Non-native coral found multiple times in the water off Anini Beach
PRINCEVILLE — Back in 2021, Robin Mazor and Tom Woods of Hawai‘i nonprofit organization ‘Reef Guardians,’ were at Anini Beach on a routine snorkel to monitor reef activity and fish population when they discovered something unusual.
‘City Protect’ program launched by Kaua‘i Police Department
LIHU‘E — To strengthen the community and enhance public safety, law enforcement authorities have introduced residents to a new elevated opportunity for crime solving.
Shaka inches closer to becoming official state gesture
HILO, Hawai‘i — Lawmakers and Hawai‘i residents alike appear to be vibing with a proposal to make the shaka the official state gesture of Hawai‘i.
Pacific Missile Range Facility adopts a highway
MANA — Working under the Adopt-A-Highway Program, about 60 volunteers from the Pacific Missile Range Facility at Mana collected approximately 50 bags of trash on Friday morning along a 2-mile stretch adjacent to the PMRF Navy base.
Coco Palms restoration underway
WAILUA — From the tops of the protective dust screens installed around the perimeter of the former Coco Palms Resort, the only things that can be seen are the tops of excavators and cranes moving against a skyline of concrete skeletons of dilapidated buildings.
Female visitor injured while hiking in Koke‘e
KOKE‘E — A 60-year-old female visitor from Wisconsin was injured when she apparently had a misstep while hiking near the Waipo‘o Falls Trail on Monday.
Blood alcohol content legislation dies again
HILO, Hawai‘i — Legislation that would reduce the threshold for drunken driving from 0.08 percent blood alcohol content to 0.05 percent is dead for this year.
Hawaiian Electric warns of energy deficit
HILO, Hawai‘i — Hawaiian Electric is asking all Hawai‘i Island customers to reduce or shift their electricity use over the next month.
Hale Halawai ‘Ohana O Hanalei to manage $7,285,000 for flood mitigation
HANALEI — A nonprofit organization with deep roots in the North Shore of Kaua‘i is being tasked with administering and distributing a flood mitigation grant.
Half of Kaua‘i’s tested waters polluted
LIHU‘E — A monthly analysis of streams, rivers and surf spots across the island found high concentrations of enterococcus bacterium, a federally recognized indicator of fecal presence in water, at a number of locations.
‘Safe Space’ draws concerns: Residents, lawmaker worried about impact of homeless camp on area
HILO, Hawai‘i — A state lawmaker has joined some Hilo residents in their concerns about a planned government-sanctioned homeless encampment near the Hilo Lagoon Center.
KCCC inmate seriously injured in hit-and-run after escape from facility
LIHU‘E — An inmate at Kaua‘i Community Corrections Center (KCCC) suffered serious injuries after a hit-and-run occurred shortly after he escaped from the facility on Friday morning.
Marijuana bill gains traction in Legislature
HILO, Hawai‘i — The long-anticipated legalization of recreational marijuana in Hawai‘i is only a few votes away from the desk of Gov. Josh Green.
Report details grueling conditions in India’s shrimp industry
SAN FRANCISCO — Noriko Kuwabara was excited to try a new recipe she’d seen on social media for crispy shrimp spring rolls, so she and her husband headed to Costco’s frozen foods aisle. But when she grabbed a bag of farm-raised shrimp from the freezer and saw “Product of India,” she wrinkled her nose.
Warehouse fire causes $350,000 in damage
KAPA‘A — A warehouse fire on Apopo Road in Kapa‘a caused an estimated $350,000 in damage on Thursday evening.
‘Bathrooms’ restoration springs up in Hanalei
HANALEI — Spring cleaning kicked off early for one Kaua‘i resident whose “labor of love” can be seen in Hanalei.
Maui wildfire relief expands on Kaua‘i
LIHU‘E — MaBel Ferreiro Fujiuchi, the Chief Executive Officer for the Kaua‘i Economic Opportunity (KEO), announced the expansion of relief efforts in recognition of the immense challenges faced by families affected by the Maui wildfires.
Single-family home price tops $1.4 million on Kaua‘i
LIHU‘E — A woozy housing market that couldn’t find its footing last year appears to be on firmer ground in 2024, as evidenced by stronger sales and loftier home prices.
‘Clean elections’ bill is washed up
HILO, Hawai‘i — A proposed program that would publicly finance election campaigns in Hawai‘i is dead after a Hawai‘i Island lawmaker concluded last week that the plan was fatally flawed.
Pearl Harbor attack survivor dies at 102
Richard C. “Dick” Higgins, one of the few remaining survivors of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, has died, a familyw member said Wednesday. He was 102.