BIGISLANDWatch

12/12/2023

HILOWatch: Young Brothers operations have been suspended due to the Hilo Harbor closure.

29/05/2023

MEMORIALDAYWatch: Today, we remember all of those brave soldiers who served in our armed forces who made that ultimate sacrifice. Your sacrifice will never be forgotten.

28/11/2022

19/09/2022

BREAKING - A massive Earthquake has struck off shore of the Mexican state of Michoacán. The USGS estimated a preliminary magnitude of 7.5. A is in place for the Mexican Pacific Coast. NO Tsunami Warnings for Hawai'i as of yet. The PTWC says it's "Too early to determine if a Tsunami was generated."

05/04/2021

ECONOMYWatch: With vaccination efforts allowing states to reopen more and more but the unemployment rate still high at 6.2%, WalletHub today released updated rankings for the State Economies Hit the Most by Coronavirus.

With vaccination efforts allowing states to reopen more and more but the unemployment rate still high at 6.2%, WalletHub today released updated rankings for the State Economies Hit the Most by Coronavirus.To identify which states are most vulnerable economically, WalletHub compared the 50 states and...

23/03/2021

TRAFFICFATALITYWatch: Responding to a 7 p.m. call, police determined that a black 2010 Infinity four-door sedan heading east (mauka) on Ke Ala O Keawe Road crossed the double solid yellow line, drove into a guardrail, went airborne, and then down an embankment.

A 19-year-old Kailua-Kona woman died following a single-vehicle collision on Friday, March 19 near the three-mile marker of Ke Ala O Keawe Road in Captain Cook. The woman has not been positively id…

23/03/2021

RUNAWAYWatch: The Hawai`i Police Department is asking for the public’s assistance in locating 13-year-old Chanel Cumlat-Lewis, who is reported as a runaway.

The Hawai`i Police Department is asking for the public’s assistance in locating 13-year-old Chanel Cumlat-Lewis, who is reported as a runaway. Cumlat-Lewis was last seen at a residence on Kilauea A…

23/03/2021

INVESTIGATEWatch: The Hawai`i Police Department is investigating the circumstances surrounding the death of a 29-year-old Hawai`i Island man who died in police custody.

The Hawai`i Police Department is investigating the circumstances surrounding the death of a 29-year-old Hawai`i Island man who died in police custody. On Saturday, March 20 at 11:20 a.m. Ka`u patro…

23/03/2021

HONOKOHAUWatch: The man, who has not been positively identified, was transported to the Kona Community Hospital where he was listed in critical condition.

A 46-year-old Alaska man was seriously injured following a public accident at the Honokohau Small Boat Harbor on Friday, March 19. Responding to a 2:08 p.m. call, Hawai`i Police Department officers…

23/03/2021

UPDATE: The Hawai`i Police Department reports that 95-year-old Toyoki Morimoto was located on Tuesday morning in Hilo in good health.

MISSINGWatch: The Hawai`i Police Department is searching for 95-year-old Toyoki Morimoto, who was last seen on Monday, March 22 in the Orchidland subdivision in Puna.

Updated on March 23. The Hawai`i Police Department reports that 95-year-old Toyoki Morimoto was located on Tuesday morning in Hilo in good health. Original story published on March 22. The Hawai`i…

21/03/2021

TAXWatch: "We in Hawaii are getting national (and some international) attention... But not the good kind."

The opinions and information expressed in the Community Viewpoint are solely those of the authors and not the MAUIWatch Community Network. We in Hawaii are getting national (and some international)…

14/03/2021

TAXWatch: "In the couple of weeks before the Legislature’s “First Decking” deadline, legislators were hearing tax-related bills, not only the “Enola Gay” bill we discussed last week. Different tax increase bills of all stripes were being considered. The testimony in response to those bills, interestingly, contained relatively few lamentations from a beleaguered public weary of tax increases."

