West Hawai‘i News

National Weather Service forecasters in Honolulu expect east winds to continue at 20 to 30 mph, with gusts up to 50 mph, for north, south, southeastern and interior portions of the island, including North and South Kohala as well as parts of Kaʻū and Puna.

A live adult invasive scarab was found March 3 at Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport and another disovered March 4 at Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawai‘i Authority, both of which are situated along the West Hawai‘i coastline. Brings the total number of adult coconut rhinoceros beetles found on the island to 7 since October 2023.

Hawai‘i Fire Department fire crews responded to reports of brush fires at 1:15 p.m. and 3 p.m. Monday, with three smaller fires already extinguished before they arrived to the scene of the earlier report, for a total of 4 blazes in the general area between Lūʻau Drive and Coral Parkway along King Kamehameha Boulevard.

The program currently operates 92 classrooms on 74 Hawai‘i Department of Education campuses statewide.

The survey, conducted by the Hawaiʻi Department of Health, will collect critical information about the understanding of bird flu as well as practices and needs of those who keep poultry or care for rescued birds.

All statewide outdoor warning sirens sounded a 1-minute steady tone at 11:45 a.m. The public should contact Hawai‘i County Civil Defense at 808-935-0031 to report any siren operation issues.

The Firewise program empowers communities by giving homesteaders and its leaders, the support they need to mitigate wildfire risks in their own backyard.

Some graduate students at University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa and University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo lost their research funding and educational stipends as a result of stop work orders and freezes on federal grant funds.

Discussions covered key issues such as adopting new technology, staff development, transparency, student fees and expanding collaborative efforts.

People are urged to be aware of the conditions around them and how they could react to vog. They are also encouraged to access air quality data on the the state Health Department Clean Air Branch website and Hawai‘i Interagency Vog Information Dashboard for the most up-to-date information about vog.

Surf of 7 to 10 feet is forecast by the National Weather Service in Honolulu to start the day for shores from North Kohala through South Kona, lowering to 6 to 8 feet this afternoon. The swell is expected to gradually decline through the weekend.

72-year-old passenger of Koningsdam had multiple strokes. He was transported by helicopter Thursday morning to The Queen’s Medical Center in Honolulu.

Another large northwest swell is rapidly building from northwest to southeast down the island chain this morning and will peak late this morning through the afternoon. Advisory level surf of 7 to 10 feet is expected along west shores of the island, from North Kohala through South Kona.

Even the most stalwart non-artsy type will have their interest piqued by the events on this week’s top 10 things to do around the island. Check them out right now!

There also have been 7 fatal crashes and 8 fatalities on Big Island roadways since the beginning of 2025, a 40% increase for fatal wrecks and 60% increase for traffic fatalities already in just less than 3 months.

Despite their outward differences, the fundamental engines that power volcanism in both regions are quite similar. There’s a lot of aloha in southern Idaho and northwestern Wyoming.

Surf of 7 to 10 feet is forecast along west shores from ʻUpolu Point in North Kohala to South Point in Kaʻū. Hawaiʻi County Civil Defense urges beachgoers, swimmers and surfers to heed all advice from ocean safety officials and exercise caution when entering the water in the advisory areas.

Called an important step in Hawaiʻi County’s ongoing efforts to address homelessness, the Kukuiola Emergency Shelter and Assessment Center being built in Kailua-Kona is anticipated to open in early 2027.

Hāpuna Beach Park will open at 8 a.m. instead of 7 a.m. for a police investigation Wednesday morning.

An ancient calendar system found at the Hapaialiʻi heiau near Kahaluʻu Beach Park on Hawaiʻi Island dates back between 1411 and 1465.