“Business Monday: Official Merrie Monarch apparel designed and made by local company.”
Views expressed in this Hawaii Island, Maui, and Kauai news update are those of the reporters and correspondents. Accessed on 06 April 2026, 2243 UTC.
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Russ Roberts (https://hawaiinewsjournal.com).
East Hawai‘i NewsPolice remind motorists to drive safely during Distracted Driving Awareness Month
Entertainment46th U.S. Senior Open qualifying conducted at The Village Course in Waikōloa
Business Monday: Official Merrie Monarch apparel designed and made by local company
This year’s official Merrie Monarch apparel showcases kane (male) dancers in an army-green color in honor of the 50th anniversary of men competing in the prestigious hula competition.April 6, 2026 · 5:00 AM HST
ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi / Hawaiian LanguageGrant to develop culture-based Hawaiian language learning program
CommunityUpcoming Kiaʻi o ke Kai focus groups seek ocean users, stewards to participate, talk…
In Case You
Missed It:
Missed It:
More heavy rain, flooding, thunderstorms looking more and more likely this week for…
16 motorists arrested for DUI during week of March 23-29 on Big Island roads
Did you feel it? Magnitude-3.9 quake shakes Big Island
Don’t miss Merrie Mele Happy Hour live in The Rainbow Room at The Booch Bar in Hilo
Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park preps for next lava fountaining episode at Kīlauea
Hilo Aloha celebrates culture, creativity, community during Merrie Monarch Week
Information you need to know about the 63rd annual Merrie Monarch Festival — and more
Hawai‘i Island police seek Kona credit card theft suspect
Change coming to how volcano alert level, aviation color code are applied during Kīlauea…
18 lane closures scheduled during week of April 4-10 on Big Island state roadways
National Weather Service issues special weather statement in advance of Episode 44 lava…
63rd annual Merrie Monarch Festival official schedule and Miss Aloha Hula contestants…
Puna man sentenced to 20 years in prison for sexual assault of minor
63rd annual Merrie Monarch Festival kicks off Sunday in Hilo with the Ho‘olaule‘a
Plan ahead for emergency repairs scheduled later this month at Pāhala transfer station
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Big Island News
April 6, 2026 · 11:00 AM
Police remind motorists to drive safely during Distracted Driving Awareness Month
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration data show 16,482 people died and about 1.6 million people were injured in crashes involving distracted drivers from 2020 to 2024 nationwide.
April 6, 2026 · 9:00 AM
46th U.S. Senior Open qualifying conducted at The Village Course in Waikōloa
Four U.S. golfers and one from Japan shoot out the rest of the 28-golfer field at the Big Island course to advance to final qualifying round at a site to be determined on the mainland.
April 6, 2026 · 7:00 AM
Grant to develop culture-based Hawaiian language learning program
EA Ecoversity is using a grant to launch LEO—an innovative Hawaiian language program designed to meet the cultural, educational, and technological needs of 21st-century learners eager to reconnect with ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi.
April 6, 2026 · 5:00 AM
Business Monday: Official Merrie Monarch apparel designed and made by local company
This year’s official Merrie Monarch apparel showcases kane (male) dancers in an army-green color in honor of the 50th anniversary of men competing in the prestigious hula competition.
April 6, 2026 · 3:00 AM
State lawmakers to discuss Hawaiʻi Hurricane Relief Fund
The informational briefing scheduled for Monday afternoon, April 6, comes at a critical time as Hawaiʻi continues to respond to impacts from recent back-to-back kona lows that slammed into the state in March.
April 6, 2026 · 1:00 AM
Upcoming Kiaʻi o ke Kai focus groups seek ocean users, stewards to participate, talk story
ʻĀina Momona hopes to gather perspectives from those who work in, care for and steward ocean spaces to help guide how future ocean projects engage with Hawaiʻi’s communities, especially as climate change continues to affect coastal and island communities.
April 5, 2026 · 6:56 PM
GALLERY: Local hālau kick off the 63rd annual Merrie Monarch Festival
Hoʻolauleʻa showcases kāne and wahine dancers of all ages to celebrate hula as a cultural practiced passed on through each generation.
April 5, 2026 · 6:44 PM
More heavy rain, flooding, thunderstorms looking more and more likely this week for Hawai‘i
National Weather Service says confidence is increasing that unsettled weather — possibly even a fifth kona low since the beginning of the year — will impact the state from midweek and possibly into this weekend even as some places continue to recover from back-to-back kona lows in March and majority of Merrie Monarch Festival activities kick off Wednesday, April 8, in Hilo.
April 5, 2026 · 5:00 PM
16 motorists arrested for DUI during week of March 23-29 on Big Island roads
There have been a total of 198 DUI arrests so far this year, a 6.16% decrease from the 237 during the same period last year; DUI roadblocks and patrols will continue islandwide.
April 5, 2026 · 2:42 PM
Did you feel it? Magnitude-3.9 quake shakes Big Island
Hawaiian Volcano Observatory reports that the temblor struck about 2 miles east-northeast of Pāhala in Kaʻū on the south-southeast side of the island at a depth of just 2 miles; it had no apparent impact on either Mauna Loa or Kīlauea volcanoes.
