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.
Learning to surf often includes a teacher gently pushing a rider’s board with the swell of a forming wave, which is kind of what Hawaii’s Legislature did this year to help expand surfing as a public high school sport. Read more
Riki Fujitani, executive director of the state School Facilities Authority, has made major strides in one lane of work a little over a year since the fledgling agency’s first leader resigned under fire at the Legislature, though struggles in other areas remain. Read more
President Donald Trump is proposing to eliminate the Native Hawaiian Housing Block Grant program as part of a rough budget plan for the next federal fiscal year beginning Oct. 1 Read more
Housing affordability mainly eroded in Hawaii last year, according to a study that also revealed a sliver of improvement for one aspect of the state’s residential real estate market. Read more
Within a split-second of a Friday evening deadline about two weeks ago, state Sen. Jarrett Keohokalole announced in a legislative conference room, “We have a bill. Gotta be the last one.” Read more
State Transportation Director Ed Sniffen said speeding was a top contributing factor in motor vehicle fatalities over the past decade and that automated camera enforcement would deter speeders and reduce senseless deaths and injuries. Read more
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Hawaiian Electric Industries Inc. on Friday reported net income of $27 million for the January-March period, down from $42 million a year earlier. Read more
University of Hawaii economists expect the state economy to begin gradually contracting later this year due to federal policy impacts hurting tourism, employment and personal income. Read more
The U.S.-led trade war with China has delivered a hard initial blow to one of Hawaii’s largest companies, ocean cargo transportation firm Matson Inc. Read more
Hawaii nonprofits stand to receive a lot more grant funding from the Legislature this year due to expectations of federal aid cuts by President Donald Trump. Read more
The state Legislature gave final approval to about 250 bills Wednesday during several hours of voting that included a surprise defeat of a gun- control measure. Read more
Unwanted hugs from a judge, an infamous false missile alert and a mishap with a log splitter are among incidents for which the state is prepared to pay loss claims totaling $9.5 million this year. Read more
Legislative casualties Friday included a bill to legalize online sports betting in Hawaii and one to give the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands $600 million to develop homesteads for beneficiaries. Read more
Hawaii legislative leaders have agreed to fully fund the state’s share of Maui wildfire damage claims slated to be paid out over four years. Read more
A compromise draft of the state’s biennium budget bill authorizes $19.9 billion in spending on government operations and capital improvement projects for the 2026 fiscal year that starts July 1, up 4% from the current fiscal year. Read more
Hawaii’s Democratic governor has a choice of three Republican nominees from which to appoint a successor to the late Rep. Gene Ward in the state House of Representatives. Read more
State lawmakers are considering diverting a state fund used almost exclusively to develop low-income rental housing to build apartments for residents with higher incomes — topping out well above what most people earn. Read more
Hawaii’s economy is in store for reduced growth due to indirect impacts on tourism from President Donald Trump’s global tariffs, according to two local economists. Read more
No one opposed Hannah Springer’s confirmation at the committee hearing where 308 people and organizations submitted supportive written testimony. Read more
Three state agencies have big ambitions to expand geothermal power production in Hawaii, and two somewhat competing bids for more funding are at a final stage of potential legislative approval. Read more
An effort to help alleviate Maui’s dire shortage of affordable housing by having a state agency acquire and convert commercial buildings to partial residential use has come up short at this year’s Legislature but still might produce results. Read more
