Hawai'i State News

The fire had been burning for some time prior to firefighters’ arrival.

Another 77 matchups in the master, junior and open classes are on today’s race card, slated to start at 8 a.m. Overflow parking is now available at the Afook-Chinen Civic Auditorium.

Monies from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, out of the Inflation Reduction Act, will be used to identify translocation sites for 425 Hawaiian plants and improve their resiliency to climate change.

100-plus people, including original crew member John Kruse of Kauaʻi, lined Hanalei Pier to welcome the legendary double-hulled voyaging canoe and its crew Saturday morning. The vessel is expected to reach the Big Island on its journey toward the end of October.

The free event at Anahola Beach Park highlighted limu, or edible algae, important to Hawaiian culture and cuisine.

The event features 8 days of prestigious international outrigger canoe racing, spotlighting the best of the best 1,866 teams of men, women and youth from around the world in the sport. It’s also a display of culture from around the world that’s not to be missed.

The board plans to publicly identify the finalists in September and will hold a series of public forums to introduce them to stakeholders.

None, however, are expected at this time to directly move into or over the Hawaiian Islands. But there is some uncertainty in the forecast early next week because of the possibility of a tropical disturbance forming and passing just south of the state that could bring heavier showers depending on how close it gets.

The Food Safety Branch issued a red placard to L&L Drive Inn on Aug. 2.

That support is not only welcomed by the Hawai‘i Department of Transportation, it’s likely somewhat of a reassurance to the hundreds, if not thousands, of travelers flying in and out of the airport daily — especially frequent flyers from the Big Island and elsewhere in the state on trips for work, doctor’s appointments or other reasons.

Findings suggest that powerful radiation —  some12 times stronger than previously thought — could seriously impact a planet’s ability to sustain life.

In the House, residents will see a shakeup for Districts 1 and 2.

Several hundred people paddled surfboards and canoes, and hundreds more watched from shore at Hanaka‘ō‘ō Beach Park on Thursday morning in a Lahaina Paddle Out event to commemorate lives lost and changed forever by the Lahaina wildfire disaster a year ago.

Ceremonies and events were hosted Thursday throughout Hawai‘i — including in Hilo — to commemorate the 1-year anniversary of the Aug. 8, 2023, wildfires that ravaged parts of Maui, especially the blaze that decimated historic Lahaina.

As state, county and federal leaders gathered to reflect on the one year mark since the devastating Maui wildfires, Gov. Josh Green, M.D. announced he signed papers to “purposefully transition” Mokuʻula from the state to Maui County for its cultural restoration.

Within days of the worst natural disaster in state history, University of Hawaiʻi researchers began providing assistance and support on multiple fronts, including providing direct support and assessing the environmental impact and the long-term health outcomes of residents. They have also studied how to improve disaster preparedness and wildfire mitigation efforts and worked to determine the short- and long-term economic impacts.

The fire scorched Front Street, reducing buildings, and vehicles to twisted metal and ash. Over the several days following the disaster.

The US Department of Interior has approved $375,000 in funding to the Hawai‘i Department of Agriculture for efforts to prevent the introduction of the brown tree snake (BTS), which is the top invasive species threat to Hawai‘i. The funds awarded to Hawai‘i are part of more than $3.66 million approved by the USDOI to fight BTS.

While progress has been made toward recovery and rebuilding, the process was never going to be quick — or easy. It was always going to be a years-long effort. And while headlines might have moved on, life for survivors has not. They still need help.

The 7 defendants in the case — state of Hawai‘i, Maui County, Hawaiian Electric, Kamehameha Schools, West Maui Land Co., Hawaiian Telcom and Spectrum/Charter Communications — agreed to pay the more than $4 billion to provide compensation to about 2,200 affected parties seeking compensation arising from the Aug. 8, 2023, windstorms and destructive and deadly blazes.