The opinions and information expressed in the Community Viewpoint are solely those of the authors and not the MAUIWatch Community Network. In the couple of weeks before the Legislature’s “First Dec…

13/03/2021

WANTEDWatch: The Hawai`i Police Department is asking for the public’s assistance in locating 38-year-old Shayne Kamuela Unea of Hilo who has five outstanding warrants for his arrest. The warrants are for bail jumping and criminal contempt of court.

The Hawai`i Police Department is asking for the public’s assistance in locating 38-year-old Shayne Kamuela Unea of Hilo who has five outstanding warrants for his arrest. The warrants are for bail j…

12/03/2021

MISSINGWatch: The Hawai`i Police Department is asking for the public’s assistance in locating 30-year-old Marina Cortez who was last seen on March 5 at 11:30 am in the area of Kamalii Road in lower Puna in a copper colored sedan.

The Hawai`i Police Department is asking for the public’s assistance in locating 30-year-old Marina Cortez who was last seen on March 5 at 11:30 am in the area of Kamalii Road in lower Puna in a cop…

12/03/2021

MISSINGWatch: The Hawai`i Police Department has renewed its request for public assistance in locating 26-year-old Joshua Toney who was reported missing on February 12.

The Hawai`i Police Department has renewed its request for public assistance in locating 26-year-old Joshua Toney who was reported missing on February 12. Toney was last seen on Friday, February 1 a…

12/03/2021

MISSINGWatch: The Hawai`i Police Department is requesting the public’s assistance in locating 51-year-old Raphael “Ralph” Solis who was reported missing.

The Hawai`i Police Department is requesting the public’s assistance in locating 51-year-old Raphael “Ralph” Solis who was reported missing. Solis is described as being approximately 5-feet-7-inches…

12/03/2021

CHARGEWatch: The Hawai`i Police Department has charged 34-year-old Jacob Robert Altman of Kailua-Kona with numerous offenses stemming from a robbery and theft investigation that occurred in Keauhou.

The Hawai`i Police Department has charged 34-year-old Jacob Robert Altman of Kailua-Kona with numerous offenses stemming from a robbery and theft investigation that occurred in Keauhou. On Tuesday …

12/03/2021

UPDATE: The Hawai`i Police Department reports that 15-year-old Heaven Aipia-Drummondo of Hilo, who was reported as a runaway, was located over the weekend in North Kohala and is in good health.

RUNAWAYWatch: The Hawai`i Police Department is asking for the public’s assistance in locating a 15-year-old Heaven Aipia-Drummondo of Hilo who was reported as a runaway.

Updated on March 15. The Hawai`i Police Department reports that 15-year-old Heaven Aipia-Drummondo of Hilo, who was reported as a runaway, was located over the weekend in North Kohala and is in goo…

12/03/2021

WANTEDWatch: The Hawai`i Police Department is asking for the public’s assistance with locating two Ka‘ū residents who are wanted on outstanding warrants.

The Hawai`i Police Department is asking for the public’s assistance with locating two Ka‘ū residents who are wanted on outstanding warrants. Thirty-one-year-old Valerie Sanchez of Ocean View is wan…

08/03/2021

ARRESTWatch: The Hawai`i Police Department has arrested three people for numerous drug and fi****ms offenses in West Hawai‘i after discovering narcotics, three weapons, and more than 800 rounds of ammunition while executing search warrants on a West Hawai‘i property.

The Hawai`i Police Department has arrested three people for numerous drug and fi****ms offenses in West Hawai‘i after discovering narcotics, three weapons, and more than 800 rounds of ammunition wh…

08/03/2021

MENTALHEALTHWatch: The new program, called “Kū Makani – The Hawai’i Resiliency Project,” offers counseling, education, information, and resource navigation while promoting healthy coping, empowerment, and resilience.

The Hawai‘i Department of Health, in collaboration with CARE Hawai`i, launched a new crisis counseling assistance program to provide support for children and adults experiencing challenges due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The expansion was made possible by a $2.1 million grant from the Federa...

