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MEMA Urges Residents, Visitors to Prepare for Hurricane Season

Thursday, June 5th, 2025

By MEMA News Release

As hurricane season approaches, the Maui Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) is urging all residents and visitors to take proactive steps now to ensure safety and resiliency. The Central Pacific hurricane season officially runs from June 1 through Nov. 30.
“Being prepared ahead of time is critical,” MEMA Administrator Amos Lonokailua-Hewett said. “By getting ready now, we strengthen our ability to care for our families, neighbors, and community. E hoʻomākaukau kākou a e mālama pono.”
The 2025 season is expected to bring near-normal tropical cyclone activity, with an estimated four-to-five tropical cyclones anticipated, according to the National Weather Service.…

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Ranch Camp Fire Comes Too Close for Comfort

Thursday, June 5th, 2025

Ranch Camp Fire Comes Too Close for Comfort

By The Molokai Dispatch Staff
Residents in Ranch Camp had a close call with a brush fire on Saturday, May 24. Around 2:30 p.m., about three acres went up in flames, coming close to homes at the top of the residential area. As firefighters worked to control the blaze with air assistance from a helicopter making water drops, residents assisted with garden hoses to protect their yards.
No buildings were damaged and the fire was under control just after 3 p.m., and extinguished around 7 p.m. that evening. The Maui Fire Department says the cause of the fire is undetermined.…

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‘A Special Homecoming:’ Canoe Iosepa Visits Molokai

Thursday, June 5th, 2025

‘A Special Homecoming:’ Canoe Iosepa Visits Molokai

By Catherine Cluett Pactol

Over the past week, Molokai hosted some special guests: a double hulled canoe named Iosepa and its crew. Arriving last week Wednesday after a 12-hour sail from Oahu, Iosepa was docked at Kaunakakai Wharf for about a week while community members were welcomed on board and its crew did outreach on the island.
The nine-ton vessel is made out of solid wood, lashed together with no nails or screws. Slightly smaller than voyaging canoe Hokule’a’s 64-foot length, Iosepa is 57 feet long and sailed by a crew of 16.
Crewmember Chris Muhlestein said because of the wa’a’s weight, Iosepa has two steering blades that are manned by several crewmembers on each blade during channel crossings.…

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May Day Across the Island

Thursday, June 5th, 2025

May Day Across the Island

By The Molokai Dispatch Staff

Molokai students celebrated May Day at schools across the island last month. Keiki draped in colorful lei represented each island in their school’s May Day courts, while each class performed a hula or mele for their ‘ohana and friends.
According to Kamehameha Schools, Reverend Samuel Kapu of Maui wrote a mele called “Na Lei o Hawaii” which mentioned the flower symbol for each island. The first May Day celebration was held in 1928, and the floral symbolism continues today: Hawaii Island is represented by red ‘oh‘ia blossoms, pink lokelani for Maui, yellow ilima for Oahu, Molokai is the green kukui leaf, Lanai represented by light orange strands of kauna‘oa, gray hinahina is for Kahoolawe, Kauai is the purple berries of mokihana, and Niihau is symbolized by white pupu shell.…

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Hospice Maui Molokai Needs Volunteers

Monday, June 2nd, 2025

Hospice Maui Molokai News Release

Volunteers provide important services to hospice organizations and the people they serve. By being a hospice volunteer, you can gain great personal satisfaction from knowing you have made an impact in another person’s life and have contributed to your community in a compassionate and caring way.

Hospice volunteers are essential members of the Hospice Team. Hospice volunteers provide companionship to people living with a serious illness who might be near the end of life. They help family caregivers in a variety of ways. Hospice also relies on volunteers to help with office work, fundraising, community outreach and other operational areas.…

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Greeters Needed

Monday, June 2nd, 2025

Molokai History Project News Release

As you know, we have moved to a much larger space and a great location just across the street from Friendly Market. We are so appreciative of this wonderful location. It is much larger than our original space, so we have to make some changes. We are in need of greeters who have two hours a week that they can share with the History Project and our local residents and visitors who stop in every day. It is a fun two hours with friendly, interested visitors to chat with, a piano you can play to your heart’s content, beautiful displays that are informative and interesting, and a lovely relaxing space that says what a wonderful, full history Molokai shares with our beautiful state.…

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Molokai Students Receive Bayer Hawaii Life Sciences Scholarship

Monday, June 2nd, 2025

Bayer Hawaii News Release

A total of ten Hawaii students, including Halena Peterson and Chloe Tancayo from Molokai, have received the 2025 Bayer Hawaii Life Sciences Scholarship. Peterson will be attending Montana State University to study Pre-Veterinary Medicine, and Tancayo will be attending University of Hawaii at Hilo where she will study Chemistry.

Recipients statewide were Leah Bautista, Leilehua High School, Keira Brown, Leilehua High School, Ciana Cooper, Maui High School, Sophia Kato, Maui High School, Halena Peterson, Molokai High School, Faith Shimabukuro, Mililani High School, Rylee Stout, Seabury Hall, Chloe Tancayo, Molokai High School, Jyliann Teocson, Waipahu High School, and Joshua Yasuda, Mid-Pacific Institute.…

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Everything from Greased Pigs to Manicures

Monday, June 2nd, 2025

Everything from Greased Pigs to Manicures

By Jack Kiyonaga, Editor

It was a busy Mother’s Day weekend on Molokai with events happening across the island. In Ho’olehua, at the Lanikeha Center, almost 2,000 residents passed by to check out the happenings at the annual Molokai Resource Fair.

The fair tries to “go the extra mile,” explained Rosie Davis from the Molokai Homestead Farmers Alliance, who organizes the event. The fair’s information booths ranged from agriculture to emergency services to job training. Along with a free petting zoo and greased pig contest, the fair had music, food, games and more. Participants competed for grand prizes like tickets on Hawaiian Airlines and gift cards to Hiro’s ‘Ohana Grill while browsing craft booths or getting their nails done courtesy of Nail Bar Molokai.…

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Bigger Space for Molokai History Project

Monday, June 2nd, 2025

Bigger Space for Molokai History Project

By Jack Kiyonaga, Editor

The Molokai History Project (MHP) has a new location from which to steward many of Molokai’s historic treasures. On May 9, MHP packed up their collection and moved up the street to a larger space across from Friendly Market Center.

The museum was founded in October 2023 with the mission of “preserving and showcasing the rich cultural heritage of the island.”

Originally, MHP was housed in a one room office space in the Storehouse building next to the Credit Union.

“We had totally outgrown [it],” explained Judy Mertens, executive director of MHP. “There was not space to hang one more picture.”…

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National Award for Health and Wellbeing

Monday, June 2nd, 2025

National Award for Health and Wellbeing

By Jack Kiyonaga

In a moment of major recognition, the Molokai community was recently awarded the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) Culture of Health Prize. Molokai was one of nine communities across the U.S. selected for the award.

The prize seeks to celebrate communities leading local efforts to strengthen their health and wellness environment. For Molokai, the award will specifically go to the Molokai Heritage Trust (MHT).

For Zhantell Lindo, chair of MHT, the award represents an acknowledgement in the power of land back initiatives as related to the health of a community. MHT is a nonprofit launched in 2022 with the aim of restoring community ownership of Molokai lands, with the specific goal of buying Molokai Ranch.…

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