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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.…

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Vaccine Available Next Week as Flu Season Looms

Thursday, September 11th, 2025

Vaccine Available Next Week as Flu Season Looms

By Léo Azambuja

The flu season is knocking on our doors, and even the healthiest people may not be immune to the flu, a common illness that sometimes can escalate to a severe condition and cause life-threatening complications. 

“An annual flu vaccine is a great way to insure against the flu. The Centers for Disease Control recommends everyone six months and older get a flu vaccine each year,” Molokai Drugs pharmacist-in-charge Kelly Go said, adding the vaccine is designed to protect against the three flu viruses most likely to cause illness during the upcoming flu season, which runs from October to May.…

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Ho‘āhu Program Graduates Six Clean Energy Technicians

Thursday, September 11th, 2025

Ho‘āhu Program Graduates Six Clean Energy Technicians

By Léo Azambuja
A literally electrifying program at a Molokai nonprofit organization has produced in the last few years dozens of clean energy technicians ready to put their skills toward cheaper energy and improved quality of life for island residents.
“We are able to now have people who are skilled and knowledgeable in the field of renewable energy. So, as the demand continues on the island, the goal is for the local residents to be able to secure those positions with employers, but also to explore into the entrepreneurship realm,” said Liliana Napoleon, training and workforce developer at Hoʻāhu Energy Cooperative Molokai.…

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Planting Pilina: Maunaloa Students Connect to Culture through Kalo

Thursday, September 11th, 2025

Planting Pilina: Maunaloa Students Connect to Culture through Kalo

Communiy contributed
By ʻIolani Kuoha, Maunaloa Elementary School Temporary Vice Principal

At Maunaloa Elementary School, the foundation of learning is rooted not only in books and lessons, but also in ʻāina. On a recent morning filled with mana and mud, every student had the opportunity to plant their own kalo, participating in a powerful cultural and educational experience made possible through the generosity of our community.
Thanks to the support of local kalo farmer Josh Pastrana, students were introduced to a variety of kalo; moi, ʻeleʻele naioea and kapaʻaloa. Students also learned about the deeper meaning of Haloa — the first child of Wākea and Hoʻohōkūkalani in the Kumulipo — and the spiritual elder sibling to kanaka.…

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County Teaches Grant Writing Workshop

Thursday, September 11th, 2025

County Teaches Grant Writing Workshop

By Léo Azambuja
What are the right steps that could help nonprofit organizations to successfully seek, apply for, receive and manage grants? Through a comprehensive workshop, Maui County staff members tried to demystify the grant writing process and open new avenues for grant funding on Molokai.
“Our vision is to create an army of grant writers throughout the county to gather partnerships and funding resources for our needs, not necessarily coming from county dollars,” Maui County Chief of Staff Cynthia Lallo said at a public meeting at Mitchell Pauole Center Aug. 25, seeking participants for a grant writing workshop on the same location the following day.…

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He Ēwe Molokaʻi in the Cook Islands – Part 2: Atiu, Enua Manu

Thursday, September 4th, 2025

He Ēwe Molokaʻi in the Cook Islands – Part 2: Atiu, Enua Manu

Community Contributed
By Keawaiki Madela
Atiu, one of the southern Cook Islands, is a small and close-knit island known as Enua Manu — the land of the birds. It is the third largest of the Cooks, about 28 square kilometers, with a population of just over 400 people. The island is home to five main villages: Teenui, Mapumai, Ngatiarua, Areora and Tengatangi.
Upon arrival, our group was greeted with a warm welcome and introduced to the tradition of pātai. A pātai is a formal village welcome, where the community gathers to offer food, speeches, and songs to honor visitors. We experienced three such welcomes — Teenui Village Pātai, Atiu Enua Village Pātai, and Areora Village Pātai — and at each stop we were fed abundantly.…

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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. …

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HEA Awards Professional Development Grant to Kaunakakai Resident

Thursday, September 4th, 2025

HEA Awards Professional Development Grant to Kaunakakai Resident

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.…

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Molokai Monk Seal Pup Recovering on Big Island

Thursday, September 4th, 2025

Molokai Monk Seal Pup Recovering on Big Island

By The Molokai Dispatch staff
This has been another “banner year” for monk seal pupping in the main Hawaiian Islands, with 35 new pups so far, as reported by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in a recent news release. As the peak pupping season winds down, most of these new pups are thriving and exploring the reefs on their own.
However, two small pups, one on Molokai and another on Kauai, needed extra help. Due to quick action by NOAA’s team and partners, both are now receiving life-saving care at the Marine Mammal Center’s Hawaiian monk seal hospital, Ke Kai Ola, in Kona, Big Island.…

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Bissen Hears Concerns at Holomua Kākou

Thursday, September 4th, 2025

Bissen Hears Concerns at Holomua Kākou

By Léo Azambuja

Mayor Richard Bissen landed on Molokai last week as part of the Holomua Kākou series designed to reach out to Maui County’s further communities, including the Friendly Isle, Lanai and Hana. 

“The whole purpose is to come in and get your concerns, your priorities, and how we can be available to you folks,” Bissen told about 30 residents at Mitchell Pauole Center Aug. 25. 

The meeting only lasted about an hour, but Bissen left with a bag full of issues and concerns. He made assurances he would look into all of them and follow up, despite some not being the county’s responsibility, and others being caused by previous administrations.…

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