Japan’s defense minister visits Yasukuni after Pearl Harbor
TOKYO — Japan’s Defense Minister Tomomi Inada, just back from Pearl Harbor, on Thursday visited a Tokyo shrine that honors Japan’s war dead, including convicted war criminals.
Hawaii ferry dreams face cost, public opinion hurdles
HONOLULU — When a 30-foot-tall ferry loomed outside a Kauai harbor in 2007, surfers and kayakers — looking like tiny ducks in comparison — blocked its path, preventing it from unloading hundreds of passengers and sending the giant catamaran back
Letters: 12-29-16
Sometimes, world is sad
Shooting suspect pleads not guilty
HILO — A 34-year-old Pahoa man accused of attempted murder and firearms charges in a Christmas Eve shooting is on probation for felony firearms and misdemeanor assault charges, according to court records.
‘Eco-friendly’ proposals sought
KAILUA-KONA — The Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaii Authority is offering up a 1.3-acre lot for “eco-friendly” developers along what the county believes will be a major road in West Hawaii’s future.
Lee Loy’s bill would take the wiggle room out of booze ban
HILO — Stricter limits on taxpayer-funded alcohol could soon become law, under a bill to be considered next week by a County Council committee.
KS land available to lease: School to repurpose part of eucalyptus forest
HILO — Kamehameha Schools will seek a new tenant for more than 10,000 acres of eucalyptus forest it owns on the Hamakua Coast following expiration of its current lease agreement.
Bigger stakes produced better games in ‘16
Don’t you love it when the game lives up to the hype?
A look at some of 2016’s most inspiring sports moments
We watch sports to see who wins and loses, but also to be inspired — and 2016 offered plenty of examples of the latter, from a touching moment between two strangers on the Olympic track, to a little boy from
Jackson powers Northwestern past Pitt in Pinstripe Bowl
NEW YORK — Justin Jackson ran for 224 yards and three touchdowns to power Northwestern to its third bowl victory, 31-24 over No. 22 Pittsburgh in the Pinstripe Bowl on Wednesday night.
College football playoffs: Orange Bowl meltdown led Ohio State to overhaul defense
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Ohio State’s defense had been laid to waste by Clemson in the 2014 Orange Bowl, the last in a series of lousy performances by the Buckeyes that caused a promising season to end with a thud.
College football playoffs: Washington relished the underdog role against No. 1 Alabama
ATLANTA — Overlooked in the College Football Playoff, the Washington Huskies know what’s expected of them.
BIIF basketball: Konawaena opens season on a winning note
KEALAKEKUA — Led by double-digit efforts from Austin Ewing, Hauoli Akau and Austin Aukai, Konawaena opened the BIIF regular season with a dominating 54-18 victory at home against St. Joseph on Wednesday night.
Man suspected of ties to Berlin attacker detained in Germany
BERLIN (AP) — German prosecutors said Wednesday that they have detained a Tunisian man they think may have been involved in last week’s truck attack on a Christmas market in Berlin.
In parting shot, Kerry tears into Israel over settlements
WASHINGTON — Secretary of State John Kerry tore into Israel on Wednesday for settlement-building, accusing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of dragging Israel away from democracy and forcefully rejecting the notion that America had abandoned Israel with a controversial U.N. vote.
In Brief: Nation & World: 12-29-16
In parting shot, Kerry tears into Israel over settlements
Alexa a witness to murder? Prosecutors seek Amazon Echo data
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — Authorities investigating the death of an Arkansas man whose body was found in a hot tub want to expand the probe to include a new kind of evidence: any comments overheard by the suspect’s Amazon
Island Life: 12-29-16
A tako swims in Puako. Theresa Moran/Community Contributor
Obituaries: 12-29-16
Editor’s note: Obituaries are published free of charge as a public service. The content is subject to editing to ensure parity treatment and style continuity.
Feedback from readers that was 2016
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World respects Trump’s power
Jack Lunsford intimates that Trump’s tweet stating the US must strengthen our nuclear capabilities and Putin follows with a comment saying that Russia was not looking for a new arms race, immediately determined that Putin was the adult in the
Everything you need to know — permits, safety tips, caring for pets on New Year’s Eve
KAILUA-KONA — If you’re going to blow things up this year, know the rules.
Guilty verdict in missing Maui pregnant woman’s death
HONOLULU — A jury on Wednesday found a Maui man guilty of murder in the death of his ex-girlfriend who disappeared while five months pregnant with his child.
Hands on History program schedule announced
Every Wednesday and Friday at 11 a.m., the Kona Historical Society hosts Hands On History at the Kona Coffee Living History Farm in Captain Cook. Hands On History offers opportunity to learn, experience and practice activities important to the daily
After 15 Big Mall Fights, Police See a Culprit: Teenage Boredom
Officer Tamara Valle of the Fort Worth Police Department in Texas received a call Monday: A fight had broken out in the food court of the nearby Hulen Mall, and 200 teenagers were running, screaming and fighting. Shopkeepers were going