Battalion 1, East Hawaiʻi

Attorney General Anne Lopez’s office recently disclosed the indictment of Aaron Tuitelapaga, Bronson Tuitelelepaga, Manu Sorenson, and Josiah Palimoomanu on manslaughter charges following the death of inmate Christopher Vaefaga. Manslaughter carries a potential sentence of up to 20 years in prison.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has awarded a $53.7 million contract to an 8(a) Native Hawaiian Organization for the construction of a temporary elementary school in Lahaina, as announced in a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) news release.

The first community-led coral reef restoration project on the Island of Hawaiʻi, Kanu Ko‘a, has been launched by The Nature Conservancy, Hawai‘i and Palmyra (TNC) and the Kaʻūpūlehu Marine Life Advisory Committee (KMLAC). “The Nature Conservancy, Hawai‘i and Palmyra, and the Kaʻūpūlehu Marine Life Advisory Committee launches coral reef restoration project,” said TNC. This initiative is a combined effort of Hawaiian culture, local community engagement, and scientific coral restoration techniques to boost the growth and recovery of coral reefs.