In Case You Missed It

Hawaiʻi Community Foundation and Maui United Way are accepting online monetary donations to help Maui residents affected by fires and has left at least 36 people dead.

From a Flower Festival in Honoka’a to a Tribute to Carlos Santana in Hilo, there’s music, food, Walks to End homelessness and more happening on the Big Island this week. But our No. 1 thing to do this week is help the people of Lahaina. Here’s your Top 20 events on the Big Island this week.

The red flag warning for leeward areas of the Big Island remains in effect as critical fire weather conditions of strong winds, low relative humidity and warm temperatures makes for extreme fire danger.

“Right now the priority is we’re saving lives, preventing human suffering and mitigating great property loss,” said Major General Kenneth S. Hara of the Hawaiʻi State Department of Defense.

The Lahaina area remains closed to the public as there are multiple fires still burning in the area.

Hawaiian geese are returning to the Keaukaha coastline on the Big Island, but now they have to deal with traffic, including speeding vehicles, which has had some deadly consequences for the endangered birds.

Public schools in Hawaiʻi face many challenges. What do you think is the biggest need this upcoming school year? Take Big Island Now’s poll.

Erhard Rohrmuller opened the Zen Garden in Pāhoa during the COVID-19 pandemic as a place to heal, and now offers an array of alternative and holistic healing services and five rooms on Airbnb.

Members of the public should plan ahead if they will be traveling through the Big Island’s saddle area, as public restrooms and amenities at the park will not be available during the closure.

Scientists at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa for the first time have been able to estimate the ages of the most recent eruptions — as well as eight older eruptions going back about 2,000 years — of the submarine Hawaiian volcano formerly known as the Lōʻihi Seamount off the south coast of the Big Island.

The observatory, which would feature one of the world’s largest land-based telescopes, has languished for years, facing not only legal challenges but also opponents who maintain it will desecrate Maunakea, which many Native Hawaiians consider sacred.

Hilo musician Lightning Larry Dupio is hosting z’A Tribute to Carlos Santanaz’ concert on Aug. 12 at 7 p.m. at the Hilo Palace Theater as a thank you for helping him during a hard time in his life.

Five years after the lava from the 2018 Kīlauea eruption destroyed 32.3 miles of roads, most have not been repaired. But there is hope, with federal funds ready for restoring public roads and grant money going to nonprofits to help restore private roads.

The restrictions are being put in place at the Big Island national park because of forecasted severe fire weather conditions.

The state has contracted Andrew’s Fencing of Hilo on the Big Island for the project. The company will start work this month, which will take about a month to complete.

When public schools open on the Big Island on Monday, many keiki who are homeless, or living in shelters and other needy situations are receiving help from nonprofits and the Department of Education for school clothing, supplies and transportation.

The horrific mauling by a pack of four dogs that caused the tragic death of 71-year-old Bob Northrop of Kaʻū earlier this week has again shined a burning light on animal control issues that have plagued the Big Island for years.

The Hawai‘i Department of Health has received two reports of travel-related dengue cases in Hawai‘i: one on the Big island and the other on Kaua’i.

Beginning Aug. 12, the Big Island swimming pool in Kapaʻau will be open from 10 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. and 2 to 5:45 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.

27-year-old Andrew Amon is also wanted in connection with two separate outstanding warrants. He is known to frequent the Hawaiian Ocean View Estates area.