Local search for Honolulu

1+ hour, 10+ min ago (60+ words) The Honolulu City Council approved a $1 million settlement to the family of Iremamber Sykap. Despite a lot of criticism, councilmembers say approving the settlement is the best path forward. The Honolulu City Council approved a $1 million settlement to the family of Iremamber Sykap. Despite a lot of criticism, councilmembers say approving the settlement is the best path forward....

1+ hour, 58+ min ago (518+ words) Hawaii's postcard-perfect waterfalls, black-sand beaches, and volcanic valleys will soon come with an added cost for visitors. Beginning January 2026, the state will roll out a new entry and parking fee system across several of its most visited parks, aiming to protect delicate ecosystems and improve the visitor experience amid booming tourist numbers. Why Hawaii Is Introducing New Fees The Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) has confirmed that non-residents and commercial vehicles will be charged new fees as part of a broader move to enhance visitor facilities, improve traffic flow, and fund long-term conservation. With millions of tourists arriving each year, park authorities say the added revenue is essential to maintain infrastructure, safeguard fragile landscapes, and ensure that the islands' natural treasures don't suffer from overuse. Which Parks Will Start Charging Fees Four major state parks will implement…...

3+ hour, 18+ min ago (1244+ words) We're " of the way to our campaign goal of $300,000 by Dec.31! Mahalo in advance for your continued support. Thank you to the 545 donors, including 61 new donors, who've contributed to our campaign so far! The settlement gives the city the easements it needs to build through Kaka'ako, but HART does not yet have the money to construct that segment. The Honolulu rail authority has finally settled a condemnation lawsuit over land in the path of the future rail line through Kaka'ako, agreeing to pay $41 million for easements needed to extend the line to Ala Moana Center. The settlement resolves a lawsuit filed by the city and the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation against Victoria Ward Ltd. in 2018 in an effort to win control of land needed for the extension. But much has changed since that lawsuit was filed. The Kaka'ako land…...

6+ hour, 8+ min ago (1459+ words) We're " of the way to our campaign goal of $300,000 by Dec.31! Mahalo in advance for your continued support. Thank you to the 545 donors, including 61 new donors, who've contributed to our campaign so far! Honolulu City Council members approved the settlement to protect the officers involved in the 2021 fatal shooting of Iremamber Sykap from future liability. The family of a 16-year-old killed by Honolulu police in 2021 will receive $1 million in a civil settlement despite hundreds of residents voicing opposition to the agreement. The Honolulu City Council voted unanimously Wednesday to approve the settlement for the family of Iremamber Sykap, a Micronesian boy who was shot by officers while fleeing arrest in a stolen Honda Civic on April 5, 2021. His grandmother and mother sued the city and police department for wrongful death and negligence, arguing Sykap was unarmed and posed no threat to…...

6+ hour, 22+ min ago (270+ words) The fatal shooting of Iremamber Sykap in 2021 came amid a national reckoning over police use of force, but the case also highlighted racism toward Micronesians in Hawaii. If the lawsuit Sykap's family filed against the city and police officers had gone to trial they would have sought $8 million to $10 million in general damages, their attorney Eric Seitz said. "Shooting a kid in the back of the head eight times when he wasn't armed, he didn't pose any threat to the police officers, is very likely to have really upset a lot of jurors," he said. The family accepted far less because of the "undercurrent of racism" in the case, Seitz said. Sykap's family is from Chuuk in the Federated States of Micronesia, but he was born in Guam, a U.S. territory. Honolulu Corporation Counsel Dana Viola told the council that the…...

