Rep. Chris Todd to host East Hawaii town hall in Hilo Sunday
Keaukaha residents met Rep. Chris Todd at Sunday’s town hall, while a 770-acre Pōhakuloa grazing lease and July’s Hilo Brewfest also drew island attention.
East Hawaii residents had a direct line to Rep. Chris Todd on Sunday afternoon, when the Hilo-Puna lawmaker held a town hall from 2 to 4 p.m. in the Keaukaha Elementary School cafeteria at 240 Desha Ave. in Hilo.
The gathering gave residents in House District 3 a chance to ask questions, share concerns and press for updates on issues affecting daily life on Hawaii Island. Todd chairs the House Committee on Finance, giving the meeting added weight for families and businesses watching state spending, school needs, and other budget questions that shape East Hawaii.
House District 3 covers portions of Hilo and Keaukaha, along with Orchidland Estates, Ainaloa, Hawaiian Acres, Fern Acres, and parts of Kurtistown and Keaau. That geographic spread meant the town hall served a constituency that stretches from the urban edge of Hilo into the Puna subdivisions where road conditions, public safety and basic services often dominate local conversations.
Another island item with immediate practical impact was the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ invitation for bids on a grazing lease at Pōhakuloa Training Area. The lease covers about 770 acres, and the Honolulu District said the grazing use is meant to reduce vegetation and wildland fire fuels while limiting conflicts with Army training and environmental stewardship goals. Interested parties could contact the U.S. Army Engineer District, Honolulu Real Estate Office, at (808) 835-4022 for inspection and bid information.
The notice matters because Pōhakuloa sits in the saddle region where wildfire risk, military operations and ranching interests often intersect. On an island where dry grasses can fuel fast-moving fires, the lease ties land management directly to public safety and operational planning.
For residents looking ahead to summer events, Hilo Brewfest was also on the calendar, with its 13th annual event set for Saturday, July 11, 2026, at the Hilo Yacht Club and Wainaku Executive Center area. Organizers said the festival would feature more than 70 brews, along with food and live music, adding another large gathering to Hilo’s mid-summer lineup.
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