Hawaiʻi Island

About 842 “ultra luxury” homes on Hawaiʻi Island are worth at least $4 million, and the county’s lawmakers could add a new, higher property tax tier for them.

As people wait for Kīlauea’s 43rd eruption episode, some Hawaiʻi Island residents are still dealing with the aftermath of the 41st episode. Team Rubicon, a veteran-led volunteer group, is stepping up to help with the repair and recovery through operation “Tephra Falling.”

New data offers insights into how heat is affecting different communities across Hawaiʻi Island. HPR's Savannah Harriman-Pote talks to the team behind the project.

Hawaiʻi County Mayor Kimo Alameda delivered his second State of the County address last week in Hilo.

Nālani Kanakaʻole continued her work, preparing her students for the annual Merrie Monarch Festival, when she died on Jan. 3 at the age of 79. A public memorial service will honor the revered kumu hula and cultural matriarch on Feb. 21.

The Kona Community Hospital on Hawaiʻi Island is putting the finishing touches on a new on-site oncology center, which hospital leadership hopes will better meet the needs of nearby cancer patients.

The decision came following a two-day commission meeting last week, including interviews with eight finalists, public testimony and deliberation.

The Board of Agriculture and Biosecurity plans to move ahead with new measures to limit the spread of invasive coconut rhinoceros beetles on Hawaiʻi Island. The current infestation on the Kona coast started in March 2025.

Hawaiʻi's waters contain more than 600 native limu species. Karla McDermid guesses she can identify 40 of them by touch alone. Marine biologist Karla McDermid has created a "Limu Ark," a living library on Hawaiʻi Island of about 70 native seaweed species.

The Hawaiʻi Wildlife Fund and Pōhaku Pelemaka submitted a joint petition earlier this month asking for officials to regulate the movement of CRB host materials around the island.