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The entirety of Hawaii Island’s delegation to the state Legislature asked Hawaii County Mayor Harry Kim on Wednesday to restrict access to and test all residents of the Milolii Fishing Village in South Kona as COVID-19 cases rack up. “It is our understanding there are at least 10 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the village…

A cluster of COVID-19 cases at Yukio Okutsu State Veterans Home continues to grow, and a fourth death related to the virus has been reported. According to information shared on its website this afternoon, 18 more residents and three additional staff members have tested positive for the virus, bringing those totals to 46 residents and…

The Department of Health has reported 35 new COVID-19 cases on the Big Island today, and 339 statewide. The Big Island has now had a cumulative total of 418 cases so far, while the state has had 8,991. 301 of today’s new cases were on Oahu, where the total number of cases is 8,149. The…

Hawaii County will close all beach and shoreline parks starting Friday and continuing through Sept. 19 in an effort to control the spread of COVID-19 on the Big Island. The activities of exercising, fishing, food gathering, use of restroom, shower facilities and access to the ocean will continue to be allowed, according to Hawaii County…

The state Department of Health has reported 19 new COVID-19 cases on the Big Island today, bringing the cumulative island total to 383. According to DoH data, there were 181 new confirmed cases throughout the state today, with the state total rising to 8,653. 157 of those new cases were on Oahu, whose cumulative case…

A Puna man accused of shooting a Mountain View man to death with a shotgun pleaded not guilty Monday to second-degree murder. Dwayne “CJ” Cory Wallace Jr., 26, briefly appeared in court for an initial appearance on charges of second-degree murder, use of a firearm in the commission of a separate felony, carrying a loaded…

HONOLULU — More than 1,700 Oahu residents were informed they might have to retake a coronavirus screening test because of a labeling error. Test tubes at the Kaneohe and Leeward Community College sites were mislabeled. “Approximately 1,776 vials were not labeled correctly,” Caldwell said, adding that names and birthdates were not included on the labels…

A third resident of Yukio Okutsu State Veterans Home has died from COVID-19. Ten employees and 28 residents, including the three that have died, have tested positive for the virus in the last week. Three residents are currently hospitalized at Hilo Medical Center, according to information provided by the hospital. Two have been released from…

Only 133 COVID-19 cases were reported throughout the state today, one hundred fewer than were reported on Friday. According to the Department of Health, there have been a cumulative 8,472 cases throughout the state since the pandemic began, 364 of which were on the Big Island. Oahu has had 7,691 cases, Maui has had 335…

State Health Director Bruce Anderson and Department of Public Safety Director Nolan Espinda will retire, Gov. David Ige announced this morning. Anderson’s retirement is effective Sept. 15 and comes after 35 years managing health and environmental programs in Hawaii, the state said in a news release. He has served as the as director of the…

The state Department of Health reports 200 new COVID-19 cases today, and according to Hawaii County Civil Defense, the Big Island has recorded its first coronavirus-related death. That brings the total of cases statewide to 8,330 and the death toll to 63. According to DOH, 174 new cases were on Oahu, 22 were on the…

Police have charged a 26-year-old Puna man in connection with a Tuesday afternoon shotgun slaying on North Kulani Road in Mountain View just off Highway 11. Dwayne “CJ” Cory Wallace Jr. is charged with second-degree murder, use of a firearm in the commission of a separate felony, carrying a loaded firearm on a public highway,…

A steady stream of cars entered Waikoloa School’s parking lot Saturday for free drive-through COVID-19 testing. “The turnout has been great,” said organizer Nancy Johnson, a middle school counselor. “Everybody is seeing the need (for testing) and everybody is coming together. That’s what makes our community great.” Johnson said it was truly an “it takes…

A 47-year-old Naalehu man is the latest Big Island resident to be cited by state officers for illegal collection of aquarium fish withing the West Hawaii Regional Fisheries Management Area. Jason Beevers was arrested Thursday after officers with the state Department of Land and Natural Resources Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement spotted and boarded…

How to identify, isolate and treat the growing spread of COVID-19 among vulnerable populations was among the primary concerns discussed by legislators Friday during a state House Committee on Human Services and Homelessness informational meeting. A major focus of the meeting was to make the public aware of resources available to the homeless and those…

A 55-year-old Mountain View resident was sentenced to 18 months in jail and five years probation in connection with a sex assault that occurred in 2016. Samuel Sniffen Sr. was given the half-decade of probation for second-degree sexual assault during a sentencing hearing Thursday before Judge Henry T. Nakamoto in Hilo. Sniffen pleaded guilty to…

A Kealakekua restaurant was forced to close for a day after violating the state’s COVID-19 guidance. The state Department of Health Food Safety Branch issued a red placard to Anahkahna Inc., doing business as The Korner Pocket Bar and Grill, after responding to complaints about the violation of physical distancing and face mask use protocols…

Twenty-six new COVID-19 cases have been reported on Hawaii Island today, while the total number of cases statewide dropped from yesterday. The state Department of Health has reported 265 new cases statewide today — fewer than yesterday’s total of 306 — bringing the cumulative case total to 7,830. The cumulative total for the Big Island…

Premier Medical Group will provide free drive-through COVID-19 testing from 9 a.m.- 1 p.m. Saturday at Prince Kuhio Plaza in Hilo and Waikoloa Elementary and Middle School in Waikoloa Village. The Hilo site will be in the Ohuohu Street parking lot, across from the Macy’s menswear department wing. No insurance is necessary to be tested,…

Police have identified a homicide victim whose body was found Aug. 17 on a remote unpaved roadway in upper Puna’s Eden Roc subdivision as 49-year-old Sean Nephi Kuhia of Eden Roc. An autopsy on Kuhia’s body found he died of “multiple blunt force trauma” and the manner of death was homicide. Police are still seeking…

The state Department of Health reports 306 new COVID-19 cases today, with 10 of them on Hawaii Island, and four new deaths., all on Oahu The statewide number of positive cases is 7,566, and the coronavirus-related death toll is now 55. The Big Island has reported 253 cases since the beginning of the pandemic. Top…

Distance learning will continue for most Hawaii students through Oct. 2, the state Department of Education announced today. Ahead of the Aug. 17 return of students, the DOE announced that most schools would shift the majority of instruction to distance learning for at least the first four weeks of the academic year. This announcement extends…