Hawai'i State News

The enoki mushrooms being recalled in Hawai’i are produced by Taiwan-based Changhua County Mushrooms Productions Cooperative and distributed by Jan Fruits.

Funds collected from a proposed $50 annual green fee for tourists would then be used to fund conservation efforts across Hawaiʻi. 

In the next decade, 100 or more species of native Hawaiian snails will likely go extinct without increased research and conservation action.

On Feb. 5, red sprites briefly — and we mean briefly — danced before the eyes of people watching the Subaru-Asahi Star Camera at the Subaru Telescope atop Maunakea on the Big Island.

Honolulu-based Visionary Marine used a salvage ship late Sunday to attempt more than a dozen “pulls” of the grounded luxury yacht Nakoa during high tide. In the dark, and on the final pull, the vessel moved 10 to 20 feet.

Beginning Feb. 16 in East Hawai’i, back-to-back Kona Lows followed by persistent showers ushered in by returning trade winds drenched places from Honomū to Pāhala, but the rain finally stopped long enough on Saturday to give the saturated ground a chance to dry out a little, at least in Hilo.

A 120-ton, 94-foot luxury yacht that grounded in a Maui bay now is defueled. Next is a $460,000 plus salvage operation.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center confirms there is no tsunami threat to Hawaiʻi Island or the State of Hawaiʻi.

Former President Bill Clinton and his wife Hillary were in Kailua-Kona on the island’s west side and attended the blessing of the new Grace Parish Center on Thursday at St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Parish. The new parish center shares its name with Grace Wilsey, who is an inspiration for the church’s congregation.

The Hawaiʻi State Department of Land and Natural Resources said it has hired Visionary Marine of Honolulu to do the salvage operations of the luxury yacht that grounded in Honolua Bay.

The Kaua‘i Police Department reports that a dead body found in Kōkeʻe on Thursday is believed to be 22-year-old Kody Gardner, the suspect of the Feb. 16 murder in Lāwa‘i of Delwood Kalei Gardner, his father.

The U.S. Coast Guard, with the help of a private contractor, removed several barrels of diesel on Thursday from a 94-foot-long luxury yacht that ran aground three days earlier in Honolua Bay on Maui.

House Bill 57, introduced by state Rep. Chris Todd, and Senate Bill 696, introduced by Sen. Tim Richards, seek to compensate volunteer first responders who are injured or killed in the line of duty with an equivalent pay rate based on years of service and rank rather than a standard rate of pay.

The Kaua‘i Police Department reports that a dead body thought to be that of 22-year-old Kody Gardner, the suspect of an alleged Feb. 16 murder in Lāwa‘i, was observed by officials Thursday, Feb. 23, in Kōkeʻe. Foul play is not suspected, as preliminary findings suggest Gardner fell from height.

Headquartered in Kea‘au, the ranch has had an agreement since 2017 with Pōhakuloa Training Area on the Big Island that gives members of the U.S. Armed Forces training there an opportunity to gain insight and appreciation for Hawaiian culture, history and ranching traditions by visiting the ranch.

Six years ago Hawaiian monk seal Rocky gave birth to Kaimana on a busy Waikīkī beach, and now Kaimana has a pup of her own in a much quieter location.

The Hawai’i County Council celebrated the Konawaena High School Wildcats on Wednesday before moving on to agenda items during its regular session meeting. The Wildcats won the Division I state high school football championship last November, bringing the school’s first-ever state football championship back to the Big Island.

“It is important to use this day as an opportunity to reflect on peace and to educate everyone about the importance of freedom and democracy,” said Rep. John Mizuno, who introduced resolutions to proclaim Feb. 24, 2023 as “Remember Ukraine Day in Hawaiʻi.”

The owners of a grounded 94-foot yacht have hired a private contractor to salvage the vessel, according to the Hawaiʻi State Department of Land and Natural Resources.

Resolution 51-23 would authorize Hawai‘i County Finance Director Deanna Sako to negotiate a lease with the Hawai‘i State Public Library System for the development, construction and operation of a library in the South Kohala community of about 7,400 people.