East Hawai‘i News

The international canoe racing event to be hosted in Hilo promises to be a showcase of competitive excellence and the vibrant culture of Hawaiʻi.

The first week of February 2024 is once again packed full of events for the whole family.

Water sample retesting results show that enterococci levels no longer exceed the threshold level.

A total of 19 teams participated in the two-day tournament Jan. 27-28 at Kawananakoa Gym in the Keaukaha community of Hilo, with the Lincoln Wreckers Gold clinching first place and the West Side Hammers scoring second.

The utility’s combustion turbine units Kanoelehua CT-1 and Puna CT-3, which normally supply about 32 megawatts of power, tripped offline this morning, resulting in the need to load shed and force the rolling outages around the island.

Firefighters arrived at the scene in Kea‘au just before 7 p.m. Jan. 29 and discovered the fire in a 40-foot container that housed an electric generator and power transformers.

There were no formal speakers, but there was plenty of laughter, hugs, music and food, with a few tears; it was almost like a family reunion of sorts, exactly how Kenoi’s youngest sister Kina Kenoi Sai said her brother would have wanted it.

The 45-year-old was last seen Thursday on Kanoelehua Avenue in Hilo before being located on Saturday.

More than 100 people submitted written testimony and dozens more turned out in person or via Zoom on Tuesday during a Hawai’i County Council committee meeting voicing concerns about a three-bill package aimed at ensuring all transient accommodation rentals on the island are operating safely, legally and under the same set of standards.

The Big Island will have the chance this weekend to bid aloha to former Hawai’i County Mayor William “Billy” Kenoi, who died 3 years ago after battling cancer, during a special celebration of life in Hilo. That’s just one of the many events and activities happening around the island during the next week.

The bill would have accepted and added into the County’s budget $1 million from the state, which Puna state Rep. Greggor Ilagan was able to get allocated as a line item in the state budget in 2021, and another $500,000 from County coffers for the Hawai‘i County Department of Public Works to do the study.

Data collected throughout a 6-month period which wrapped up at the end of December shows Waiuli, also known as Richardson Ocean Park, has an estimated monthly visitation of nearly 24,000 people while more than 10,000 are gauged to use Lehia, or King’s Landing.

East Hawai‘i was treated to a colorful show Tuesday evening as the sun set and into dusk with the appearance of rare wispy-like noctilucent clouds. The iridescent clouds thrilled and captivated those who saw them, in person and in photos on social media, hovering through the upper atmosphere.

Shortly after 5:40 p.m. Tuesday, Hilo patrol officers and Hawai‘i Fire Department personnel responded to a report of an unresponsive man fronting the Mo‘oheau Bus Terminal. The man was reportedly assaulted several minutes earlier.

There once again is plenty to do around the island this week for the entire family, including music, films, art, workshops and learning opportunities.

The Hawai’i County Department of Water Supply will conduct the test from 10 to 11 p.m. Jan. 18.

There is no infrastructure work planned at this time. Bill 107 only would put funds into the County budget for the study, which would be conducted to find an alternate route in and out of Puna to Hilo below Highway 130.

The Hawai‘i County Office of Housing and Community Development anticipates bidding out the project, which would focus on repairing the dilapidated old hospital’s roof and removing hazardous materials, including asbestos, sometime during the first three months of this year. Construction should begin sometime shortly after a contract is awarded.

The Big Island once again has no lack of activities, events, shows and entertainment lined up during the next week, including opera, horse camp for keiki, classes and more.

The road was closed several hours. More information will be provided as it becomes available.