Hawaiʻi Island

The start of the new year is a great time to purge unwanted things from 2025 – including natural Christmas trees.

Hawaiʻi County Fire Chief Kazuo Todd died unexpectedly on Dec. 14, 2025. HPR has been speaking with Todd’s colleagues and loved ones about some of the memories they shared.

The law takes effect at the start of the new year and carries fines of up to $50 for a first offense and $500 thereafter.

Across the country, white participants of drug treatment courts commonly have better outcomes compared to participants of other races. However, a recent report shows that the drug treatment programs on Hawaiʻi Island could offer solutions.

Geologist Katie Mulliken and research physicist Ingrid Johnson from the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory spoke with HPR contributor Betsy Brown about the one-year anniversary of Kīlauea's continued fountaining.

Surfer and scientist Cliff Kapono spoke with HPR’s Maddie Bender about his feature in the mini-documentary called “The Smartest Surfer in the World."

Dec. 23, 2025, marks one year since the ongoing eruption at Kīlauea began, bringing glowing displays of lava and fountains sometimes as tall as the Empire State Building.

A state board that oversees inoa ʻāina, or Hawaiian place names, has voted to change the official name of Hawaiʻi Island.

Officials are monitoring a trio of nēnē in Hilo’s Lili‘uokalani Gardens to ensure a successful nesting season for the nesting female.

Members of an advisory group set up to guide ongoing lease negotiations with the Army feel like they’ve been sidelined by Gov. Josh Green just weeks after he created the group. Green sent a letter to Army Secretary Dan Driscoll proposing to push back the deadline to negotiate military leases of state lands.