News Releases

Pūlama Ka Heke Launching ERMAT Program to Improve Medical Access

Thursday, February 19th, 2026

Pūlama Ka Heke News Release

Pūlama Ka Heke is proud to announce the launch of the Essential Rural Medical Air Transport (ERMAT) program which will be called Kaulele a Ola (meaning to take flight to heal and regain health), a groundbreaking initiative designed to expand equitable access to specialty healthcare for residents of Molokai and Lānai. 

ERMAT will provide coordinated, reliable medical air transportation to Oahu and Maui, addressing long-standing barriers that have limited timely access to specialty care for rural communities.

Funded by the Hawaiʻi Department of Health, ERMAT will offer 12 round trip flights between Molokai and Oahu and four round trip flights between Molokai and Maui per month for Molokai residents.…

Hui to Host Visiting Veterinarians for Free Vaccination, Low-Cost Visits 

Thursday, February 19th, 2026

MCVH News Release

Molokai Community Veterinary Hui (MCVH) is pleased to announce that it will be hosting a licensed veterinarian from Hawaii Island for a special weekend of veterinary services on Feb. 28 and March 1. MCVH is collaborating with Big Island Pet Care Center to bring affordable care to our island. 

On Saturday, Feb. 28, there will be a free community vaccine clinic from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Appointments will be scheduled in 15-minute intervals to ensure efficient and timely service for pet owners. This clinic is designed to help protect the health of Molokai’s pets while reducing barriers to essential preventative care. …

Lauhala Workshop Part II this Sunday in Hoʻolehua

Thursday, February 12th, 2026

MAC News Release

The Molokai Arts Center’s Hawaiian Arts Program presents its second Lauhala workshop on Sunday, Feb. 15 from 3:30-5:30 p.m. at Hoʻolehua Homestead Makeke, at 2240 Lihi Pali Ave behind Molokai High School, mauka, just east of Purdy’s Mac Nut Farm. Register at https://bit.ly/MACHA2026.

The MAC continues its popular HĀ workshops featuring the Lauhala (pandanus) plant. Participants will be taught to weave lauhala into a bracelet. Cultural practitioner Mokihana Paleka Jackson returns this Sunday to share the art of lauhala weaving.

The MAC HĀ 2025-26 Program is a bi-monthly series which promotes cultural arts through ‘aina (land) and mea kanu (that which is planted), utilizing our natural resources. Each month, a cultural practitioner will help participants, keiki through kupuna, craft a product from a specific plant (i.e. kukui,…

Lawmakers Secure $1.3M for ʻAha Pūnana Leo

Thursday, February 12th, 2026

Office of Sen. Brian Schatz News Release

U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) secured $1.3 million in congressionally directed spending, also known as an earmark, in this year’s appropriations deal for ʻAha Pūnana Leo. The funding will be used to train teachers, support families, and develop new early childhood education Hawaiian language materials, such as books and videos, to help young children build literacy and math skills.

Learning language early matters because it shapes how kids think and learn for the rest of their lives,” said Schatz, a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee. “This new earmark funding will help revitalize the Hawaiian language while making sure more kids have the resources to learn and grow.”…

12th Annual Cursive Is Cool Contest Launches Nationwide for Students in Grades K-7

Thursday, February 5th, 2026

AHAF News Release

The American Handwriting Analysis Foundation (AHAF) announced today that its annual Cursive Is Cool(r) handwriting contest is now open to students in Kindergarten through Grade 7, encouraging young writers to express themselves creatively through cursive handwriting.

Now in its 12th year, the Cursive Is Cool(r) contest continues to grow in reach and enthusiasm, engaging students, teachers, and families worldwide. Children are invited to submit original cursive writing entries, which are judged on legibility, neatness, and creative content.

“Our judges are excited every year to see what children write,” said Lauren Mooney Bear, CG, Campaign for Cursive Chair and immediate past President of AHAF.…

AlohaCare Foundation Giving $75K in Scholarships

Thursday, February 5th, 2026

AlohaCare News Release

The AlohaCare Foundation is now accepting scholarship applications — from February 2 to March 16, 2026. Each scholarship recipient could get up to $10,000 while pursuing careers in healthcare or social services. AlohaCare members, or their family members, are eligible to apply. 

For more information or to apply for 2026–2027 scholarships, visit foundation.alohacare.org/scholarships.

In the 2025–2026 academic year, the Foundation awarded $75,000 in scholarships to 19 students across Molokai, Hawaii Island, Kauai, Maui and Oahu — all pursuing careers in healthcare or social services.

“Every scholarship recipient represents someone who can stay in Hawaiʻi and improve the lives of Hawaii families,” said AlohaCare CEO Francoise Culley-Trotman.…

Kenpo Karate Classes Opening at Home Pumehana

Thursday, January 29th, 2026

Leeward Kenpo Karate Ke Ola O Molokai News Release

Leeward Kenpo Karate Ke Ola O Molokai is happy to announce we are reopening. Classes will be held Tuesdays and Fridays from 6-8 p.m. at Home Pumehana Community Hall.  

The club previously operated from 2003 until 2013, and is a branch of Leeward Kenpo Oahu. We teach Kenpo Karate and are part of the Kajukenbo self-defense system. 

The club’s head instructor is Sifu Lori Nartatez, with assistant instructors Elroy Mollena, Ryan Johnston and Kyle Macmillan. 

We would like to welcome back any former students, as well as anyone interested in becoming a new student. …

Federal Home Loan Reform Offers Critical Relief for Molokai Veterans

Thursday, January 29th, 2026

By Cristina Johnson, Asbestos Ships Organization

Like residents in other regions, veterans in Molokai, Hawaii, have been facing a scarcity of affordable housing and a cost of living that far outpaces local incomes. 

With just roughly 600 veterans and limited mortgage relief options, even short-term hardship can push homeowners toward foreclosure. The now-expired Veterans Affairs Servicing Purchase (VASP) program temporarily helped about 20,000 struggling borrowers remain housed; however, the initiative offered no lasting protection. Fortunately, Congress has since authorized a permanent alternative through the new VA Home Loan Program Reform Act. But unless this is enforced without delay, veterans in Molokai and throughout the country risk losing homes in a market that is difficult to cope with.…

Hawaii Opens $2.2M Micro-Grant Program for Small Ag 

Thursday, January 29th, 2026

DAB News Release

The Hawaii Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity is now accepting applications for the popular Micro-Grant for Food Security Program. This is the fifth year of the grant program which provides support for small-scale gardening, herding and livestock operations to increase the quantity and quality of locally grown food in food-insecure communities. A total of $2,235,220 was approved by the U.S. Department of Agriculture for this year’s program through funding authorized under the 2018 Farm Bill. 

The program is open to: