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The old carpenters’ adage, “measure twice, cut once” is taken to a new level at HPM Building Supply’s Keaau factory, where computers do the measuring and lasers show where to make the cuts and attach the hardware. HPM, short for Hawaii Planing Mill, is a 99-year-old employee-owned company long known for its prefabricated wall panels…

A Kona Circuit Court judge last Wednesday severed the case of two Puna women accused of murder in the 2018 death of a 6-year-old boy at a Kealakehe apartment complex. Supervised release was also granted to one of the defendants. Kuuipo Nihipali and Ashley Nihipali were to stand trial together on Sept. 22, however, Chief…

In a replay of a 2014 West Hawaii council race, a powerful Honolulu pro-construction political action committee has targeted a sitting councilwoman by standing up a well-financed challenger in an attempt to unseat her. In the latest case it’s the Kona District 7 council seat now held by freshman Councilwoman Rebecca Villegas. The super PAC…

Mayor Harry Kim’s reelection campaign is getting by with a little help from his friends. And his employees. Kim, who limits his campaign contributions to $10 per person, reported just $6,746 in total contributions since Jan. 1 on his most recent report with the state Campaign Spending Commission. Most of that came from donations and…

Contrary to rumors it is closing, Hula Hulas restaurant continues to offer takeout and dine-in meals at its spot in the Grand Naniloa Hotel in Hilo. “It hasn’t been easy to stay open, don’t get me wrong,” owner Chad Yang said. “We have reduced our hours, but we have no plans of closing right now.”…

Accessibility improvements for Laaloa Beach Park, also known as Magic Sands Beach Park, are one step closer to reality. Hawaii County concluded in its final environmental assessment (EA) published July 23 that the work will have no significant impact, despite concerns raised by the public about removal of several trees and the continued positioning of…

A 38-year-old Kailua-Kona man Thursday pleaded not guilty to manslaughter and other charges filed connection with a June 21 crash in Ka‘u that killed a 31-year-old woman. Bernard Kahalehili Antoque is charged with manslaughter, negligent homicide, driving with a suspended/revoked license, drug paraphernalia, unsafe vehicle on roadway, third-degree promotion of a harmful drug, false certificates…

A bill that would codify a list of best practices to mitigate infestations of little fire ants is awaiting Gov. David Ige’s signature. The bill, House Bill 1854, would require the state Department of Agriculture to work with the Hawaii Ant Lab to identify a list of best practices for little fire ant treatment, which…

The state Department of Health reported 123 new COVID-19 cases in the state today, bringing the total number of cases since the pandemic began to more than 2,000. This is Hawaii’s third day in a row of more than 100 new cases. None of the new cases were reported in Hawaii County. However, a county-by-county…

The Puapuaa properties located makai of Alii Drive will now officially belong to the people of Hawaii County following the purchase of more than 12 acres in North Kona. The purchase, announced Thursday by the Public Access, Open Space and Natural Resource Preservation Commission, ensures the preservation of numerous cultural sites and structures on the…

The former financial officer of Kua O Ka La Public Charter School who admitted she embezzled $628,835 from the school throughout a seven-year period was sentenced to five years in prison. Kelaukila “Ua” Estabilio, 40, of Hilo pleaded guilty in February in U.S. District Court in Honolulu to a single count of wire fraud. Estabilio,…

A new vendor for animal control services for Hawaii County has been selected. Beginning Saturday, Hawaii Rainbow Rangers will administer these services on behalf of the county, according to the Hawaii Police Department. HRR is a branch of Rainbow Friends Animal Sanctuary, a nonprofit founded in 1999 dedicated to the well-being of abandoned, abused and…

For the second day in a row, Hawaii has tallied more than 100 new COVID-19 cases. The state Department of Health today reported 124 new cases, the highest daily case count since the pandemic began. A county-by-county break down of the new cases was not immediately available. On Wednesday, 109 cases, mostly on Oahu, were…

Almost all stores and restaurants in Prince Kuhio Plaza have reopened since closing during the initial COVID-19 lockdown in March. Stores have been steadily reopening since the Hilo mall officially opened for business again May 9. Accessibility to personal protective equipment and employees’ ability to return to jobs affected how quickly stores could reopen. As…

In the light of the recent surge of COVID-19 cases, Gov. David Ige today said he is proposing that Hawaii’s four counties reinstate measures — initially implemented to curb the spread of the virus — that have been relaxed in recent weeks. That includes limiting social gatherings to 10 or fewer people, reclosing bars, and…

More than 100 new cases of COVID-19 have been reported today, hitting another single-day record. Today’s total of 109 includes 98 cases on Oahu, nine on Maui, and two on Kauai. The state had been anticipating the increase due to lab closures on Sunday and Monday after Hurricane Douglas. According to the state, a total…

During the week of July 20-26, Hawaii Island police arrested 15 motorists for driving under the influence. Three of the drivers were involved in traffic accidents and one was younger than 21. The numbers of arrests by district were: • Kona, six. • Puna, four. • South Hilo and South Kohala, two each. • North…

There are 47 new cases of COVID-19 reported today statewide as of noon today. That brings the statewide total of cases to 1,757, as one case previously listed was removed from the count.. Lt. Gov. Josh Green said on Facebook Live the state has doubled its number of total cases in a month. “It took…

The state Board of Education on Thursday will consider pushing back the start of school to Aug. 17 for students. In a statement issued Monday, state Superintendent Christina Kishimoto said Department of Education leaders have been working with unions throughout the COVID-19 pandemic to ensure students get the education they deserve and employees have a…

Hawaii’s traveler quarantine has been touted repeatedly as a significant reason the state has contained the coronavirus more effectively than any others in the nation. Four months after its implementation in late March, however, some cracks have shown, with residents and leaders alike voicing concern about the quarantine’s ability to be enforced. Though the quarantine…

An asteroid discovered by the University of Hawaii’s Pan-STARRS1 telescope atop Haleakala will make a close pass of Earth today. At its closest point, the asteroid will be only about 1.7 times the distance of the Moon. The asteroid has been given the temporary name 2020 OO1. It has a diameter of approximately 65 feet…

The state Department of Health reported 28 new cases of COVID-19 today, all on Oahu. Public health authorities also are advising anyone who may have patronized two Honolulu bars to step forward and contact their physicians for follow-up. The two bars involved are Brix & Bones located at 1217 Hopaka St. and Arena 808 located…