HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – Hawaii Island police have launched an investigation into a series of brush fires in the Ocean View area.

On Monday, Mar. 3, at around 1:15pm, police said they were notified of a brush fire near King Kamehameha Boulevard between Luau Drive and Coral Parkway.

Hawaii Fire crews arrived on scene shortly after the call, and said that the three small fires had already been extinguished by passersby.

Fire crews said they received another report of a brush fire in the same general area a few hours later, at approximately 3 p.m.

The fire was extinguished and no property damage or injuries were reported, crews said.

Hawaii Island police said that a dark-skinned man wearing brown shorts and no shirt was observed in the area of the brush fires.

Officials said the man left the area in a white sedan and was last seen heading east on Luau Drive.

The man’s identity, make and model of the vehicle is unknown at this time, police said.

At this time, Hawaii Island police said they have not confirmed whether the Mar. 3, brush fires are related to the residential fire that destroyed a home on Paradise Parkway and burned brush on adjacent properties on Feb. 21.

The Mar. 3, fires occurred about a mile north of the Feb. 21, house fire, officials said.

Upon further investigation of the Feb. 21, fire, police said that the homeowner reported seeing an individual that resembled the description of the Mar. 3, individual on her property shortly before the fire started.

Police said they have not yet confirmed whether the man spotted on Mar. 3, is the same man the homeowner saw Feb. 21.

Both fire incidents are under investigation by police and fire crews.

Officials ask anyone with information regarding these incidents or witnessed suspicious activity to call Detective Donovan Kohara at (808) 960-3118 or email donovan.kohara@hawaiicounty.gov.

Copyright 2025 Hawaii News Now. All rights reserved.

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – Despite public outcry, the state Commission on Salaries approved Tuesday raises for hundreds of state officials.

But the pay hikes are not as high as first proposed.

The salary commission’s original draft proposal called for 50 to 60 percent raises over a six year period but after objections by the governor and public criticism, the commission lowered it to about 40 percent.

The raises would be incremental over a six-year period with most taking effect July 1.

Hawaii’s governor would see a 39% raise over the next six years, putting him at $275,000, while the lieutenant governor would make $268,000.

Hawaii Supreme Court’s chief justice would make $339,000 along 102 positions at the State Judiciary would see raises around 40 percent.

“It’s becoming increasing hard to recruit the very best lawyers to become judges. The top lawyers make a lot of money. We want the best lawyers to be our judges so I think there are good reasons to increase some of these salaries,” said Hawaii Political Analyst Collin Moore.

State lawmakers would also get a 40% raise with the first increment starting July 1, 2027, the first year they are allowed an increase under the state constitution.

Their salary would go up to $114,000. Controversial since they are only in session 4 months of the year.

It also comes after several lawmakers told the commission at a hearing last month that the raises were too high.

“I think to me see this seems a little ton def and particular for the legislatures I don’t understand the rationale,” said Moore.

“My hope would be that the salary commission would’ve proposed more modest cost of living raises for legislatures.”

But the commission pointed out that even by sixth year of raises, the salaries of state lawmakers would still not match what current Honolulu City Council members make now.

The commission plans to sign the final report on March 13 as a formality.

The salary commission convenes once every six years. If the Legislature blocks the raises, none of the 218 positions will get a raise until at least 2031.

The raises for state leaders comes two years after city leaders got a controversial 64% increase.

The Governor’s Office released a statement responding to the raises reading:

”Governor Green respects the decision of the State Salary Commission and the legislative process regarding salary adjustments for state officials. The commission, which reviewed salary schedules across the country, made its recommendations to ensure Hawai’i remains competitive in attracting and retaining public servants. However, Governor Green has advocated for a smaller raise, emphasizing that public service is a privilege and that his commitment to the people of Hawai’i remains unchanged regardless of his salary.”He understands that any increase in compensation must be balanced with accountability to taxpayers. Should the raise for the Governor’s office exceed what workers across Hawai’i normally receive, he will increase his personal donations to charitable causes to offset the difference. His focus remains on improving the lives of Hawai’i’s residents and addressing critical issues such as affordable housing, healthcare, and climate resilience. Governor Green believes that leadership is about service and remains dedicated to earning the trust and support of the community every day.”

Copyright 2025 Hawaii News Now. All rights reserved.

The House on Tuesday took the unprecedented step of passing a controversial measure to legalize online sports betting.

Gambling on sports in Hawaii is already legal. However, there is no legal avenue for placing bets with a sportsbook or online. To date, 38 states have legalized some form of online sports betting, which often involves placing bet on apps through a person’s smartphone.

The 35-to-15 vote on House Bill 1308 marked the furthest that a gambling proposal has made it in the Legislature in at least the last decade.

The bill would legalize online sports betting applications in the state. The measure would allow for up to four operators to become licensed and operate in Hawaii.

The ease with which problem gamblers could access betting applications drew opposition from some lawmakers.

Rep. Andrew Garrett said he had a friend with a gambling addicition who fell into financial ruin because of it.

“I wouldn’t wish that pain on anyone,” he said.

Proponents argued that gambling addiction exists in Hawaii even without a legal form of gambling. HB 1308 would allocate a portion of tax revenues to treat gambling addiction.

Hawaii’s current laws “have not stopped thousands of residents from participating in online sports betting through offshore and illegal platforms,” Rep. Dan Holt said. “The reality is that sports wagering is already happening.”

Experts have warned that sports betting has not created a windfall in states that have passed similar measures.

Representatives of the sports betting industry previously told lawmakers that the tax on revenues generated in Hawaii could result in about $10 million to $20 million in additional revenue for the state each year.

“Do we need that money to fix our roads?” Rep. David Alcos said. “Maybe taking care of families is a better choice.”

The state Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs would be tasked with regulating the industry. But Director Nadine Ando told lawmakers that the $200,000 a year that would be allocated to the department through licensing fees, as a previous draft of the bill called for, wouldn’t be enough to pay for a new gambling enforcement division.

Ando noted that other states that regulate sports betting often already had gaming commissions to oversee all gambling in the state. Some have up to 400 full-time employees.

“It’s monumental, what would need to be done in order to set this up to regulate this industry,” Ando told the House Finance Committee on Feb. 24.

The measure that passed the House on Tuesday leaves the amount that each operator would need to pay in fees blank.

Like the House, the Senate is also exploring legalizing gambling. While it shelved a bill earlier this year to allow for casinos on Oʻahu, on Tuesday senators gave the nod to establishing a tourism and gaming working group to study the idea of how gambling might create jobs, investment and tax revenue for the state.

The group would be housed within the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism and could include representatives of Boyd Gaming Corp., DraftKings Inc. and MGM Resorts International. A report from the working group would be submitted just before the 2026 legislative session.

Civil Beat politics editor Chad Blair contributed to this report.