Cartoon for August 29
The Big Island as seen by Hawaii Tribune-Herald cartoonist Gary Hoff.
Surge ‘frustrating’ for COVID testers
Exhausted. That is how many COVID-19 testers are feeling across Hawaii County as cases hit record-high numbers and hundreds are tested every day.
HPD continues to respond to animal control calls
The Hawaii Police Department has responded to about 20 animal control calls a day since taking over the county’s animal control services in July.
Work on senior housing facility to begin in 2022
A senior housing complex more than 10 years in the making will finally begin construction in Hilo next year.
Sex assault charges against Hilo lawyer dismissed
Sex assault charges against a Hilo attorney have been dropped.
Waiakea-Uka Park receives funding for improvements
State Rep. Richard Onishi and Hawaii County Councilwoman Sue Lee Loy last week announced the release of state funds for improvements to Waiakea-Uka Park.
‘Seriously, y’all. Stop it’: Experts urge islanders not to use ivermectin to treat COVID
A Waimea hospital is warning Big Islanders to not use products containing the anti-parasitic medication ivermectin to prevent or treat COVID-19.
Obituaries for August 29
Mabel Correia Gomes, 99, of Paauilo died Aug. 15 at Hale Hoola Hamakua in Honokaa. Born in Ahualoa, she was a homemaker and member of Honokaa Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church. Visitation 8-9:45 a.m. Saturday (Sept. 4) at Honokaa Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church. Eulogy at 9:45 a.m. Mass at 10 a.m. Graveside committal services to follow at the Honokaa Catholic Cemetery. Casual attire. Seating limited; face masks and social distancing required. Survived by daughters, Stella Gomes (Henry Sr.) Tavares of Hilo and Erma J. Serrao of Pahoa; daughter-in-law, Mary Lou Maertens of Pahoa; five grandchildren; great grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren; nieces and nephews. Arrangements by Dodo Mortuary.
Contact tracing takes a back seat during latest COVID surge
Health investigators across the U.S. are finding it nearly impossible to keep up with the deluge of new COVID-19 infections and carry out contact tracing efforts that were once seen as a pillar of the nation’s pandemic response.
Hurricane Ida strengthens, Louisiana braces for severe blow
NEW ORLEANS — Forecasters warned residents along the northern Gulf of Mexico coast to rush preparations ahead of an intensifying Hurricane Ida, which is expected to bring winds as high as 130 mph, life-threatening storm surge and flooding rain when it slams ashore in Louisiana today.
Grab your face mask … and theirs, too
Remember when we first started adding hand sanitizer to our household shopping lists and stores ran out of toilet paper?
Taliban guard airport as most NATO troops leave Afghanistan
KABUL, Afghanistan — Taliban forces sealed off Kabul’s airport on Saturday to most Afghans hoping for evacuation, as the U.S. and its allies wound down a chaotic airlift that will end their troops’ two decades in Afghanistan.
Volcano Watch: New Kilauea summit intrusion draws comparison to past activity
Late Monday afternoon, earthquake activity picked up at Kilauea’s summit. At about 1:30 a.m. HST on Tuesday, that activity intensified, and it became clear that seismicity and increasing deformation were indicating a new intrusion of magma. The seismicity extended southward from Halema‘uma‘u crater, to an area south of Kilauea caldera.
Your Views for August 29
The COVIDIOTS
The days of consequence-free vaccination refusal are finally ending
The number of major employers — not merely companies but also government entities — now requiring workers to be vaccinated is skyrocketing following the Food and Drug Administration’s approval of the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine. This means the door is closing on holdouts who have ignored science and stubbornly refused to get vaccinated. They now face a stark choice: relent or face big hassles and potential unemployment.
Honolulu ousted at Little League World Series with 2-0 loss
SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. — Cameron Thorning hit a two-run homer and struck out seven over 3 ⅓ innings as Michigan defeated Hawaii 2-1 in a semifinal Saturday at the Little League World Series.
Charbonnet has 3 TDs, UCLA runs over Hawaii 44-10
PASADENA, Calif. — Zach Charbonnet rushed for 106 yards and three touchdowns in his UCLA debut as the Bruins rolled to a 44-10 season-opening victory over Hawaii Saturday at the Rose Bowl.
Police seek missing Puna man
Police are seeking the public’s assistance in finding 34-year-old Justin J. Clark of Puna, who was reported missing.
Preliminary hearings set for couple accused of traffic, drug offenses
Preliminary hearings have been set for a man and woman facing an array of traffic, property crimes and drug offenses stemming from an incident early Tuesday in Holualoa.
DOH: 1,035 new COVID-19 cases statewide, 184 on Big Island
A record number of new COVID-19 cases were reported Friday across the state and on Hawaii Island.
County COVID rules approved; parks to remain open with restrictions
County parks and recreational facilities will remain open under a new emergency rule approved this week, county leaders announced Friday, but with additional restrictions.
EXPLAINER: What happens when an ICU reaches capacity?
ATLANTA — The latest surge in coronavirus cases is overwhelming many intensive care units, causing hospitals and states to run out of ICU beds in some locations.
US airstrike targets Islamic State member in Afghanistan
WASHINGTON — Acting swiftly on President Joe Biden’s promise to retaliate for the deadly suicide bombing at Kabul airport, the U.S. military said it used a drone strike to kill a member of the Islamic State group’s Afghanistan affiliate Saturday.
Winds frustrate effort to corral wildfire near Lake Tahoe
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. (AP) — Firefighters battling a stubborn California wildfire Friday near the Lake Tahoe resort region faced gusty winds and dry conditions that made vegetation ready to burn.
More COVID-19 shots, studies offer hope for US schools
WASHINGTON — Officials offered new hope for the safety of U.S. schoolchildren threatened by COVID-19 on Friday as Gulf Coast hospitals already full of unvaccinated patients braced for the nightmare scenario of a major hurricane causing a wave of fractures, cuts and heart attacks without enough staff to treat the injured.
