Kainoa Wade tied a career-high with 21 kills and Louis Sakanoko added a season-high 19 kills to lead No. 3 Hawaii to a 25-27, 25-10, 25-15, 38-36 win over No. 14 Penn State today at Rec Hall in University Park, Pa.

The Rainbow Warriors (10-1) were tested in picking up their seventh consecutive victory. UH dropped a set for only the fifth time this season and then needed a challenge on its eighth match point to overturn an out call that was reversed, giving Adrien Roure an ace and Hawaii the victory.

UH served out on four of those match points and had 25 service errors in the match. Wade and Roure each had three of Hawaii’s nice aces.

Middle Justin Todd set a career-high with seven blocks for UH, which finished with 13.5 blocks.

Setter Tread Rosenthal finished with a match-high 47 assists, a team-high seven digs, three blocks, three kills and two aces.

UH will next play at No. 16 Stanford on Feb. 13 and 14.

A banyan tree that has been deemed a “public safety hazard” is being removed from Banyan Drive in Hilo, Hawaii County officials said.

A traffic lane closure is in effect on Banyan Drive to allow a contractor to remove the tree, which is not one of the named trees along the route, according to a Hawaii County news release.

An assessment recently done on 48 banyan trees
on Banyan Drive identified the single tree for removal because of structural
instability.

According to the assessment, conducted by a certified arborist, the tree’s structural defects and recent canopy failure “creates a significant public safety hazard.”

The tree has lost about 20% of its crown, and any additional failure could occur over the roadway, officials said.

The assessment was done after two women were killed in July when a large banyan tree on Kilauea Avenue in Hilo collapsed. That tree was on state land.

“This emergency action is part of our efforts to protect public safety and ensure that this iconic part of Hilo gets the care and attention it deserves,” Mayor Kimo Alameda said in the news release.

In addition, the county has a contract out to bid for maintenance of other Banyan Drive trees that will focus on removing invasive species, aerial roots and deadwood, county officials said.

As the contractor
removes the tree, the south-bound lane of Banyan Drive between Banyan Way and Kamehameha Avenue will be closed from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, according to the county. The work is scheduled to be completed by Feb. 12.

The Hawaii County Police Commission has chosen interim Police Chief Reed Mahuna as its next police chief, the Mayor’s Office announced today.

The nearly 28-year veteran of the Hawaii Police Department has been serving as interim police chief since September.

He has held various positions, including deputy chief, major in technical services, Area I Operations major and Area I and II Criminal Investigation Division captain, the Mayor’s office news release said.

Born and raised on Hawaii island, Mahuna is the son of retired Police Chief Lawrence Mahuna, who served as the county’s top cop from 2002 through 2008.

Reed Mahuna received a bachelor’s degree in criminology and criminal justice from Lindenwood University.

The commission selected him after interviewing, in person, eight finalists in open session at the West Hawaii Civic Center in Kailua-Kona.

“I want to thank the Police Commission members for following a diligent and thoughtful process as they selected our next Chief of Police,” Mayor Kimo Alameda said in a written statement. “We look forward to continue working in partnership with law enforcement and our community to build a safer, stronger Hawaii Island for everyone.”

The commission received 27 applications for the position that met the minimum qualifications. The candidates were asked to complete a questionnaire as part of the vetting process, and commission members individually scored their answers.

Of the 22 candidates who responded to the questionnaire, the commission invited 11, based on their scores, to move forward to the interview round. Eight responded by the Jan. 20 deadline and were interviewed this week.

Mahuna replaces Ben Moszkowicz in the permanent position. In June, commissioners rejected Moszkowicz’s attempt to withdraw his resignation, which he had submitted after he was prematurely and publicly selected by Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi to be interim police chief for the Honolulu Police Department — an offer Blangiardi wasn’t authorized to make. Moszkowicz, a former Honolulu officer, had been Big Island chief since January 2023.