Good morning, Honolulu.

Researchers at the University of Hawaii lab are providing local sweet potato farmers with clean virus free planting material to help preserve the traditional crop along the Hamakua Coast.

City officials announced a state-city deal to subdivide the property near Kaimuki Middle School so Honolulu can continue managing Kilauea District Park & its kupuna and keiki programs.

The agreement ensures essential community programs remain secure and allocates $400,000 for gym improvements.

JERA Americas filed a letter of intent with state regulators to build a $2B LNG power plant at Kalaeloa that could produce 500 MW (about one-third of the island’s electricity).

The company will submit a full proposal in early 2027 and host open houses on Aug. 3 and Aug. 5.

The 49th Prince Lot Hula Festival invites locals to enjoy authentic hula, Hawaiian music and cultural demonstrations at the Royal Hawaiian Center and will continue through Sunday.

On Friday, nearly 400 keiki at Towers at Kuhio Park received free school supplies provided by the Island Insurance Foundation.

The event also offered free physicals, eye exams + haircuts as part of its ninth annual back-to-school push.

The state is inviting proposals for community-based conservation projects to restore and protect forests, watersheds, wetlands and more using $8m from the Green Fee.

Proposals under the Hoʻōla ʻĀina program are due Aug. 17 to boost climate resilience and strengthen community ties to ʻāina.

At an HPU symposium Thursday, researchers reported that lab tests and a two‐year field study found genki balls do not improve water quality — sometimes lowering dissolved oxygen and introducing a potentially harmful organism.

The Department of Health has requested further data while the Genki Ala Wai Project continues its community-driven effort to raise water quality awareness.

Honolulu Police Department Officer Roxanne Montalbo was named Hawaii’s first DOJ Hometown Hero Award recipient on July 14 for her community policing work, which helped families & kupuna as well as people facing homelessness access shelter and support in District 8.

Front Street in Lahaina will reopen to traffic on Saturday, Aug.

1 after recovery projects cleared wildfire debris and repaired the seawall, sidewalk, and railings. Businesses along the street will resume operations while some nearby roads remain closed for ongoing work.

Crews continue dismantling Aloha Stadium as seating, concourses and the field are removed and metal is recycled.

The public-private project will open a new stadium entertainment district in 2029, paving the way for sports, housing and community spaces in Honolulu.

Kaneohe golfer Amanda Cunha, 22, won the US Adaptive Open Championship's blind and visually impaired women's division at Woodmont Country Club in Rockville, Maryland during a July 6-8 tournament.