News Releases

Local Students Named to Pacific University Dean’s List

Thursday, August 29th, 2024

Pacific University News Release

Several Molokai students have been named to the spring 2024 Dean’s List at Pacific University in Forest Grove, Oregon. The Dean’s List recognizes undergraduate students in Pacific’s colleges of Arts and Sciences, Business and Education who earn a grade-point average of at least 3.70 and complete 12 or more graded hours.

Saije Aiana, Kamalu Kaawa Richardson and Reese Raguindin are all on the spring 2024 Dean’s List.

Celebrating 175 years of purpose, Pacific University is Washington County, Oregon’s only comprehensive university. With undergraduate, graduate and professional programs in the arts and sciences, business, education, health professions and optometry, Pacific inspires its 3,600 students to think, care, create, and pursue justice in the world.…

Suicide Prevention and Awareness Month

Thursday, August 29th, 2024

Dept. of Health News Release

This year is the inaugural designation of September as “Suicide Prevention and Awareness Month” for the state of Hawaii. This recent enactment coincides with the globally recognized World Suicide Prevention Day, observed each year on Sept. 10.

“We must do more as a state to build more connection and more resilience in our communities, as we know these protect us from severe mental health challenges and prevent suicide,” said Hawaii Gov. Josh Green, M.D. “This is a personal issue for me and my family, as we’ve lost loved ones to suicide. There are too many families who have a similar experience and none of us wants to see another family go through the same heartbreak and loss.”…

Mental Health Support

Thursday, August 22nd, 2024

Molokai Mental Health News Release

Molokai Mental Health is now accepting Medicare. As we get older, sure we are wiser and we respond to life better than in our youth; we’ve learned a few tricks along the way. But life then deals us a whole new set of circumstances. Financial circumstances, physical health and ‘ohana responsibilities change, new worries about our children and grandchildren emerge, relationship challenges change, we become dependent on others, and the world is rapidly changing in many ways. There is plenty to worry and stress about these days. But we can get support, learn some coping skills to handle these new stresses and put that aloha back into our heart.…

A Special Night of Music

Thursday, August 22nd, 2024

Ho’ala Cafe & SipShop News Release

Kapena De Lima, son of well-known Kelly Boy De Lima and longtime member of the group Kapena, will be visiting Molokai for a special night of music, dinner and fun at Ho’ala Cafe & SipShop on Sept. 6 at 5 p.m.
Kapena, popular and talented winner of Na Hoku Hanohano awards, began playing keyboards for the group at age 11. Now, a well-known singer, songwriter and musician, he’s also a sought after producer and recording engineer.
Molokai’s own singer, songwriter and musician Tania Manabe will be sharing songs from her recently released CD “Me Ka Fiyah.”…

Exciting Things are Happening

Thursday, August 15th, 2024

Molokai History Project News Release

The Molokai History Project has received several educational grants, and we want to use them to provide events for our entire community. Our focus is on the students, with residents and visitors welcome at all events. The students will be asked to delve deep into research about our island. They will learn from our kupuna, and those who are experts, as they work doing what they love. The students will then be asked to share their results, thus creating exciting new ideas and projects for our island. We hope to begin in September and run through April, 2025, with monthly events.…

Maui Fire Dept. Announces Recent Promotions

Thursday, August 15th, 2024

Maui Fire Dept. News Release

The County of Maui Department of Fire and Public Safety, and Fire
Chief Brad Ventura are proud to announce the recent promotions of personnel, including many for Molokai.

Captain Troy Tendo has been with the fire department since 2007, and most recently
was assigned to the Paia Fire Station. He had also worked in Kula, Kihei, Makawao,
Napili, and Lanai. With his promotion, he will move to the Puko’o Fire Station on
Molokai. A 1998 graduate of St Anthony and a 2004 graduate of UH Manoa, Captain
Tendo, his wife Christine Newsom, and his son live in Kula.…

Call for Artists

Thursday, August 8th, 2024

Hawaii Craftsmen News Release

A reminder that the registration period for the Hawaii Craftsmen 58th consecutive
annual Statewide Exhibition is upon us! This is an open call to artists residing in Hawaii
for artworks in the categories of clay, fiber, glass, wood, metal, stone, and mixed
media. This exhibition will be juried by Suzanne Isken, former executive director of Craft
Contemporary in Los Angeles. Entries must be registered online at
HawaiiCraftsmen.org between Aug. 1 and Sept. 2.
This statewide exhibition has been held annually since 1967 and features traditional and
contemporary craft from artists across the state of Hawaii. Hawaii Craftsmen’s 2024
juror Suzanne Isken, served as Executive Director of Craft Contemporary in Los
Angeles from 2011 through 2023.…

Weather Stations Installed in High-Risk Fire Areas

Thursday, August 8th, 2024

Hawaiian Electric News Release

Hawaiian Electric has installed two weather stations on Molokai to provide key information about wind, temperature and humidity to help the company better predict and respond to fire weather conditions.

The project includes the installation of 52 weather stations across Molokai, Maui, Oahu and Hawaii Island. The weather stations, mounted on Hawaiian Electric utility poles, will provide meteorological data that will help the company to decide whether to activate and deactivate a public safety power shutoff, or PSPS. Under the PSPS program, launched July 1, Hawaiian Electric may preemptively shut off power in areas that are at high risk of wildfires during periods of forecasted high winds and dry conditions.…

Homeowner Assistance Fund expands to $21M

Thursday, August 8th, 2024

Maui County News Release

Even more Molokai homeowners may be eligible for mortgage or other qualified housing expense assistance through the Maui County Homeowner Assistance Fund Program. Homeowners on Maui, Molokai and Lanai who were affected negatively by the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic may be eligible for assistance and other resources to help avoid foreclosure.

Eligible homeowners may receive up to $60,000 in assistance through the program’s contracted service provider, Catholic Charities Hawaii (CCH).

The program started in May with an initial allocation of $7 million and recently received an additional $14 million. The additional funding will allow the program to serve between 240 and 570 more homeowners who experienced a financial hardship associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.…

The Molokai Dispatch Wins 5 Awards

Thursday, August 8th, 2024

The Molokai Dispatch News Release

The Molokai Dispatch is honored to have won five Excellence in Journalism awards for its news coverage in 2023. The awards are held annually by the Society of Professional Journalism (SPJ) Hawaii Chapter and presented in newspaper, TV, radio and magazine categories. This year was the first time that the SPJ has combined all newspapers into the same category, rather than separating weekly and daily papers. Winners for 2023 were announced at an awards dinner last week in Honolulu.
Marissa Motas, the Molokai Dispatch’s graphic designer, was awarded second and third place in the News Page Design category for all newspapers statewide for her layouts of “Makahiki Worth the Wait” and “2023 Year in Review: January – June.”…