• Failure notice from provider:
    Connection Error:http_request_failed

  • Submission Deadlines

    Advertising

    Thursday 4pm

    November 14, 2024

    Content

    Friday 4pm

    November 15, 2024

    To print on:

    Wednesday

    November 20, 2024

  • Join us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter Follow us on Google Plus Subscribe via RSS

Business

We’re In This Together: Dispatch makes some changes

Wednesday, April 8th, 2020

By The Molokai Dispatch Staff

The last month has been a roller coaster ride for our community. If there’s one thing we’ve all been reminded of, it’s that we’re in it together. We work together, we thrive together, we struggle together. The Molokai Dispatch feels those ups and downs too, and through it all, we’ll continue to bring you Molokai’s critical news each week.

As small businesses around us on island are closing, our staff is committed to continued service to keep our community informed. We’ve learned that other newspapers in Hawaii (and across the country) are having to do layoffs right now.…

Posted in , , commentsAdd your comment

Changes to Local, State and National Policies

Monday, April 6th, 2020

Last week, Molokai experienced its first two coronavirus cases, while as of Sunday, there were 369 positive cases in Hawaii, out of 13,536 tests conducted in the state so far. The state also reported the fourth death linked to the virus.

Following the news of the first positive test result on Molokai last Thursday, grocery stores across the island immediately closed, remaining shuttered for sanitation on Friday. With continued closures for Friendly Market, Misaki’s and Kualapu’u Market opened on Saturday, under a new model: curbside pickup for preordered items only.

“We’ve had long discussions about the safety of our staff, our customers and the island in general and are going to implement curbside pickup only,” posted Kualapu’u Market on its Facebook page.…

Posted in , , , , commentsAdd your comment

Molokai Has First Two COVID-19 Cases

Monday, April 6th, 2020

The Molokai community faced the news of its first two confirmed COVID-19 cases last week. Both are Friendly Market Center employees; the first of whom, confirmed as positive on Thursday, was transported to Oahu for treatment.

After the first case was confirmed, Mayor Michael Victorino, Sen. Kalani English, and Rep. Lynn DeCoite worked with the market’s owners to facilitate testing for all 51 FMC employees at Molokai General Hospital on Friday. The second positive test came out of that round of testing.

“As a precaution, we’ve decided to have all employees [regardless of their test results] remain in self-quarantine,” said Kit Okimoto, co-owner and chief financial officer for Friendly Market.…

Posted in , , , commentsAdd your comment

Federal Assistance for Small Businesses

Wednesday, April 1st, 2020

Sen. Schatz News Release

U.S. Senator Brian Schatz released a resource guide to help Hawaii small businesses like many on Molokai better understand how to access federal loans and new programs established under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. The bipartisan $2 trillion CARES Act is the largest aid package in American history and was signed into law last Friday.

“This new law will help Hawaii small businesses meet their payroll and provide people with paychecks for up to eight weeks,” said Senator Schatz, a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee. “As more federal help becomes available, we’ll continue to work to provide more information about how Hawaii families and businesses can access these new resources.”…

Posted in , , , , commentsAdd your comment

Efforts Continue to Keep Molokai Virus-Free

Wednesday, April 1st, 2020

By Catherine Cluett Pactol

“It’s like a movie that we’re all in,” described resident and Misaki’s Grocery owner Kevin Misaki of the current coronavirus pandemic. “As long as it’s not someone you know, it’s OK. But as soon as it’s your neighbor, your family, people [on Molokai] will start panick-ing.”

So far as of Sunday, Molokai continues to have no confirmed COVID-19 cases, as the rest of the state rose to 175 cases out of nearly 8,000 tests conducted. Nationwide, the U.S. case count has climbed to about 140,000 as of Sunday — the most of any country in the world — of which about 2,500 patients have died.…

Posted in , , , , commentsAdd your comment

COVID-19 Forces Businesses to Adapt, Close

Wednesday, April 1st, 2020

By Catherine Cluett Pactol

As the threat of coronavirus intensifies, so does the impact to Molokai’s small businesses. From restaurants to gift shops, grocery stores to realtors, businesses are adapting or being forced to close, at least temporarily. Many are adjusting hours and taking it one day at a time.

“We been through hard times but nothing like this,” said longtime Molokai businesswoman Denise Taueetia, who owns Makana Nui Gift Shop. “We are in the beginning of trying to figure out, what do we do now and how long it’s going to last. It’s survival time!”

Jana Sasada recently took a leap to open her own business on main street in Kaunakakai, Haleola Essentials.…

Posted in , commentsAdd your comment

Participate in Online Artist Marketplace

Wednesday, March 25th, 2020

CNHA News Release

Are you a Molokai artist or entrepreneur whose business has ben affected by COVID-19? The Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement (CNHA) and our community partners are launching an online Pop-Up Makeke to support our local artists and small business owners in Hawaii impacted by COVID-19.

As we witness nearly all community events, gatherings, craft fairs and farmers markets get cancelled or postponed, we recognize the impact that this will have on Hawaii’s economy, especially our many Native Hawaiian-owned businesses who depend on these activities to feed their families.

We are looking for businesses interested in being a part of this online makeke.…

Posted in , , , commentsAdd your comment

New Unemployment, Job Website Launched

Wednesday, March 25th, 2020

County of Maui News Release

The American Job Center – Maui has launched a website with information to help Maui, Molokai and Lanai residents file for unemployment insurance or register for job searches from the safety of home in the wake of impacts from the COVID-19 (coronavirus) outbreak.

The Maui American Job Center website is at mauiamericanjobcenter.com. You can take the help of storefront seo to help you come first in search engine results and your prospects find you easily without the help of expensive ads.

“This new website is designed as a one-stop shop for people looking for help with job search tools, social service agency information for residents in need and information to help struggling businesses that have been affected by the impacts of the coronavirus,” said Kay Fukumoto, director of the Maui County Office of Economic Development.…

Posted in , , commentsAdd your comment

Invasive Species Team Changes

Wednesday, March 25th, 2020

MoMISC News Release

Aloha kakou! We hope that this message finds you and your ‘ohana well and healthy. We want to inform the Molokai community of the adjustments made to the Molokai/Maui Invasive Species Committee (MoMISC) operations in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

All MoMISC employees are currently “out of office” and will be working remotely until further notice. Phone calls to our main office line will not be picked up. In the meantime, if you need any invasive species information, advice or need to report a pest, please email MoMISC at molokaiinvasive@gmail.com or call Lori Buchanan, MoMISC Coordinator at (808) 336-0625.…

Posted in commentsAdd your comment

Community Health Center COVID-19 Response

Wednesday, March 25th, 2020

MCHC News Release
Molokai Community Health Center (MCHC) is announcing several updates to the operations of their facility in response to the COVID-19 outbreak including Medical, Dental, Behavioral Health, WIC and Ka Hana Pono programs and services, effective immediately.
MCHC is an active COVID-19 testing site. Testing is administered via our onsite Acute Care Treatment (ACT) Clinic. Hours of operation for the ACT Clinic are Monday through Friday from 8 to 11 a.m. and 1 to 3 p.m. Hours are subject to change. Only people with flu-like symptoms should visit these locations. Those who are healthy and not feeling ill should not come to these facilities for COVID-19 testing.…

Posted in , , commentsAdd your comment