a new billion dollar jail to replace the current Oahu Community Correctional Center. KHON2.Coast Guard, partners respond to oil spill at Ala Wai Harbor. The Coast Guard said it is working with the state Department of Health and the Department of Land and Natural Resources Division of Boating and Ocean Recreation on the response. Hawaii News Now. Hawaii IslandBill gives Maunakea authority more time to take over management of summit area. House Bill 2592 extends the start date of the Maunakea Stewardship and Oversight Authority's assumption of management of the summit area from June 2028 to December 2029 and gives it the power to extend existing observatory leases on the mountain prior to the transfer date. Tribune-Herald.Funds Released for Restoration of East Hawaiʻi Cultural Center. Governor Josh Green released $200,000 in general obligation bond funds for a Capital Improvement Program (CIP) Grant-in-Aid (GIA) project supporting the restoration of the Kalākaua Street building. Big Island Video News.State Funds Released for Goodwill Hilo Campus. Governor Josh Green has released $500,000 in general obligation bond funds for a Capital Improvement Program Grant-in-Aid to help bring Goodwill’s newly acquired Hilo campus facility up to code, and expand its operational capacity to better serve the East Hawaiʻi community. Big Island Video News. Big Island Now. MauiMaui County agrees to buy Maui Land Pineapple Co. water assets. If the sale goes through, and negotiations are successful with other water system owners like Kameha­meha Schools and West Maui Land to acquire key assets — including the Olowalu and Launiupoko irrigation and water companies — public stewardship of drinking and irrigation water will increase to 65% and drinking water alone will increase to 93%. Star-Advertiser. Maui Now.  Maui News.Maui’s Speed Bump Bonanza Is Driving Some Locals Crazy. The county has installed dozens of traffic-calming devices to improve public safety. Some residents say it has gone too far. Civil Beat.KauaiKaua‘i Looks To Triple Homeless Funding On Heels Of Lower Count. The County Council also increased funding for invasive species mitigation and mental health programs as part of its ongoing review of next year’s budget. Civil Beat.Political forum draws a crowd. The Kapaa Business Association 2026 Political Forum was an opportunity for the voting public to get to know the political candidates for the offices of Kauai mayor, the Kauai County Council, and Hawaii state representatives. Garden Island.Developer of Kauai condos files for bankruptcy over ‘predatory lending agreement’. A divisive development of 279 luxury condos under construction on Kauai’s south shore is now in financial trouble. After pre-selling about $100 million worth of units, developer Meridian Pacific filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy over its Kauanoe o Koloa project, days before a scheduled hearing for a lawsuit against it.  Hawaii News Now.Free property tax relief workshops scheduled in May, June, July. Kaua‘i property owners are invited to three free summer workshops beginning this month to learn about available property tax relief programs. Kauai Now. ...read more read less