News

Wondering about that dusting of glittery threads on your property? Pele’s hair is the name for the strands of volcanic glass that are created when globs of liquid lava are stretched apart during an eruption.

A bill introduced by 13 representatives in the state House calls for establishing a permanent “Return-to-Home program” with an as yet undetermined amount of funding to return homeless people in Hawaiʻi to their home states.

The Hawaiʻi County Council confirmed eight of new Mayor Kimo Alameda’s selections to lead departments, but the appointment for director of Environmental Management was held up over concerns involving potential conflicts of interest.

The Big Island is definitely not behind on delivering another packed schedule of events, festivals and activities. All the world’s a stage, so be sure to get out and be one of the actors.

After less than a day of eruptive activity, Episode V of the Big Island volcano’s ongoing summit eruption — the shortest so far — ended early Thursday morning. Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists say a sixth episode coudl start sometime during the next few days if inflationary trends continue.

Chief Jusice Mark E. Recktenwald will use his time to do an overview of the court system’s achievements and priorities.

23 motorists were arrested for DUI throughout the week of Jan. 6-12, nearly twice as many than were arrested the first week of 2025. There had been a total of 35 DUI arrests made by Jan. 12 in 2025, a 20.7% increase from the 29 by the same date in 2024.

7-bill package championed by the caucus of 42 Democrats covers critical issues the state faces such as housing, homelessness, agriculture and biosecurity, economic development and public safety.

Ongoing episodic eruption within summit caldera of Big Island’s Kīlauea volcano that began Dec. 23, 2024, started its fifth eruptive event at about 3 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 21, after about 4 days on pause.

Biochar is speculated to have been used as a soil supplement thousands of years ago in the Amazon River basis, where regions of fertile soil called ‘terra preta,’ or ‘dark earth,’ were created by indigenous people.

Hawai‘i Democrat U.S. Rep. Ed Case reintroduces House Resolution 380 to end what he calls “discriminatory and exclusionary” practices that drive up costs and make life harder for millions of Americans living in non-contiguous states and U.S. territories.

Summer tuition will match fall and spring semester costs at just $131 per credit for Hawai‘i residents, which will allow students to save money, graduate faster and explore new interests while staying on track academically.

Rosalinda Larkin, founder of the Autism Support and Disability Center, has developed 3 IDs to assist first responders in emergencies that involve people with specific needs.

As he enters his third year in office, Gov. Josh Green told a joint session of the Hawaiʻi State Legislature: “Today, I am proud to report to you that the state of Hawai‘i is strong.”

About 100 Kaiser Permanente physicians, providers, nurses, other clinical and administrative staff, and their family members volunteered at two Hawai‘i Island sites Monday as part of the 2025 Kaiser Permanente Hawai‘i Annual Day of Service – Hosted by Hawai‘i Permanente Medical Group on Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

Hawaiʻi Attorney General Anne Lopez is sending letters to more than 800 Hawaiʻi tobacco retailers and distributors about the distribution and sale of illegal tobacco products. Most of the products originate in China and include electronic smoking devices known as vapes or e-cigarettes and oral tobacco pouch products.

U.S. Reps. Case and Tokuda reintroduce Hawai‘i Invasive Species Protection Act in effort to provide essential resources in battle against serious threats to state’s agriculture, environment and economy.

The University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa is partnering with the state’s Department of Land and Natural Resources to improve flood and wildfire early warning systems by installing 100 weather monitoring stations across the main Hawaiian Islands.

A U.S. Coast Guard helicopter crew hoisted the man from the vessel and transported the patient to Queen’s Medical Center in Honolulu.

Kahalu‘u and Kohana‘iki Beach Parks remain closed for debris cleanup following high surf over the weekend.