The State uses money from its 16-cents-per-gallon gas tax to maintain and fix roads. But the development of more fuel-efficient cars, and electric and hybrid cars, means less money.

In the midst of Hawaiʻi’s beauty, there is a dark side, hidden from plain view. It is a world in which children (legally defined as individuals under age 18) are trafficked for sex. Hawaiʻi was the last state in country to pass an anti-sex trafficking law.

You don’t often see these recognizable figures in the same place at the same time. And when you do, they’re generally attending a ceremonial event or a legislative hearing. This is different.

Watch for a while at almost any busy intersection around the state and you’ll see it: a motorist runs the red light. The state is considering a pilot program to install red light cameras to catch violators.

Prices for prescription drugs are on the rise, adding to an overall increase in health-care costs, especially for seniors and others on fixed incomes.

Military veterans who experience combat trauma are at a higher risk of suicide than others who experience post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD. Across the country, an average of 20 veterans per day take their own lives. That is more than 7,000 per year.

On its approach to the Hawaiian Islands last year, Hurricane Lane dumped an historic amount of rain on the Big Island, causing major flooding that damaged homes, roads and other infrastructure, without even being a direct hit. The storm also caused flooding on Kauaʻi.

The number of mountain rescues statewide continues to grow every year, with rescues on Oʻahu nearly tripling over a 10-year span ending in 2016. Emergency rescue squads are often called upon to rescue people who are trespassing on public property.

State lawmakers went into this year’s legislative session with bills regarding prison reform, loosening marijuana laws, raising the minimum wage, plastic waste, disaster relief, more money for schools and resolving water rights issues across the state.

This compilation show features some of the top stories from the Winter Quarter of the 2018-2019 school year:   –Students from Maui High School in Kahului introduce us to Maui High robotics captain John Fabella. John’s mother passed away when he was just seven years of age, and his father was deported.