East Hawaii News

There’s a ton of stuff happening this weekend and heading into the end of the month. We wanted to make sure we brought you some of the best, in our opinion. So take a look and check out what we came up with for this week’s top 10!

30-year-old Justin Yamauchi made his initial court appearance the afternoon of July 16 in Hilo District Court, where his bail was maintained at $135,000. He was ordered to appear July 18 for a preliminary hearing.

11-year-old Navaeh-Marie Serrano was located at 7 p.m. July 16 in good health.

This 1-mile swim hosted by Hawai‘i County Department of Parks and Recreation at Richardson Ocean Park is designed for strong swimmers with strong swimming skills who can handle the sometimes rough course conditions, including currents and waves.

7 of the new officers assigned to Hawaiʻi Community Correctional Center, 1 to Kulani Correctional Facility, both in East Hawai’i, following 8 weeks of vigorous classroom instruction, physical training and field training.

Brian McGowan was found July 14 in good health.

The Rotary Club of Hilo and the Hilo Orchid Society are extending a floral gesture of gratitude to veterans, service members, and first responders ahead of the annual Orchid Show.

The Hilo Palace Theater undergoes a transformative centennial refresh as it prepares for the official 100th anniversary opening on October 26.

Vendor lineup highlights 60 businesses ‘rooted in purpose’ plus community organizations, cultural practitioners and grassroots initiatives that often collaborate with them behind the scenes.

Lane closure schedules can change at any time without notice. All projects are weather permitting. Check to see if any of the planned closures will impact your commute during the next week.

Can you Vision Zero? Hawaiʻi Department of Health initiative developed in response to devastating impacts of tragic traffic deaths and raise awareness about how residents with shared vision to stop them can help.

Event — hosted in collaboration between Hawai‘i County Civil Defense, Hawai‘i County Council District 4 and Hawai‘i County Disaster Recovery Division — will focus on disaster preparedness and include recovery updates.

While it is challenging that a small portion of the Kīlauea monitoring network is impacted by the ongoing summit eruption, Hawaiian Volcano Observatory says maintaining the network during eruptions comes with the job when it’s monitoring one of the most active volcanoes on Earth.

The first phase of the project involved demolition and removal of all aboveground structures, which was completed in December 2024, while this phase is focused on comprehensive site preparation at ground level and below.

Often included in the top 10 are big ticket events, festivals and activites; this week’s does, too, but we wanted to make sure you, our awesome readers, knew about a somewhat smaller event that is just as big based on its purpose. Check out the top 10 now!

Hawaiian Electric only initiated the proactive power shutoff program for communities at high risk of wildfires once on Maui; otherwise, any other power outages during the utility’s watch period from July 5 through today were unrelated to the program.

20-year-old Lasty Jessy is charged with first-degree robbery, first-degree theft, unauthorized control of a propelled vehicle and other offenses in connection with an alleged car theft the evening of 4th of July at Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport and a police chase and 2-vehicle car crash fewer than 2 days later in Hilo.

High school athletes on the Big Island can sharpen their skills at free sports clinics hosted by Grand Canyon University in Hilo and Kona on Tuesday and Wednesday next week.

Water customers are reminded to prepare in the event of any prolonged power outage as Hawai‘i County Department of Water Supply relies on the Hawaiian Electric power grid to distribute water. Meanwhile, the electric utility remains in “watch” mode in case proactive power outages are necessary for high-exposure communities in Maui and Hawaiʻi counties.

National Weather Service extended a wind advisory in effect for North Kohala and portions of South Kohala, North Kona, Hāmākua, Kaʻū and Puna, adding the summits of Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa, as ridge of high pressure to north of state will keep same locations parched and primed for fires under the right conditions, despite National Weather Service not expected to issue any watches or warnings.