Hawaii State News

Firefighter dies battling California wildfire sparked by gender reveal

Fri, 18 Sep 2020 17:15:00 +0000

SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. >> A firefighter died battling a wildfire in California that officials said was sparked by a device used to reveal a baby’s gender.

Subtropical Storm Alpha forms near Portugal, Teddy reaches Cat 4 strength, TS Wilfred churns in Atlantic

Fri, 18 Sep 2020 17:06:46 +0000

The hyperactive hurricane season continues with forecasters watching a number of systems in the Atlantic Basin on Friday morning.

Warm conditions, with trade winds expected to increase Friday into the weekend

Fri, 18 Sep 2020 17:05:30 +0000

The dry and stable trade wind pattern will continue into next week, with the best chance for showers developing overnight through the early morning periods across windward and mountain locations.

Drug shows promise in 1st largely minority COVID-19 study

Fri, 18 Sep 2020 17:00:00 +0000

A drug company said today that a medicine it sells to tamp down inflammation has helped prevent the need for breathing machines in hospitalized COVID-19 patients in the first large study that primarily enrolled Hispanics and Blacks.

U.S. bans WeChat, TikTok from app stores citing security risk

Fri, 18 Sep 2020 16:15:00 +0000

The U.S. Commerce Department said today it will ban Chinese-owned TikTok and WeChat from U.S. app stores on Sunday and will saddle the apps with technical restrictions that could seriously limit their functionality in the U.S.

CDC testing guidance was published against scientists’ objections

Fri, 18 Sep 2020 16:00:00 +0000

A heavily criticized recommendation from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last month about who should be tested for the coronavirus was not written by CDC scientists and was posted to the agency’s website despite their serious objections, according to several people familiar with the matter as well as internal documents obtained by The New York Times.

Tracking the Tropics: Hurricane Teddy reaches Cat 4 strength, Tropical Storm Wilfred forms in Atlantic

Fri, 18 Sep 2020 15:23:40 +0000

The hyperactive hurricane season continues with forecasters watching a number of systems in the Atlantic Basin on Friday morning.

Business owner says the second round of aid is needed to survive

Fri, 18 Sep 2020 13:47:08 +0000

Small businesses in Honolulu will soon have access to a second wave of CARES Act money through the city's small business relief and recovery fund.

Mayfield throws 2 touchdown passes, Browns hold off Burrow, Bengals

Fri, 18 Sep 2020 10:15:00 +0000

CLEVELAND >> Baker Mayfield found Odell Beckham Jr. and maybe some of his missing swagger.

Scoreboard

Fri, 18 Sep 2020 10:05:24 +0000

No major local events scheduled.

Television and radio – Sept. 18, 2020

Fri, 18 Sep 2020 10:05:04 +0000

On the air Listings are for Oceanic and Hawaiian Telcom analog/digital. Some MLB and NBA games involving West Coast teams might be blacked out. *—premium station. Check your TV guide for latest updates. ***—delayed. All Read More

Column: We utilize all parts of our brain, despite urban myths

Fri, 18 Sep 2020 10:05:00 +0000

Research has debunked the old adage that we use only 10% of our brain and has firmly filed it in the “urban myth” category.

Rearview: Catching up on 2 unusual weddings and other war stories

Fri, 18 Sep 2020 10:05:00 +0000

Last month I wrote about John Wayne owning The Forbidden City, originally on the corner of Ala Moana Boulevard and Ward Avenue.

On the Move: Palafox and De Salvo

Fri, 18 Sep 2020 10:05:00 +0000

>> Coldwell Banker Realty has announced that Sally A. Palafox (R) has rejoined the firm in its Honolulu office as an independent agent and luxury property specialist. Prior to rejoining Coldwell Banker Realty, Palafox served as a sales associate with another local brokerage firm. She first joined Coldwell Banker Pacific Properties in 2011.

Pandemic doesn’t stop ceremony honoring POWs and MIAs in Hawaii

Fri, 18 Sep 2020 10:05:00 +0000

Today’s annual POW/MIA ceremony in Hawaii honoring those who were held captive in war and those who remain missing will be somewhat different from previous years.

