Nick Nikhilananda has been a member of the Green Party of Hawaiʻi for nearly 35 years. His history is so deep that he played a role in getting the party on Hawaiʻi’s ballot for the first time, way back in 1992. That was accomplished along with people like the late Ira Rohter, a University of […]
Neighbor Islands
Posted inEssay
He Was Rebuilding His Life. Then The Unthinkable Happened
The lights came on in the rearview mirror: red then blue then red again on a Wednesday in Kailua-Kona, and the thump of his heart could be felt throughout his whole body before his foot found the brake. Under the seat was a loaded handgun and unspent rounds. In a bag was 15.7 grams of […]
Posted inBig Island
Native Hawaiians ‘Take The Torch’ Of Big Island Council Majority
Native Hawaiians will hold a majority of the Hawaiʻi County Council seats when newly elected members take office next month — the first time in at least three decades. Maile David, who became the first Native Hawaiian woman to chair the Hawaiʻi County Council in 2020, called the incoming representation remarkable. “It took a long […]
Posted inEnvironment
How Much Water Will The Future Maui Data Center Use? The Military Won’t Say
The U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force have maintained that the 56,000-square-foot laboratory and data center under construction in Kīhei is not expected to be a significant added strain on the region’s infrastructure. But federal officials still won’t say how much water the project is expected to use. The nearly $100 million facility at […]
Posted inKauaʻi
‘Free Palestine’ Stickers Get Librarian Criminally Convicted On Kauaʻi
Eden Peart stood to accept her sentence in a Līhuʻe District Court on Tuesday morning, facing the possibility of up to four months in jail for misdemeanor property damage charges. The gallery was packed, standing room only. Such low-level charges would not normally garner so much community interest, but Peart’s crimes had touched a nerve […]
Posted inOpinion
We Train Hawaiʻi’s Future Workforce. Can They Afford to Stay?
Imagine a young person growing up on Hawaiʻi island who dreams of becoming a nurse, physician, electrician or entrepreneur. Through education, mentoring and hard work, that person develops the skills to pursue a meaningful career. We celebrate that achievement. But then comes a more difficult question: Can that person afford to remain here? That is […]
Posted inMaui
The Unrelenting Ordeal Of Wildfire Recovery
As Mikey Burke walked into her acupuncture appointment on a Wednesday morning in May, she felt the energy shift, just as she always does. Noelani Ahia, 51, an acupuncturist and Hawaiian healer, greeted Burke, 42, with a smile and a hug, and led her away from the sunlit, open-air courtyard of the Lahaina Comprehensive Health […]
Posted inMaui
The Scientists Fighting To Help Wildfire Survivors Heal
LAHAINA, Hawaiʻi—Early on a Saturday morning in May, Ruben Juarez took the 45-minute flight from Oʻahu to Maui, just like he’d done dozens of times over the past three years. This one felt different. Juarez landed in Kahului Airport with his partner, Alika Maunakea, and drove on a long winding highway beside the piercing blue […]
Posted inElections 2026
Voters Bring On New Faces To Tackle Old Issues In Neighbor Island Councils
It’s a seminal moment for the local lawmaking bodies on the neighbor islands as 11 newly elected leaders across three counties prepare to join the ranks for at least the next two years. The councils on Maui, Kauaʻi and the Big Island have distinct goals, practices and procedures, but they’re all facing similar challenges. Voters […]