News Releases

Pesticide Disposal Program for Commercial Businesses Begins

Sunday, September 21st, 2025

Hawaii Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity News Release

The Pesticides Branch of the Hawaii Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity is kicking off the second annual statewide Pesticide Disposal Program for farms and other commercial users of pesticides to safely dispose of canceled, suspended, unwanted or unlabeled pesticides.
The PDP is only for commercial operations and state and county government agencies. There are some restrictions (see list of acceptable and unacceptable pesticides). Household pesticides will not be accepted under this program.
The PDP has scheduled the following pesticide collection events:
Maui – Oct. 30 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. The registration deadline is Oct.…

Youth Basketball Clinic Saturday

Sunday, September 21st, 2025

Maui County Parks and Recreation News Release
Get ready to learn basketball from coach Maiki Tihada, a former Gatorade State Player of the Year and college standout at Gonzaga and Morehead State.
The Youth Basketball Clinic for third-to-sixth graders, a partnership between County of Maui Department of Parks and Recreation and Hoop Heads Academy is this Saturday, Sept. 20 at Kaunakakai Gymnasium from 8 to 10 a.m.
Registration started Sept. 8. Visit Kaunakakai Gymnasium from 7:45 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. until Friday to register.…

DOH Applauds Public Tours in Kalaupapa

Sunday, September 21st, 2025

DOH News Release

The National Park Service announced that public tours at Kalaupapa National Historical Park will resume this week. The Hawaiʻi Department of Health welcomed the return of tours as an opportunity to share the history and legacy of Kalaupapa and those who have lived there.

A media tour is scheduled for Sept. 18, with tours for the general public beginning in late September through Kalaupapa Saints Tours.

The National Park Service manages all commercial activity and concessions in Kalaupapa National Historical Park, with preference given to businesses owned by patient-residents of Kalaupapa.

Kalaupapa Saints Tours, like previous tour operators, is owned by a patient-resident.…

Aging Gracefully Means Monitoring Eye Health

Sunday, September 21st, 2025

Hawaiian Eye Center News Release

As we celebrate Healthy Aging Month this September, Hawaiian Eye Center is advocating for proactive eye care, urging adults 50 and over to make vision health a top priority in their aging journey. Offering Quality Eye Care ensures that patients receive comprehensive support for maintaining healthy vision throughout their lives.

“Vision is one of the most important senses we rely on every day, yet it’s often overlooked until problems arise,” says Dr. Steven Rhee, who has specialized in age-related eye conditions for over 15 years. “Healthy Aging Month is the perfect time to remind our communities that taking care of your eyes is a critical part of aging well.”…

Kalaupapa Visitor Tours Resume this Month

Sunday, September 21st, 2025

National Park Service New Release

Visitor tours are resuming at Kalaupapa National Historical Park with the launch of the Kalaupapa Saints Tour, founded by patient Meli Watanuki. The tour is the only park-authorized commercial operator and offers a respectful, accurate and personal perspective on Kalaupapa’s history. 

Located on the island of Molokaʻi, Kalaupapa preserves the stories of those who lived in isolation after being diagnosed with Hansen’s disease (leprosy). Since 1866, more than 8,000 people, mostly Native Hawaiians, died here. Today, the settlement remains home to a small number of cured patient-residents whose privacy is protected by restricting visitation to guided tours only. …

Join Kulāia Celebration, Molokai Canoe Festivals 

Sunday, September 21st, 2025

Kulaia Molokai News Release

Mark your calendars for the Kulāia Celebration — Molokai Canoe Festivals in downtown Kaunakakai, between Bank of Hawaii and Fish & Dive Sept. 26 from 5 to 10 p.m.

This free community event celebrates the spirit of Molokai and the Nā Wāhine o Ke Kai, bringing together paddlers, visitors, and locals for an evening filled with live Hawaiian music, ono food, Molokai artisans, cultural demonstrations, and free lomilomi.

Visit kulaia.wix.com/kulaiamolokai for more information.…

Make Molokai Beautiful

Thursday, September 11th, 2025

Molokai Bahá’í Community News Release
The Global Citizenship Speaker series resumes at the Molokai Public Library Sept.17 at 5:30 p.m. The first presentation features Molokai artist Kalaʻe Tangonan, who will share her passion for using the visual arts to make Molokai even more beautiful.
The program will feature moʻolelo behind the mammoth re-muraling project at Molokai High School and how multimedia arts can help make Molokai “the most beautiful island our hearts know is possible.”
Tangonan is a multi-media artist, a graduate of University of Hawaii, Hilo’s arts program, mother of nine children, and community arts activist, providing everything from face painting at keiki fairs to hair and makeup for proms, from decorating for parties to lei making for funerals.…

Molokai Boy is the Prince at the Aloha Festivals’ Royal Court

Thursday, September 11th, 2025

Hawaii Tourism Authority News Release

A Molokai boy is now the prince for the Royal Court for this year’s Aloha Festivals, the largest Hawaiian cultural celebration in the U.S. The 2025 Royal Court began their reign Sept. 6 during the Royal Court Investiture & Opening Ceremony in Honolulu.

The Royal Court, which consists of Mō‘ī Kāne (king), Mō‘ī Wahine (queen), Kamāli‘i Kāne (prince), Kamāli‘i Wahine (princess) and various court attendants, is an integral part of the festival’s perpetuation of the Hawaiian culture and is a visual reminder of the royal legacy of the Hawaiian people.

Sean Kaleohano Kekahuna Jr., of Hoʻolehua, Molokai, is the 2025 Kamāli‘i Kāne.…

Molokai Child Abuse Prevention Pathways Receives $240K Grant

Thursday, September 4th, 2025

MCAPP News Release

Molokai Child Abuse Prevention Pathways has been awarded a $240,000 grant from the Office of Hawaiian Affairs to expand child abuse prevention and support programs for keiki, ‘ohana, and schools across Molokai over a two-year period. 

This grant directly supports OHA’s Mana i Mauli Ola Strategic Plan to advance policies, programs, and practices that strengthen Native Hawaiian well-being — including physical, spiritual, mental, and emotional health —and its related outcome of increasing availability and access to quality, culturally based, and culturally adapted prevention and treatment interventions in ʻohana, schools, and communities.

“This support from OHA allows us to continue our valuable partnerships with local preschools and public schools on Molokai, expand our programs on school campuses, and offer workshops for parents and school faculty,” Executive Director Talia Cardines said. …

HEA Awards Professional Development Grant to Kaunakakai Resident

Thursday, September 4th, 2025

HEA News Release
The Hawai‘i Education Association (HEA), a nonprofit organization founded more than 100 years ago to support educators and students aspiring to be teachers, recently awarded grants to four Maui County educators for professional development.
“We’re excited to support homegrown teachers in Maui county, for Maui county. At a time when the U.S. Department of Education is being dismantled and education is under siege at the federal level, HEA is glad to support Hawaii’s educators and students who give so much of themselves,” said Joan Kamila Lewis, HEA president and an instructional coach at Kapolei High School.
Kaunakakai resident Anna Marie Nip, the only grant recipient from Moloka‘i, received a $2,000 HEA student teacher grant, sponsored by the Helen MacKay Memorial.…