Some students could return to Hawaii public schools after fall break

Fri, 18 Sep 2020 10:05:00 +0000

Some public schools may offer blended learning later this fall under new Health Department benchmarks, but families should expect to start the second quarter Oct. 12 still in distance learning.

Hilo’s Yukio Okutsu State Veterans Home has history of problems

Fri, 18 Sep 2020 10:05:00 +0000

The Yukio Okutsu State Veterans Home was a source of concern for federal regulators even before the pandemic, earning an overall “below average” rating and a citation for failing to provide and implement an infection prevention and control program.

University of Hawaii athletic department counts 4 positive test results

Fri, 18 Sep 2020 10:05:00 +0000

Out of 373 tests conducted for the University of Hawaii athletic department, there have been four positive results to date, the school’s Board of Regents was told on Thursday.

Kokua Line: Fewer than 1% of Oahu’s primary ballots scratched due to missing or mismatched signatures

Fri, 18 Sep 2020 10:05:00 +0000

Question: I have been seeing those TV commercials reminding voters to sign their ballot-return envelope for the general election. That got me wondering: How many primary ballots were thrown out because of this problem?

Hawaiian Airlines to cut one-third of workforce

Fri, 18 Sep 2020 10:05:00 +0000

Hawaiian Airlines’ pre-pandemic payroll will be cut by one-third, or 2,501 jobs, as of the start of next month.

Environmental leader rebukes bioenergy firm for pushing project

Fri, 18 Sep 2020 10:05:00 +0000

Life of the Land Executive Director Henry Curtis reacted with disdain Thursday, a day after Hu Honua Bioenergy LLC filed a petition with the Hawaii Supreme Court requesting that the state Public Utilities Commission be ordered to vacate its decision that terminated the company’s biomass project on the Big Island.

COVID-19 danger still driving joblessness

Fri, 18 Sep 2020 10:05:00 +0000

WASHINGTON >> The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits fell last week to 860,000, a historically high number of people that illustrates the broad economic damage still taking place nine months after the first case of COVID-19 was detected in the U.S.

Off the News: Vaccine or no, it’s best to wear mask

Fri, 18 Sep 2020 10:05:00 +0000

While testifying at a U.S. Senate hearing on Wednesday, Dr. Robert Redfield, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, called face masks “the most important, powerful public health tool we have” in the present COVID-19 battle. This tool will likely remain important even when vaccines become available, as those will not serve as virus-proof shields for all.

Letters: Lockdown decisions based on faulty analysis; Force Ko Olina to open lagoon parking lots; Makes sense to stop rail just before Chinatown

Fri, 18 Sep 2020 10:05:00 +0000

We, the exasperated public, have lost trust in our elected officials and continue to question the wisdom of the lockdown decisions.

Dan O’Meara: The Legal Aid Society of Hawaii lawyer works to help tenants and their landlords survive the COVID-19 shutdown

Fri, 18 Sep 2020 10:05:00 +0000

What’s the latest on state and federal eviction protection due to COVID-19 upheaval?

Editorial: Letting tourists back in, carefully

Fri, 18 Sep 2020 10:05:00 +0000

Shortly after Gov. David Ige announced Wednesday that the state’s pre-travel testing program will start in mid-October, the Hawaii Tourism Authority issued a statement indicating the visitor industry will be ready to roll, having established protocols to ensure the safety of residents and workforce who will be welcoming COVID-19-negative travelers.

Long-awaited hydrogen buses on the way: Transit administrator predicts first bus in service by end of year

Fri, 18 Sep 2020 10:05:00 +0000

It’s been a long road, but the county’s first hydrogen bus — and possibly even three buses — should be traveling Kona streets before the year is out.

The first bus, a 2014 Eldorado 29-passenger Aero Elite vehicle worth $500,000, was donated to the county by the University of Hawaii Natural Energy Institute. The county needs to pay only the cost of transporting it from Oahu to the Big Island.

