Pandemic, technology, and tensions mark county council session.
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Accessed on 10 January 2021, 1228 UTC, Post 22,170
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Public unhappy over lack of access: Pandemic, technology and tension during long council session
A heavy and sometimes controversial agenda, coupled with technical problems during a global pandemic, brought a new set of challenges to the County Council last week, during a meeting that saw testifiers grumble about lack of access and a mayor appear to step outside his lane to advise council members on Sunshine Law issues.
Spread a little love: Magician masters new craft to give hope during pandemic
Generations of keiki in West Hawaii have witnessed the magic of Barry “The Great Barusky” Gitelson or have left one of his appearances with a balloon animal, but during the pandemic, unable to perform his craft, he has found another way to spread the magic of love and hope.
Chance of vog returns with trade winds
Trade winds are forecast to return today, increasing the chances of voggy conditions over West Hawaii areas.
Over 35K COVID-19 vaccines administered statewide
HONOLULU — More than 35,000 coronavirus vaccinations have been administered in Hawaii as of Friday, health officials said.
Ige, Roth express concerns about uniform COVID-19 travel rules for state
Gov. David Ige and Mayor Mitch Roth both expressed misgivings about state House Speaker Scott Saiki’s plans to introduce legislation to establish statewide COVID-19 travel rules, which Saiki said would reduce confusion for residents and tourists.
Teen seeks to raise awareness about bleeding disorders
A Waiakea High School senior wants to educate health care professionals and the public about bleeding disorders after her own life experiences.
Hawaii Island nears 2,000 COVID-19 cases
Hawaii Island’s COVID-19 case count increased by 20 Saturday bringing the island’s total case count to 1,994.
NTSB seeks flight instructor monitoring after deadly crash
HONOLULU — Federal safety investigators said Thursday that the pilot of a skydiving plane that crashed in 2019, killing all 11 people on board, had not received training to become a competent pilot.
Vaccination data added to COVID-19 dashboard
Residents now have a way to monitor the number of COVID-19 vaccinations administered in Hawaii, the Department of Health announced Thursday.
Yukio Okutsu vets home kicks off vaccinations
Against a blue backdrop decorated with patriotic stars and a bunting banner with the hashtag #igottheshot, the first COVID-19 vaccines were administered Friday at Yukio Okutsu State Veterans Home.
Police locate missing man, 71
Update: Hawaii Island police reported Saturday morning that Gabriel DeSilva, 71, of Hilo, who had been reported missing was found in good health.
Hawaii Island reports 10 new COVID-19 cases
Ten new cases of COVID-19 were announced Friday on Hawaii Island bringing the island’s total case count to 1,974.
House speaker plans to push for state travel rules
HONOLULU — House Speaker Scott Saiki plans to introduce legislation to establish statewide COVID-19 travel rules to reduce confusion for residents and tourists.
Tourism leads to less pessimistic tax forecast for Hawaii
HONOLULU — Hawaii’s Council on Revenues on Thursday offered a less pessimistic outlook for state tax revenue for the current fiscal year given the way the tourism industry has recovered under the state’s COVID-19 testing program for travelers.
Sustainability summit set for March
A sustainability summit, bringing in experts to brainstorm with elected officials and the public, is one of seven campaign promises Mayor Mitch Roth made for his first 100 days in office.
Hawaii congressional delegation joins calls for president’s removal from office
Hawaii’s congressional delegation joined in the calls for President Donald Trump to be removed from office following upheaval Wednesday in Washington, D.C.
State uproots ‘kanaka garden’ at Wailoa park
An early morning operation Thursday to uproot a “kanaka garden” planted earlier this week by Hawaiian sovereignty activists was a multi-agency response, according to the state Department of Land and Natural Resources.
Police investigating homicide after human remains found in shallow grave
Hawaii Island police have initiated a homicide investigation after the discovery of a body Tuesday after ion in the Aloha Estates subdivision of Puna.
Hawaii Island police nab 19 for suspected DUI
Hawaii Island police arrested 19 motorists for suspected drunken driving Jan. 1 and Sunday. Five of the drivers were involved in traffic crashes.
DOH cites Goodfellow Bros. for wastewater spill
The state Department of Health on Thursday said it issued a Notice of Violation and Order to Goodfellow Bros., a contractor for the Hawaii County Department of Environmental Management’s Wastewater Division for discharging untreated domestic sewage into Reed’s Bay last fall.