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Environment

News stories regarding Molokai’s outdoor environment

Power Out for Over 10 Hours in Town

Wednesday, July 7th, 2021

By Catherine Cluett Pactol

A fault on Maui Electric’s circuit left residents and businesses in Kaunakakai without power for more than 10 hours on the morning of Friday, July 2.

The outage began around 11:50 p.m. on July 1, and the majority of customers were restored at 9:40 a.m., according to Maui Electric. The remaining customers were brought back online around noon. Nearly 600 residents and businesses were affected.

The outage included homes in Ranch Camp and Manila Camp, Molokai General Hospital, and the majority of businesses in Kaunakakai. While some had backup generators to keep stock fresh, Friendly Market and others still had spoilages.…

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Molokai Holokai Goes Virtual

Wednesday, July 7th, 2021

Molokai Holokai Goes Virtual

By Catherine Cluett Pactol

Like every other sporting event last year, COVID-19 cancelled the annual 2020 Molokai Holokai, a paddling competition of friendly fun for locals as well as acclaimed paddlers and stand up paddlers of all ages. The pandemic also cancelled this summer’s event due to state rules and restrictions, said organizer Clare Albino. But then she decided to try something different – a virtual competition.

“Participants can make their own course in any place, anywhere in the world to make their distances and even break it down in stages and or days,” said Albino, explaining participants upload pictures and times to a virtual leader board, allowing the event to continue during a window that’s open right now.…

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Planning for Molokai’s Energy Future

Wednesday, June 30th, 2021

MCEH News Release

We must go slow, to move fast. This proverb is true for Molokai’s renewable energy needs.

In 2017, Hawaiian Electric Companies (HECO) revealed a statewide plan including Molokai for 100 percent renewable energy by 2020. However, Molokai is not even close to the goal. Molokai has an abundance of rooftop solar, but customer options for roof top solar are limited due to technical limitation with the grid.

Over the last decades, four large-scale renewable energy developers have come and gone without completing projects for various reasons, primarily costs and roadblocks with HECO. Today Molokai remains dependent on expensive and environmentally damaging fossil fuels.…

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Super Strawberry Moon

Wednesday, June 30th, 2021

Super Strawberry Moon

By Catherine Cluett Pactol

The full moon on June 24, called a “super strawberry moon,” was captured here by Rick Schonely with his Kodak camera with zoom lens from Wavecrest Resort.

This month’s full moon is known as a supermoon, which occurs when the moon is at its closest point to Earth in its orbit, making it appear larger and brighter than usual. June’s supermoon was the last supermoon of the year.

The term “strawberry” moon sometimes refers to the pinkish hue the moon can have in late June as it sits lower in the sky and shines through more of our atmosphere, according to NASA.…

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Interisland Travel Now Unrestricted

Wednesday, June 23rd, 2021

By Catherine Cluett Pactol

For the first time in months, there are no Safe Travels screeners greeting arrivals to the Molokai Airport. Travelers may come and go interisland freely without going through a litany of testing, quarantine procedures, forms, QR codes and other protocols, as of June 15. Airport car rides offer convenience, comfort, and a stress-free way to travel to and from the airport, ensuring a smooth and timely trip. The ending of regulations for travel within Hawaii marks one of several to the Emergency Revised Rules the governor made last week.

Individuals who have been fully vaccinated in the state of Hawaii are also no longer required to do a pre-travel test when traveling from the U.S.…

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Hunting Licenses, Stamps for New Season

Wednesday, June 16th, 2021

DLNR News Release

A new hunting season opens from July 1, 2021 through June 30, 2022. Effective June 15, the DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife (DOFAW) will begin issuing hunting licenses and stamps for this new season.

DOFAW offices have been closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Hunters can purchase licenses and stamps online by credit card. Individuals without internet access or needing other purchasing options can contact island-specific DOFAW offices by phone. A valid license is required for hunting on public and private lands.

For additional information please call your local DOFAW office on Molokai at (808) 553-1745, or the statewide DOFAW administration office in Honolulu can be reached at (808) 587-0166.…

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Hurricane Season Predicted ‘Below-Normal’

Wednesday, June 16th, 2021

By Catherine Cluett Pactol | Editor

Weather officials are predicting a “near-or below-normal” hurricane season this year, which runs June 1 through Nov. 30. Forecasters say to expect two to five tropical cyclones — including tropical depressions, storms and hurricanes — for the 2021 Central Pacific season, and an 80 percent chance of near or below normal season. A near-normal season has four to five tropical cyclones.

“This year we will likely see less activity in the Central Pacific region compared to more active seasons,” said Matthew Rosencrans, NOAA’s lead seasonal hurricane forecaster at the Climate Prediction Center. “Less activity is predicted since ocean temperatures are likely to be near- to below average in the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean where hurricanes form, and because El Niño is not present to increase the activity.”…

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Bayer Makes Molokai Food Donation

Wednesday, June 9th, 2021

Bayer News Release

In support of World Hunger Day, Bayer Hawaii donated more than 2,700 pounds of food to the Institute for Human Services (IHS), Maui Food Bank and Molokai Salvation Army on Thursday, May 27.

“Making a positive impact by giving back to our island communities has always been a priority for Bayer Hawaii. And with so many of our neighbors currently struggling in the wake of the pandemic, the need to improve Hawaii’s food sustainability has never been greater,” said Alan Takemoto, community affairs lead at Bayer Hawaii “Mahalo to our employees across Oahu, Maui and Molokai for their generous contributions.”…

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Energy Coop Tech Review Continues

Wednesday, June 9th, 2021

Ho’ahu Energy Coop News Release

Hoʻahu Energy Cooperative Molokai, a new local entity formed to support community-owned energy projects, invites you to join us for our next virtual workshop on Saturday, June 12 from 9 to 10:30 a.m.

This workshop will be Tech Review Day, Part 2! In May, we learned about some of our options for different solar panel modules to install for our projects. This week we will learn about battery storage technologies and then we will discuss our priorities in selecting which equipment we would install.

The workshop continues the Coop’s work to design solar and battery storage projects for Maui Electric’s upcoming Community Based Renewable Energy (CBRE) Request for Proposals (RFP).…

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Summer Meals for Youth

Wednesday, June 9th, 2021

By Catherine Cluett Pactol

Do you have children and want to take advantage of free meals over the summer? Do you have a student who relies on school meals to stay fed? Even though school is out of session for the summer, free grab and go meals will be available at four school locations across the island, for all Molokai youth aged 1 to 18, regardless of school enrollment status.

The meals will be provided by Kualapu’u School from June 7 to July 16. Meal pick up sites and times are Kilohana Elementary School between 11:45 and 12 noon, Kaunakakai Elementary School between 11:15 and 11:45 a.m.,…

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