The state Department of Health reported 261 new COVID-19 cases today, and the 42nd and 43rd coronavirus-related death. There are now 5,609 statewide cases reported since the pandemic began. Today’s new cases include 234 on Oahu, seven on Hawaii Island and 20 on Maui, according to DOH. The death was on Oahu, but no other…
County to make mulch available
The county said in a release Monday, customers picking up mulch at East Hawaii organic facilities can proceed directly to the facility and bypass the scale, with mulch available on a first-come, first-served basis while supplies last. All mulch loads must be covered prior to leaving the facility and all customers must adhere to Centers…
Police seek suspects in North Kohala robbery
Police are seeking the public’s help to identify suspects in a reported robbery early Saturday morning in North Kohala. Officers responded at about 6:20 a.m. to a business on Kaauhuhu Road after an employee reported he’d been assaulted by two men while preparing to open for business. Police say the suspects took an undisclosed amount…
Ige continues 14-day trans-Pacific passenger arrival quarantine to Oct. 1
Gov. David Ige today extended the 14-day quarantine for arriving passengers in Hawaii until Oct. 1. The announcement came in the face of triple-dight daily new COVID-19 cases in Hawaii, mainly on Oahu. Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell also announced a number of rollbacks today in gathering sizes and other measures aimed at lowering the daily…
Terry Bradshaw, Wayne Newton selling Big Island properties
Two celebrities with homes on the Big Island have put their properties up for sale. Former National Football League star and TV sports analyst Terry Bradshaw is selling his partially furnished Wai‘ula‘ula condominium for $1.3 million, according to Venture Sotheby’s International Realty. Bradshaw, 71, who earned four Super Bowl titles with the Pittsburgh Steelers, purchased…
DOH reports 134 new COVID-19 cases statewide, 41st death
The state Department of Health reported 134 new COVID-19 cases today, and the 41st coronavirus-related death. The death is on Oahu, but no further information was given. There are now 5,349 statewide cases reported since the pandemic began. Today’s new cases include 124 on Oahu, three on Hawaii Island and seven on Maui, according to…
DOH reports 174 new COVID-19 cases, two on Hawaii Island
The state Department of Health reported 175 new COVID-19 cases today. That raises the overall statewide total to 5,215. Today’s new cases include 163 on Oahu, two on Hawaii Island and nine on Maui, according to DOH. As a result of updated information, one Big Island case was removed from the counts, the health department…
Private security guard at Hilo courthouse tested positive for COVID-19, courthouse remains open
Employees at the state courthouse in Hilo have been notified that a security guard who worked in the building has tested positive for the coronavirus. An email sent Sunday by Third Circuit Court Administrator Lester Oshiro and obtained by the Tribune-Herald was addressed “Dear Hale Kaulike employees.” The email said court officials learned of the…
‘Imiloa program provides keiki return to normalcy, lesson on new COVID-19 norms
East Hawaii keiki spent some time getting used to COVID-19 protocols while immersed in ‘Imiloa Astronomy Center’s Halau Lamaku last month. ‘Imiloa’s summer enrichment program provides social and academic stimulation for children in a safe environment. Children participate in place-based learning in the center’s museum, planetarium and the surrounding native gardens. Each week offered new…
South Kohala resorts show off reopening plans
Kohala Coast resorts are making headway toward reopening amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, though no specific dates have been set in stone. Representatives from several properties on the Gold Coast Thursday shared with state and county legislators and officials their ever-evolving plans and procedures for reopening with on-site visits at The Westin Hapuna Beach Resort,…
Plea withdrawn in fiery fatal crash
A Keaau man accused of causing a fiery collision on Mother’s Day 2017 that killed another Keaau man, then fleeing the scene, has withdrawn his no-contest plea to a lesser charge. In a deal with prosecutors, it appeared Keempe Obra Drequito was to be sentenced to a maximum five years imprisonment after pleading no contest…
UH-Hilo, HCC prep for students
The University of Hawaii at Hilo and Hawaii Community College are preparing for a school year unlike any before as the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic rages on. UH leadership announced last week its goal is to reduce the number of people on campuses throughout the system. “When UH announced plans for fall 2020, we expected that…
High court poised to rule on release of inmates
The state Supreme Court will make a decision “soon” about whether to release low-risk inmates from state correctional facilities to reduce the spread of COVID-19. Earlier this week, the state Office of the Public Defender petitioned the Supreme Court to order the lower courts, the Department of Public Safety and the Hawaii Paroling Authority to…
Teachers union files complaint against Ige, DOE
The Hawaii State Teachers Association has filed against the state a prohibitive practice complaint with the Hawaii Labor Relations Board. The complaint names Gov. David Ige, state Superintendent Christina Kishimoto and the state Department of Education as respondents. The union says in the filing that the ongoing spike in COVID-19 cases and the widespread transmission…
New Hawaii health official will lead virus contact tracing
HONOLULU (AP) — The Hawaii Department of Health says it has hired a new official to oversee the state’s maligned coronavirus contact tracing program. The Honolulu Star Advertiser reported Thursday that Dr. Emily Roberson was hired on July 16 to lead the department’s Disease Investigation Branch. Since she was hired, Roberson has been “reorganizing and…
DOH reports 233 new COVID-19 cases
The state Department of Health has reported 233 new COVID-19 cases today, bringing the statewide total to 4,543. Five new cases have been reported on the Big Island, bringing the county’s total to 144 since the start of the pandemic. Today’s new cases also include 218 on Oahu, nine on Maui and one on Kauai.…
Ige: ‘We are headed in the wrong direction’
Despite a record-high 355 new COVID-19 cases reported Thursday, Gov. David Ige stopped short of delaying a plan to allow out-of-state travelers with a negative COVID-19 test to arrive in Hawaii on Sept. 1 without being subject to a 14-day quarantine. During an afternoon media conference, Ige said he and his administration “continue to look…
Surge in COVID-19 cases spurs petition from Office of Public Defender seeking the release of some inmates
The Office of Public Defender on Wednesday petitioned the state Supreme Court, seeking an order to the lower courts, the Department of Public Safety and the Hawaii Paroling Authority “to take immediate steps to significantly reduce the population of its … correctional facilities to prevent the massive loss of life and harm that the spread…
HSTA to take legal action over school reopening plans
The Hawaii State Teachers Association said today it will take legal action over school reopening plans it feels are unsafe amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. During a news conference this afternoon, HSTA President Corey Rosenlee said the union will file a prohibitive action complaint against the state with the Hawaii Labor Relations Board and a…
DOH reports 355 new COVID-19 cases
The state Department of Health has reported 355 new cases of COVID-19 today, the highest single-day count reported since the start of the pandemic. At least 86 newly diagnosed cases are part of an existing cluster at the Oahu Community Correctional Facility, according to the DOH. Health investigators say at least 116 cases are attributed…
Kona grand jury indicts 4 on child sex assault charges
A Kona grand jury on Monday handed down four separate indictments for first-degree sexual assault of a minor. Kasey Akiona is charged with first-degree sexual assault on a minor who was at least 14 years old but less than 16 years old for an alleged April 2019 incident in South Kohala. The indictment states Akiona…
202 new COVID-19 cases, death toll now 38
The state Department of Health reports 202 newly diagnosed cases of COVID-19. Of those new cases, 197 are on Oahu. Hawaii Island and Kauai each had two additional cases, while Maui reported one. There are four additional deaths from coronavirus-related causes, bringing the statewide death toll to 38. All are Oahu men. The deaths of…
