East Hawaii News

Tomek Bilan and Alex Haban opened Kvasir’s Mead to create meads that honor the traditions of their upbringing and the flavors of their new home.

31-year-old Jannefer Kaspar was last seen in the Orchidland subdivision of Kurtistown on Dec. 26, 2024.

Although laid off in December, former staff at Hilo’s Pacific Tsunami Museum are volunteering their time to continue the mission of saving lives through tsunami awareness and education.

Summit tiltmeters on the Big Island volcano reversed from deflationary tilt to inflationary tilt at about the same time the lava fountain shut down Friday. Rapid change from deflation to inflation at the onset of each of the eruptive episodes suggests another episode could erupt in the coming days to weeks if summit magma chambers repressurize sufficiently.

KTA Pharmacy Ponahawai combines a modern convenience store with a full-service pharmacy that offers a wide range of services including prescriptions, vaccines and wellness resources.

Hawaiian Volcano Observatory reports that lava fountaining and flow activity within Halemaʻumaʻu Crater ceased at about 8:40 p.m. Friday. Lava continues to slowly move, with crustal overturns expected in the hours following the pause in eruptive activity.

Visitors coming to view the 10-day-old eruption inside the volcano’s caldera at Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park should expect a daytime traffic change and be aware that air quality could be bad this weekend.

Phase 4 of the Taxiway and Runway Lighting Replacement Project will replace all runway and taxiway lighting infrastructure, light fixtures and airfield signs as well as improve the electrical draining system at Hilo’s airport.

Behind us are the holidays and ahead is a whole new year, full of exciting experiences and opportunities to reinvent ourselves. Let’s make a resolution to try something new during 2025.

Hawaiʻi County firefighters started the new year off by responding to a structure fire, finding occupants safely outside and putting out the blaze in 30 minutes.

Local and international musicians and artists will be in Pahala and Kailua-Kona to teach young artists and connect with the culture of Hawaiʻi beginning Saturday.

The Hawaiʻi Department of Transportation reported a 10% increase in traffic fatalities in 2024 with 51 from the City and County of Honolulu, 29 from Hawaiʻi Island, 14 from Maui County and 8 from Kauaʻi County.

The County of Hawaiʻi Department of Environmental Management has scheduled tree trimming along the driveway entrance to the Keaʻau Transfer Station between 8 a.m. and 4:45 p.m. from Tuesday, Jan. 14 through Thursday, Jan. 16.

There were 770,940 visitors to the Hawaiian Islands in November of this year, which is an increase of 5.3% compared to the same month in 2023.

Gov. Josh Green signed an executive order protecting primary caregivers cultivating cannabis for patients within the bounds of the law that exists as of Dec. 31, 2024.

Hawaiian Volcano Observatory reported the earthquake late Sunday night was part of the ongoing swarm of deep seismicity that has been happening beneath the area of the Kaʻū community since 2019. It had no apparent impact on either Kīlauea of Mauna Loa volcanoes.

There are eyes watching and waiting for those awe-inspiring moments with more nefarious reasons in mind. “Thieves are looking for the right moment to steal your stuff,” said Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park in a recent Facebook post.

As another year comes to a close, revelry and talk of auld lang syne will abound — reminiscing about times long past for old times’ sake. But no matter what you do to celebrate this New Year’s, be safe, be responsible and do it together.

Wally Lau, co-founder of the Hawaiʻi Island Fentanyl Task Force, said of Hawai’i County Mayor Kimo Alameda: “No matter where he’s at, he is a motivator and a do-er who can excite people.”

If fountaining continues, it is possible heights will increase as more gas-rich lava erupts. However, it is not possible to estimate how high fountains could get or how long fountaining will last.