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“‘Da Pidgin Guerilla’ is Hawai’i’s new poet laureate.”

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Accessed on 18 February 2026, 0210 UTC.

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In Case You
Missed It:

Hawaiʻi County to install new water service line along Highway 130 in Pāhoa

State staff discover one of oldest Hawaiian honeycreepers on Big Island

Snorkel Bob’s expands to Queens’ Marketplace in Waikōloa

UPDATE: Wind advisory for majority of Big Island extended until 6 p.m. Wednesday

UPDATE: Lava fountains reach up to 1,300 feet tall before end of Episode 42 in ongoing…

Iconic Mauna Kea Beach Hotel debuts $180M-plus resort transformation

Economic impact of U.S. military in Hawai‘i detailed in new factbook

Public safety power shutoff watch: Hawaiian Electric monitoring wildfire risk conditions…

UPDATE: Wind advisory canceled, but breezy conditions will persist for next couple of days

Hawai‘i Police Department chief launches new monthly informal talk story sessions

Hawaiʻi Department of Education ‘Alumni Spotlight’ features ‘Chief of…

Water restriction effective until further notice for customers in South Kohala –…

Celebrate Presidents’ Day with money, math and music at Hawai‘i Keiki Museum event

New statewide policy on student cellphone use adopted by Hawai‘i Board of Education

Hawaiʻi attorney general addresses ongoing investigation into possible public corruption

19 lane closures scheduled during week of Feb. 15-20 on Big Island state roadways

Hawaiʻi Medical Service Association Kaimana Scholarship application deadline nears

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Big Island News 

February 17, 2026 · 1:47 PM

Young Brothers’ barge arrival at Port of Kawaihae delayed Tuesday due to high winds

The Port of Kawaihae will have extended gate hours Feb. 17 until 5 p.m. for the pick up of straightload containers only.
February 17, 2026 · 12:03 PM

Hawai‘i nonprofit buys condominium building in Hilo, growing its rent-to-own program

Hawaiian Community Assets, a nonprofit housing counseling agency, partnered with Hawai‘i County’s Office of Housing and Community Development to purchase Ali‘i Kai apartments in Keaukaha.
February 17, 2026 · 5:00 AM

‘Da Pidgin Guerilla’ is Hawaiʻi’s new poet laureate

Lee Tonouchi hopes to inspire diverse, local voices and uplift Pidgin as a legitimate language for creative and academic expression as poet laureate for the next three years.
February 17, 2026 · 3:00 AM

Year of the Horse: Saam Fu brings cultural celebrations to Hilo

The cultural performance group will host a series of public shows, including lion dances, throughout the community as part of Chinese New Year festivities.
February 17, 2026 · 1:00 AM

Hawaiʻi Senate committee advances bill to allow state to sue Big Oil for climate damage

The bill’s purpose is to attempt to stabilize Hawaiʻi’s volatile insurance market.
February 16, 2026 · 6:14 PM

Hawaiian Electric monitors wildfire risk, weighs possible power shutoffs

Hawaiian Electric is closely monitoring weather conditions that could trigger a public safety power shutoff after a day of declining humidity and high winds.
February 16, 2026 · 4:37 PM

UPDATE: High surf advisory extended through Wednesday for eastern shorelines

Large breaking waves of 7 to 12 feet are forecast to continue as strong trade winds persist through Wednesday.
February 16, 2026 · 1:00 PM

Sea level rise worries most Hawai‘i residents, new study shows

A new statewide survey released by the University of Hawaiʻi Economic Research Organization reported the first representative study to measure public beliefs, risk perceptions and policy preferences related to sea level rise across all four counties.
February 16, 2026 · 11:00 AM

Hawaiʻi County to install new water service line along Highway 130 in Pāhoa

The work by the Department of Water Supply will be conducted between mile markers 6 and 7 between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m.
February 16, 2026 · 9:00 AM

State staff discover one of oldest Hawaiian honeycreepers on Big Island

The ʻiʻiwi likely hatched in the winter/spring of 2015-16 and is a minimum of 10 years old, which is rather amazing considering the typical lifespan of ʻiʻiwi is, maybe, half of that at 3 to 5 years.
UPCOMING FEATURED EVENTS:
TONIGHT · 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm

Ukulele Lessons with Kris Fuchigami

Tue, Feb 17, 2026 · 5:30 am – 5:30 pm

Malasada Day at KTA!

Sat, Feb 28, 2026 · 10:00 am – 2:00 pm

Mountain Apple Brand Day at KTA Puainako

Local Entertainment 

February 17, 2026 · 3:00 AM

Year of the Horse: Saam Fu brings cultural celebrations to Hilo

The cultural performance group will host a series of public shows, including lion dances, throughout the community as part of Chinese New Year festivities.
February 16, 2026 · 3:00 AM

Iconic Mauna Kea Beach Hotel debuts $180M-plus resort transformation

Completed enhancements include renovated guestrooms and suites, 2 new pools, redesigned golf course and enhanced dining outlets at Big Island resort.
February 15, 2026 · 1:00 PM

Hawaiʻi Department of Education ‘Alumni Spotlight’ features ‘Chief of War’ star, Kaua‘i native Kaina Makua

Advice for students from the man who plays King Kamehameha I in the Apple TV series: “You don’t need to go to college to be “somebody.” But how will you help your community? How do you contribute and bring value to the lives of others instead of just yourself? Don’t live for just yourself. You should be living for everybody. If everyone had that mindset, imagine the things we could do.”
February 15, 2026 · 11:00 AM

