Merrie Monarch Festival voted No. 1 in USA Today readers’ poll
The Merrie Monarch Festival in Hilo has been named the top cultural festival in the United States by the readers of USA Today.
Violent robbery leads to drug bust, two arrests
Police have arrested and charged two individuals with numerous offenses in connection with a violent kidnapping early Sunday morning in Hilo.
Hawaii says 30 Lahaina fire survivors are moving into housing daily but 3,000 are still in hotels
HONOLULU — Hawaii Gov. Josh Green said Wednesday some 3,000 people displaced by Lahaina’s wildfires are still living in hotels more than seven months after the August blaze but that up to 30 people are moving to longer-term housing each day.
Alleged abuser would ‘get mad’ if mom tried to feed 2-year-old
The 23-year-old mother of a 2-year-old girl police say is the victim of “heinous abuse and starvation” told officers her live-in boyfriend would violently strike the child or withhold food from her as punishment for not showing respect, court documents state.
Legal battle brewing after house built on wrong HPP lot
A woman who purchased a vacant lot in Puna was surprised to find out a $500,000 house was built on the property by mistake.
Blessing ceremony held for nonprofit’s permanent Hilo facility
The Hawaii-based nonprofit Child and Family Service celebrated its 125th birthday with a blessing ceremony for the future Hilo Community Resource and Counseling Center.
Pahoa bus hub/library moves ahead
A planned combination bus hub and library for Pahoa is making progress toward possible completion in 2027.
‘It should be ours’: Shaka inches closer to becoming the official state gesture
Lawmakers and Hawaii residents alike appear to be vibing with a proposal to make the shaka the official state gesture of Hawaii.
BAC measure dies again
Legislation that would reduce the threshold for drunken driving from 0.08% blood alcohol content to 0.05% is dead for this year.
Hilo gun rights advocate George Young dies at 74
George K. Young Jr., a retired U.S. Army Ranger master sergeant and Vietnam War veteran whose decade-long legal battle resulted in the feds ruling Hawaii’s counties must issue concealed-carry gun permits to law-abiding citizens, died March 19 at home in Hilo. He was 74.
Hawaiian Electric: ‘Tight supply of electricity’ on the Big Island through April
Hawaiian Electric is asking all Hawaii Island customers to reduce or shift their electricity use over the next month.
Two women die in 3-car crash in Hilo
Condolences are pouring in via social media for two women killed early Saturday evening in a three-vehicle traffic collision in Hilo.
Advocates rally for better care, education for keiki
Advocates, parents, educators and county leaders held a rally Friday to convey the need for high-quality, accessible early childhood education and care.
Mountain View man accused of ‘heinous abuse’ of 2-year-old
A 31-year-old Mountain View man accused of what police called the “heinous abuse and starvation of a two-year-old girl” remained in custody late Monday afternoon at Hawaii Community Correctional Center, unable to post $85,000 bail.
Puna man charged for alleged ‘heinous abuse’ of a 2-year-old
Police have arrested and charged 31-year-old Clayton Ernest Saragosa of Mountain View with various offenses stemming from the “heinous abuse and starvation of a two-year-old girl,” according to the Hawaii Police Department.
Hawaiian Electric: ‘Tight supply of electricity’ on the Big Island through April
Hawaiian Electric is asking all Hawaii Island customers to reduce or shift their electricity use over the next month.
Two East Hawaii women killed in three-car crash
Two women are dead after a three-vehicle traffic collision Saturday in Hilo.
‘Safe Space’ draws concerns: Residents, lawmaker worried about impact of homeless camp on area
A state lawmaker has joined some Hilo residents in their concerns about a planned government-sanctioned homeless encampment near the Hilo Lagoon Center.
Work on Lanikaula Street to begin in May
Hilo drivers are advised to expect delays around Lanikaula Street for the next year when a rehabilitation project begins in May.
Sextortion of children rising in Hawaii and nation, authorities say
A surge in cases of children being groomed into sharing compromising photos with strangers who then extort them for money or more images has prompted law enforcement to remind parents to monitor online activity.