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Rainfall continues to be plentiful over the Kona slopes with mostly above-average rainfall totals recorded during July. Nine of the 10 rain gauges in the North Kona and South Kona districts saw more than 115% of average rainfall during July. The Kona area experiences its rainy season during the summer months, which is the dry…

Oahu schools will temporarily move to online classes only when the school year starts — and the neighbor islands could follow suit. Gov. David Ige announced Friday that, in light of an ongoing surge in COVID-19 cases centered on Oahu — as well as a series of new restrictions on Oahu to combat that surge…

As the state prepares to reinstate interisland travel restrictions next week to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, administrators at the University of Hawaii at Hilo have pushed back against further restrictions for out-of-state students. Hawaii County Mayor Harry Kim on Thursday told the Tribune-Herald he urged the university and Gov. David Ige to suspend in-person attendance…

The Hawaii State Teachers Association is urging Gov. David Ige and the state Department of Education to switch to 100% distance learning for the first quarter of the school year in light of a growing number of COVID-19 cases. In a news conference today, HSTA president Corey Rosenlee said the union’s board of directors unanimously…

The state Department of Health is reporting 201 new COVID-19 cases statewide today, along with two more fatalities. Both victims were Oahu men, one of whom was hospitalized, while the other died unattended at home, having reportedly not sought medical care. The total death count in the state is now 31. Of the 201 new…

A motion seeking partial summary judgment against the state over its management of land around the Maunakea Access Road was heard Tuesday in Honolulu. First Circuit Court Judge Lisa W. Cataldo took the motion under advisement and did not rule, instead asking counsel for the plaintiffs to submit written response to objections raised by Deputy…

UPDATED (3:10 p.m.): Gov. David Ige announced today that the 14-day interisland quarantine will be imposed Tuesday for all interisland travelers, not just for travelers from Oahu as previously reported. Starting Tuesday, passengers traveling between islands will be required to quarantine for 14 days upon arrival. Ige said the decision to reinstate the quarantine policy…

The state Department of Health reports 53 new COVID-19 cases today, although technical difficulties in the state’s case reporting system mean that number is an undercount. The Department of Health intends to update the count with the full numbers later today. With the partial numbers, the total number of cases statewide is 2815. None of…

Two more Hawaii residents have died of COVID-19, bringing the statewide death count to 29. Both casualties were elderly Oahu residents, one male and one female, both with underlying health issues, and both were hospitalized when they died. “The passing of this man really demonstrates how rapidly and invisibly COVID-19 is spreading through our communities,…

The county said today a firefighter stationed at the Waikoloa Fire Station has tested positive for COVID-19. A total of five personnel are currently self-quarantined as a precaution. All are asymptomatic. The firefighter, a battalion chief assigned to the station’s 2nd Battalion, also remains asymptomatic. He remains in isolation, monitored by the Department of Health.…

The state Department of Health reports 173 new COVID-19 cases today, all on Oahu. That brings the count in the City and County of Honolulu to 2,394 cases. Maui County remains at 177 cases, Hawaii Island at 122 cases and Kauai County at 47 cases. Hawaii residents diagnosed outside Hawaii number 23. According to DOH,…

A man in his 50s was swept away in rough seas and drowned Tuesday while picking opihi off the Puna coastline, according to Hawaii Fire Department officials. According to a written statement, seven units, including a county helicopter and a rescue boat responded to a 3:24 p.m. alarm to search for the missing man along…

A case of COVID-19 associated with Liberty Dialysis in Hilo has been confirmed, although officials today would not say whether the case was in a patient or staff member. A clinic administrator declined to comment when reached this morning, however, a company spokesman later provided a comment to the Tribune-Herald. “We have been actively screening…

The state Department of Health has reported 144 new COVID-19 cases, including five on the Big Island. The remaining 139 cases are on Oahu. A majority of new COVID-19 cases continue to be associated with community spread, the DOH said. Clusters currently under investigation include six cases linked to a hot yoga class, 71 linked…

The state Judiciary said a South Kohala District Court employee has tested positive for COVID-19. This worker at the Waimea courthouse is the only confirmed case of any Judiciary employee statewide, the Judiciary said in a statement. The individual was asymptomatic, but took a COVID-19 test on Saturday as a precautionary measure, unrelated to the…

UPDATED 11:25 a.m. There were 207 new cases of COVID-19 reported by the state Department of Health today. That’s the highest single-day total of new positive cases in Hawaii since the start of the pandemic. Of the 207 new cases, 198 are on Oahu, seven on Maui and two on Hawaii Island. The DOH said…

The old carpenters’ adage, “measure twice, cut once” is taken to a new level at HPM Building Supply’s Keaau factory, where computers do the measuring and lasers show where to make the cuts and attach the hardware. HPM, short for Hawaii Planing Mill, is a 99-year-old employee-owned company long known for its prefabricated wall panels…

A Kona Circuit Court judge last Wednesday severed the case of two Puna women accused of murder in the 2018 death of a 6-year-old boy at a Kealakehe apartment complex. Supervised release was also granted to one of the defendants. Kuuipo Nihipali and Ashley Nihipali were to stand trial together on Sept. 22, however, Chief…

In a replay of a 2014 West Hawaii council race, a powerful Honolulu pro-construction political action committee has targeted a sitting councilwoman by standing up a well-financed challenger in an attempt to unseat her. In the latest case it’s the Kona District 7 council seat now held by freshman Councilwoman Rebecca Villegas. The super PAC…

Mayor Harry Kim’s reelection campaign is getting by with a little help from his friends. And his employees. Kim, who limits his campaign contributions to $10 per person, reported just $6,746 in total contributions since Jan. 1 on his most recent report with the state Campaign Spending Commission. Most of that came from donations and…

Contrary to rumors it is closing, Hula Hulas restaurant continues to offer takeout and dine-in meals at its spot in the Grand Naniloa Hotel in Hilo. “It hasn’t been easy to stay open, don’t get me wrong,” owner Chad Yang said. “We have reduced our hours, but we have no plans of closing right now.”…

Accessibility improvements for Laaloa Beach Park, also known as Magic Sands Beach Park, are one step closer to reality. Hawaii County concluded in its final environmental assessment (EA) published July 23 that the work will have no significant impact, despite concerns raised by the public about removal of several trees and the continued positioning of…