Community

Hawaiʻi Police Department is hosting a school supply drop box at Hilo Police Station, located at 349 Kapiʻolani St., in Hilo as part of the effort. Community members are encouraged to donate new school supplies for East Hawaiʻi Keiki and can do so now.

Meetings rotate around Hawaiʻi Island and provide residents an opportunity to meet directly with Big Island Police Chief Reed Mahuna and district commanders to share concerns, ask questions and discuss public safety issues in an open, conversational setting.

This will be the third community meeting hosted by Hawai‘i Department of Transportation about the airport’s master plan update; it will include a presentation followed by a question-and-answer session.

June continues to offer a full slate of events, activities and festivals around the island.

This year’s contest theme was “Make Every Drop Count,” emphasizing the importance of conserving drinking water, which is connected to the county Department of Water Supply mission to provide customers with an adequate and continuous supply of safe drinking water in a financially responsible manner.

The honor was awarded to Love for his exemplary service in assisting a stranded motorist on a busy highway at the end of November 2025.

The cleanup initiative is a part of the HONOUR — Homeless Outreach Nurturing Our Community — project, which included about 20 unsheltered volunteers who assisted with cleaning up the popular playground; it brought officers and community members together with a shared goal of preserving and enhancing one of the Big Island’s valued public spaces.

Winners Rianne Angelique Kealohaokalani Kalama Empaynado and Mari Iwata were honored during the club’s Scholarship Dinner Reception, which also featured Hilo-born kānaka maoli surf journalist and communications and marketing professional Daniel Ikaika Ito as keynote speaker.

Hawaiʻi Island Chapter will host inaugural No Ka ʻOi Hospitality Awards on Monday, June 15, celebrating individuals whose dedication helps create memorable visitor experiences while strengthening one of the island’s most important economic drivers.

“E Hoʻolohe Kākou – Let Us All Listen” kicks off Friday, June 19, in Hilo; attendees are encouraged to share their perspectives about local news and information needs, community storytelling, emergency communications, media training and the role Nā Leo TV can play in supporting youth and creative careers on the island.

“This gathering is not only about remembrance — it is also about connection, conversation and collective action,” says information from an event flyer posted on Facebook.

Events in Hilo and North Kohala scheduled today, June 11, in observance of King Kamehameha Day, which honors King Kamehameha I — also known as King Kamehameha the Great — who in 1810 became the first ruler of a fully unified Kingdom of Hawai‘i.

Kazama’s chancellorship — including as interim — is marked by an era of growth, stability and renewed momentum for Hawaiʻi Community College.

Electronic Processing and Information Center — Hawai’i County’s online portal for permits, plan submissions, inspections, payments and public records — will be unavailable from 1 a.m. June 11 through 8 a.m. June 12.

The program — which University of Hawaiʻi launched in 2023 at its Maui College campus — offers tuition-free online courses, flexible enrollment, free entry-level certifications and a seamless 4-year degree path, with no prerequisites necessary.

The nonprofit, along with KTA Super Stores, on June 5, 2026, treated staff and employees of Hawai’i County, first responders, hospital staff and other public servants around the Big Island to deliveries of aloha in the form of hundreds of donuts, celebrating the people making a positive difference in their communities.

Duke Escobar’s interest in medicine began in high school while taking a health academy course that introduced him to medical problem-solving through activities such as diagnosing cases from the TV show “House.”

Each scholarship recipient and their parents will be honored July 20 during a special Lions Club of Kona Scholarship Awards Dinner at Teshima’s Restaurant in Kealakekua; the public is invited to attend.

Hawaiʻi receives about $3 million per year from the federal government to fund the Hawaiʻi Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, which is mandated by federal law to fight Medicaid fraud and protect patients from abuse and neglect; unfortunately, federal officials say the Hawaiʻi unit falls short of expectations and has for many years.

Participating high school students will be introduced to science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM, skills through the lens of urban and regional planning with a goal of fueling their higher education choices and perhaps interest in transportation-related careers.