Stories by Emma Grunwald

Kaua‘i High School Class of 2023 consists of 265 graduates

Kaua‘i High School seniors celebrated the end of their high school careers at Vidinha Stadium on Friday evening with a graduation ceremony marked by heartfelt speeches, proud families, hopeful students, and a class-wide performance of the 2010 Miley Cyrus song “I’ll Always Remember You.”

Hirono aims to protect reproductive health data

U.S. Sen. Mazie K. Hirono has reintroduced legislation that would limit reproductive and sexual health data being collected, retained and disclosed to third parties, alleging that online data could be used to target people in states that restrict or ban abortion access.

Bill on salary transparency to Green’s desk

LIHU‘E — A bill requiring Hawai‘i employers to disclose hourly rates or salary ranges in job postings was passed by the state Legislature earlier this month and is now awaiting final approval from Gov. Josh Green.

Coco Palms Resort a hot topic at county council meeting

LIHU‘E — After a full day of discussion on plans for Coco Palms Resort, the Kaua‘i County Council ultimately decided to defer its resolution asking the Board of Land and Natural Resources to prioritize the property for public use.

Two Kaua‘i teens chosen from thousands for robotics award

KAPA‘A — Two Kaua‘i students took home the most selective individual awards at the For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST) Championships, an international youth robotics event last month, marking the first time that a student from Kaua‘i has won or been named a finalist.

Kaua‘i visitor spending surged in March

LIHU‘E — The state Department of Business, Economic Development & Tourism continued to see high increases in visitor spending on Kaua‘i — and throughout the state — according to its most recent monthly report.

Hawai‘i Tourism Authority responds to slashed funding

LIHU‘E — The president of the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority says that his agency is in jeopardy after its operating funds were left out of the state’s final budget and a measure aiming to create a state-run tourism office died during a conference committee meeting on Friday.

Lawmakers defer bill nullifying HTA

LIHU‘E —The survival of the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority remains uncertain, as lawmakers announced Friday that they were unable to reach an agreement on a measure aiming to replace the agency with a state-run office.

State budget leaves out funding for HTA

LIHU‘E — The future of the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority is hanging by a thread, as the final version of the state budget leaves no funding for the struggling agency.

Kaua‘i students go big at state science fair

LIHU‘E — The County of Kaua‘i’s volunteer science fair coordinator announced that middle and high school students took home a record number of awards at the state science fair earlier this month, with one high school senior winning a four-year, full-tuition scholarship to the University of Hawai‘i at Manoa.

Hawaii Tourism Authority leaders fight back

HONOLULU — The Hawai‘i Tourism Authority’s top leaders argued for the continuation of the state agency — and their jobs — in a press conference Wednesday, April 19, which they scheduled to address the “unintended consequences” of two measures looking to dissolve the HTA and replace it with a new state office.

Fathers and sons at ‘The Dino’

LIHU‘E — The 29th annual Hawai‘i Dinosaur Volleyball Tournament kicked off on Thursday morning, bringing generations — including several father-son duos — together for the four-day event at Kalapaki Beach.