State mulls Labor Day weekend mandates
The state will decide whether to prohibit large gatherings over Labor Day weekend by Wednesday, said Lt. Gov. Josh Green Monday.
‘We cannot divert patients’: Hilo Medical Center operating over capacity
Hilo Medical Center is operating well beyond capacity as the number of COVID-19 patients there continues a steady climb upward.
Wildfire evacuees flood Lake Tahoe roads in rush to flee
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. — A popular vacation haven normally filled with tens of thousands of summer tourists was clogged with fleeing vehicles Monday after the entire resort city of South Lake Tahoe was ordered to leave as a ferocious wildfire raced toward Lake Tahoe, a sparkling gem on the California-Nevada border.
Last troops exit Afghanistan, ending America’s longest war
WASHINGTON — The United States completed its withdrawal from Afghanistan late Monday, ending America’s longest war and closing a chapter in military history likely to be remembered for colossal failures, unfulfilled promises and a frantic final exit that cost the lives of more than 180 Afghans and 13 U.S. service members, some barely older than the war.
Hurricane Ida traps Louisianans, shatters the power grid
NEW ORLEANS — Rescuers in boats, helicopters and high-water trucks brought hundreds of people trapped by Hurricane Ida’s floodwaters to safety Monday and utility repair crews rushed in, after the furious storm swamped the Louisiana coast and ravaged the electrical grid in the stifling, late-summer heat.
A rushed and flawed Afghanistan withdrawal plan assured a tragic outcome
Before last Thursday’s suicide bombings outside the Kabul airport, President Joe Biden justified his rushed withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan by saying the United States would maintain “over the horizon” capabilities to detect and interdict terrorist activity in Afghanistan.
Obituaries for August 31
Noralene Leeanne Ah Lo, 52, of Hilo died Aug. 23 at Hilo Medical Center. Born in Hilo, she was the owner of the former Hairstyles by Nora and graduate of Waiakea High School and Pearlridge School of Beauty. Celebration of life at a later date. Survived by father, Kenneth Ah Lo of Hilo; brothers, Kenneth (Felidan) Ah Lo II of Honolulu and Akio Keola (Elaine) Nosaka of Virginia; nieces and nephews. Arrangements by Dodo Mortuary.
Let’s Talk Food: Chef Oh creates Spam dish in honor of Olympians
In honor of the summer Olympics in Japan, Chef Chris Oh partnered with Spam to make sushi rolls with a new spin on the Korean kimbap.
Justice Breyer admits he’s thinking about retirement. Good
Abelated happy birthday to Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer, who turned 83 earlier this month. Breyer just granted an interview to another newspaper, and it’s clear he’s got a wisdom commensurate with his years, and not only on matters of constitutional law.
Body of apparent drowning victim found in Puna
Police are investigating the apparent drowning of a 32-year-old Mountain View man.
Population change could shift County Council districts
Population shifts across the island could mean big changes to County Council districts next year, with West Hawaii population increases likely to outweigh population changes in most of East Hawaii.
Hilo High alum Kalauli will dabble in fashion and soccer at Lynn
Mohala Kalauli always had a passion for soccer and fashion, but the 2021 Ke Kula ‘O Nawahiokalani’opu’u graduate, who played ball at Hilo High, never thought she would find a college to pursue both until Lynn University contacted her.
DOH: 720 new COVID-19 cases statewide, 139 on Big Island
The state Department of Health today reported another 720 new confirmed and probable COVID-19 cases in Hawaii, including 139 new cases on the Big Island.
Group hoping to open new charter school in Orchid Land
A Puna nonprofit hopes to build a new elementary charter school in Orchid Land Estates within the next two years.
County: NAS pool upgrades to begin soon
Hawaii County officials are hoping construction can begin soon on court-ordered Americans With Disabilities improvements at the NAS Swimming Pool near the Hilo International Airport.
Keaukaha hosts Army field training
As wind from helicopters whipped the grass, U.S. Army members from Oahu ran onto the Keaukaha Military Reservation for a large-scale military field exercise last week.
Organizations work together to get homeless vaccinated
As the number of COVID-19 cases soars, Big Island organizations are working to get more homeless people vaccinated.
Rainy Side View: Time to bone up on your Greek
In bygone days, whenever we heard the word “delta,” we thought of Delta Airlines, Delta Force, Delta Burke.
Biden must protect kids from their own state politicians
In an ironic twist on the old Republican claim to be the protectors of “local control” in schools, Republican politicians across America are trying to prohibit school districts from mandating that students mask up against the coronavirus. And who is rising to protect the right of local districts to make that decision for themselves? None other than the Biden administration.
1st death from Hurricane Ida; power out across New Orleans
NEW ORLEANS — Hurricane Ida blasted ashore Sunday as one of the most powerful storms ever to hit the U.S., knocking out power to all of New Orleans, blowing roofs off buildings and reversing the flow of the Mississippi River as it rushed from the Louisiana coast into one of the nation’s most important industrial corridors.
US says drone kills IS bombers targeting Kabul airport
KABUL, Afghanistan — A U.S. drone strike blew up a vehicle carrying “multiple suicide bombers” from Afghanistan’s Islamic State affiliate on Sunday before they could attack the ongoing military evacuation at Kabul’s international airport, American officials said. An Afghan official said three children were killed in the strike.
Nutrition science moves on
Do you ever feel like figuring out what to eat is harder than doing your own taxes? If so, you may be among the health-conscious Americans who actually noticed that the Food and Drug Administration revised the Nutrition Facts Panel to include calorie counts in bold and updated the Daily Values of recommended nutrients. Not to be left out, Congress wants to tinker with the food label even more, but much of what they want to do is not consistent with current science.
Obituaries for August 30
Eva Eiko Arakawa, 96, of Hilo died Aug. 23 at home. Born in Hilo, she was a retired accountant for Mitsui in New York City and graduate of Hilo High School. No services. Survived by sister, Sylvia (Harvard) Dea of San Bruno, Calif.; nieces and nephews. Arrangements by Dodo Mortuary.
Lake Tahoe threatened by massive fire, more ordered to flee
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. (AP) — Fire officials ordered more evacuations around the Tahoe Basin Sunday evening as crews dealt with a two-week old blaze they said was “more aggressive than anticipated,” and continued to edge toward the pristine waters of Lake Tahoe.
Coach wants Konawaena to wrestle with success
While the BIIF’s fall sports remain in a holding pattern until late September during the Department of Education’s vaccination-driven shutdown, at least one coach of a winter sport, wrestling, is proceeding as planned.
