The North American Aerospace Defense Command, or NORAD, has launched its annual Santa locator tool for keiki who want to know exactly when jolly old Saint Nick will visit Hawaii.

Hawaii Island mountain summits could still be white-tipped for Christmas thanks to several inches of snow accumulation predicted to stick around — in some amount — for another week or two.

The University of Hawaii at Hilo will move forward with a “phased” plan to reorganize its largest academic college, interim Chancellor Marcia Sakai said Friday.

Five Christmas trees lined the entrance out front E.B. de Silva Elementary School on Wednesday, but there were no string lights or traditional ornaments hanging from their branches.

Editor’s Note: Kona Beth Shalom, an unaffiliated congregation in West Hawaii, has — and always has had — a physical location. That was incorrectly reported in a previous version of this story. Barry Blum, past Kona Beth Shalom president, said in an email Friday “it’s perhaps grammatically correct that there has never been a facility called a synagogue on the Big Island” but the congregation has “used many different structures for Jewish worship on the Big Island ever since the early 1980s, but we’ve never owned our own facility.” Blum said “We certainly want to have our own synagogue some day and we have a growing building fund dedicated to that purpose.” The Tribune-Herald regrets the error.

A flash flood watch and winter storm warning were extended through today.

Heavy rain and thunderstorms remain in the forecast through tonight as an upper level trough and an abundance of moisture move over Hawaii.

The summits of Maunakea and Mauna Loa are closed until further notice.

The University of Hawaii at Hilo might move next year’s fall commencement to a larger location after dozens of people were denied entry this year because Vulcan Gym was filled to capacity.

Editor’s Note: This story has been updated to correct information that the source of river runoff and sediment deposit is not Wailuku River but from Honolii river itself.

The Hawaii Island Humane Society is raising money to purchase a vehicle for a mobile spay and neuter clinic.