Big Island

Nearly five years ago, Hawaii Public Radio reported a series of stories about the state of garbage around the islands. This week and next, we’re going back for another look in a series we’re calling “Trashing the Islands.”

Updated: Dec. 11, 6:55 p.m.

Mitch Roth, currently Hawaiʻi County prosecutor, announced plans Tuesday to run for Big Island mayor.

Governments in every county across the state are cutting back on plastic. On Hawaii Island, the county is no longer recycling plastic, and that’s where one woman has turned a problem into a business.

Hundreds of owners on the Big Island are seeking exemptions to operate short-term vacation rentals legally in residential neighborhoods but their neighbors have flooded officials with letters of objections.

There are several Native Hawaiian Chambers of Commerce in the State.  The island with the largest population of Native Hawaiians — the Big Island — is now joining by forming its own Native Hawaiian Chamber.  

Opposition to the Thirty Meter Telescope may be at the forefront of Mauna Kea protests, but some native Hawaiian practitioners are questioning the cumulative effects of development on the mountain.  Is the construction of 13 telescopes on the summit an appropriate use of conservation lands? The state Land Use Commission takes up that issue beginning today at its hearing in Hilo. 

Hawaii Island has a new courthouse in Kona. It’s been a long wait — and the state’s chief justice was on hand for the opening.

According to federal figures, most businesses in the country are small businesses. On Hawaii Island, about four out of five businesses have fewer than 20 employees. But small businesses often need some assistance to succeed. And that's where an entrepreneur from Kona is helping. 

A helicopter pilot flying over Kilauea recently found something unusual. There was water in the main crater, and that discovery has sparked a lot of questions.

Hawaii Island has more public charter schools than any other island in the state. Most charter schools do not get funding from the state for physical facilities. But as the new school year gets underway, students and faculty at one Big Island charter school are looking forward to getting brand new facilities. And in this case, those are paid for by the state.

Though not in the news every day, the 2018 Kīlauea eruption continues to reverberate in people’s lives. Currently, at the East Hawai‘i Cultural Center, an artist’s experience of total devastation has given rise to an installation that reflects on roots.

One consistent challenge across all islands in the state is drug abuse. Treatment centers are in short supply and opioid abuse has been on the rise. But local law enforcement officials agree with a finding from the federal Drug Enforcement Agency last year that a particularly severe problem for Hawaiʻi remains crystal methamphetamine.

Mauna Loa Volcano last erupted in 1984.  Since then, it’s had some restless times, but for the past year, has been at the normal, lowest, alert level. But recently things have been changing. 

A panel of Big Island business leaders recently talked about challenges and transitions across multiple industries. One of the key sectors: the hospitality business.

In discussions about homelessness in Hawai’i, much of the attention is often focused on O’ahu. But it’s a statewide issue — with different situations on each island. That includes Hawai’i Island.

When you think of elections in 2020, you might think first of the presidential election. But there are others — including a number of important county races across the islands. One of them is Hawaii County — where the mayor’s race is drawing interest from someone who’s already a public official.