Hawaii County Elections Program administrator Pat Nakamoto tells the “Hawaii Tribune-Herald” that Big Island voters will have fewer polling places to cast their ballots in the September and November elections. Nakamoto says eighteen precincts will be consolidated in an effort to save costs. On Hawaii Island, the number of polling places will drop from 67 to 49.
House Bill 2020, requested by the Hawaii County Administration, would expand the enforcement of traffic laws to private roads. The bill is supported by Hawaiian Ocean View resident Beverly Byouk, who tells the “Hawaii Tribune-Herald” she has been pushing for such a law eversince a friend was killed by a driver without insurance and a driver’s license.
Big Island Toyota tells the “Hawaii Tribune-Herald” that it fully supports the nationwide stop on the sale of eight models with accelerator pedal problems. General Manager and CPO Jan Whiteshide says the majority of the dealership’s cars on Hawaii Island are not affected by the recall. Whiteside says the only significant thing for the local dealership is about 30 Toyota Corollas. Whiteside says that Toyota has not yet issued instructions as to how the faulty vehicles are to be repaired, but she believes a fix would be coming soon.
According to the “Hawaii Tribune-Herald”, Hawaii County has closed escrow on the purchase of a 151-acre oceanfront property known as Kaiholena North. The property consists of three separate parcels, a water well on undeveloped ranchland, and several small coral beaches along 3,000 feet of ocean frontage. The area runs mauka from the coastline to the Akoni Pule Highway. The property is being bought with the county;s Public Access, Open Space, and Natural Resources Preservation fund.
Due to the prolonged dry spell and recent fire activity on Hawaii Island, the National Park Service has asked for and received supplemental funding to augment its initial attack firefighting operations. This week, the Whiskeytown Fire Use Module arrived from Northern California to help on both sides of the island. In addition, the continuing drought has prompted the staff at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park to ban all campfires and barbeques within the park.
Today marks the official first step in improving trauma care on Hawaii Island. The inaugural meeting of the Big Island Trauma Advisory Counci, consisting of hospital leadership, physicians, and emergency first responders, will take place at the North Hawaii Community Hospital this morning at 9:30. The focus of the council includes improving and standardization of trauma care, improving transport times for trauma cases, optimizing coverage such as orthopedics, neurology, and surgery, and educating the public on preventative measure to avoid trauma.
Hawaii Community College presents its “E Ola Health and Future Fair” this Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the HCC Campus. The fair will feature ove 40 fun learning and diverse educational exhibits to expand your learning opportunities and quality of life. Also featured will be information about promoting healthy choices for our youth and community.
Residents, environmentalists, and commercial tropical fish collectors are outraged by the discovery of 610 fish in a trash bin at the Honokahau Small Boat Harbor. According to Stephens Media, a fisherman tipped off employees from the Division of Aquatic Resources, who found two bags of tropical fish near a launch ramp on Monday. Those contacting the Stephens Media Bureau said the act was a travesty and action should be taken against those responsible.
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