Community

Additional micropurchasing agreements are in development throughout the state, including collaborations between school cafeterias and school gardens, as well as additional small farm produce purchases on Kauaʻi, Hawaiʻi Island and Maui.

The conservation and environmental education nonprofit has opportunities on all islands with new host sites.

Hawaiʻi Preparatory Academy student Samantha Fortney, who grew up in Hilo, is turning her senior capstone project into meaningful action, inspired by a desire to serve her community.

The five regional hubs are across the moku/hui moku (districts) of West Kauaʻi, Waiʻanae (Oʻahu), Molokaʻi, Central Maui and Kohala (Hawaiʻi Island).

Hawaiʻi Police Department officers Jason Cunefare and Lawrence Matsumoto will be honored for their exemplary service.

Those who attend will learn about Kahaluʻu as ʻāina lei aliʻi, the lands that adorn the chiefs, and what made Kahaluʻu so special for generations; participants also will engage in kilo, or intentional observation along the shoreline or in the water and moʻolelo, or oral history, of Kahalu‘u will be shared and a mo’olelo of the day will be collectively created.

Junior golfers throughout Hawai‘i are invited to tee up and join a competitive and educational tournament schedule designed to develop skills on and off the course; the 2026 Spring season opens March 14-15 at Wailuā Golf Course on Kaua‘i, with a tournament for juniors ages 14 years old and younger.

Data was collected Feb. 28 from 46 sites throughout the main Hawaiian Islands; a total of 1,935 whales were observed throughout all islands, down just 12 whales from February 2025.

Students of the lab class worked with community stewards of Kaumaui, a loko iʻa in the community on the south side of Hilo Bay on the Big Island, to help with restoration and preservation efforts and collect water samples for DNA testing back on campus as part of their semester-long experiment.

The records contain Social Security numbers and driver’s license numbers, mostly from Hawaiʻi driver’s license records collected in 2000 from Hawaiʻi Department of Transportation and City and County of Honolulu voter registration records collected in 1998 — both times when identifiers were usually Social Security numbers.

Hawaiian language immersion programs throughout the islands are growing fast. Fast enough they are strained to keep up with the demand, needing more qualified teachers; a University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo program director and educator is dedicated to filling the gap.

The pool at William “Billy” Kenoi District Park was shuttered Jan. 24 when tephra — volcanic material including ash and volcanic glass Pele’s hair — from Episode 41 of the ongoing episodic summit eruption of Kīlauea volcano was carried by wind, making its way into the facility and surrounding areas.

The all-hazard Outdoor Siren Warning System for Public Safety is one part of the Hawaiʻi Statewide Alert and Warning System used to notify the public during emergencies.

University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo doctorate candidate Nicholas ‘Kealiʻi’ Lum uses social media to unpack poetic soul of Hawaiian music, uncovering unique phrases that make songs distinct.

Matson is absorbing more shipping costs this year for the Hawaiʻi Foodbank to serve nearly a third of local households experiencing food insecurity.

A virus infects coconut rhinoceros beetles from the inside, weakening and killing them before they reach adulthood. Therefore, by targeting larvae, the virus can suppress beetle populations with time while minimizing harm to non-target species.

Animal lovers in Hilo are in for a treat as the “Lucky Charm Special” adoption event brings adorable puppies in search of their forever homes to Petco Hilo today.

Mauna Kea Stewardship and Oversight Authority — in its final stage of gathering public input for a new Comprehensive Management Plan for the Big Island mauna — encourages the public to participate and complete the survey; community input and ideas will help ensure Mauna Kea is protected for future generations.

Hundreds of community members come together in downtown Hilo for a day to celebrate niu — the coconut — as a symbol of life, resilience and cultural continuity.

Public meetings to discuss Hawai’i Department of Transportation Statewide Long-range Land Transportation Plan begin March 10; Hawaiʻi (Island) Long-Range Land Transportation Plans meetings are March 12.