91ֱ�� - Big Island News, Sports, Weather and Entertainment

Council’s attempt to override Alameda’s veto falls short

whtnone — Thu, 23 Apr 2026 10:05:00 +0000

The 91ֱ�� County Council came one vote short Wednesday of overturning Mayor Kimo Alameda’s veto of a bill that would have created a commission tasked with advising county officials about construction codes.

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Bill to ban disposable e-cigs gains ground

whtnone — Thu, 23 Apr 2026 10:05:00 +0000

Health advocates who have spent years trying to ban flavored vapes in 91ֱ�� are backing a new bill this year that prohibits disposable vapes due to environmental concerns.

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Lions’ district convention returns to Hilo after eight years

whtnone — Thu, 23 Apr 2026 10:05:00 +0000

The 90th Annual 91ֱ�� Lions District 50 Convention is today through Saturday at the Hilo 91ֱ��an Hotel.

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Lions’ district convention returns to Hilo after eight years

whtnone — Thu, 23 Apr 2026 10:05:00 +0000

The 90th Annual 91ֱ�� Lions District 50 Convention is today through Saturday at the Hilo 91ֱ��an Hotel.

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Hilo man sentenced to 10 years for financial crimes

whtnone — Thu, 23 Apr 2026 10:05:00 +0000

County Prosecutor Kelden Waltjen said Wednesday a 33-year-old Hilo man is serving 10 years in prison for a series of identify theft and computer fraud offenses that occurred between August 2024 and January 2025.

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Hilo caregiver accused of stealing from 92-year-old man

whtnone — Thu, 23 Apr 2026 10:05:00 +0000

A 33-year-old Hilo woman accused of stealing more than $10,000 from a 92-year-old man for whom she was a caregiver is free on supervised release.

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Obituaries for April 23

whtnone — Thu, 23 Apr 2026 10:05:00 +0000

Michael Lee Horst

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Three Hilo schools reopen following water repairs

whtnone — Wed, 22 Apr 2026 10:05:00 +0000

School is back in session today at three Hilo public schools that were closed Tuesday due to a shortage of water on campus.

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Kawamoto pool reopens Friday

whtnone — Wed, 22 Apr 2026 10:05:00 +0000

Charles “Sparky” Kawamoto Swim Stadium is scheduled to reopen Friday after being closed for nearly a month.

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Taking shape: Hilo Benioff Medical Center expansion makes progress

whtnone — Wed, 22 Apr 2026 10:05:00 +0000

After two years of construction at Hilo Benioff Medical Center, progress on its expansion is becoming increasingly visible, with several new facilities slated to be completed by the end of this year.

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Kailua Village parking bill stalls again

whtnone — Wed, 22 Apr 2026 10:05:00 +0000

A 91ֱ�� County Council committee voted unanimously Tuesday to again postpone a controversial bill that would cap rates at privately owned parking lots in Kailua Village.

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County plan to acquire Kumukahi advances

whtnone — Wed, 22 Apr 2026 10:05:00 +0000

Nearly 2,000 acres of rocky coastal land in Kapoho came one step closer to being preserved Tuesday as a 91ֱ�� County Council committee unanimously approved a resolution calling for the property to be purchased.

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Former 91ֱ�� Gov. George Ariyoshi dies at age 100

whtnone — Tue, 21 Apr 2026 17:15:00 +0000

George Ariyoshi, 91ֱ��’s longest-serving governor and the first Asian-American to serve as governor of any U.S. state, died Sunday night at the age of 100, his family announced Monday.

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91ֱ�� baseball closes road series with rout of Cal State Bakersfield

whtnone — Mon, 20 Apr 2026 10:05:00 +0000

Leaving it all on Hardt Field’s soon-to-be-replaced grass surface, the 91ֱ�� baseball team powered its way to Sunday’s 14-5 rout of Cal State Bakersfield on the Roadrunners’ campus.

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Mental exam ordered for Kansas man accused of stabbing Kona boat captain

whtnone — Tue, 21 Apr 2026 10:05:00 +0000

A mental examination has been ordered to determine if a 21-year-old visitor from Overland Park, Kansas, who allegedly stabbed the captain of a Kona charter boat is fit to stand trial.

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Former Kamehameha Schools employee indicted for internal theft

whtnone — Tue, 21 Apr 2026 10:05:00 +0000

A 32-year-old Big Island man has been indicted for allegedly stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from Kamehameha Schools 91ֱ��.

