West Hawaii Today

Students in Kealakehe High School’s Global Studies after school class have picked up national awards this year and one team has made it it the “Sweet 16” at the International Public Policy Forum competition. The high school has been participating in the debate competition for the last 12 years under the direction of teacher Justin Brown.

Sam Anderson-Moxley, a middle school teacher at West Hawaii Explorations Academy, has come up with a program to save educators time using artificial intelligence. He came up with the idea last year while working on progress reports and getting grades in, feeling the time crunch.

Annaleine “Anne” Reynolds purchased a one-acre lot in Hawaiian Paradise Park in 2018 at a Hawaii County tax auction for about $22,500. She was in California during the pandemic waiting for the right time to use it when she got a call last year from a real estate broker who informed her he sold the house on her property.

Hawaiian Electric is asking all Hawaii Island customers to reduce or shift their electricity use over the next month. Company spokeswoman Kristin Okinaka said the energy provider’s largest independent power producer, Hamakua Energy, has gone offline, leaving the power grid with a significant deficit of power.

Hawaii County Mayor Mitch Roth laid out his administration’s accomplishments and vision Friday at the State of the County address at the West Hawaii Civic Center. “Everything we do is for you and serving you is a privilege of a lifetime,” he began his address. “I am a lifelong community problem solver who has spent my career planting seeds for long-term solutions to many of our island’s deep-seated problems. Our administration has taken on the same approach in tackling pressing issues facing our community over the past three and a half years.”

Pele’s Kitchen, a popular Pahoa breakfast spot, has closed indefinitely after a fire damaged the restaurant Tuesday. The Hawaii Fire Department and the Hawaii Police Department responded to a structure fire at Pele’s Kitchen, located at 15-2923 Pahoa Village Rd., with the first unit responding at 8:41 p.m. Tuesday night.

A draft environmental assessment for the Lili‘uokalani Trust Makalapua Project details plans for a mixed residential/hotel/commercial development on land adjacent to the Old Kona Industrial, Kona Commons and Old Kona Airport Park. The proposed development, called the Makalapua Project District, would be on 69.5 acres of land and is not anticipated to have a significant impact on the environment, according to the recently released draft EA.

Lawmakers and boaters hope for smooth sailing at the Wailoa Small Boat Harbor in Hilo as a long-awaited dredging project inches closer toward beginning. The harbor, one of East Hawaii’s last functioning boat launches after the closure of the Pohoiki Boat Ramp during the 2018 eruption, has gone undredged for more than seven years, leading to a dangerous buildup of sediment in the harbor mouth that has substantially reduced the facility’s usability.

Official trade show of the Hawai‘i Lodging & Tourism Association (HLTA) and Hawai‘i Restaurant Association (HRA), the fourth annual?Hawai‘i Hotel & Restaurant Show?will feature more than 300 exhibitor booths March 20th through 21st from 9 am to 5 pm at the Neal Blaisdell Center Exhibition Hall. The Hawai‘i Hotel & Restaurant Show is for professionals and students in the lodging, travel, hospitality and food service industries including those employed by hotels, restaurants and related service companies. Admission is free but attendees must pre-register online and be approved prior to arrival. For exhibitor information, to pre-register as an attendee or for more information, visit?https://lnkd.in/gvQTjDpS.

An ocean adventure tour company is celebrating 50 years in business in Hawaii. Captain Zodiac started in Kauai in 1974 by Clancy Greff, son of a Navy admiral.