Hawaiʻi Island

Hawaiʻi County council members are questioning whether big investments in mass transit make sense on the state's largest island. HPR's Savannah Harriman-Pote reports.

The Big Island takes in roughly $937 million in revenue, the majority of which comes from property taxes. On top of routine expenses, the county is facing significant costs for repairs to its aging wastewater infrastructure.

Hawaiʻi County wants to move around some federal funds in order to pay for a Waikoloa evacuation study. HPR's Savannah Harriman-Pote has more.

Hū Honua and Hawaiian Electric headed back to federal court Monday. Hū Honua first filed its lawsuit against HECO almost a decade ago, alleging antitrust actions and a breach of contract.

The Conversation broadcast live from the Amy Greenwell Ethnobotanical Garden in South Kona on Friday. So we wanted to know how ferals and invasives are impacting life there. HPR talked to Executive Director Lou Putzel about the challenges that come with managing an ethnobotanical garden.

Dr. Billy Bergin is the author of several books, including the fourth and last volume of “Loyal to the Land: The Legendary Parker Ranch.” The series documents the history of Parker Ranch, one the oldest and largest ranches in Hawaiʻi, around which the town of Waimea was built.

HPR first connected years ago with Dr. Brady Bergin because of a crazy idea he was working on. The mission? Sterilize the population of wild donkeys in Waikoloa that were suffering because of drought conditions.

Residents of fire-prone Waikōloa Village were hopeful that they would get a new evacuation route this year. Work on an egress road started under former Hawaiʻi County Mayor Mitch Roth, but now the new mayoral administration is casting doubt on the project. HPR's Savannah Harriman-Pote has more.

The Department of Land and Natural Resources has been developing a management plan for the Pololū trail on Hawaiʻi Island aimed at addressing the large amounts of visitors.

Former Hawaiʻi County Mayor Mitch Roth is joining Central Pacific Bank as a senior vice president overseeing Hawaiʻi Island.