08/03/2021

PAHALAWatch: The Hawai`i Police Department has charged a Ka‘u man with numerous offenses stemming from a kidnapping and assault investigation that occurred in Pāhala.

The Hawai`i Police Department has charged a Ka‘u man with numerous offenses stemming from a kidnapping and assault investigation that occurred in Pāhala. At 2 p.m. on Wednesday, March 3, a 46-year-…

08/03/2021

UPDATE: The Hawai`i Police Department reports that 14-year-old Kekamakahiau Kepano of Kea‘au, who was reported as a runaway, was located in Puna in good health.

RUNAWAYWatch: The Hawai`i Police Department is searching for 14-year-old Kekamakahiau Kepano of Kea‘au who was reported as a runaway.

Updated on March 9, 2021. The Hawai`i Police Department reports that 14-year-old Kekamakahiau Kepano of Kea‘au, who was reported as a runaway, was located in Puna in good health. Original story pu…

08/03/2021

UPDATE: The Hawai`i Police Department reports that Ikeole Keawe Simeona-Lui, who was reported missing, was located in Kona in good health.

MISSINGWatch: The Hawai`i Police Department is seeking the public’s assistance in locating 26-year-old Ikeole Keawe Simeona-Lui of Kailua-Kona who was reported missing.

Updated on March 9, 2021. The Hawai`i Police Department reports that Ikeole Keawe Simeona-Lui, who was reported missing, was located in Kona in good health. Original story published on March 8, 20…

08/03/2021

VIRUSWatch: Health Department says highly transmissible South African COVID-19 variant present in Hawaii.

The Department of Health State Laboratories Division has detected a new variant of concern. This new strain has the technical name B.1.351 and is sometimes referred to as the South African variant. It was found in an O‘ahu resident with no travel history. “This is concerning because B.1.351 has ...

07/03/2021

TAXWatch: "Why do I call this bill the Enola Gay? You might remember from the history books that Enola Gay was the name of the aircraft that dropped the first atomic bomb on the City of Hiroshima in World War II. Here, of course, the bill’s destination isn’t Japan; it’s the pocketbooks of us the taxpayers."

The opinions and information expressed in the Community Viewpoint are solely those of the authors and not the MAUIWatch Community Network. What we have been seeing at the Legislature in terms of bi…

04/03/2021

TSUNAMIWatch: The Watch was issued at 9:38 a.m. Thursday, and according to Pacific Tsunami Warning Center.

The state of Hawai’i is currently under a Tsunami Watch after a magnitude 8 earthquake was reported in the Kermadec Island region.  The Watch was issued at 9:38 a.m. Thursday, and according to Pacific Tsunami Warning Center. “Based on all available date a tsunami may have been generated by th...

27/02/2021

VARIANTWatch: The Hawai‘i Department of Health’s State Laboratories Division (SLD) confirms the presence of a new COVID variant in Hawai‘i.

The Hawai‘i Department of Health’s State Laboratories Division (SLD) confirms the presence of a new COVID variant in Hawai‘i. The P.2 variant, which contains the E484K mutation, was identified through surveillance testing conducted on O‘ahu. While the implications of this additional strain a...

17/02/2021

ATTEMPTEDMURDERWatch: The Hawai`i Police Department has initiated an attempted murder investigation following an incident in the Kalapana area late Sunday afternoon.

The Hawai`i Police Department has initiated an attempted murder investigation following an incident in the Kalapana area late Sunday afternoon. At approximately 4:30 p.m., Puna patrol officers resp…

17/02/2021

CHARGEWatch: The Hawai`i Police Department has arrested and charged a Ka‘u man for property crimes in connection with a burglary in Ocean View.

The Hawai`i Police Department has arrested and charged a Ka‘u man for property crimes in connection with a burglary in Ocean View. When officers responded to a residential burglary on Catamaran La…