• Failure notice from provider:
    Connection Error:http_request_failed

  • Submission Deadlines

    Advertising

    Thursday 4pm

    June 11, 2026

    Content

    Friday 4pm

    June 12, 2026

    To print on:

    Wednesday

    June 17, 2026

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

Community

General news which affects the Molokai community in one way or another.

Robotics Coach Gets Statewide Award

Friday, November 4th, 2022

Robotics Coach Gets Statewide Award

By Sage Yamashita, Intern Reporter

Molokai’s Edwin Mendija recently received the Hawaii Society of Technology in Education Making IT Happen award. He was one of two winners statewide who were honored as educators committed to teaching students innovation and creating digital learning opportunities using technology. 

“It’s an honor seeing my name amongst all of the successful and prestigious educators that have received this award in the past and that I was chosen out of eight other well-deserving nominees, including my sixth grade teacher, David [Kawika] Gonzales,” said Mendija. “Mr. Gonzales was one of the teachers who introduced educational competition robotics to Molokai and I am glad that I have also been able to inspire Molokai youth to pursue STEM careers.”…

Posted in , commentsAdd your comment

Billion Dollar Budget Discussions

Friday, November 4th, 2022

By Jack Kiyonaga, Community Reporter 

For the first time, Maui County’s fiscal year budget will run over $1 billion. What does this mean for Molokai? 

For the 2023 fiscal year, which goes into effect July 1, 2022, key investments are slated for Molokai’s community and infrastructure. The Puko’o fire station, Molokai Rural Health Community Association and Molokai High School Robotics Club are highlighted as areas of specific investment. 

However, hopes for relocating the Molokai Police Station, which is currently located in an aging building in a flood zone, have yet to be realized. 

The police department has looked at a couple sites and plans to “talk with the county to see what is feasible,” according to Molokai Police Captain Jamie Winfrey.  …

Posted in , commentsAdd your comment

Students Help Restore Dryland Forest

Friday, November 4th, 2022

Students Help Restore Dryland Forest

By Sage Yamashita, Intern Reporter

High school students are working with local nonprofit Molokai Land Trust to replant dryland forests on the island’s northwest side. Molokai High School’s Natural Resource class has been volunteering since September, and their work isn’t done. They have committed to volunteer every month till December to help reach the goal of reintroducing over 8,000 native Hawaiian dryland forest plants into their natural environment.  

The Kawakiu Watershed Restoration Project is 7.25 acres based at the Mokio Preserve. The first 2.25-acre plot was built in 2010 and planted from 2011 to 2015. It has 95 percent Native Hawaiian plants and is fenced to keep deer and cattle out.…

Posted in , , , commentsAdd your comment

$35K in AlohaCare Scholarships

Friday, November 4th, 2022

$35K in AlohaCare Scholarships

AlohaCare News Release

AlohaCare awarded seven $5,000 academic scholarships to Hawaii students from four islands — three from Maui, two from Oahu and one each from Molokai and Lanai. 

“Our annual AlohaCare Scholarship’s mission is to encourage workforce development and support students seeking careers in healthcare,” said AlohaCare CEO Francoise Culley-Trotman. “Our team is grateful that we are able to help students follow their educational dreams.” 

AlohaCare scholarships are granted to members or their dependents who are pursuing health-related post-secondary degrees or programs. The Molokai recipient is Michael Arce, who has been dedicated to the field of social work for 15 years.…

Posted in , , commentsAdd your comment

Annual Floating Lantern Ceremony

Friday, November 4th, 2022

Hospice Maui News Release

Join us for a multi-cultural event to honor loved ones who have died, with love, gratitude, peace and harmony. The annual Floating Lantern Ceremony will be held on Saturday, Nov. 5 at the Molokai Community Health Center, 4 to 6:30 p.m.  Participate and join others in decorating and assembling your own personal lantern to be released at dusk. One lantern per family provided. Bring your tabis if you want to walk in the water… it’s muddy.  While decorating and waiting for lantern release, enjoy music, taiko drums and hula. Food is available for purchase. The event is sponsored by Hospice Maui and Guzeiji Soto Mission.…

Posted in , commentsAdd your comment

A’o Aku; A’o Mai: What I Learn, I Teach

Friday, November 4th, 2022

A’o Aku; A’o Mai: What I Learn, I Teach

Community Contributed

By Sara Jane Larkin, Teacher

Kilohana Elementary School is a Project Based Learning School and we encourage learners to develop problem solving and critical thinking skills, and extend our thinking beyond the classroom. In answering the question, “How can we share our learning with our friends, families and our community?” first graders at Kilohana will share their understanding with our community in the Dispatch. 

Oct. 19 is Unity Day.  We began a focused campaign to prevent bullying and demonstrate kindness to all. In first grade, we have been learning about verbs, which we used in our writing about unity. Our prompt was, “Aloha in action creates unity.”…

Posted in , , commentsAdd your comment

Why Save Seeds?

Friday, November 4th, 2022

Community Contributed

By Glenn I. Teves, County Extension Agent, UHCTAHR

Our tropical climate on Molokai is unique compared to other parts of the U.S. and Europe, where most of our seeds originate. The warm nights in the tropics are brutal for many varieties developed outside of the tropics. What may grow well in those areas may not grow well here so we need to find varieties that grow well here, or we need to develop them. Tropically adapted seeds are difficult to access, such as those from Southeast Asia, South China and the Philippines. Seeds from Africa, India and South America are even more difficult to access.  …

Posted in , , commentsAdd your comment

‘Auamo Kuleana

Friday, November 4th, 2022

Community Contributed

Opinion by Kahenawai Ho’oleii’a Hirata

U.S. History, the textbook that is given to every student in high school, states the United States of America fought for freedom for everyone. But is that true for the indigenous people of Hawaii? Oppression and exploitation of our language, culture, land and people is what we as the indigenous people of Hawaii got in the name of freedom!

I grew up attending community meetings with my family, with a front row seat to the issues which plague our island of Molokai, including the search for viable digital avenues that support our self-reliance without compromising our heritage.…

Posted in , commentsAdd your comment

Ranked Choice Voting

Friday, November 4th, 2022

Governor Ige recently signed extremely limited Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) legislation which would allow voters an opportunity to “rank” candidates in a particular race.

How many times has one not voted for their preferred candidate for fear that someone they do not support would win? With RCV, one chooses the candidate they would most rather have for the specific position. If their preferred candidate does not receive the most votes, who would be a second choice for the voter?

The candidate with the fewest votes is removed and those voters who chose that individual then have their second choice receive their vote. This process continues until a candidate receives 50 percent plus one and they are then elected.…

Posted in , , , commentsAdd your comment

Victory for Young Chef

Friday, October 28th, 2022

Victory for Young Chef

By Sage Yamashita, Intern Reporter 

The odds might have appeared stacked against Molokai High senior and chef Jonah Sahagun, but that didn’t stop him from winning a statewide cooking competition two weeks ago. A member of the MHS Culinary Club, he was among two Molokai students to submit original recipes to the Localicious Recipe Contest at the Hawaii Wine and Food Festival. Inspired by top-quality selections from Reserve Wines, his dishes showcased how the right wine pairing can elevate local ingredients to a fine-dining experience.

Just two weeks before the contest, Sahagun broke his collarbone in a football game. Then three days later, he learned he was selected in the top three finalists from 127 submissions to compete in the live cook-off  on Oahu.…

Posted in , commentsAdd your comment