Hawai'i State News

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.

“Based on recordings of whale song, our research reveals that nearly the entire Hawaiian archipelago is visited by humpback whales during the winter and early spring months,” says the paper’s lead author Marc Lammers, research ecologist with the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary. “We documented an abundance of koholā in Papahānaumokuākea.”

UPDATE: While there has been no official government confirmation of a big white balloon floating over Hawai‘i, pilots received alerts about it Sunday and the U.S. military has confirmed reports of its sighting.

The truck of murder suspect Kody Gardner was found abandoned on Thursday at the Waimea Canyon Overlook on Kauaʻi.

The 98-year-old decided to spend his remaining time at home with his family instead of receiving additional medical intervention following a series of short hospital stays.

The Valentine’s Day 2023 Big Island earthquake was one of eight temblors of magnitude 4.8 or higher that occurred around the Pacific from Tuesday night to early Wednesday afternoon.

Actress and romance novelist Faleena Hopkins, who starred in the 2020 drama “Just One More Kiss,” was found safe today after going missing for 17 days after leaving a Wyoming jail.

The University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa is searching for a new athletics director to replace retiring David Matlin who has served in the position for eight years.

Hawaiʻi Gov. Josh Green today sent additional budget requests to the State Legislature that support his long list of priorities.