The bus was converted from diesel and then upgraded with the latest fuel cells, Kohala Councilman Tim Richards said. It will rely on hydrogen fuel produced at the Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaii Authority.

Two hydrogen-powered shuttle buses donated to the county by Hawaii Volcanoes National Park are also on Oahu at the UH institute. They’re also scheduled to be upgraded with the latest fuel cell technology.

County Mass Transit Administrator Brenda Carreira said her office just got approval from the county purchasing agent for the upgrades. Once the buses are upgraded and painted Hele-On colors, they’ll be added to the fleet, she said.

“Training of mechanics and infrastructure is what I’m most concerned with,” Carreira said.

She said the mechanics are currently being trained virtually.

The Council Finance Committee on Tuesday voted favorably on the donation of the one bus in Resolution 724 and then in separate action voted favorably on Resolution 725, which authorizes the mayor to enter a two-year agreement with the Natural Energy Institute to “plan, design, implement, operate and maintain” all three buses.

Both resolutions now go to the County Council with a positive recommendation for one more vote.

It’s been a more than five-year climb to get this far. The project is funded with a mix of grants from the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Naval Research, and the state’s hydrogen fund.

The Big Island’s first hydrogen production facility, part of a $5 million demonstration project, was in the works in 2015, with original plans to put the hydrogen production facility at Puna Geothermal Venture, where there was a firm renewable energy source that could be tapped directly to produce hydrogen from water through electrolysis.

The project was moved to NELHA because of early concerns about lava flows isolating the plant. That meant the buses will be running on the west side of the island, too, although the project will include a hydrogen transport vehicle to eventually supply the fuel to east-side buses as well.

Puna Councilman Matt Kanealii-Kleinfelder hopes buses will be available for East Hawaii soon, too. He noted all four county mayors signed a proclamation in 2017 to convert county bus fleets to hydrogen by 2035.

“We have about 15 years to move into zero emissions for our entire fleet,” Kanealii-Kleinfelder said. “This is one of those exciting things.”

State unveils metrics for school reopening

Fri, 18 Sep 2020 10:05:00 +0000

There is still no set reopening date for classrooms in Hawaii, but the state health and education departments on Thursday provided metrics for how they plan to handle instruction based on the COVID-19 infection rate on each island.

During a Thursday morning media conference, Gov. David Ige said it is “so important as a next step in our reopening plans to be able to address children attending school.”

The “reopening thresholds” used to trigger each of three different learning models — distance learning, blended learning or in-person instruction — will be different for elementary and secondary students and will be determined by the number of infected people per 10,000 population on the island on which the school based.

Using those metrics, the Big Island — with a population of 201,513 and 216 COVID-19 cases between Sept. 1-14, has an infection rate of 10.7 people per 10,000 — could begin in-person instruction in elementary schools and blended learning for secondary schools.

“Our guidance is based on mitigation strategies promoted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s approaches to school reopening that have been implemented in other states,” said Dr. Sarah Kemble, the deputy state epidemiologist who spearheaded the development of a 28-page document outlining the plan, on Thursday.

“We recognize one size does not fit all, so instead of blanket statewide guidance, we developed a regional approach because disease transmission rates can differ on each island. This empowers school leaders to be responsive in the context of what is happening in their community.”

Department of Education Superintendent Christina Kishimoto said the DOE wants to transition to a blended-learning model during the second quarter of the school year, which starts Oct. 12.

Schools, which are in their fifth week of instruction, currently are in a distance-learning mode. Some students are in the schools, however, because of lack of access to high-speed internet or the equipment needed for distance learning, as well as some special education students.

Kishimoto said the metrics provided by the Department of Health “are a welcome tool that will help our schools plan for a safe and strategic return to a blended-learning model, based on sound data from our health experts.”

“The variation we’re seeing in case counts within individual communities means that we cannot adopt a statewide approach for all schools at one time,” Kishimoto said. “The new metrics provide benchmarks for our schools to use key health data to begin planning for a safe and strategic increase of on-campus access for students.”

