Happy Camper for Friday, December 24, 2021
Kudos to Holly Van Every and Michael Jay Schoenfeld In Bliss who made their first appearance Tuesday for the dinner crowd at the Kukui Grove Center food court. They got the full light treatment from Josh Pajella who now knows what can be done outside the box with the stage lighting.
Letters for Friday, December 24, 2021
• McDonald’s Mac Attack • In the face of omicron, Mayor needs to take action again
Obituaries for Friday, December 24, 2021
• Lisa Ann Naumu • Austin Ikaika Thronas
New Year’s Eve in Times Square still on, with smaller crowd
NEW YORK — Revelers will still ring in the new year in New York’s Times Square next week, there just won’t be as many of them as usual under new restrictions announced Thursday as the city grapples with a spike in COVID-19 cases.
US tribes see hope for clean water in infrastructure bill
WARM SPRINGS, Ore. — Erland Suppah Jr. doesn’t trust what comes out of his faucet.
40 federal judges confirmed in 2021; Biden nominates 2 more
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden on Thursday made two final nominations to the federal bench this year as he caps his first year in office with 40 judges confirmed, the most since Ronald Reagan was president.
Trump asks Supreme Court to block release of Jan. 6 records
WASHINGTON — Former President Donald Trump turned to the Supreme Court on Thursday in a last-ditch effort to keep documents away from the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol led by his supporters.
Kim Potter guilty of manslaughter in Daunte Wright’s death
MINNEAPOLIS — A suburban Minneapolis police officer who said she confused her handgun for her Taser was convicted of manslaughter Thursday in the death of Daunte Wright, prompting tears from the young Black man’s parents and a jubilant celebration by supporters outside the courthouse who chanted “Guilty, guilty, guilty!”
Putin to the West: ‘It is not us who threaten anyone’
MOSCOW — Russian President Vladimir Putin urged the West on Thursday to “immediately” meet Russia’s demand for security guarantees precluding NATO’s expansion to Ukraine, saying the U.S. is “on the threshold of our home.”
Iraqi FM calls for direct Iran-US talks on nuclear deal
TEHRAN, Iran — Iraq’s foreign minister on Thursday called for direct negotiations between Iran and the United States, Iranian media reported, a rare appeal just days before world powers are set to resume talks over the tattered nuclear accord in Vienna.
UK data suggests hospitalization is less likely with omicron
LONDON — Preliminary data suggests that people with the omicron variant of the coronavirus are 50% to 70% less likely to be hospitalized than those with the delta strain, Britain’s public health agency announced Thursday in a finding that one researcher called “a small ray of sunlight.”
In Africa, rescuing the languages that Western tech ignores
LAGOS, Nigeria — Computers have become amazingly precise at translating spoken words to text messages and scouring huge troves of information for answers to complex questions. At least, that is, so long as you speak English or another of the world’s dominant languages.
Last monument for Tiananmen massacre removed in Hong Kong
HONG KONG — A monument at a Hong Kong university that was the best-known public remembrance of the Tiananmen Square massacre on Chinese soil was removed early Thursday, wiping out the city’s last place of public commemoration of the bloody 1989 crackdown.
Bustling bars, surging business: Dubai sees a post-vax boom
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Nations around the world are lurching into lockdown, steeling themselves for a brutal surge as the omicron variant spreads like wildfire.
Omicron hits Hawaii as infection surge nears all-time record
HONOLULU — Hawaii reported 1,511 new coronavirus cases Thursday as state officials say the omicron variant is likely spreading widely throughout the islands.
Kaua‘i Keiki and High School Rodeo, Marriott’s Waiohai brighten holidays
PO‘IPU — The keiki from the Hawai‘i High School Rodeo Association Kaua‘i District spent half of Sunday taking turns bell-ringing at the Red Kettle for The Salvation Army outside the Walmart store.
Rob’s Good Times Grill program awards $2,500 to Hawai‘i Foodbank Kaua‘i
LIHU‘E — Rob Silverman of Rob’s Good Times Grill may not have realized the impact of the restaurant and bar’s Rob’s Gives Back program.
Kaua‘i Federal Credit Union donates to Christmas Fund
The Morgans are an elderly couple that is trying their best to stay afloat living on a fixed income. The pandemic has affected the supplemental income they were earning to help with monthly expenses. Although they have a very supportive family, they are unable to help out with expenses, including meals.
Kaua‘i begins to see new COVID-19 cases spike
LIHU‘E — Kaua‘i is beginning to see a spike in its COVID-19 cases as anticipated.
Hawai‘i public schools consider test-to-stay COVID-19 policy
LIHU‘E — The feasibility of a test-to-stay model for Hawai‘i public schools is on the mind of administrators and officials.
VOICES: Why I believe participating in Kaua‘i Martin Luther King Day 2022 is worth your while
I just completed a week of in-depth study of Mahatma Gandhi with a group of 40 people from around the world on the internet. We read, we watched films, we met in chat rooms, and we wrote our reflections. For me, it was eye-opening to see the beauty of humanity. We are all striving so hard to balance our passion to change the world toward peace, cooperation, sustainability, and safety, with understanding and caring for ourselves.
Obituary for Thursday, December 23, 2021
• Austin Ikaika Thronas
Top seed Kapa‘a High Warriors rush to 51-0 shutout
HONOLULU — Kapa‘a High School football exploded for 29 points in the second half on Wednesday to shut down Hawai‘i Preparatory Academy 51-0 at Farrington High School during the semifinals of the First Hawaiian Bank Hawai‘i High School Athletic Association Division II state football games.
Kipu Ranch Adventures turns over $7170 in proceeds to Hawai‘i Foodbank Kaua‘i
KIPU — Cathy Shanks of Kipu Ranch Adventures said there will probably be a small check following the presentation of $7,170 to the Hawai‘i Foodbank Kaua‘i on Tuesday at the Kipu facility.
HawaiiUSA Federal Credit Union donates to Christmas Fund
The HawaiiUSA Federal Credit Union family recently donated $300 to the Zonta Christmas Fund.