The U.S. Air Force “has returned 363 acres it leased on Molokai Island to the Department of Hawaiian Homelands.”
Views expressed in this West Hawaii News update are those of the reporters and correspondents. Accessed on 15 January 2023, 1332 UTC. Content provided by “West Hawaii Today.”
Source: https://www.westhawaiitoday.com/category/hawaii-news/ (West Hawaii News from “West Hawaii Today”).
Please click link or scroll down to read your selections. Full access requires subscription to “West Hawaii Today.” Article summaries are available to all readers.
‘Shared solar’ projects moving forward
As many as 1,500 Big Island households could receive credits to lower their energy bills through an effort to develop solar installations in Naalehu and North Kona.
US military returns land on Molokai to Hawaii
HONOLULU — The U.S. military and Hawaii officials said Friday the Air Force has returned 363 acres it leased on Molokai Island to the Department of Hawaiian Homelands, opening the possibility Native Hawaiians could move onto the land.
Police: Hilo man arrested while sleeping in stolen truck
A judge has reduced bail for a 42-year-old Hilo man charged with numerous offenses after police arrested him allegedly sleeping in a stolen truck.
BLNR loosens pig hunting restrictions in 3 Puna forests
Hunters will be able to take more feral pigs more frequently in certain Puna forest reserves under new regulations passed Friday by the state Board of Land and Natural Resources.
Hawaii housing woes top agenda as lawmakers return next week
HONOLULU — Affordable housing, expanding pre-K education and addressing corruption are top of the agenda as Hawaii lawmakers return to the state Capitol next week.
US nears new cooperation deals with Pacific Island nations
WASHINGTON — The Biden administration is nearing deals with two Pacific Island nations to extend ties that are considered critical to maintaining balance in the U.S.-China rivalry for influence in a region where the Chinese are rapidly expanding their economic, diplomatic and military clout.
Name change raises eyebrows: South Kona fire station renamed without public input
The Captain Cook Fire Station will be renamed the Kealakekua Fire Station in a ceremony on Tuesday.
NTSB: Cloud shot up in front of plane before turbulence
HONOLULU — A cloud shot up vertically like a plume of smoke in a matter of seconds before a Hawaiian Airlines flight last month hit severe turbulence and 25 people on board were injured, according to a preliminary report Friday by the National Transportation Safety Board.
Hilo affordable housing complex on schedule
A long-awaited senior housing project remains on track to be completed in 2024.
Practice makes perfect: First responders train for humpback whale disentanglements
A dozen or more times each season humpback whales are spotted entangled in fishing gear or marine debris while in their principal breeding and calving grounds within the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary and nearby waters.
Hilo man accused of forcibly raping woman
A 33-year-old Hilo man has been charged with forcibly raping a woman after she refused to have sex with him.
Taking over
A new state agency has begun the process of eventually taking over management of Maunakea’s summit area.
Burned body that of one-time award-winning coffee farmer
A 59-year-old homeless woman police say burned to death Jan. 2 in a large banyan tree on Banyan Drive in Hilo was, in better times, an award-winning coffee farmer.
Hawaii stops prosecuting elders who protested telescope
HONOLULU — Hawaii’s new attorney general said Tuesday more than two dozen elders won’t be subject to another round of prosecutions for blocking a road three years ago to prevent the construction of a new telescope on a mountain summit many Native Hawaiians consider sacred.
Coffee hit by ‘perfect storm’
If you love a good cup of Kona coffee, be prepared to pay more for it in 2023 — that is, if you can find it.
County to open application process for rental assistance program
Applications for a state-funded rental assistance program will open next week for the first time in five years.
Hilo siren taken offline after 2 false alarms
An emergency siren on Kanoelehua Avenue in Hilo has been taken offline after a malfunction caused it to sound twice on Monday.
Trial again set in 2009 homicide of rodeo rider
On Monday, Patricia Wong pleaded not guilty for a second time to charges relating to the 2009 shooting death of Kaycee Smith.
BLNR to consider bag limit increases for feral pigs
New hunting regulations that would double the amount of feral pigs a hunter could take each day in certain Puna forest reserves will once again be considered by the state Board of Land and Natural Resources Friday.
Waimea man crrested for threatening police officer
A 31-year-old Waimea man released on bail for recent fireworks and drug offenses, was recently charged threatening a Hawaii Police Department officer.