Property assessment cap postponed: Administration warns measure could lead to East-West inequities
A bill capping property assessments could lead to an unfair balance between East Hawaii and West Hawaii, administration officials warned the County Council Finance Committee as a bill aiming to put a 15% ceiling on most commercial classes of property was postponed for the second time.
Nearly 43,000 people died on US roads last year, agency says
DETROIT — Nearly 43,000 people were killed on U.S. roads last year, the highest number in 16 years as Americans returned to the roads after the coronavirus pandemic forced many to stay at home.
Keiki booster shots could begin soon
Booster shots for keiki ages 5-11 could be coming to the Big Island as early as next week, pending approval by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
FDA clears COVID booster shot for healthy kids ages 5 to 11
U.S. regulators on Tuesday authorized a COVID-19 booster shot for healthy 5- to 11-year-olds, hoping an extra vaccine dose will enhance their protection as infections once again creep upward.
Police investigating discovery of body behind Kailua-Kona Post Office
Hawaii County police on Tuesday confirmed the body of a man was found in the bushes behind the Kailua-Kona Post Office.
Hawaii gets $14M in federal funding to help forest birds
HONOLULU — Hawaii is on course to receive $14 million in federal funding to help protect endangered forest birds and other species, officials said Monday.
July 4th Rodeo a go: Parker Ranch event returns after two-year hiatus
It’s time to get back in the saddle: Parker Ranch’s annual July 4th Rodeo and Horse Races returns to Waimea after a two-year pandemic-induced hiatus.
Report: Hawaii County tops in construction hurdles
It’s more difficult to get a construction project rolling in Hawaii County than anywhere else in the nation, according to a report released last month.
Kealakehe High senior Kea E. Kahoilua-Clebsch named Presidential Scholar
Kealakehe High School senior Kea E. Kahoilua-Clebsch was named a Presidential Scholar in the 58th class of U.S Presidential Scholars.
Remembering the fallen: Police Week ceremony honors those who died in the line of duty
Police officers, family and friends gathered Monday to honor the fallen law enforcement officers of Hawaii County during the Police Week ceremony in Hilo.
Council eyes tougher sunscreen law
A state law took effect last year that banned the sale of sunscreens that contain two specific chemicals, but a proposed Hawaii County law would go further and ban selling all sunscreens except those containing two different substances.
US deaths from COVID hit 1 million, less than 2 1/2 years in
The U.S. death toll from COVID-19 hit 1 million on Monday, a once-unimaginable figure that only hints at the multitudes of loved ones and friends staggered by grief and frustration.
Authorities: Hate against Taiwanese led to church attack
LAGUNA WOODS, Calif. — A Chinese-born gunman motivated by hatred against Taiwan chained shut the doors of a California church and hid firebombs before shooting at a gathering of mostly elderly Taiwanese parishioners, killing a man who tackled him, possibly saving dozens of lives, authorities said Monday.
Con-grad-ulations: HCC — Palamanui graduates Class of 2022
Hawaii Community College — Palamanui held a drive-up commencement ceremony Saturday with 106 students graduating.
Improving educational opportunities: MIT grad to open Hawaii Keiki Museum in Kona
This fall, keiki will be able to learn about STEM concepts while experiencing hands-on, age-appropriate exhibits at Kona’s Hawaii Keiki Museum.
Biden urges unity to stem racial hate after Buffalo shooting
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden urged unity Sunday to address the “hate that remains a stain on the soul of America” after a deadly mass shooting at a supermarket in Buffalo, New York, while state officials pleaded for federal action to end the “uniquely American phenomenon” of mass shootings.
DLNR to hold additonal meetings on use of lay nets
The Department of Land and Natural Resources will hold hearings statewide to discuss amendments to state laws regarding lay nets — again.
Outleaned earlier, Hanks not to be denied in the 200
It had been a minute, but Konawaena’s Caiya Hanks and St. Andrew’s Olivia Reed remembered one another from competing three years ago as freshmen sprinters, and they decided to reminisce.
Okinawa marks 50 years of end to US rule amid protests
TOKYO — Okinawa Governor Denny Tamaki on Sunday urged Japan’s central government to do more to reduce the U.S. military presence in the southern island group as it marked the 50th anniversary of its return to Japan after 27 years of American rule, amid frustration and bitterness over a lack of support from the mainland.
‘Extremely grateful’: Family from Ukraine escapes war, feeling welcome on the Big Island
Maksym Koloson, his wife Karina and 12-year-old daughter Lina fled Eastern Ukraine as Russia’s attack began in February and have landed on the Big Island after two months of traveling.