Kishimoto said the DOE will attempt to start full in-person instruction during the second semester, which starts Jan. 4, 2021.

Kemble said the “goal is to prioritize reopening schools as safely as possible.”

“We know the benefits of in-person learning, and we need to provide decision-making tools on how and when schools can transition to different learning models, so that education of our youth can continue when circumstances change,” Kemble said. “… We believe these guidances will provide the tools, strategies and safe practices necessary for a balanced, practical and science-based decision making by school complexes.”

Kemble said when in-person instruction begins, “there will, inevitably, be positive cases, even when a school carefully coordinates plans.”

“All schools must be prepared for this and ready to work with the DOH, their staff, students and families to control the spread of illness,” she said.

Kemble said there is a special team of contact tracers assigned to DOE cases, but they are all on Oahu. She said COVID-19 cases in neighbor island schools will be handled by contact tracers in the DOH’s district offices.

“By necessity, those teams are more general, and will be handling both school cases and other types of cases, as well,” she explained. “However, they received the same training and protocols regarding school follow-ups.

“We do find on the neighbor islands, having a local point of contact is the most effective way to quickly exchange the information that’s needed.”

Corey Rosenlee, president of Hawaii State Teachers Association, said the teachers’ union was not consulted by the DOE or DOH in the formulation of the reopening plan.

“This is dangerous,” Rosenlee said during a separate media conference. “… When I heard the acting epidemiologist say, you know, we expect an increase in cases in our schools, those are not just numbers. Those are our keiki. Those are our teachers. Just this week, we had a staff member pass away due to the coronavirus.”

Rosenlee was referring to Dayna Inouye, a 49-year-old clerk at Sanford B. Dole Middle School in Honolulu’s Kalihi neighborhood, who, according to family, died Sept. 9 after contracting COVID-19 from an infected co-worker.

Rosenlee said that since the end of June, “we’ve already had 89 cases in our schools … and that’s with very few students on campuses.”

According to Rosenlee, no large school systems nationwide have had a successful opening. He added he’s received reports of very little personal protective equipment for teachers, and cleaning of common areas in schools has been inadequate.

Rosenlee said he’s asking the state Board of Education to step in “to make sure we go for distance learning until at least the beginning of the second semester.”

“If we were to try to bring 180,000 students back to campus … there’s going to be just a tremendous amount of cases that are going to put everyone in jeopardy,” he said. “… Our keiki and our teachers are not guinea pigs.”

The Board of Education had an online meeting Thursday afternoon, with dozens of teachers testifying against reopening, most citing safety reasons, inadequate sanitation and lack of PPE. One woman twice cried “say her name” while referring to Dayna Inouye.

One said students already in school learning hubs aren’t social distancing, and teachers are unable to enforce it.

A handful of parents urged board members to reopen schools, with one testifying that teachers are essential workers, and that students’ needs are not being met by distance learning.

The school reopening plan can be found online at https://health.hawaii.gov/coronavirusdisease2019/files/2020/09/COVID-19-Guidance-for-Schools-UPDATE-with-Appendix-091620.pdf.

Email John Burnett at jburnett@hawaiitribune-herald.com.

Target employees in Hilo test positive for COVID-19

Fri, 18 Sep 2020 10:05:00 +0000

Multiple employees at the Target store in Hilo have reportedly tested positive for COVID-19.

According to a statement from Target given to KHON2, multiple employees were confirmed COVID-positive this week and were put into quarantine.

Since then, Target has informed all store employees and conducted a deep cleaning of the store.

“We’re also providing all of our store and distribution team members with masks, gloves and thermometers, upholding rigorous cleaning routines, installing partitions at checklanes in stores and employing a variety of social distancing measures,” the statement read. “Our top priority is the health and safety of our team members and guests. We will continue to actively monitor this situation and respond accordingly.”

The statement did not specify how many employees were infected, and county officials did not respond to requests for comment. However, the store remained open for business Thursday.

