HONOLULU — A jury on Thursday found two Native Hawaiian men guilty of a hate crime for the 2014 beating of a white man who was fixing up a house he purchased in their remote Maui neighborhood.

“Lonoikamakahiki! Lonoikamakahiki!” reverberated along the Kona shoreline Thursday morning as dozens of children chanted for Lono, the Hawaiian god of fertility, agriculture and peace, to join them in makahiki festivities.

The Hawaii International Film Festival is bringing cinema from around the world to Hilo at the historic Palace Theater today through Sunday.

The County Council on Wednesday passed a controversial bill limiting where people can carry guns on the Big Island.

A 27-year-old Kona man was indicted Wednesday on two dozen charges stemming from an alleged armed robbery that was followed by a car crash and the man reportedly shooting at a police officer.

Just in time for holiday shopping, the extension of Kanalani Street providing access to the Kaloko Light Industrial Area could be opened as early as next week, thanks to action Wednesday by the Hawaii County Council.

Trial has been set in a civil lawsuit brought against Hawaii County, two Hawaii Police Department officers, and the man who allegedly shot and killed a 59-year-old Volcano resident in 2021.

Rat lungworm experts like Franny Brewer of the Big Island Invasive Species Committee believe education and awareness are key in preventing the disease.

The Department of Water Supply has successfully addressed three issues identified in a 2020 audit that found the department lacked sufficient contingency plans to ensure the public had dependable access to water when equipment breaks down, the county auditor told the County Council Finance Committee on Tuesday.

As a food shortage at Food Basket Hawaii continues into the holiday season, the return of the food bank’s Turkey Trot fundraiser after two years of COVID cancellations may help turn the tide.

Changes to special management area permit exemptions, county control over tobacco products and a younger retirement age for police are among nine priorities Hawaii’s four counties plan to present to the state Legislature.

An apparent attempt to tamper with Hawaii’s election was foiled last week when a machine in the state’s Hilo counting center rejected 11 ballots bearing the same bar code, indicating they had probably been photocopied.

October is officially the start of the wet season for most Hawaii locations — especially windward locations — but one might not know that based on the National Weather Services’ official rainfall totals.

After a decade of disrepair, the Laupahoehoe Boat Ramp soon could be restored.

For the latest West Hawaii, Hawaii Island, Hawaii State, and Hawaii Sports News, please check the blog sidebar and links.  Thanks for joining us today.

Russ Roberts

https://hawaiinewsdigest.net

https://hawaiidigestscience.com