With cloudy state finances, Hawaii’s ‘rainy day’ fund held for future rainy day
Hawaii lawmakers have recently considered cutting every state agency’s budget along with various special funds and capital improvement projects to pay for stunning costs related to the Maui wildfire disaster, with one very big special fund excluded.
Hawaii seeks answers to state’s lithium-ion battery conundrum
As Hawaii strives toward its clean energy goals, there is growing concern over the waste stream of lithium-ion batteries that come with renewable energy technology.
Maui’s mayor prioritizes housing and vows to hire more firefighters after Lahaina wildfire
HONOLULU — Maui’s mayor says he is prioritizing housing, evaluating evacuation routes and hiring more firefighters as his Hawaii community recovers from the deadliest U.S. wildfire in more than a century.
Dredging of boat harbor on track, but work not expected to start before July
Lawmakers and boaters hope for smooth sailing at the Wailoa Small Boat Harbor in Hilo as a long-awaited dredging project inches closer toward beginning.
County bill would require waste facilities be open at least 2 days a week
Garbage day may come twice a week again for Kalapana residents thanks to a new County Council proposal.
Work on Pauahi Street Bridge set to begin
A yearlong project to replace a small bridge in Hilo will begin Monday.
Progress made on Waimea food processing plant
Farmers in Waimea are one step closer to having a refurbished food processing facility after the partial demolition of the Kamuela Vacuum Cooling Plant.
Volcano Watch: What was an emergency manager doing at a scientific conference?
On the Island of Hawaii, frequent eruptions foster a close relationship between the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory and the Hawaii County Civil Defense Agency. HVO monitors the active volcanoes and their associated hazards; HCCDA alerts and protects communities from impacts of volcanic events. This relationship, between volcano observatories and their emergency managers, was highlighted at the recent “Cities on Volcanoes” meeting in Antigua, Guatemala.
Hilo standoff ends without bloodshed
Hawaii Island police arrested 45-year-old Justin Makoto Pittullo of Hilo on suspicion of terroristic threatening and violation of a court order after a nearly 9-hour standoff at a Hilo residence Friday night.
Hawaii residents oppose measure targeting cockfighting
A state proposal to impose greater criminal penalties relating to cockfighting drew outcry from residents Thursday.
Manoa tragedy sparks concern over a rise in domestic-violence killings
The killing of a wife and three kids by a husband, who then took his own life, in Manoa Sunday morning was likely the third domestic-violence killing in Hawaii in three months and the fourth high-profile domestic violence case.
Obituaries for March 15
Gwen Eloise “Lisa” Cortez Kaneshiro, 79, of Hot Springs, S.D., formerly of Hilo, died March 11 in Hot Springs, S.D.. Born in Greybill, Wyo., she was a retired teacher who taught at Hilo Union and Waimea Elementary Schools worked for the American Lung Association and the former Hospice of Hilo, U.S. Army veteran and partner of Tribune-Herald photographer William Ing. Survived by son, Evans (Holly Albers) Flammond Sr. of Pine Ridge Reservation, S.D.; sisters, Francis Cortez (Jim Carton) Stokes of Hot Springs, S.D., and Anita (Jonathan Holden) Cortez of Manhattan, Kan.
Police say suspect in a Hawaii acid attack on a woman plotted with an inmate to carry out 2nd attack
HONOLULU — A man accused of dousing a woman with acid in Hawaii last year allegedly tried to cast doubt on himself as a suspect by plotting with a fellow inmate to carry out a second, similar attack, authorities said.
Kamehameha students ready to rock
Kamehameha Schools Hawaii is reprising the rock opera “Ku I Ka Mana” for this year’s Ho‘ike.
BISAC unveils two Narcan vending machines in Hilo
Two new vending machines offering Narcan, a lifesaving medication for opioid overdoses, have been installed in Hilo.
Husband in Manoa murder-suicide mired in debt, records show
The 46-year-old Manoa man who police said stabbed his wife and three kids to death Sunday morning before killing himself was laden with debt, according to state and federal records and multiple sources.
Man arrested for allegedly stealing Tribune-Herald van
A 23-year-old Hilo man has been arrested and charged for allegedly stealing a van early Saturday from the Hawaii Tribune-Herald’s production facility in downtown Hilo.
Waikoloa Village closer to getting a roundabout
A new traffic roundabout in Waikoloa Village is one step closer to becoming a reality after Friday’s release of a draft environmental assessment with an anticipated finding of no significant impact.
Minor traffic accident closes Wailuku Street Bridge for several hours
The Wailuku Street Bridge in Hilo was closed for several hours Tuesday after a minor traffic accident required an assessment of the bridge’s structural integrity.
Assessment details plans for old Hilo hospital renovations
A plan to renovate the old Hilo Memorial Hospital continues apace after a draft environmental assessment for the project was published last week.