Stories by Jessica Else

Family wonders what happened

WAILUA — Seven days after he was reported missing, the body of Wailua man Chaise Lindstedt was found by hikers Wednesday morning in a stream about 1.5 miles north of the first Loop Road crossing in Wailua.

Bringin’ back the ‘o‘opu

LIHUE — For three years, hydrologist and water resources engineer Matt Rosener has been heading up a stream-restoration project in the North Shore Waipa watershed.

Battling the beetle

LIHUE — Federal legislators are warning the nation about an invasive beetle that’s showed up on Hawaii Island, pointing to the potential for agricultural devastation should it make its way to the mainland.

Coral conditions improving

LIHUE — As Hawaii simmers in warmer-than usual ocean temperatures, experts monitoring the expected coral bleaching say it’s not as severe as was predicted by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in early September.

No butts

AHUKINI — Dean Otsuki was disappointed that he picked up 700 cigarette butts in the parking lot of Wailua River State Park over the weekend.

State drives toward renewable energy

Hawaii is getting a boost toward the goal of transitioning its municipal fleets to 100% renewable energy by 2045 thanks to a grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

For safety and shearwaters

Traffic has been heavier than usual traffic in the Wailua corridor, thanks to a state Department of Transportation tree-trimming project on an irrigation ditch alongside Kuhio Highway.

State student test scores go up

Hawaii fourth-graders are beating the rest of nation at math and reading gains, according to standardized testing results on the Nation’s Report Card.

Hemp is happening

Hemp farmers in Hawaii are playing the waiting game as the federal 2018 Farm Bill rolls out, prompting states to send in their domestic hemp production program information for approval from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Parking limited at Haena Beach Park

HAENA — The county is fixing up the dirt parking lot at Haena Beach Park, located off Kuhio Highway across from the Haena Dry Cave, a project spurred by the North Shore Shuttle and heavy traffic.

Wedge-tail massacre

MAHA‘ULEPU — Kauai resident Kit Furderer was walking along the Heritage Trail sea cliff coastline on Monday when he came across 35 dead wedge-tailed shearwaters, killed just above Shipwrecks.

Celebrating makahiki

POIPU — Aunty Janet Kahalekomo was a vendor at the Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort & Spa on Wednesday, sharing the joys of pa‘akai (Hawaiian salt) making and her own perspective on makahiki.

‘Villains’ rise tonight

Walk through a darker version of the Enchanted Forest tonight in Kapahi at the Spooktacular Haunted Yard in Kawaihau Estates.

Police seek help with abandoned cars

LIHUE — Kauai Police Department is still chipping away at the derelict and abandoned vehicles along roadsides, in beach parking lots, and even in prominent places around the island.

Pau with the parakeets

KALAHEO — The bright green rose-ringed parakeets stir thoughts of jungle adventures and tropical getaways, but the exotic-looking birds are taking a bite out of Kauai.

Eyes on the reefs

The sediment in Anini’s shallow lagoon could be saturated with heavy metals, according to results from a study conducted through volunteers with the nonprofit Reef Guardians Hawaii.

Invasive tilapia found near Hilo

Months after communties on Kauai gathered to get invasive tilapia out of the nearshore waters on the North Shore, residents in Hilo are seeing large schools of tilapia in the Waiola River system.

Waves of plastic

ALIOMANU — Skip Schaefer gets souvenirs from around the world delivered to his backyard.