Kurtistown man charged with auto theft
A 35-year-old Kurtistown man became the seventh person charged in a 10-day period with auto theft.
State to take partial ownership of Kalanianaole Avenue; county dumps contractor
The state Department of Transportation confirmed late Friday afternoon that ownership of the portion of Kalanianaole Avenue in Hilo between Kanolelehua Avenue and Kuhio Street is slated for transfer from the county to the state in January.
Less golf, more timeshares: Leeward Planning Commission advances Waikoloa Resort plans
Fewer holes of golf and more timeshare units could become the name of the game for Waikoloa Resort developers, following approvals Thursday by the Leeward Planning Commission.
Low-income broadband service program to continue
A program providing discounts on broadband internet service for low-income families will continue into 2022.
Hits ‘keep coming’: Hospitals struggle as COVID beds fill
DETROIT — Hospitals across the country are struggling to cope with burnout among doctors, nurses and other workers, already buffeted by a crush of patients from the ongoing surge of the COVID-19 delta variant and now bracing for the fallout of another highly transmissible mutation.
OSHA vaccine mandate penalties to start Jan. 10
The Occupational Health and Safety Administration said Saturday that it would not issue citations tied to its coronavirus vaccination mandate before Jan. 10, so that companies have time to adjust to and implement the requirements.
Tornadoes’ toll: Family members mourn those they lost
Annistyn Rackley was an outgoing and energetic 9-year-old who didn’t let a rare liver condition prevent her from the activities she loved: swimming, dancing and cheerleading, her great-aunt Sandra Hooker said.
Diseased mosquitoes threaten extinction for Hawaiian birds
WAILUKU, Maui (AP) — Federal and state officials on Maui want to use bacteria to get rid of nonnative mosquitoes that carry avian malaria to help prevent the extinction of native forest birds found only in Hawaii.
Obituaries for December 19
Sidney Lee, 77, of Hilo died Dec. 12 at home. Born in Honolulu, he was president and owner of Hawaii Island Glass Inc. and member of Boogie Man and Born Losers golf clubs. No services. No flowers or koden (monetary offerings). Survived by wife, Dorothy Lee of Hilo; daughters, Kristine (Chris) Lee Sleeper of Massachusetts and Jennifer Lee of Hilo; stepson, Troy (Celeste) Hall of Keaau; stepdaughter, Marcy Hall of Hilo; brother, Leonard Lee of Rancho Mirage, Calif.; sister, Maxine (Roger) Song of Vancouver, Wash.; sisters-in-law, Amy Lee of Kent, Wash., Barbara Ward and Sharon (Ed) Querubin of Hilo, Sheila Valdez of Honolulu; five grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. Arrangements by Dodo Mortuary.
People pressure governments worldwide to act on inflation
BARCELONA, Spain — Óscar Baños and thousands of fellow truck drivers celebrated Saturday after a threat to idle their engines pushed the Spanish government to adopt measures improving work conditions and checking skyrocketing fuel costs driven by inflation.
How COVID-19 upended Blinken’s diplomatic mission
HONOLULU — U.S. Air Force Special Air Mission 50601 departed from Joint Base Andrews on the night of Dec. 9 with an ambitious journey ahead — an eight-day, around-the-world trip with America’s top diplomat, Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
Pope doubles down on quashing old Latin Mass with new limits
ROME — Pope Francis doubled down Saturday on his efforts to quash the old Latin Mass, forbidding the celebration of some sacraments according to the ancient rite in his latest salvo against conservatives and traditionalists.
Typhoon leaves 31 dead, many homes roofless in Philippines
MANILA, Philippines — A powerful typhoon left at least 31 people dead, knocked down power and communications in entire provinces and wrought widespread destruction mostly in the central Philippines, officials said Saturday. A governor said her island has been “leveled to the ground.”
Netherlands ‘going into lockdown again’ to curb omicron
LONDON — Nations across Europe moved to reimpose tougher measures to stem a new wave of COVID-19 infections spurred by the highly transmissible omicron variant, with the Netherlands leading the way by imposing a nationwide lockdown.
Jim Jordan’s scheme is the latest proof of the GOP’s contempt for democracy
One of the reasons Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy withdrew GOP participation from the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection was Democrats’ refusal to let Trumpian firebrand Jim Jordan be seated on the committee. Now Democrats’ stance regarding the Ohio Republican has been validated, in spades.
Commencement: endings and beginnings
Yesterday, another class participated in commencement exercises at the University of Hawaii at Hilo, and in a step forward, we were able to hold small ceremonies in person for the first time since December 2019. Congratulations, graduates!
Your Views for December 19
Complete the plant
Volcano Watch: HVO’s ongoing recovery from the 2018 Kilauea eruption
Communities on the Island of Hawaii continue to recover from Kilauea’s 2018 lower East Rift Zone eruption and summit collapse as does the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory.
BIIF girls D-I basketball: Waiakea launches the next generation
In 2019, the Waiakea girls basketball team pulled off Mission Impossible: beating Konawaena, not only during the regular season but also ending the Wildcats’ 10-year BIIF title run.
Konawaena turns the ball over 10 times in 30-7 HHSAA Division I semifinal loss to Lahainaluna
HONOLULU – If the Wildcats were going to go down, they made sure to go down swinging.
Court allows Biden employer vaccine mandate to take effect
A federal appeals court panel on Friday allowed President Joe Biden’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate for larger private employers to move ahead, reversing a previous decision on a requirement that could affect some 84 million U.S workers.
New ‘Governing Entity’ proposed by Mauna Kea Working Group
University of Hawaii representatives have pushed back against a report recommending that the state create a new organization to manage Maunakea.
Ige: ‘An alarming increase’ in COVID cases
The Hawaii National Guard made a quick about-face Friday on plans to draw down a joint task force mobilized for the state’s COVID-19 response.
COVID-19 fears dash hopes for the holiday season — again
Lines again stretch around blocks at some COVID-19 testing sites. Refrigerated mobile morgues are on order, and parts of Europe are re-tightening borders amid a winter spike in coronavirus infections.
State receives $1.28M in federal funding to mitigate wildfire, ungulate threats
Forests in the Pu‘uwa‘awa‘a vicinity are about to receive additional protections from threats like wildfires and hoofed animals thanks to a new award from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation funded with support from the U.S. Army and Fish and Wildlife Service.
