Community

The $300M threat: University of Hawaiʻi seeks community input to stop invasive fruit flies

The survey seeks feedback from farmers, home gardeners, landscapers and others to assist College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resilience understand the status of the fruit fly pest and refine strategies to manage it.

New University of Hawaiʻi scholarship helps community college students continue to 4-year campuses

“This scholarship is one example of the new strategies we are testing to expand access, increase enrollment, strengthen educational attainment and help build the workforce our state needs. It is good for our students and good for Hawaiʻi,” said University of Hawaiʻi President Wendy Hensel.

Updated potential refuge area list released ahead of hurricane season

The list is being released as a personal preparedness and planning tool to help residents and visitors identify potential refuge locations around the island ahead of the 2026 Central Pacific hurricane season, which begins t at the beginning of next week on June 1.

Veterans Affairs Pacific Islands Health Care System to host community call, town hall on Kaua‘i

The events are aimed at providing Garden Isle veterans information about available services, get health screenings and vaccines, receive assistance with Veterans Affairs healthcare enrollment, renew or replace Veterans Affairs identification cards and more; organization executive leadership also will be available to provide updates about resources and engage directly with veterans.

Blazing victory: Penesa named 2026 World Fireknife Champion

Falaniko Solomona Penesa of Samoa claimed the top spot in the elite men’s division, outperforming Hikitahi Piokoe of Arue, Tahiti, who placed second, and Kenshi Jordan of Ishigaki, Japan, who finished third.

Mark your calendar now: Goodwill reuse collection event scheduled in early June

The collection event is slated for Friday, June 12, at Kaua‘i Resource Center, and is for residents, businesses and other organizations.

New single ‘Not Living for the Likes’ set for release this week by renowned Hawaiʻi group Kapena

Island-pop single by the renowned Hawaiʻi music group encourages listeners to find self-worth beyond social media validation, online comparison and pressure of digital approval.

Pacific Missile Range Facility Mālama ʻĀina Day empowers students with hands-on conservation learning

This year’s theme was “Planet vs. Plastics,” with hands-on presentations and activities for the West Kauaʻi fourth-graders in attendance, covering various topics such as plastic waste recycling, meteorology, wildlife protection, energy conservation and more.

Kauaʻi Fire Department celebrates promotions of 15 members during pinning ceremony

The firefighters and officers who advanced in rank across multiple levels within the department represented the long hours, sacrifices and continued service of those who help every day to protect Kauaʻi.

Scholarship offer following Lahaina wildfire opened doors for diesel mechanics grad to begin to build a better life

Troy Branco-Liu for most of his life never imagined leaving Lahaina. However, after the 2023 Maui wildfire upended his community, a University of Hawaiʻi scholarship opened a door the Lahainaluna High School graduate never expected, an opportunity to start over at Hawaiʻi Community College in Hilo on the Big Island, which would ultimately change the course of his future.

Join statewide ‘Makahiki Kuleana Kahakai’ coastal restoration day this June

Hawaiʻi Department of Land and Natural Resources Division of Aquatic Resources invites everyone in state to organize events on or about June 6 to mālama shorelines, waterways and community spaces that sustain life in Hawaiʻi.

Kapaʻa High class of 2026 celebrates graduation of 275 students with 39 valedictorians

Class of 2026 “has been nothing short of amazing,” said Kapaʻa High School Principal Thomas Cox in his speech during the school’s graduation ceremony Friday, May 22, before diplomas were handed out.

Kilohana Lighting named finalist in US Showroom of Year competition

Kaua’i-based, woman-owned lighting showroom honored by Dallas Market Center as being among North America’s best.

New book glimpses deeper currents that shape life through Big Island professor’s lifetime of adventures

After decades of sharing them with students, friends and the community, Richard Stevens finally puts his stories of adventure, hardship, discovery, resilience and people and places that shaped his life into ‘Storyland,’ available now on Amazon.

REMINDER: US Postal Service closed May 25 in observance of Memorial Day

Customers can still access many services during the holiday closure by visiting the USPS website or self-service kiosks available in many retail lobbies throughout the nation.

State briefs for May 21: Search begins, new executive, another Zippy’s and supporting recovery

A quick look at news happening throughout the state and beyond.

Diplomats experience Mauna Kea on Big Island through science, culture

The visit, coordinated through the U.S. Department of Defense’s annual Defense Attaché Orientation Program, gave the 50-some diplomats a chance to learn how University of Hawaiʻi researchers and international partners help drive some of the world’s most important astronomical discoveries.

Annual rainbow trout season opens in late June at Kōkeʻe

There will be no lottery this year; anglers can fish from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily from June 20 through Sept. 30 in the public fishing area; you must have a valid Hawai‘i freshwater game-fishing license, which can be purchased now online.

Kauaʻi among National Geographic’s 15 best places in the world for food right now

It’s not just any Hawaiian food that got the Garden Isle — along with Oʻahu and Maui — on this list, it was saimin, and Hamura Saimin in Līhuʻe is a perfect place to get your hands on a bowl of the piping hot, slightly salty noodle soup.

Real Property Collections office to be temporarily closed morning of May 21

The closure is necessary to accommodate the 2026 Real Property foreclosure sale that begins at 9 a.m. Thursday at Kaua‘i War Memorial Convention Hall.
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