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Business

‘Ohana by Hawaiian Halts Flights

Wednesday, January 13th, 2021

By Catherine Cluett Pactol

‘Ohana by Hawaiian air service will indefinitely suspend flights to Molokai and Lanai on Jan. 14, the airline told employees in a letter from a company official last week. The move leaves Mokulele Airlines as the sole air carrier serving Molokai.

“Our low levels of inter-island flying, caused by depressed demand across our network due to travel restrictions, triggered a provision in our labor contracts that prevents us from offering this third-party passenger and all-cargo service,” wrote Executive Vice President and COO Jon Snook in the letter that employees received last Wednesday, Jan. 6.

In October, the airline announced it would suspend flights on Nov.…

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Buy Local for Last Minute Gifts

Wednesday, December 9th, 2020

Buy Local for Last Minute Gifts

By The Molokai Dispatch Staff

Need last minute Christmas gifts? Shop local and support our community! Whether it’s food items, gift certificates, crafts, clothing, toys, or just like these gift hampers, you’ll find something perfect for everyone on your list right here on Molokai. A kids stepping stones is also a perfect gift for your little ones who enjoy playing outdoors. It encourages active play and helps develop coordination and balance as they navigate their way from one stone to another. You may also consider getting a new crib for your baby. Check out mini crib vs. standard crib comparison here.…

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Uechi Promoted to Leadership at Maui News

Wednesday, December 2nd, 2020

By Catherine Cluett Pactol

Former Molokai Dispatch reporter Colleen Uechi has been named to the top editorial leadership role at The Maui News. Uechi began her journalism career as an intern with The Molokai Dispatch in 2014, and worked on staff until the end of 2015, when she joined The Maui News team as a reporter. She was promoted to assistant city editor last year. She now replaces Lee Imada as managing editor, who worked at the publication for 40 years.

Originally from Oahu, Uechi is originally from Oahu and graduated from Hawaiian Mission Academy in Honolulu. She studied intercultural communications and Spanish at Pacific Union College in California and after her 2013 graduation, taught English in Kazakhstan for five months.…

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Buy Local, Support a Family

Wednesday, December 2nd, 2020

Buy Local, Support a Family

By Catherine Cluett Pactol

Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday sales may be past, but every day is Small Business Saturday on Molokai! Finish your Christmas gift shopping list on Molokai by sup-porting local businesses. Whether it’s products brought in for sale from Molokai Drugs, Take’s, Molokai Wines and Spirits or Imports Gifts, or buying directly from a local entrepreneur, local gifting keeps the resources on Molokai and helps local families at the same time. Along with other holiday sales, a handful of locally, mom-owned businesses at a Holiday Popup event at Paddlers Restaurant on Dec. 5 from 10 a.m.…

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$2.5M in Assistance for Farmers and Ranchers

Wednesday, November 18th, 2020

County of Maui News Release

Mayor Michael Victorino is urging Maui County farmers and ranchers to apply for reimbursements of expenses for losses related to COVID-19 and for food sustainability.

“This program has $2.5 million in CARES Act funding to provide Maui County farmers and ranchers with an urgent lifeline to help them with reimbursement of their expenses,” Mayor Victorino said. “I would like to thank the Maui Chamber of Commerce for partnering with the County of Maui to help sustain our agricultural community through these difficult times.”

Farmers and ranchers can apply reimbursement on allowable expenses of up to $25,000 for those who meet program qualifications.…

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Shop Local, Support Molokai

Wednesday, November 18th, 2020

Shop Local, Support Molokai

By Catherine Cluett Pactol

This season of giving, local businesses and entrepreneurs are relying on us more than ever to support them by shopping and gifting Molokai-made or -purchased items. Over the next few weeks, we’ll be highlighting local gift sources and hope you’ll share your favorites with us too.

Jewelry has always been a timeless and meaningful gift, and a beautifully crafted ring is no exception. Whether it’s a delicate gold band, a bold statement piece, or a personalized design, rings symbolize love, connection, and individuality. A carefully chosen ring can reflect the wearer’s personality and style, making it a cherished keepsake for years to come.…

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DHHL to Offer Its Own Internet

Wednesday, November 11th, 2020

By Catherine Cluett Pactol

With Molokai homesteaders struggling with faulty internet service under Sandwich Isles Communication, the Department of Hawaiian Homelands is poised to deliver its own internet to homestead communities. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has approved applications for DHHL to bring wireless broadband to Molokai, Lanai, Maui and Kauai, which is anticipated to be operational by 2022.

Slow internet has been plaguing Molokai homesteaders for some time but has been exacerbated by the pandemic, as students attempt to study remotely, employees work from home and small business owners bolster their online marketplaces.

“Anger, frustration, you can’t even get through to a live body to talk about what the situation is, or negotiations of how they can have their bills paid, or you can transfer over to another carrier,” Rep.…

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‘Ohana to Continue Service, Mokulele in Financial Hardship

Thursday, November 5th, 2020

By Catherine Cluett Pactol

After announcing they would temporarily stop service on Nov. 1, ‘Ohana by Hawaiian will now continue flying “through at least January 2021,” the airline said in a statement last week.

A “dormant” Essential Air Service (EAS) provision covers flights to Molokai and Lanai, requiring a 90-day notice for disruption of service, according to the Dept. of Transportation. Ross Higashi, deputy director of the airports division, said in a state Senate Transportation Committee virtual meeting last week that the EAS designation wasn’t being evoked for years because multiple airlines were providing commercial air service to Molokai and Lanai.…

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Sust’aina ble Molokai Launches Egg Production

Thursday, November 5th, 2020

Sust’aina ble Molokai Launches Egg Production

By Catherine Cluett Pactol

Molokai doesn’t have to decide whether the chicken or the egg came first, because another “first” has poised the island to potentially produce all its own eggs. Nonprofit Sust’aina ble Molokai is the first organization in Maui County — and likely the state — to have a Dept. of Health certified cooperative distribution model for on-island egg production.

Molokai currently imports more than 100,000 eggs per month, according to Sust’aina ble Molokai (SM) Executive Director Harmonee Williams Pastrana. Hand in hand with their efforts to foster consumption of locally grown produce, the organization is seeking to reduce the community’s dependency on off-island sources for eggs through a unique program that makes it easy for small farmers to produce and sell eggs.…

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Realtors Donate PPE to Kilohana School

Wednesday, October 28th, 2020

Realtors Donate PPE to Kilohana School

Hawaii REALTORS News Release

Hawaii REALTORS®, a leading statewide professional trade organization for the real estate industry, donated PPE to schools throughout the state in early October as part of REALTOR® Action Day (RAD).

Each year Hawaii REALTORS® hosts an annual RAD event to assist schools in need. Since 2018, RAD volunteers have completed school improvement projects for 18 Hawaii schools. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, RAD had to cancel most in-person volunteer projects this year.

“With some students slowly phasing back to in-person classes after fall break, we decided to use those funds to donate PPE to our RAD partner schools,” said Jack Legal, president of Hawaii REALTORS®.…

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