Waimea Cherry Blossom Heritage Festival canceled amid omicron surge
The Waimea Cherry Blossom Heritage Festival scheduled for Feb. 5 will not include in-person festivities this year.
Monsanto pleads guilty to pesticide-related crimes in Hawaii
HONOLULU — The Monsanto Company pleaded guilty Thursday to illegally using and storing agricultural chemicals on Oahu, and will pay $12 million in fines.
About 800 of Hawaii’s 12,000 public school teachers out sick
HONOLULU — At least 800 Hawaii public school teachers were out sick this week, officials said.
Bucs make it official: terminate Antonio Brown’s contract
TAMPA, Fla. — The Tampa Bay Buccaneers officially severed ties with Antonio Brown, terminating the contract of the mercurial receiver while also contradicting the player’s claim that he was fired in the middle of a game for not playing through an ankle injury.
Penguins win 10th straight, rip Flyers 6-2
PHILADELPHIA — The Pittsburgh Penguins won 10 straight games for the sixth time in franchise history, getting two goals each from Bryan Rust and Jake Guentzel to beat the depleted Philadelphia Flyers 6-2 on Thursday night.
Paul, Suns beat Clippers 106-89 to improve to NBA-best 30-8
PHOENIX — Chris Paul had a triple-double with 14 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists to help the short-handed Phoenix Suns beat the Los Angeles Clippers 106-89 on Thursday night.
Barty advances, no court action needed for Nadal Down Under
MELBOURNE, Australia — Top-ranked Ash Barty has advanced to the Adelaide International semifinals with a 6-3, 6-4 win over 2020 Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin while Rafael Nadal advanced via a walkover in tune-up tournaments ahead of the year’s first Grand Slam event.
Cantlay and Rahm don’t miss beat with good starts at Kapalua
KAPALUA, Maui — All it took was one round for the new year to feel like the end of last season on the PGA Tour.
Paauilo man nabbed in large meth bust
A 44-year-old man entered not guilty pleas Thursday to multiple offenses stemming from a large-scale methamphetamine bust Monday in Paauilo.
More COVID-19 test sites open to alleviate demand
The demand for COVID-19 testing remains high as case counts climb following the New Year’s holiday weekend.
Roth: No new restrictions despite record day of infections
No changes will be made to the county’s emergency rules even after the Big Island set a new record Thursday for the most new COVID-19 cases in a single day.
First cruise ship in nearly two years slated to arrive in Hawaii next week
Carnival Corp.’s Grand Princess is scheduled to be the first passenger cruise ship to arrive in Hawaii since March 2020.
Council predicts tax revenue jump as tourism rebounds
HONOLULU — The Council on Revenues on Thursday predicted that the Hawaii’s general fund tax receipts will surge 15% during the current fiscal year through June as tourism recovers from the COVID-19 downturn.
Biden warns of US peril from Trump’s ‘dagger’ at democracy
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden forcefully blamed Donald Trump and his supporters Thursday for holding a “dagger at the throat of democracy” with election lies that sparked last year’s deadly assault on the U.S. Capitol, using the anniversary of the attack to warn that America’s system of government remains under urgent threat.
National and world news at a glance
WHO: Record weekly jump in COVID cases
Omicron surge vexes parents of children too young for shots
Afternoons with Grammy. Birthday parties. Meeting other toddlers at the park. Parents of children too young to be vaccinated are facing difficult choices as an omicron variant-fueled surge in COVID-19 cases makes every encounter seem risky.
WHO: Record weekly jump in COVID-19 cases but fewer deaths
GENEVA — The World Health Organization said Thursday that a record 9.5 million COVID-19 cases were tallied over the last week as the omicron variant of the coronavirus swept the planet, a 71% increase from the previous 7-day period that the U.N. health agency likened to a “tsunami.” However, the number of weekly recorded deaths declined.
Kahilu Theatre postpones in-person performances amid omicron surge
It may be a new year, but it seems like we’re singing the same old song when it comes to the uncertainty of local in-person performances.
My Turn: Strive for the best and brightest, no matter the race
I’m not an astronomer, nor do I work for an observatory, but I’ve been to the summit of Maunakea many times to view her glorious skies. However, what I am is a concerned resident and voter on the Big Island, who by chance read the Maunakea Working Group (MKWG) draft report and was so dismayed by its unconstitutional tenets, I decided to respond.
Christian world marks Epiphany with series of celebrations
VATICAN CITY — Christians around the world on Thursday marked Epiphany, known as Three Kings Day for Catholics and the Baptism of Christ for the Orthodox, with a series of celebrations.