Meanwhile, there were 20 new COVID-19 cases reported Thursday on the Big Island, bringing the cumulative total on the island to 623. On other islands, there were 140 new cases, bringing the statewide total to 11,105.

Four more deaths were reported throughout the state Thursday, with the total death count now at 107.

One additional COVID-related death was reported at Yukio Okutsu State Veterans Home in Hilo as of Thursday afternoon. So far, 16 residents at the veterans home have died, accounting for all but one of the total deaths on the Big Island.

Big Island woman crowned Miss Collegiate America

Fri, 18 Sep 2020 10:05:00 +0000

A 21-year-old Lapahoehoe woman captured the title of Miss Collegiate America last weekend in Little Rock, Arkansas.

“I still can’t believe it,” said Ronelle Valera, a 2017 graduate of Kamehameha Schools in Keaau.

Her journey to the title started in 2017 when she was a senior in high school. She ran for the title Miss Hawaii Collegiate.

“I was the youngest one; I just went for it and I got first runner-up,” she recalled. “I felt really defeated after that because I got a lot of harsh critiques physically, so I ended up taking a break. I graduated high school and came to school in Portland.”

While attending Concordia University last year, she decided to get back into pageant competition and entered the Miss Hawaii Collegiate pageant.

“I was kind of bored with my life; I needed to spice it up,” she said. “I had three leadership positions at my university but that wasn’t enough for me. I wanted to come back to pageants.”

Valera said she had grown a lot since her last competition.

“My resume grew, I grew. I was a totally new Ronelle. I ended up coming home to run and I won, which was totally unexpected because I had taken such a long break,” she said.

But as she prepared to return to college, she learned her school had declared bankruptcy and shut down.

In order to compete at the national level, contestants needed to be enrolled in school, so the search for a university landed her at Warner Pacific University where she will graduate this coming May with a major in social work.

The national pageant was supposed to take place in June, but got postponed because of COVID-19.

“Then it happened this past weekend and was totally unexpected that I even placed top 16, and then top five. Then I got best in interview and then I won the whole thing!” she said, still in disbelief. “There was not a second that I thought I could win this. I’m from Laupahoehoe!”

The pageant was a week filled with a lot of fun activities and excursions. Usually, contestants would get to bond with the other girls, but because of COVID they had to social distance. The competition itself was three days long. Thursday consisted of interviews, Friday was the preliminary competition where every one competed and on Saturday they announced the top 16 and only the top 16 competed.

Valera said the interview, which she placed first, was biography based.

“The judges had my bio since June, so they looked up my social media. On one of my Instagram posts on Father’s Day I wished my dad a happy Father’s Day. It’s just he and I so I jokingly wrote, ‘hey I’m looking for a mom,’” she said. “They brought it up in the interview. They said so it said on your post you were looking for a mom. What are you looking for? I jokingly said, ‘well are any of you available?’ One of the judges raised her hand and we were all laughing. I’m pretty sure that’s why I won the interview. I was just having fun.”

Valera’s father, Roy has raised Ronelle as a single parent since she was 5.

“I am just so proud of her,” said the elder Valera who accompanied her to the finals. “Just to see her accomplish this is amazing. She put her heart and soul in it.”

The pageant’s platform is BRAVE, which is an anti-bullying campaign. At the finals, she needed to answer the on-stage question: “What does BRAVE mean to you and what have you done to promote it?”

Even though she knew the question beforehand, she did not have a prepared answer since she never dreamed she would make it that far.

“I remember the night before my interview my dad said, ‘just have fun.’ Usually, when we prepare for pageants, there is a lot of planning and forethought. I decided I was going into it just to have fun,” she said. “It worked out in my favor. I just spoke from my heart and it worked out really good.”

In her answer, Valera said that coming from an island in the middle of the ocean she needed to get creative in spreading the platform in the middle of a pandemic.

“So what did I do? I took to social media. I wanted to know that my voice coming all the way from the middle of the ocean was being heard,” she said, adding she also created a website named Kahanus Korner.

She talked about being bullied herself and how she would spread the message of respect for yourself and others.

