‘Bracing for the worst’ in Florida’s COVID-19 hot zone
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — As quickly as one COVID patient is discharged, another waits for a bed in northeast Florida, the hot zone of the state’s latest surge. But the patients at Baptist Health’s five hospitals across Jacksonville are younger and getting sick from the virus faster than people did last summer.
‘Get your vaccination’: Clinic at Kealakehe High School targets students, athletes
Kealakehe High School held a vaccine clinic Friday, the deadline for student-athletes to get their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine if they want to participate once the fall season restarts Sept. 24.
Green: Unvaccinated COVID patients are taking away resources from others
“These are the darkest days of the pandemic for us,” Lt. Gov. Josh Green said Friday.
Tropical Gardening: Paradise is not always perfect
Relatively speaking, we live in one of the safest places on the planet. Our temperatures change very little from season to season. Local folks and visitors alike often feel that our islands have few dangers except for volcanic eruptions, earthquakes and hurricanes. These are rare. Excessive exposure to the sun can be dangerous and people die every year by being careless at the beach or hiking in the mountains.
DOH reports 162 new COVID-19 cases on the Big Island, 845 statewide
The state Department of Health today reported another 162 new COVID-19 cases on the Big Island and 845 new cases statewide amid an ongoing surge driven by the highly transmissible Delta variant.
Ironman postponed: World championship now set for Feb. 5, 2022
For the second year in a row, the Big Island will not be hosting the Ironman World Championship.
State DOH recommends COVID booster doses
The state Department of Health on Thursday recommended that moderately to severely immunocompromised individuals should receive an additional dose of mRNA COVID-19 vaccine after the initial two doses.
Vacant house destroyed by fire in HPP
Fire destroyed a vacant home on 6th Avenue in Hawaiian Paradise Park early Thursday morning.
Ige releases funds for two Big Island projects
Gov. David Ige recently released $750,000 in capital improvement funding for two Big Island projects. The projects receiving funding are:
TS Linda, weakening, continues to approach islands
Tropical Storm Linda crossed over into the Central Pacific on Thursday.
COVID temporarily shuts down Hilo library
The Hilo Public Library closed Wednesday after an employee tested positive for COVID-19.
Record delta wave hits kids, raises fear as US schools open
The day before he was supposed to start fourth grade, Francisco Rosales was admitted to a Dallas hospital with COVID-19, struggling to breathe, with dangerously low oxygen levels and an uncertain outcome.
Three senators test positive for COVID in breakthrough cases
WASHINGTON — Three senators said Thursday they have tested positive for COVID-19 despite being vaccinated, a high-profile collection of breakthrough cases that comes as the highly infectious delta variant spreads rapidly across the United States.
2 dead, 20 missing in North Carolina county flooded by Fred
RALEIGH, N.C. — Authorities combing areas of North Carolina flooded by the remnants of Tropical Storm Fred said Thursday that two people have been found dead and about 20 were unaccounted for.
Legislators ask why HHSC has delayed mandatory vaccinations
Three state lawmakers sent a letter Thursday to the Hawaii Health Systems Corporation requesting information about its decision to delay implementation of mandatory COVID-19 vaccinations until the vaccines have been fully approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Admin-istration.
US struggles to speed Kabul airlift despite Taliban, chaos
WASHINGTON — The United States struggled Thursday to pick up the pace of American and Afghan evacuations at Kabul airport, constrained by obstacles ranging from armed Taliban checkpoints to paperwork problems. With an Aug. 31 deadline looming, tens of thousands remained to be airlifted from the chaotic country.
New solar telescope in Hawaii aims to open in 3 months
HONOLULU (AP) — The project director of a new solar telescope in Hawaii that will be the most powerful of its kind hopes scientists will be able to start observations at the facility in three months.
California wildfires destroy homes; winds hamper containment
PLACERVILLE, Calif. — Dry and windy weather dogged firefighters’ efforts to contain destructive fires that are devouring the bone-dry forests of drought-stricken Northern California on Thursday.
Obituaries for August 20
Ann Kuuleinani Snyder, 96, of Waikoloa and Honolulu, died July 24 at her Waikoloa home. Born in Jackson, Mich., she was a homemaker, former aircraft maintenance instructor for Honolulu Community College, and hula dancer. Private service at a later date. Condolences to: Nancy Moser, P.O. Box 384794, Waikoloa, HI 96738. Survived by daughters, Nancy Moser of Waikoloa, Marie Moser of Oregon and Peggy Sue Ketz of Israel; three grandsons and two great-granddaughters. Arrangements by Cremation Services of West Hawaii.
Texas teacher’s legacy of kindness lives on after her death
DALLAS — Searching for a way to honor Texas teacher Zelene Blancas after her death late last year from COVID-19, a fellow educator over 2,000 miles away relied on the kindness of others to get a painted, heart-shaped rock to her school.
The bad economics of fossil fuel defenders
Global warming is fake news. Anyway, it isn’t man-made. And doing anything about it would destroy the economy.
Stopping the next mortgage meltdown
After the 2008 subprime mortgage meltdown tanked the U.S. and global economies, Congress wrote rules to stabilize the financial industry. But the mortgage market has changed radically since then, and the regulations that govern it haven’t kept up, creating a new house of cards that could easily collapse.
All Cuomo probe witnesses have a right to speak, regardless of a stupid law
The damming report from New York’s attorney general on sexual harassment charges against Gov. Andrew Cuomo refers many times to the transcripts of the 41 people questioned under oath, a subset of the 179 witnesses interviewed in the probe. However, due to a likely unconstitutional aspect of the unusual New York State statute used in the investigation, Executive Law § 63(8), all of those 179 people are barred, under criminal penalty, from disclosing their own testimony. This isn’t right and must not stand.
Man surrenders after claiming to have bomb near US Capitol
WASHINGTON — A North Carolina man who claimed to have a bomb in a pickup truck near the U.S. Capitol surrendered to law enforcement after an hourslong standoff Thursday that prompted a massive police response and the evacuations of government buildings in the area.
Linda now a tropical storm, expected to continue weakening as it enters Central Pacific
Tropical Storm Linda, which weakened from a hurricane overnight, is set to enter the Central Pacific basin.
