In Case You Missed It
With still more than 4 months of 2025 to go, DUI arrests at 52% of 2024 annual total
Hawai‘i Island police so far this year have arrested 497 motorists for driving under the influence of an intoxicant on Big Island roadways; a total of 964 DUI arrests were made during all of last year.
Hilo man receives 10-year prison sentence nearly 2 years after police find more than half a pound of meth in his vehicle
37-year-old Aysa Kalei Delos Santos was sentenced July 17 in Hilo Circuit Court to 10 years each for second-degree promoting a dangerous drug and second-degree attempted promoting a dangerous drug, with the sentences to run concurrently, or at the same time.
Police looking for 16-year-old girl reported as runaway
16-year-old Erlyen Sangau was last seen at 3 p.m. July 16 on Leila Road in Volcano, wearing a pink T-shirt and black skirt with floral designs.
Work underway on Kona Community Hospital parking lot improvements
The project, part of critical infrastructure improvements for the Kona hospital funded by the state, will expand, resurface and pave the parking lot with the goal of improving parking access and safety.
Volcano Watch: Remembering a destructive Mauna Loa eruption 75 years ago
Mauna Loa is now quiet, so it’s a good opportunity to remember the 1950 Southwest Rift Zone eruption — the volcano’s most recent eruption to cause significant damage.
Pāhoa man sentenced to 15 years in prison for breaking into ex-girlfriend’s home, stabbing her several times in July 2021
A Hilo jury in September 2024 found Frank William Funes guilty of first-degree burglary and second-degree assault; he received the maximum penalties for both offenses, which the court ordered to be served consecutively.
U.S. Postal Service hiring rural carriers to fill positions in several Big Island communities
Hiring events planned July 18-19 at post offices in Hōlualoa, Kailua-Kona, Kealakekua, Hilo and Waimea, with salaries for assistant rural carriers and rural carrier associates starting at $20.38 per hour, plus benefits.
Kona judge reduces bail for man facing drug charges
The suspect was found with almost 2 ounces of suspected meth after his vehicle was searched at a gas station in Kona.
Top 10 things to do on Big Island for July 18-24: ‘Cabaret,’ Drag In July, Relay For Life, Pokémon Day, jazz, plus more
There’s a ton of stuff happening this weekend and heading into the end of the month. We wanted to make sure we brought you some of the best, in our opinion. So take a look and check out what we came up with for this week’s top 10!
‘Aloha Spirit in action’: Community stoked by completion of Kona Skatepark expansion
The newly completed expansion — which took 2 years — more than doubles the size of the skatepark at Kailua Park in Kailua-Kona and includes new quarter pipes, rails, a pyramid and other obstacles.
Mountain View man charged with reported theft of SUV, 2 incidents of refusing to stop
30-year-old Justin Yamauchi made his initial court appearance the afternoon of July 16 in Hilo District Court, where his bail was maintained at $135,000. He was ordered to appear July 18 for a preliminary hearing.
Update: Police report previously missing endangered runaway girl has been found
11-year-old Navaeh-Marie Serrano was located at 7 p.m. July 16 in good health.
36th annual Richardson Roughwater Swim set for end of August in Hilo
This 1-mile swim hosted by Hawai‘i County Department of Parks and Recreation at Richardson Ocean Park is designed for strong swimmers with strong swimming skills who can handle the sometimes rough course conditions, including currents and waves.
Best case scenario: Coral will be impacted by projected unprecedented acidification of waters around main Hawaiian islands
New study from researchers at University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology also provides hope that that impact could be manageable; meanwhile, five Indo-Pacific coral species received critical habitat protections this week, potentially preventing their mass extinction.
‘Incredibly humbling’: North Kohala detailer again part of elite team preserving historic Air Force One
Robin Marquez, owner and operator of Big Island’s Signature Auto Detail Hawaiʻi, was selected for the third time this year to participate in the prestigious Air Force One Detailing Project at the Museum of Flight in Seattle.
Hōkūleʻa, Hikianalia deepen cultural ties, spark ocean protection dialogue
Voyaging canoes arrive in Moʻorea for cultural engagements prior to departing July 13 for brief return to Papeʻetē, Tahiti, before sailing for their next port of call: Tautira.
8 new adult corrections officers graduate, now working at Big Island facilities
7 of the new officers assigned to Hawaiʻi Community Correctional Center, 1 to Kulani Correctional Facility, both in East Hawai’i, following 8 weeks of vigorous classroom instruction, physical training and field training.
Kona airport awarded $5.5M in federal funds for runway improvements
New grant money increases available funding for state’s ongoing rehabilitation project to restore and upgrade Runway 17-35 — the West Hawai’i airport’s only runway — to meet modern standards and ensure its long-term reliability.
Weekly DUI report: 24 motorists arrested islandwide from June 30 to July 6
Thirteen of the 24 motorists arrested were taken into custody in the Hilo District.
Hawaiʻi could receive up to $2.4M in nationwide opioid settlement
Hawaiʻi could receive up to $2.4 million as part of a $720 million nationwide settlement with eight drug manufacturers over their role in the opioid crisis.
