Latest news with #KonaAirport
Yahoo
13-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Besting the Big Island's beetles, ‘too late' for others?
KAILUA, Hawaii (KHON2) — The invasive coconut rhinoceros beetle continues to wreak havoc on Oahu's trees, recent detections also raised concerns on the Big Island but early efforts appear to be working, at least on Hawaii Island. Mulch mishap spurs corrective action in Oahu beetle battle Over a half dozen coconut rhinoceros beetles were found near Kona airport in March in an area where the critters have never been detected. Officials say damage to trees in Kona has not yet been reported but there are hundreds of palms around the airport facility. 'People coming into Kona Airport and seeing just dead palms. It's not a very welcoming sight. We really don't want to get to that point,' said Franny Brewer, Big Island Invasive Species Committee program manager. 'All hands on deck, deploy more traps, get more community surveys just so that we can find all those breeding sites and hopefully get down,' said Hawaii Department of Agriculture Plant Quarantine Branch Manager Jonathan Ho. 'And that's why you're seeing, I think, what, 260 trees so far treated in the surrounding area.' Download the free KHON2 app for iOS or Android to stay informed on the latest news The trees around Kona's airport have either been treated with a pesticide spray up in the crown or an injection down near the base. The Big Island Invasive Species Committee said its latest detection involved a single beetle that was found dead in a trap after a treatment had been applied. 'We think it's a possibility that she had fed on one of the treated palms and then flown into the trap,' Brewer said. HDOA officials said they are cautiously optimistic about the Big Island situation and added eradication is not out of the question. Area representatives on other islands said they have a different story, however. Detection dogs join fight in Hawaii beetle battle 'So for Oahu and Kauai, it's actually too late for that. Our hope in places like Oahu is just to manage it until we can get a bio control,' said Rep. Lisa Marten. Marten helps to maintain Hamakua Marsh in Kailua and puts up nets that help trap beetles when they try to burrow into palms. The bio control idea is something the University of Hawaii is currently looking into in order to find a virus that will target coconut rhinoceros beetles while leaving native species alone. 'And then once we find something that is effective then it could be released to the wild and the beetles themselves would spread it in the population and keep the populations down, which is something that's happening, for example, in South Asia,' she said. for more info on traps. for more info on sprays and injections. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Hawaiʻi County mayor discusses infrastructure, more in State of the County
HILO, Hawaii (KHON2) — Hawaiʻi Mayor Kimo Alameda delivered his State of the County address on April 8 in Hilo, addressing issues such as the island's infrastructure deficiencies and housing while also celebrating the county's accomplishments. 'Let me tell you–we are not just running, we are flying. In the past four months, we have done more than some administrations have done in four years,' Alameda said. Big Island receives four new ambulances The mayor referenced the acquisition of four new ambulances for the island, the start of the Hilo Wastewater Treatment Plant rehabilitation project and the island's incoming helicopter ambulance, which he says is 'capable of picking up anyone, anywhere on the island and taking them to Queen's Medical Center for care.' Currently, Big Island residents would need to go to the airport to catch a plane. 'It's no secret that we have the greatest infrastructure deficiencies in the history of the county,' Alameda relation to infrastructure, Alameda addressed the need for cesspool conversions, while also revealing plans to fix up parks around the island, while also building public restrooms, with the mayor calling to restrooms essential. 'A bathroom, to me, is a basic human right,' Alameda said. 'I also think the need for recreation is equally important because you can't just stay in your house and kids need things to do.' Alameda also reference fixing the runway at the Kona Airport, to aid in bringing in more direct flights to Kona. 'After the tourists land, they then need to have a place to stay and that should be at our hotels,' Alameda said. 'So, let's support the hotel industry, which means cracking down on illegal vacation rentals.' The mayor then continued on to discuss providing hotels with a strong workforce, while also providing those workers with affordable housing and emphasizing community health. 'Let us move forward–not divided by districts, but united by aloha,' Alameda said. 'I am committed to listening, learning and leading with you at the center of every decision we make.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