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2,000 acres in Kapoho being considered for preservation

whtnone — Tue, 21 Apr 2026 10:05:00 +0000

A 91ֱ�� County Council committee today will consider a resolution calling for the purchase of nearly 2,000 acres of rugged coastal land in Kapoho using public land preservation funds.

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Bills on ICE rules, tax relief advance as 91ֱ�� legislative session nears end

whtnone — Tue, 21 Apr 2026 10:05:00 +0000

State legislators continue to move bills toward the end of session that would further tighten election and campaign laws, impose new rules for film tax credits, limit local law enforcement involvement with federal agents and roll back some promised 91ֱ�� income tax breaks scheduled through 2031.

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The best cake on the planet is coconut cake from Halekulani Hotel

whtnone — Tue, 21 Apr 2026 10:05:00 +0000

The first famous coconut cake from Halekulani on April 9, 1958, cost 35 cents a slice.

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Obituaries for April 21

whtnone — Tue, 21 Apr 2026 10:05:00 +0000

Randall “Randy” Harold Fernandez

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91ֱ�� Lt. Gov. Sylvia Luke announces she will not seek re-election

whtnone — Tue, 21 Apr 2026 00:09:00 +0000

91ֱ�� Lt. Gov. Sylvia Luke announced Sunday that she will not seek reelection this year, following months of speculation that she is the subject of a state attorney general investigation into allegations of a powerful lawmaker accepting an illegal campaign donation.

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‘We’re trying to build a resilient, sustainable food system’: The Food Basket makes progress on new Hilo campus

whtnone — Mon, 20 Apr 2026 10:05:00 +0000

The seeds of a new, innovative 91ֱ�� Island food bank facility are being planted in Hilo.

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Obituaries for April 20

whtnone — Mon, 20 Apr 2026 10:05:00 +0000

Anastacia Valeros Abellera

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End of a golden era: Kapeliela leaves behind banners, legacy as he departs from Cowboys

Conor Langs — Mon, 20 Apr 2026 10:05:00 +0000

Not only did Kihei Kapeliela help deliver the first state championship in Kohala High School history (along with three more), he put Big Island boys basketball back on the map.

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‘We’re ready to go’: After 8 long years, lower Puna residents are eager to drive home

whtnone — Sun, 19 Apr 2026 10:05:00 +0000

After seven years of hardship and anxious waiting, 71-year-old Deb Smith and her 72-year-old husband, Stan, should finally be able to drive home by the end of this year.

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91ֱ�� County STVRs measure advances

whtnone — Sun, 19 Apr 2026 10:05:00 +0000

A 91ֱ�� County Council committee voted unanimously April 7 to forward a controversial vacation rental bill to the county’s planning director and two planning commissions.

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Court rejects Trump Administration climate lawsuit against 91ֱ��

New York Times — Sat, 18 Apr 2026 10:05:00 +0000

A federal judge has dismissed a highly unusual lawsuit, filed last year by the Trump administration, that sought to preemptively block 91ֱ�� from filing its own lawsuit against oil companies over their role in climate change.

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Visitor from Kansas charged with attempted murder after snorkel tour incident

whtnone — Sat, 18 Apr 2026 10:05:00 +0000

Police arrested and charged 21-year-old Avery Nissen of Overland Park, Kansas, with attempted murder following a stabbing incident Thursday aboard a boat off the Kona coast.

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Police chief talk story session set for Kapa‘au

whtnone — Sat, 18 Apr 2026 10:05:00 +0000

The 91ֱ�� Police Department invites the public to attend police Chief Reed Mahuna’s next informal “Talk Story with the Chief” session from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday at the Kohala Intergenerational Center, 54-364 Kamehameha Park Road in Kapa‘au.

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Large section of Aloha Stadium demolished as project proceeds

whtnone — Sun, 19 Apr 2026 03:15:00 +0000

The demolition of Aloha Stadium on Oahu took a big step forward Thursday with the first section of seating pulled down from the steel structure.

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Work to replace lava tube bridge begins Thursday

whtnone — Sat, 18 Apr 2026 10:05:00 +0000

Work to replace the deteriorating bridge into Nahuku lava tube in 91ֱ�� Volcanoes National Park will start Thursday.

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91ֱ�� income tax cuts hang in balance as legislative session nears end

whtnone — Thu, 16 Apr 2026 10:05:00 +0000

The fate of scheduled 91ֱ�� income tax breaks through 2031 is headed for a showdown at the state Legislature.

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Puna man sentenced to 40 years for sexually assaulting minors

whtnone — Fri, 17 Apr 2026 10:05:00 +0000

A 45-year-old Mountain View man was sentenced Wednesday to 40 years in prison for sexually assaulting two minors between February and May 2025.