11+ hour, 11+ min ago (250+ words) Ctenochaetus strigosus, known as kole tang, a species that is endemic to Hawaii. HONOLULU (Island News) -- A Honolulu man was sentenced to three years of probation on Wednesday for trafficking illegally-caught Hawaiian tropical fish. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Shane Takasane, 43, was sentenced to three years of probation on Wednesday, Dec. 3, 2025, for selling illegally-caught Hawaiian yellow tang and kole tang'actions that were carried out between 2023 and 2024. Takasane violated the Lacey Act, a U.S. law that bans fish, wildlife or plants that are illegally taken, possessed, transported or sold from being trafficked. In court on Aug. 6, 2025, he pled guilty to the criminal charges. As part of his guilty plea, Takasane admitted he had divers obtain the fish from June through Aug. 2023. He then sold the fish to a buyer on the mainland without having a required commercial fish license. Takasane also…...

15+ hour, 22+ min ago (406+ words) U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Polar Star is moored in Seattle ahead of deploying for Operation Deep Freeze 2026 on Nov. 20, 2025. (Christopher Bokum/U.S. Coast Guard) The only heavy icebreaker operated by the U.S. Coast Guard has arrived in Hawaii on its way to its 29th deployment to Antarctica, the service confirmed late Tuesday. USCGC Polar Star left its homeport at Coast Guard Base Seattle during the last week of November. It has now arrived at Coast Guard Base Honolulu, the service's Oceania District public affairs office in Hawaii confirmed late Tuesday. The Coast Guard said operational security protocols prohibit disclosing when the 49-year-old ship might resume its journey to the Ross Sea, off Munro Station, the site of the largest U.S. scientific base in Antarctica. Though a straight-line voyage from Seattle to McMrStation would cover just under 8,000 nautical miles, the Polar Star typically takes a route…...

16+ hour, 9+ min ago (212+ words) HONOLULU (Island News) " The Honolulu Prosecuting Attorney indicted a man in connection to a Thanksgiving Day armed robbery that took place at a sushi restaurant on Ala Moana Blvd. Wilsand Sardinha, 36, was indicted on two counts of Robbery in the First Degree, Terroristic Threatening in the First Degree, and Kidnapping. Sardinha allegedly entered the restaurant before it was closing, brandished a simulated firearm at employees, and demanded money. Sardinha was also charged as a persistent and multiple offender. If convicted on all counts, he faces a maximum sentence of life in prison, with the possibility of parole for the Class A felonies and ten-year term for the Class C felony. Robbery in the First Degree and Kidnapping are Class A felonies. Terroristic Threatening in the First Degree is a Class C felony. He also faces a mandatory minimum sentence of…...

19+ hour, 4+ min ago (204+ words) HONOLULU (Island News) " A man was taken with serious injuries after an apparent stabbing occurred in Honolulu on Tuesday night. The incident occurred around 10 p.m. and was reported on Kinau St. in Honolulu, according to the Honolulu Emergency Medical Services (EMS). EMS reported that they co-responded to a man, believed to be in his 30s, who was apparently stabbed in the upper body. Paramedics treated the man's wounds and took him to a nearby emergency room in serious condition. The Honolulu Police Department (HPD) told Island News that they don't believe there is an ongoing threat to the public. They also reported that the assault appeared to have stemmed from a road rage incident between the individuals involved, rather than an act of violence. Police reported that they don't have any suspect details to release at this time. Check back with Island…...

21+ hour, 44+ min ago (420+ words) HAWAII " In a letter sent to the Department of Defense, Hawaii's congressional delegation calls for an investigation into allegations made against Blaine McGraw. According to his service record obtained by 25 News, McGraw served as an OBGYN intern at Tripler Army Medical Center in Hawaii from June 2019 to July 2020. He then served as a OBGYN resident from July 2020 to August 2023. In the letter, delegates says the Army Criminal Investigation Division's (CID) investigation into McGraw must "be extremely thorough," and include a review of his clinical rotations at civilian institutions in Hawaii. The delegates request an update on the investigation within six months, and seek answers to these questions: 1. Will the Department commit to a thorough investigation of all patient complaints regarding Major Blaine D. McGraw? 2. What external and internal trauma-informed resources and support services will the Department and Army provide to former patients…...