Celebrate Presidents’ Day with money, math and music at Hawai‘i Keiki Museum event

School’s out, so keiki ages 7 to 14 years old are invited to learn about financial management, simulate a start-up business, break dance, rhythmic math fun and more at two locations filled with fun.
February 13, 2026 · 5:00 AM

Thelma Parker Memorial Public Library to host Engineering Bash in Waimea

Meet the Big Island’s most talented students, professional engineers and community experts while you discover the amazing world of engineering at the Waimea library.
Hawaii Public Housing Authority
Housing Public Housing Supervisor V
Hilo · 3 weeks ago
DFI
Full-Time Residential Housekeeper
Kona · 4 days ago
Kona UPS Center
Warehouse Worker – Package Handler
Kona · 1 month ago

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Hawai‘i Business 

Young Brothers’ barge arrival at Port of Kawaihae delayed Tuesday due to high winds
Snorkel Bob’s expands to Queens’ Marketplace in Waikōloa
Business Monday: Find your herbal remedies at new Moonlit Merchant wagon in Kona
Iconic Mauna Kea Beach Hotel debuts $180M-plus resort transformation

Big Island Polls 

Big Island Now poll results: County garage is answer to downtown Kona’s parking woes

June 1, 2025 · 3:00 AM HST
Big Island Now poll: What is solution to parking woes on Ali‘i Drive in Kailua-Kona?

May 18, 2025 · 3:00 AM HST
Reminder: Permanent restrictions remain on the transport of ʻŌhiʻa

April 19, 2025 · 1:55 AM HST

Hawai’i Volcano Blog 

UPDATE: Lava fountains reach up to 1,300 feet tall before end of Episode 42 in ongoing Kīlauea summit eruption ends

February 16, 2026 · 3:41 AM HST
Volcano Watch: Handling the pressure; what gases trapped inside crystals tell us

February 13, 2026 · 1:00 AM HST
Volcano Watch: New ‘Is Tephra Falling?’ citizen science tool launched in Hawaiʻi

February 6, 2026 · 1:00 AM HST

Ocean Blog 

Snorkel Bob’s expands to Queens’ Marketplace in Waikōloa

February 16, 2026 · 7:00 AM HST
Harbor pilot slips, falls into rough waters in ‘scary situation’ as cruise ship preps to enter Kaua‘i harbor

February 12, 2026 · 11:00 AM HST
UPDATE: High bacteria count advisory canceled at Kolekole Gulch in East Hawai‘i

January 14, 2026 · 3:55 AM HST
Maximum penalties lobbied against fisherman seen illegally longline fishing in waters off Kona Coast

January 11, 2026 · 4:00 AM HST

Maui Now 

Visitor-funded ‘Mahalo Rewards’ program seeks to lower local cost of living

A new platform has launched on Maui, aiming to lower the cost of living on the island by redirecting tourism dollars into the local economy. Mahalo Rewards, developed by a Maui-born software engineer, eliminates marketing fees for local businesses by utilizing a visitor-funded model.

Kīhei Charter School graduate pursues successful art career

Brenton Deardorff is a successful artist and a 2005 graduate of the Kīhei Charter School. His art can be viewed at several locations on Maui—at Lahaina Print Sellers at the Lahaina Cannery Mall, Martin & MacArthur in The Shops at Wailea, and at Hands Maui in Pāʻia.

UH solar eclipse research finds turbulent structures in the Sun’s corona

Researchers at the University of Hawaiʻi have uncovered new clues about how energy moves through the Sun’s outer atmosphere, using one of nature’s rarest events as their window: total solar eclipses.

Subaru Telescope’s new eye on the cosmos gets a Hawaiian name: ʻŌnohiʻula

Subaru Telescope’s powerful new Prime Focus Spectrograph (PFS) has been given the Hawaiian name ʻŌnohiʻula, merging the instrument’s scientific mission of “perceiving the realm of our origins” with the cultural heritage of Hawaiʻi.

Whale Trust brings global ocean elders together for an evening of wisdom and hope

Whale Trust will present Listening to the Ocean: An Evening of Conversation with Ocean Elders on Friday, Feb. 20, 2026 at The Ritz-Carlton Maui, Kapalua, as part of its 20th Annual Whale Tales celebration. The special event will bring together internationally recognized leaders in ocean science, exploration, and conservation for an evening of discussion focused on the future of the world’s oceans.

Kaua‘i Now 

Water service shutdown scheduled on Kaua‘i for system improvements

The county will provide a water buffalo for essential water needs during the water service shutdown.

Hawaiʻi’s new poet laureate uplifts the Pidgin language to inspire diverse, local voices

Lee Tonouchi, known as “Da Pidgin Guerrilla,” has advocated for Pidgin as a legitimate language for creative and academic expression through three decades as an educator, writer and speaker.

Lydgate Beach Park campground to close for scheduled maintenance

The Lydgate Campground area includes the Bynum Bridge (formerly known as the Kamalani Kai Bridge), Group Camping Pavilion, and the fishing access area.

Loyola Marymount shines in windy finale at Kauaiʻs Ocean Course

Loyola Marymount University clinched both team and individual honors at the 49th John A. Burns Intercollegiate.

County postpones remaining rubbish pick up in Anahola, Moloaʻa to Tuesday

Rubbish pickup in Anahola and Moloaʻa has been postponed due to staffing shortages; service will resume on Tuesday.

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