Eileen O’Hara
https://www.civilbeat.org/2026/07/candid...een-ohara/

https://ballotpedia.org/Eileen_Ohara_(Ha...ign_themes


Lloyd Enriquez
https://www.civilbeat.org/2026/07/candid...-enriquez/

https://ballotpedia.org/Lloyd_K._Enrique...date_2026)

Here’s a Civil Beat link to the two candidates running for County Council in District 5, upper Puna.
I’ll add threads for other Puna related races for your comments and opinions.

https://www.civilbeat.org/2026/09/counci...ient-puna/

Joyous news, gardening ohana. The plant sale is back Nov. 13 and 14, 8AM until 4PM. No details yet but mark your calendars.
Been awhile, huh?

Medicare plan reductions, as part of the Big Beautiful Cruelty To Fixed Income Citizens Bill take affect soon.  NY Times interviews one of our neighbors in Pahoa, Emmy Award winning volcano photographer Mick Kalber:

In Pahoa, on the Big Island of Hawaii, Ann and Mick Kalber received a registered letter last week advising them their plan was being discontinued.

This year he was hospitalized twice in nearby Hilo. Together the couple is paying less than $300 in monthly premiums. Now they are bracing to pay hundreds more. A high priority for the couple is maintaining access to a Mayo Clinic surgeon in Florida who has operated on Mr. Kalber’s jaw.

Asked if they could afford any increase while living on a combination of Social Security income, an inheritance and savings from careers making videos of volcanic eruptions, Ms. Kalber said, “No — but we can’t afford not to.”

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/09/busin...-ios-share


For those who think this is just your government saving valuable tax dollars, here’s another look at what they’re willing to spend on a per person basis.  For educational purposes only, not as part of the Puna Medicare discussion:
archive.is/https://www.wsj.com/us-news/immigration-arrests-police-trump-f0ca5253

From BIVN @ https://www.bigislandvideonews.com/2026/...-launched/

Puna Alternate Route Study Survey Launched

Which, in part, says..

A new survey, and website, has been launched in support of the Puna Alternate Route Study...

The survey can be found at punaalternateroute.org. “As the study moves forward, the website will be updated to include additional information, including public meeting notices and draft route alignments,” a County news release stated...

More at link above..

I've got an old septic tank that has reached the end of its life. It's literally falling apart. It was plastic and is about 30 years old. I am looking for someone to replace it. Anybody have a recommendation? I've got one quote so far for $9500 which seems high to me. Has anyone replaced one recently? Trying to also get an idea of what it should cost.

A group in Hilo won an award from NASA a few days ago, with their submission for developing a food system for astronauts on their way to Mars. Old ways lead the way to new ways:

ʻOhā Kanu from Hilo, Hawaii, is the creator of the "ʻOhā Kanu: An Ahupuaʻa-Inspired Food System for Mars," which recently won a $50,000 Applied Frameworks Award in NASA's Mars to Table Challenge.NASA announced the winners of this innovation contest on September 24, 2026. The challenge sought cutting-edge technologies and deep-space food system concepts capable of feeding astronauts on long-duration Mars missions.The Hilo-based design stands out by blending cultural knowledge with space-age logistics:

The Inspiration: The framework borrows its design from the traditional Hawaiian ahupuaʻa system—a highly sustainable, self-sufficient mountain-to-sea resource management model.

The Name: In the Hawaiian language, ʻohā refers to the offshoots of the kalo (taro) plant that regenerate life, while kanu means "to plant". Together, the name reflects a culturally rooted approach to sustaining human life in a closed-loop system far from Earth.

https://www.nasa.gov/directorates/stmd/p...r%2520Mars

Scrolling through a thread yesterday, it appeared that the line has been removed from Tom's name.  Hopefully our Tom is aware of this and we can soon enjoy his participation in Punaweb again.

Welcome back Tom.

Stay safe.  Head on a swivel.  Hope we can get some FLOCK cameras installed and more police patrols in HPP soon.

https://www.kitv.com/news/crime/man-arre...4ef6f.html


Man arrested following fatal shooting in Hawaiian Paradise Park

"HILO, Hawaii (Island News) – An arrest was made in connection with a fatal shooting that occurred Saturday night in the Hawaiian Paradise Park (HPP) subdivision..."

(more at link)

Hey All, I've been buying the Fresh Frozen Ahi from the local grocery in Hilo. Not going to say the name but everyone knows the one at Puainako. I've read that the Vietnamese Tuna  is treated with Carbon Monoxide and may have been handled improperly. 
I've never gotten sick tho. It's half the price of fresh local Ahi.  I was wondering if anyone else was buying it? Thoughts? 
Thanks in advance for replies. Aloha KW