UPCOMING FEATURED EVENTS:
TONIGHT · 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Weekly Hula
Every Tuesday · 9:00 am – 2:30 pm
Farmers Market
Every Wednesday · 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Ukulele Lessons with Kris Fuchigami
Local Entertainment
April 6, 2026 · 9:00 AM
46th U.S. Senior Open qualifying conducted at The Village Course in Waikōloa
Four U.S. golfers and one from Japan shoot out the rest of the 28-golfer field at the Big Island course to advance to final qualifying round at a site to be determined on the mainland.
April 5, 2026 · 1:00 PM
Don’t miss Merrie Mele Happy Hour live in The Rainbow Room at The Booch Bar in Hilo
Be sure to add theses special Hawaiian music performances to your Merrie Monarch Week itinerary, which fit perfectly into a week the celebrates all things Hawaiian.
April 5, 2026 · 9:00 AM
Hilo Aloha celebrates culture, creativity, community during Merrie Monarch Week
New weeklong gathering at historic Hilo Palace Theater will feature workshops, live performances, mākeke and community event.
April 5, 2026 · 7:00 AM
Information you need to know about the 63rd annual Merrie Monarch Festival — and more
Hilo on the Big Island once again becomes the hula capital of the world this week with the return of the annual Merrie Monarch Festival; the 63rd installment of the weeklong celebration of everything hula and Hawaiian runs from Easter Sunday, April 5, through April 11 this year.
April 4, 2026 · 3:00 PM
63rd annual Merrie Monarch Festival official schedule and Miss Aloha Hula contestants, participating hālau hula
Annual Hoʻolauleʻa kicks off the weeklong celebration of everything Hawaiian at 9 a.m. Sunday, April 5, with competition in the ‘Super Bowl’ of hula beginning Thursday, April 9, with Miss Aloha Hula contest.
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
Did you feel it? Magnitude-3.9 quake shakes Big Island
April 5, 2026 · 2:42 PM HST
Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park preps for next lava fountaining episode at Kīlauea
April 5, 2026 · 11:00 AM HST
Ocean Blog
Upcoming Kiaʻi o ke Kai focus groups seek ocean users, stewards to participate, talk story
April 6, 2026 · 1:00 AM HST
Sanctuary Ocean Count, Great Whale Count conclude for 2026 koholā season
March 29, 2026 · 3:00 AM HST
18-year-old Big Island sailor makes waves in high-level, competitive sailing
March 7, 2026 · 5:00 AM HST
Kahaluʻu Beach Park in Kailua-Kona to be closed several days at beginning of May
March 6, 2026 · 1:00 PM HST
Maui Now
Kahului woman reported missing by concerned family member
The Maui Police Department requests the public’s help with any information on the whereabouts of Kathleen Atkinson, 84, of Kahului.
Hawaiian Moment — Ola I ka wai a ka ʻōpua. There is life in the water from the clouds.
Although we are coming to the summer months (June – September), we must always remember and appreciate ua (rain) as it is the source of wai – fresh water.
Heavy rain and flooding potential expected late Tuesday into the weekend
The National Weather Service is forecasting heavy rain and flooding, expected to impact the state late Tuesday into the weekend.
Maui Bicycling League hosts 2026 E-Bike Giveaway for Maui fire survivors
The Maui Bicycling League, in partnership with the Hawaiʻi Bicycling League, announced the recipients of the 2026 E-Bike Giveaway for Maui Fire Survivors, a program designed to support mobility, recovery and access to transportation for individuals impacted by the 2023 Maui wildfires.
Hawaiʻi woman sentenced to federal prison for stealing disaster relief funds intended for Lahaina and Pacific Palisades fire victims
A Hawaiʻi woman was sentenced to four months in prison followed by three years of supervised release, following her guilty plea to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. The charge stems from allegations of stealing disaster relief funds, intended for Lahaina and Pacific Palisades fire victims.
Kaua‘i Now
Third victim identified in fatal tour helicopter crash on Kaua‘i
Sixty-five-year-old Margaret Rimmler and 59-year-old Patrick Haskell, both from Massachusetts, were also killed in the crash.
Kapa‘a Swimming Pool to reopen this week
Kaua‘i County Department of Parks and Recreation thanks the community for its patience and understanding while the pool was closed.
Help prevent spread of invasive algae recently detected along Kauaʻi South Shore
While the species was previously documented elsewhere in Hawaiʻi, its confirmed presence along the south coast of the Garden Isle raises concerns about its potential to spread and impact native marine ecosystems.
REMINDER: Kawaihau Road utility and excavation work continues in Kapa‘a
The work is part of the Kapa‘a Homesteads Tanks Project, which will build two half-million-gallon storage tanks along with storm drain improvements and about 1,700 linear feet of water lines.
Community invited to party with a purpose, celebrate Surfrider Kauaʻi’s 20th anniversary
The party Friday, April 10, is free to attend and will feature live music, a fire dancing performance, giveaways and a silent auction, as well as delicious food, plus cocktails available for purchase at the bar.
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