Big Island Now poll no. 42: What were the top stories of 2023?

Taking a look back, it’s been quite an eventful year.

Looking at the raw data through Google Analytics, a tool that tracks and reports website traffic, for the time frame of Jan. 1 to Dec. 21, the top story for 2023 was the wildfires that burned in North and South Kohala on Aug. 8 with 243,818 page views.

Also that day, Maui’s beloved Lāhainā went up in flames, destroying historic Front Street, homes and property. The inferno also left nearly 100 people dead. The initial story garnered 130,235 page views, according to Google Analytics.

The Lāhainā fire captivated the state, nation and world as the community is still dealing with the impacts of the devastation.

More than just fires and destruction happened in 2023. Big Island Now compiled a list of the top stories this year. If your top story is not on the list, note it in the comment section on the website or our social media platforms as we will include voters’ opinions when the results of this poll are posted.