Stories by Wyatt Haupt Jr.

Kona brew fest returns

KAILUA-KONA, Hawai‘i — The 29th annual Kona Brewers Festival is returning with a new format and venue featuring 19 breweries from around the state, Alaska and the mainland.

Lane closures scheduled on Kaua‘i

LIHU‘E — A wide range of road-related projects are on tap with work stretching from Hanapepe to Princeville, the Hawai‘i Department of Transportation said in a update on Friday.

Hundreds are set to descend on Tahiti for Olympic surfing — Can locals protect their way of life?

TEAHUPO’O, French Polynesia — Peva Levy said he felt a powerful, natural energy known as “mana” when he surfed Teahupo’o’s waves on a piece of plywood for the first time, rushing down a crumbling white surf in front of an untouched volcanic beach several years before the steady streams of surfers started arriving when the village got its first asphalt road over fifty years ago.

Ka‘u man sentenced for role in 2009 murder

HILO, Hawai‘i — A 56-year-old Ka‘u man, who was once charged as being an accomplice in the 2009 shooting death of a 21-year-old rodeo champion, was sentenced to five years in state prison for his role in the murder.

Ocean system that moves heat gets closer to collapse

An abrupt shutdown of Atlantic Ocean currents that could put large parts of Europe in a deep freeze is looking a bit more likely and closer than before as a new complex computer simulation finds a “cliff-like” tipping point looming in the future.

Roadwork scheduled on Kaua‘i

LIHU‘E — A number of road-related projects are on tap with the work stretching from Pakala to Hanalei, the Hawai‘i Department of Transportation said in an update on Friday.

A note to our readers

LIHU‘E — The Presidents Day edition of The Garden Island will not be delivered via mail because the United States Postal Service will be closed in observance of the holiday on Monday, Feb. 19.

Surge in vehicle break-ins on Kaua‘i

LIHU‘E — A swell of vehicle break-ins on Kaua‘i has local authorities urging the public to take preventative measures in order to help thwart the rise in criminal activity.

Roadwork scheduled on Kaua‘i

LIHU‘E — A number of road-related projects are on tap with work areas ranging from South Shore to North Shore, the Hawai‘i Department of Transportation said in a weekly update on Friday.

Maui Police Department releases preliminary report on Lahaina wildfire

HONOLULU — Nearly six months after a wildfire destroyed the historic town of Lahaina, the Maui Police Department said Monday it is working on improving its response to future tragedies, including by obtaining better equipment and stationing a high-ranking officer in the island’s communications center during emergencies.