“Not for a second did I think I was going to win. I went against 52 amazing girls,” she said. “I thought there is no way that I’m winning. So now that I actually won, I’m going to take it day by day. This is going to be full jammed pack with opportunities. I’ll take whatever comes, but if being Miss Collegiate America is my peak, I’m perfectly fine with that.”

She said the title is like a full-time job. She has about four or five trips planned to make appearances, meet with sponsors and photo shoots and also has a requirement of at least five appearances and community service events to do every month. All of this while still going to school and having a full-time internship.

After graduation she hopes to start her master’s degree, looking at the University of Hawaii at Manoa for postgraduate studies.

“I would love to come home because I do plan on coming home to work. But wherever I get in and is the cheapest is where I’m going,” she said.

As Miss Collegiate America 2020 Valera will be awarded a brand new JL Jeep Wrangler Sport and $100,000 in scholarships, trips, wardrobe, travel, service, and additional prizes.

Ballots to be mailed Oct. 7

Fri, 18 Sep 2020 10:05:00 +0000

The Hawaii County Elections Division announced Thursday that it will begin mailing ballots for the Nov. 3 general election on Oct. 7.

Voters should receive their ballots within three days of the mailing date. Any registered voter who does not receive a ballot within five days of the mailing date should contact the Elections Division at 961-8277.

Places to drop ballots will be available to all voters beginning Oct. 14 until 7 p.m. on Nov. 3, which is Election Day.

The locations are:

• Hawaii County Building, 25 Aupuni St., Hilo

• Laupahoehoe Police Station, 36-2285 Old Mamalahoa Highway, Laupahoehoe

• Waimea Police Station, 67-5185 Kamamalu St., Waimea

• North Kohala Police Station, 54-3900 Akoni Pule Highway, Kapaau

• West Hawaii Civic Center, 74-5044 Ane Keohokalole Highway, Kailua-Kona

• Rodney Yano Hall, 82-6156 Mamalahoa Highway, Captain Cook

• Naalehu Police Station, 95-5355 Mamalahoa Highway, Naalehu

• Pahoa Police Station, 15-2615 Keaau-Pahoa Road, Pahoa

Also Thursday, the county announced that it will hold drive-through voter registration from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Oct. 2 and 5 at the Hawaii County Building parking lot in Hilo; Pahoa Malama Market in Pahoa and the Kona Safeway parking lot in Kailua-Kona. Those seeking to register must provide a form of identification.

For additional information, contact the Elections Division at 961-8277.

Increase of shower activity starting Saturday night

Fri, 18 Sep 2020 08:55:10 +0000

HONOLULU (KHON2) – The dry and stable trade wind pattern will continue into next week, with the best chance for showers developing overnight through the early morning periods across windward and mountain locations. Moderate trade winds may become locally breezy over the weekend, then relax by midweek as the ridge weakens to the north.

Honolulu City Council chairman’s departure and search for his replacement stirs ethics complaints

Fri, 18 Sep 2020 08:21:00 +0000

City Councilmembers calling for more transparency surrounding the departure of Council Chairman Ikaika Anderson have filed complaints with the Honolulu Ethics Commission and have asked to pause the search for his replacement.

Business owner says the second round of aid was needed to survive

Fri, 18 Sep 2020 08:20:30 +0000

Small businesses in Honolulu will soon have access to a second wave of CARES Act money through the city's small business relief and recovery fund.

Kai Lenny: The Ultimate Waterman

Fri, 18 Sep 2020 08:20:14 +0000

CrimeStoppers: Mililani theft, Waipahu burglary

Fri, 18 Sep 2020 08:02:12 +0000

HONOLULU (KHON2) — Sgt. Chris Kim of CrimeStoppers is back for our weekly segment featuring recent crime on Oahu. Here is a rundown of recent crime on Oahu. Theft in Mililani Burglary in Waipahu Anyone with information about these incidents, call CrimeStoppers at 955-8300. The public may now send anonymous web tips to the CrimeStoppers website or […]

Hawaiian Airlines says more furloughs could come if pre-travel testing program is extended again

Fri, 18 Sep 2020 07:35:59 +0000

A total of 2,501 jobs total have been cut from Hawaiian Airlines. Hawaiian Airlines said more furloughs could be on the way if the pre-travel testing program is delayed again.

