Kalaupapa

The remote peninsula of Kalaupapa, on Molokaʻi's northern coast, will get electrical upgrades in 2025 — and overcome many logistical challenges to complete the project. Reliable electricity is critical to daily life, and the current electrical system is aged and failing. It was first installed in 1969. HPR's Catherine Cluett Pactol has more.

Superintendent Nancy Holman says the new plan accounts for the possibility that after decades of care for those with Hansen’s disease, or leprosy, Kalaupapa may soon no longer serve any living patients. The Conversation's Catherine Cruz has more.

We hear from U.S. Rep. Ed Case about a continuing resolution to keep the federal government operating, which includes money for dealing with the Red Hill water crisis; An Earthjustice attorney shares concerns about the military's plans filed this week to comply with the state’s order to defuel the tank farm; A community raises concerns about proposed luxe development on Keaukaha coast; Looking to Kalaupapa's future when patients are no longer living at the historic settlement.

On the road to sainthood, here's the story of Brother Joseph Dutton — born April 27, 1843, in Vermont. He lived a life of penance serving the Hansen’s disease, or leprosy, patients at Kalaupapa for 44 years.

We talk history on today's Conversation, with Brother Joseph Dutton's long road to sainthood for his service in Kalaupapa, public input on the State Historic Preservation Division's five-year plan, and a remembrance for historian and author David Forbes.

Gov. David Ige gives his last State of the State address; Health care experts eye a potential peak in the omicron surge; We celebrate National Pie Day!

In celebration of January as Kalaupapa Month, we revisit past interviews related to the secluded peninsula on Moloka'i where those diagnosed with leprosy, now known as Hansen's Disease, were sent to live in isolation starting in the late 1800s.

About 156 years ago, the first dozen people diagnosed with leprosy, or Hansen’s disease, landed at Kalaupapa on Molokaʻi. Ka ‘Ohana O Kalaupapa is focused on making sure the stories of Kalaupapa are not forgotten. The Conversation's Catherine Cruz has more.

The Healthcare Association of Hawaii discusses how the surge in COVID cases is impacting hospitals and hospital staffing across the state; the chair of the Kailua Neighborhood Board talks resolving the dilemma on how to redraw voting districts; and a descendant of a Kalaupapa resident shares efforts to preserve the memory of those exiled there.

Celebrated storyteller, educator and poet Makia Malo died last Saturday, a week shy of his 87th birthday. He was one of the last remaining residents of Kalaupapa, exiled as a young teen after he was diagnosed with Hansen's disease — then known as leprosy.