Volcano Watch: On the road again: Chasing Mauna Loa’s gas plume

When Mauna Loa erupted in November 2022 for the first time in nearly forty years, one of the main concerns was the lava and where it would flow. But Mauna Loa didn’t only erupt lava – as with all other volcanic eruptions, many tonnes of volcanic gases were emitted from the active vents.

Tropical Gardening: Buy local for Valentine’s Day

Valentine’s Day is Tuesday. Luckily we have the weekend to prepare if you haven’t done shopping for your loved ones. You might consider jewelry or a fancy dinner at a local restaurant, but with today’s economy it might be better to be a bit conservative.

Free AARP tax preparation in Waimea

Waimea AARP Tax-Aide, in conjunction with IRS, will provide free tax preparation services for 2022 tax returns each Friday through April 14 at the Waimea Community Center at 65-1260 Kawaihae Road across Habitat for Humanity Restore.

Ballet Folklórico from Chile to perform on Big Isle

The Ballet Folklórico will perform at the University of Hawaii at Hilo Performing Arts Center and Kahilu Theatre in Waimea during an official visit as representatives of La Serena, Chile, a Sister City of the County of Hawaii.

Johnny Nicholas and band to tour with Honoka‘a Dragon Jazz Band

Honokaa music hero Gary Washburn and the Dragon Jazz Band will team up with Texas blues legend Johnny Nicholas and his band Hell Bent for a circle-island concert tour in February. The tour picks up on February 11 at Kahilu Theatre in Waimea, concluding on February 12 at Gertrude’s Jazz Bar in Kona February 12. This is the fifth annual collaboration tour for Dragon Jazz-Hell Bent, after a two-year pandemic pause.

Let’s Talk Food: Chef Junior Ulep, a passionate chef

Chef Junior Ulep grew up in the Waialua/Haleiwa area of the North Shore, Oahu. Both of his parents worked so Junior had to cook for his younger sisters. If meat was left out by his parents to thaw, Junior knew he had to cut it up and find vegetables in the garden to cook with the meat. This first experience in the kitchen had a lasting effect on the rest of his life.

Tropical Gardening: Vines add to that tropical look

Good fences and hedges make good neighbors goes the old saying, and maybe in the old days it was the case. Stone walls are traditional and impressive, but expensive. Today, we have so many choices that an unattractive fence or hedge might create all kinds of neighbor problems depending on type of material used.

San Francisco-based Dirty Cello to perform in Volcano

Fresh off their third tour to Iceland with crazy adventures like playing at an Icelandic film star’s wedding, to a show on a whale-watching boat, San Francisco-based band Dirty Cello will present their exciting blend of blues, rock and Americana at 5:30 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 10, at the Volcano Art Center’s Niaulani Campus in Volcano village.