Boys and Girls Club of the Big Island serves 100,000 meals to families in need

Fri, 18 Sep 2020 07:04:52 +0000

The Boys and Girls Club of the Big Island has been known for its after school programs.

3 people rescued from sinking boat off of Marine Corps Base Hawaii

Fri, 18 Sep 2020 05:59:00 +0000

Three people were rescued from a sinking boat near the Marine Corps Base Hawaii at Kaneohe Bay this afternoon, Honolulu Ocean Safety reported today.

Trade winds to become breezy this weekend

Fri, 18 Sep 2020 05:40:14 +0000

HONOLULU (KHON2) – Moderate and dry trade wind weather will hold through Friday with an increase in trades and showers expected late Saturday into Sunday. Showers riding in with the breezy trades will be focused over windward and mountain areas. Our typical trade wind weather is expected for next week with the breezy trades dropping […]

Another UH Manoa individual contracts COVID-19 after roommate tests positive for the virus

Fri, 18 Sep 2020 05:12:51 +0000

Another person within the University of Hawaii at Manoa community has tested positive for COVID-19, school officials announced on Thursday, Sept. 17.

Neighbor island mayors say more details needed before pre-testing program begins

Fri, 18 Sep 2020 04:51:33 +0000

The inter-island quarantine remains in effect through Sept. 30, just two weeks before the pre-travel testing program is set to begin.

Qualified workers to get extra week of unemployment benefits from FEMA

Fri, 18 Sep 2020 04:40:00 +0000

Hawaii workers eligible for an additional $300 per week in unemployment benefits from the Federal Emergency Management Agency will receive an extra week of benefits.

Qualified workers in Hawaii to get extra week of unemployment benefits from FEMA

Fri, 18 Sep 2020 04:40:00 +0000

Hawaii workers eligible for an additional $300 per week in unemployment benefits from the Federal Emergency Management Agency will receive an extra week of benefits.

Economist says little room for errors when tourism reopens Oct. 15

Fri, 18 Sep 2020 04:38:57 +0000

With the date set to reopen mainland tourism on Oct. 15, economy experts say it has to be done right, and delaying it further is not an option.

Three rescued from sinking boat off of Marine Corps Base Hawaii

Fri, 18 Sep 2020 04:38:43 +0000

Three people were rescued from a sinking boat about half a mile off of Marine Corps Base Hawaii on Thursday, Sept. 17.

COVID death toll rises by 2 at Yukio Okutsu State Veterans Home

Fri, 18 Sep 2020 04:21:30 +0000

Two more COVID-related deaths were reported at Hilo Medical's Yukio Okutsu State Veterans Home, Avalon Healthcare on Thursday, Sept. 17.

At town hall, Joe Biden blasts Trump’s ‘criminal’ coronavirus response

Fri, 18 Sep 2020 04:15:00 +0000

MOOSIC, Pa. >> Joe Biden on Thursday went after President Donald Trump again and again over his handling of COVID-19, calling Trump’s downplaying of the pandemic “criminal” and his administration “totally irresponsible.”

Gov. Ige honors Hawaii National Guard Task Force Medical

Fri, 18 Sep 2020 03:59:58 +0000

The Hawaii National Guard's Task Force Medical was recognized on Sept. 17 for their contributions to the community. They were visited by Gov. David Ige and COVID Incident Commander Maj. Gen. Kenneth Hara.

House bill aims to discourage ballot harvesting

Fri, 18 Sep 2020 03:55:30 +0000

A bipartisan bill that aims to improve the security of mail-in ballot voting was re-introduced to the house floor on Thursday, Sept. 17. Bill H.R. 8285, better known as the Election Fraud Prevention Act, would prohibit election funding to states which permit ballot harvesting.