17 new COVID-19 cases on Kaua‘i Tuesday
LIHU‘E — Hawai‘i had a seven-day average of about 100 daily cases of COVID-19 in early December. Now there are more than 5,600 active cases among the state’s 1.5 million residents, according to the state Department of Health.
Kukulu Kumuhana O Anahola begins Ulupono Anahola planting
ANAHOLA — Kevin Kaleiohi remembers when the Kukulu Kumuhana O Anahola Ulupono site was filled with sugar cane and pineapples.
Cazpian France wins Share Your Holiday recipe contest
A pineapple bowl filled with fried rice, garnished by what else — fresh pineapple — was announced the winner of a holiday recipe contest on Monday during the Pau Hana Market, a partnership with the Kaua‘i County Farm Bureau and Kukui Grove Center, at the mall.
Kapa‘a pool to close over holidays
KAPA‘A — Due to a staffing shortage, the Kapa‘a swimming pool will be closed from Thursday, Dec. 23 to Monday, Jan. 3, according to the county Department of Parks & Recreation. The pool is scheduled to reopen on Tuesday, Jan. 4.
Births for Wednesday, December 22, 2021
• Waimea Wes Kaimanaola Reyes • Heidi Day Diehl • Noweo Andres Jay Caldeira-Arrisgado
Corregedore, Burgess lead KIF cross county All Stars
LIHU‘E — Kaua‘i High School runners Brennen Corregedore is the Kaua‘i Interscholastic Federation boys champion, and Emma Burgess is the KIF girls champion, and lead the KIF Cross Country All- Stars who were announced Monday through Island School.
Happy Camper for Wednesday, December 22, 2021
Tiffany Sagucio (she came out of hiding Sunday!) said the Kaua‘i Filipino Community Council is recruiting girls for the next Miss Kaua‘i Filipina scholarship pageant after she’s retained the crown and honor for nearly three years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
HOOSER: Sometimes leading means stepping back
The primary election results for the Kaua‘i prosecutor’s race show without a doubt who the winner of the general election will be. With the most-recent count showing Rebecca “Becky” Like at 8,184 votes and Shaylene Iseri at 3,645 votes, the ultimate outcome is clear.
Letters for Wednesday, December 22, 2021
• Vaccination helps us all • Koke‘e roads are dangerous • Get booster shots now
Obituaries for Wednesday, December 22, 2021
• Anthony James ‘Tony’ Kay • Julius Coloma Jarquio • Happy Alice Makali‘ili‘i Kila Morikawa
Biden pivots to home tests to confront omicron surge
WASHINGTON — Fighting the omicron variant surging through the country, President Joe Biden announced the government will provide 500 million free rapid home-testing kits, increase support for hospitals under strain and redouble vaccination and boosting efforts.
Hubble telescope’s bigger, more powerful successor to soar
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — The Hubble Space Telescope’s successor is a time-traveling wonder capable of peering back to within a hair’s breadth of the dawn of the universe. And it’s finally on the brink of flight.
Biden administration moves to expand solar power on US land
BILLINGS, Mont. — U.S. officials announced approval Tuesday of two large-scale solar projects in California and moved to open up public lands in other Western states to potential solar power development, as part of the Biden administration’s effort to counter climate change by shifting from fossil fuels.
US population growth at lowest rate in pandemic’s 1st year
U.S. population growth dipped to its lowest rate since the nation’s founding during the first year of the pandemic as the coronavirus curtailed immigration, delayed pregnancies and killed hundreds of thousands of U.S. residents, according to figures released Tuesday.
Biden vows he, Manchin will ‘get something done’ on $2T bill
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden appeared determined Tuesday to return to the negotiating table with Sen. Joe Manchin, the holdout Democrat who effectively tanked the party’s signature $2 trillion domestic policy initiative with his own jarring year-end announcement.
‘Another storm coming’: WHO warns of omicron surge in Europe
VIENNA — The World Health Organization’s top official in Europe urged governments on Tuesday to prepare for a “significant surge” in coronavirus cases across the continent due to the omicron variant, which is already dominant in several countries.
UN calls for probe into rape allegations in Sudan protests
CAIRO — The U.N. human rights office on Tuesday called for an independent investigation into allegations of sexual violence including rape and gang rape during mass anti-coup protests in Sudan earlier this week, a spokeswoman said.
Putin blames West for tensions, demands security guarantees
MOSCOW — The Russian president on Tuesday reiterated his demand for guarantees from the U.S. and its allies that NATO will not expand eastwards, blaming the West for “tensions that are building up in Europe.”
AP sources: NHL to withdraw from Olympics after COVID surge
The NHL is not sending players to the Beijing Olympics over concerns that the pandemic will disrupt the league’s ability to complete a full season.
Omicron casts a new shadow over economy’s pandemic recovery
Just as Americans and Europeans were eagerly awaiting their most normal holiday season in a couple of years, the omicron variant has unleashed a fresh round of fear and uncertainty — for travelers, shoppers, party-goers and their economies as a whole.
Hawaii sees surge in coronavirus cases ahead of holidays
HONOLULU — Hawaii health officials reported another 707 new confirmed and probable coronavirus cases Tuesday, the fifth straight day of elevated infection numbers.
Endangered Hawaiian monk seal shot in head on Molokai
HONOLULU — An endangered Hawaiian monk seal that was found dead on the island of Molokai in September was intentionally killed with a gun, federal officials said Tuesday.
Hawaii hearing over tainted Navy water ends without a ruling
HONOLULU — A hearings officer expects to issue a recommendation early next week on whether the Navy has to comply with Hawaii’s order to empty fuel from a massive storage tank facility blamed for contaminating Pearl Harbor drinking water.
COVID-19 cases spiking in state
Hawai‘i’s COVID-19 case counts have spiked.
First day of Keiki meals at The Musubi Truck
Chef Brentten Rapozo of The Musubi Truck was cranking out the keiki meals Monday at the truck off Kukui Street in Kapa‘a.