Community

The latest consumer threats and sophisticated scams may surge during the holiday season, according to the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs

With increasing prevalence of lithium-ion batteries in everyday items, the Kauaʻi Fire Department emphasize the importance of safe handling to prevent fires and toxic gases.

Monico’s Restaurant Bar & Taqueria in Kapaʻa has unexpectedly closed due to eviction, stunning regulars just before the holidays.

There are 4 different rule changes that the council says will significantly change the way species such as the Hawaiian monk seal, brown booby, hawksbill sea turtle and more are protected.

The grants — one to University of Hawaiʻi Cancer Center for the new groundbreaking Ho‘ōla Early Phase Clinical Research Center and the other to John A. Burns School of Medicine to upgrade simulation and training resources — reinforce Helmsley’s commitment to strengthening health infrastructure and workforce capacity in Hawaiʻi.

Kauaʻi’s Office of Economic Development is now accepting applications for its prestigious Youth Climate Class, a transformative program beginning in February.

Better Buildings & Better Plants partners saved more than $24 billion in energy costs to date, and financial allies extended $41 billion for projects that improve energy performance.

This yearʻs winners were GoFarm Hawai’i for its hands-on training program for farmers and Iwikua for educating youth.

The league is open to boys and girls in fifth through eighth grade; registration closes Jan. 9, 2026.

Kauaʻi County offices, including neighborhood centers and recycling stations, will be closed on Dec. 25 and Jan. 1.

Permanent stops at Kīlauea Food Mart and across the street will reopen Monday.

Kīlauea’s HI-5 Redemption Center is closed today, due to severe weather, but alternative locations in Kapaʻa and Līhuʻe remain available with adjusted hours.

Any unused Hawaiʻi Emergency Food Assistance Program balance cannot be carried over or reissued in 2026 and will be expunged at the end of the year.

Waikōloa native and graduate of Kealakehe High School Eric Pōmaikaʻi Gee was one of two Villars Institute Fellows selected for the Ice Station Expedition, a 2-week mission that took place this month; he now will begin sharing lessons from the expedition through school visits, community presentations and public outreach.

The two organizations renewed a partnership that started 6 years ago aimed at working collaboratively to leverage their collective strengths in health care and education to create healthier communities throughout the state.

The credit union has $100,000 in scholarships available; deadline to apply is Feb. 26, 2026.

From the Big Island to Kaua’i, astronomers are eagerly awaiting the passage of the interstellar comet through the inner solar system, with more than 80 observatories worldwide and in Hawaiʻi participating in this celestial event.

Natural Resources division at Pacific Missile Range Facility in Kekaha issues safety reminder as the native Hawaiian geese become more active near roadways and around installation facilities; nesting season runs from September to April.

The fellowship program is aimed at young Native Hawaiian adults and based in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan region, equipping them with mentorship, cultural grounding, professional development and opportunities to serve their community at the national level.

Event is slated from 5 to 8 p.m. Jan. 22, 2026, at the Bishop Museum in Honolulu; attending and supporting the event is one way community members can help the organization fulfill its mission.