I am thrilled to share some incredible achievements that highlight the resilience and dedication of our communities in Hawai‘i. In this newsletter, you’ll find updates from various departments, such as the Attorney General’s new webpage dedicated to mental health and substance abuse support. Additionally, the Hawai‘i Department of Transportation has partnered with our public schools for a crucial emergency airport exercise. You’ll also see highlights of the outstanding work being done by several departments that have been recognized for their contributions. (Read more)

Kaua‘i has a peak power demand of about 80MW for its approx­imately 70,000 residents and 30,000 visitors at any given time. In 2023, renewable energy accounted for about 60% of the energy produced on Kaua’i and the Kaua‘i Island Utility Company routinely operates at 100% renewables for several hours a day. (Read more)

The Hawai‘i Housing Finance and Development Corporation (HHFDC) received recognition from national housing experts for launching the Hawai‘i Fire Relief Housing Program just days after last year’s wildfires that destroyed much of Lahaina and other parts of Maui. (Read more)

UH CANCER CENTER RECEIVES FULL 5-YEAR NCI DESIGNATION, $11M GRANT

The University of Hawai‘i Cancer Center (UHCC) has received a five-year designation from the federal National Cancer Institute (NCI). The center, which has maintained its NCI designation since 1996, received its best score in a decade and is classified by NCI as an “outstanding” cancer center. (Read more)

ATTORNEY GENERAL LAUNCHES RESOURCES FOR MENTAL HEALTH AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE SUPPORT

The Department of the Attorney General has launched a webpage for anyone seeking the department’s help with filing assisted community treatment (ACT) petitions in family court, to provide treatment for those with serious mental illnesses or substance abuse that can render them dangerous to themselves or others. (Read more)

EMERGENCY RESPONSE DRILL AT KAHULUI AIRPORT

Nearly 100 public school students along with airline personnel, Maui County’s Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) and mutual aid partners joined the Hawai‘i Department of Transportation in a triennial emergency exercise at Kahului Airport (OGG) on Sept. 20. (Read more)

RECENT HIGHLIGHTS!

Congratulations to our very own Director of Communications for the Office of the Governor, Makana McClellan, on receiving the prestigious Kilohana Award at the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement’s convention. 

The Hawai‘i State Department of Education named Bryan Silver, one of Kalani High School’s science and Career and Technical Education teachers, as the 2025 Hawai‘i State Teacher of the Year. The award is presented annually to a classroom teacher selected from more than 13,000 HIDOE educators. (Read more)