He is a fourth-generation kamaaina born on Oahu who earned a journalism degree from the University of Hawaii. Gomes has been a reporter for local newspapers since the mid-1990s. He regularly enjoys surfing, bodysurfing and skateboarding.
The Oct. 21 letter from about 240 residents raised concerns that their monthly occupancy fees would escalate due to the estimated $90 million land purchase and a roughly estimated $275 million expansion. Read more
A more than century-old building in Chinatown that used to be a bank after it was a boardinghouse, and might have ghosts in the basement, is about to become an addition to Honolulu’s affordable-housing inventory. Read more
An almost decade-old effort to make the selection process for Kamehameha Schools trustees more self-governing appears to have come up short in state court. Read more
Gabbard is a veteran who served in the Hawaii Army National Guard from 2003 to 2020 and currently is a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve. Read more
Hawaii’s largest electrical utility plans to spend $300 million over the next three years on top of $120 million this year to reduce wildfire risk. Read more
Territorial Bancorp Inc. shareholders have approved a management- recommended takeover by a California bank over a rival bid by investors who lobbied heavily for a self- described better deal. Read more
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A state lawmaker from Kauai has become the new speaker of the state House of Representatives and the first woman to hold the position. Read more
The 16 hours of paid time off is available to full-time salaried employees. Read more
Nakamura was first elected to the House in 2016, and before that was Kauai County’s managing director under then-Mayor Bernard Carvalho Jr. Read more
Hawaii County Mayor Mitch Roth appears to have fallen short in a bid for a second term, based on early voting results that show challenger Kimo Alameda with a major lead in what was forecast to be a close race. Read more
A nonprofit organic farm in Waianae that provides job and higher-education opportunities for West Oahu residents intends to make affordable housing part of its operation. Read more
The City and County of Honolulu isn’t being a good steward of historic stone sidewalks and street curbs, according to a commission established in 2023 to protect and preserve historic resources on Oahu. Read more
A former State Historic Preservation Division branch chief is filling a seat on Hawaii’s water commission reserved for a traditional Native Hawaiian water management expert after a controversial selection process. Read more
Finishing touches are being applied to the design for a waterless representation of the ocean to replace dysfunctional reflecting pools around the state Capitol, paint dot by paint dot applied by roughly 2,000 people across Hawaii. Read more
Maui’s unemployment rate a year after the wildfire that destroyed Lahaina doesn’t look bad on paper, but the island is still suffering pretty severely with employment. Read more
The nonprofit operator of the state-owned Palolo Homes I and II community plans to begin a $35 million improvement job by year’s end on the 306-unit complex and finish in mid-2026. Read more
The company’s Oct. 15 application to the state Public Utilities Commission not only seeks a general rate increase averaging 20% for most cargo, but also asks for annual automatic rate changes tied to inflation. Read more
Plans for a Native Hawaiian homestead community in Ewa Beach have been scaled back due to issues including sea-level rise and flood risks that have inflated estimated development costs. Read more
A more than 20-year state initiative to replace Oahu’s overcrowded and deplorable jail in Kalihi is being positioned for a big push forward next year. Read more
The cost to ship most cargo between islands in Hawaii could jump 20% on average, and in instances up to 45%, next summer under a plan by the state’s regulated interisland tug-and-barge operator. Read more
Public hearings are underway for state regulators to consider a request by Hawaii’s only gas utility to raise rates by 17.7% on average statewide. Read more