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Obituaries for April 17

whtnone — Fri, 17 Apr 2026 10:05:00 +0000

Margie Ann Gillman-Wolfe

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Pest inspection policies at ports questioned at briefing

whtnone — Fri, 17 Apr 2026 10:05:00 +0000

Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity officials admitted during a legislative briefing on Wednesday that an internal policy allowing inspectors to use discretion when evaluating goods at ports of entry for pests was contrary to state law for three decades.

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Green: Storms caused $700M in damage

whtnone — Fri, 17 Apr 2026 00:15:00 +0000

Gov. Josh Green said 91ֱ�� suffered an estimated $700 million in damage from the succession of storms over the past four weeks, and that the state is now in recovery mode.

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Three 91ֱ�� County finalists for UH Board of Regents

whtnone — Thu, 16 Apr 2026 10:05:00 +0000

Gov. Josh Green is considering three candidates for appointment to the University of 91ֱ�� Board of Regents to fill one of two seats representing 91ֱ�� Island.

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Tree maintenance project begins in Lili‘uokalani Gardens

whtnone — Thu, 16 Apr 2026 10:05:00 +0000

Branches fell in Lili‘uokalani Gardens this week as crews began maintenance work on the approximately 240 trees that fill the lush 24-acre Hilo park.

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Hearing set for two East 91ֱ�� men accused of smuggling fireworks

whtnone — Thu, 16 Apr 2026 10:05:00 +0000

Two East 91ֱ�� men accused by federal authorities of illegally importing fireworks into 91ֱ�� from the mainland U.S. and distributing them are due in court Monday in Honolulu.

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Making history: Sherry Bird is 91ֱ�� Police Department’s first female deputy chief

whtnone — Thu, 16 Apr 2026 10:05:00 +0000

“We’re all community policing officers, whether we’re assigned to Community Policing or not.”

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Obituaries for April 16

whtnone — Thu, 16 Apr 2026 10:05:00 +0000

Narciso “Nasi” Fernandez

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New UH study could help improve weather forecasting for the islands

whtnone — Wed, 15 Apr 2026 10:05:00 +0000

New research from the University of 91ֱ�� at Manoa could help weather forecasters better predict periods of rainfall, such as the heavy storms the islands have experienced in recent months.

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Kona woman arrested, charged in state tax case

whtnone — Wed, 15 Apr 2026 10:05:00 +0000

Multiple criminal charges have been filed against Georgia Santos, 74, of Kailua-Kona in connection with alleged violations of state tax laws involving Kahealani Property Services LLC.

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Trial set for Hawi man accused of attempted murder

whtnone — Wed, 15 Apr 2026 10:05:00 +0000

A 66-year-old Hawi man pleaded not guilty Monday to second-degree attempted murder, second-degree assault, first-degree terroristic threatening, and two counts of felony domestic abuse.

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Contract awarded for new bridge, roundabout in Waimea

whtnone — Wed, 15 Apr 2026 10:05:00 +0000

The state Department of Transportation announced Tuesday that Maui contractor Alpha Inc. has been selected to replace the 94-year-old Waiaka Stream Bridge at the intersection of Kawaihae Road and Kohala Mountain Road in Waimea.

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Obituaries for April 15

whtnone — Wed, 15 Apr 2026 10:05:00 +0000

Martha “Mata” Leona ( Kekuna) Ah Yee

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Military leaders meet in Waikiki as land leases remain in limbo

whtnone — Sun, 17 May 2026 10:05:00 +0000

Military leaders in 91ֱ�� have increasingly used the islands as a training and weapons-testing ground for their troops and those of their allies as they prepare forces for a potential showdown with China in Taiwan and the South China Sea.

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Bake stands rise in popularity

whtnone — Sun, 17 May 2026 10:05:00 +0000

Colorful roadside food stands have been popping up around Hilo in recent months.

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Odds of El Nino forming this summer increase

whtnone — Sun, 17 May 2026 10:05:00 +0000

An El Nino cycle is expected to begin this summer, though the strength of that cycle — and how it will impact 91ֱ�� — is still up for debate.

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Property tax hikes eyed: County faces $15 million budget deficit

Stefan Verbano — Sun, 17 May 2026 10:05:00 +0000

The 91ֱ�� County Council will hold a public hearing Tuesday to consider raising property tax rates for nonresidents and those with second homes in an effort to close the gap on an estimated $15 million budget shortfall.

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