West Hawaii News

Police search for a Kaʻū man who has not been seen in almost a month

Simon Varela, 34, was last seen in the Hawaiʻi Ocean View Estates subdivision at a residence in the 92-2100 block of Ocean View Parkway on Sunday, December 15, 2024.

Summer Fun Program 2025 seeks employees

Available positions are activity aide I, which is paid $17.50 per hour, and activity aide II, paid at an hour rate of $19. Completed applications must be submitted to the Recreation Division or postmarked by Feb. 28.

Business Monday: Sound healing practitioner merges science, the unexplainable as alternative wellness practice

Samantha Shea uses crystal singing bowls to create a meditative, therapeutic experience and promote healing for clients across the Big Island.

4 first-timers to tee up at this year’s Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualālai

Thomas Bjørn, Y.E. Yang, Tim O’Neal and Ricardo Gonzalez will be among the packed field of 42 illustrious players competing next week at the 18-hole Hualālai Golf Course located in beautiful Ka‘ūpūlehu, Kona, on the west side of the Big Island of Hawai‘i.

Update: High surf takes toll on portion of Pu‘uhonua o Hōnaunau National Historical Park

Royal Grounds, 1871 Trail and picnic area at the park will reopen. However, Puʻuhonua Trail will remain closed until further notice for repairs.

Scheduled Big Island lane closures for week of Jan. 11-17

Take a look at these planned lane closures for the upcoming week. The schedule can change at any time without notice, and remember that all projects are weather permitting.

Kealakehe transfer station closes early

The early closure at 5:30 p.m. today is because of a staffing shortage with the transfer station’s contractor. The facility is scheduled to reopen for regular hours Saturday.

Top 10 things to do on Big Island for Jan. 9-15: T.S.O.L. live, more Volcano Awareness Month events, the Java experience and more

The Big Island is once again teeming with events, activities, shows and more for any and everyone to enjoy. Check out what’s happening in this week’s top 10!

5 World Golf Hall of Famers to tee off in 2025 Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualālai

Bernhard Langer, Fred Couples, Vijay Singh, Ernie Els and Retief Goosen will join 37 other golfers on the 18-hole Jack Nicklaus-designed course at Four Seasons Resort Hualālai in Ka‘ūpūlehu to open the 2025 PGA TOUR Champions season.

Federal funds boost traffic safety initiatives meant to save lives on Big Island roads

Hawai’i Island police have secured nearly $160,000 in federal grants that will be used to conduct more community outreach, purchase new equipment, improve and enhance enforcement.

Opossum captured by Kona big-box store

An agriculture inspector from the Hawai‘i Department of Agriculture Plant Quarantine Branch in Kona retrieved the animal early Sunday morning and arranged for it to be transported to Honolulu. This was the second opossum in as many months to be captured in the islands.

Update: Previously reported missing East Hawaiʻi woman has been found

31-year-old Jannefer Kaspar was last seen in the Orchidland subdivision of Kurtistown on Dec. 26, 2024.

Kona Community Hospital to seek funding from Hawai‘i Legislature for emergency department expansion

With lawmakers convening Jan. 15 for their 2025 session, Kona Community Hospital administration will speak with lawmakers about securing $13.2 million to ensure patients are seen more quickly.

Top 10 things to do on Big Island for Jan. 2-8: Several achievable resolutions, from ‘The Princess Bride’ to Volcano Awareness Month events

Behind us are the holidays and ahead is a whole new year, full of exciting experiences and opportunities to reinvent ourselves. Let’s make a resolution to try something new during 2025.

The Hawaiʻi International Music Festival brings acclaimed artists to Kaʻu and South Kona this month

Local and international musicians and artists will be in Pahala and Kailua-Kona to teach young artists and connect with the culture of Hawaiʻi beginning Saturday.

Pedestrian killed in traffic collision minutes into 2025

Two minutes after midnight, Hawaiʻi Island police responded to a vehicle collision in South Kona that killed a pedestrian, marking the first traffic fatality of 2025.

Big Island traffic fatalities nearly doubled in 2024, contributing to a statewide increase

The Hawaiʻi Department of Transportation reported a 10% increase in traffic fatalities in 2024 with 51 from the City and County of Honolulu, 29 from Hawaiʻi Island, 14 from Maui County and 8 from Kauaʻi County.

Visitor numbers increase for the fourth consecutive month across the Hawaiian Islands

There were 770,940 visitors to the Hawaiian Islands in November of this year, which is an increase of 5.3% compared to the same month in 2023.

Caregivers providing medical cannabis to qualified patients now protected by law

Gov. Josh Green signed an executive order protecting primary caregivers cultivating cannabis for patients within the bounds of the law that exists as of Dec. 31, 2024.

Update: Civil Defense reports Kahaluʻu, Magic Sands beaches to reopen

Hawaiʻi County agency made the announcement after the last surf-related advisory for the Big Island’s western shores was canceled early Sunday morning.
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