Mayor Kawakami lays out priorities for next term at his inauguration
LIHU‘E — A crowd of dozens of politicians, county employees and community members gathered at the Kaua‘i War Memorial Convention Hall on Thursday for the swearing in of Mayor Derek S.K. Kawakami, his cabinet and the Kaua‘i County Council.
Kauaians dealing with health issues
Lucy Car, 69, lives alone in her rental in Waimea. Although she does not have family on the island, her landlord looks out for her.
Visitors fuel economic comeback; spending surges
LIHU‘E — An economic malaise brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic appears to have found its elixir in tourists and their spending power.
Nawiliwili Park parking lot repairs done
NAWILIWILI — Motorists are able to utilize the parking lot at Nawiliwili Park, again.
Happy Camper for Friday, December 2, 2022
Congratulations, Claudia Dowdy of the Grand Hyatt Kaua‘i Resort & Spa in Po‘ipu, on being promoted to general manager at a California property.
Kaua‘i COVID-19 update: New cases decline to 36 this week
HONOLULU — Data released on Wednesday by the state Department of Health showed a substantial decline in COVID-19 cases with 36 new COVID-19 cases on Kaua‘i from Nov. 22 to Nov. 28, compared with 56 cases the previous week.
Roads to close for Lihu‘e parade Friday
LIHU‘E — The annual Lights on Rice Parade is scheduled for Friday, Dec. 2, starting at 6 p.m.
High surf warning until Friday morning
LIHU‘E — The National Weather Service issued a high surf warning for Kaua‘i and Ni‘ihau north- and west-facing shores through 6 a.m. Friday
Obituaries for Friday, December 2, 2022
• Michelle ‘Michie’ Matsuko Perlas • Matsuko ‘Mats’ Uyeda • Mary Yoshimura • Catherine Ann Adams
Trump probe: Court halts Mar-a-Lago special master review
WASHINGTON — A unanimous federal appeals court on Thursday ended an independent review of documents seized from former President Donald Trump’s Florida estate, removing a hurdle the Justice Department said had delayed its criminal investigation into the retention of top-secret government information.
Congress votes to avert rail strike amid dire warnings
WASHINGTON — Legislation to avert what could have been an economically ruinous freight rail strike won final approval in Congress on Thursday as lawmakers responded quickly to President Joe Biden’s call for federal intervention in a long-running labor dispute.
Drought-hit California cities to get little water from state
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California water agencies that serve 27 million people will get just 5% of what they requested from the state to start 2023, water officials announced Thursday.
Obama urges Georgia Democrats to push turnout for Warnock
ATLANTA — Former President Barack Obama and Sen. Raphael Warnock on Thursday urged Democratic voters to keep pushing an apparent head start in early voting in the Georgia Senate runoff against Republican Herschel Walker, ahead of Friday’s last day of early in-person voting and Tuesday’s election day.
Prosecutor: Donald Trump knew about exec’s tax fraud scheme
NEW YORK — Donald Trump “knew exactly what was going on” with top Trump Organization executives who schemed for years to dodge taxes on company-paid perks, a prosecutor said Thursday, challenging defense claims that the former president was unaware of the plot at the heart of the company’s tax fraud case.
Russian shelling cuts off power again in liberated Kherson
KHERSON, Ukraine — Russian shelling cut off power in much of the recently liberated Ukrainian city of Kherson on Thursday, just days after it was restored amid Moscow’s ongoing drive to destroy key civilian infrastructure as freezing weather sets in.
Biden, Macron vow unity against Russia, discuss trade row
WASHINGTON — Presidents Joe Biden and Emmanuel Macron vowed to maintain a united front against Russia on Thursday amid growing worries about waning support for Ukraine’s war effort in the U.S. and Europe. Biden also signaled he might be willing to tweak aspects of his signature climate legislation that have raised concerns with France and other European allies.
Racism backlash erupts as William and Kate visit Boston
LONDON — Prince William’s office said “racism has no place in our society” as he sought to prevent the backlash over his godmother’s treatment of a Black advocate for survivors of domestic abuse from overshadowing his trip to the United States.
E.U. edges closer to $60-per-barrel Russian oil price cap
BRUSSELS — The European Union was edging closer to setting a $60-per-barrel price cap on Russian oil — a highly anticipated and complex political and economic maneuver designed to keep Russia’s supplies flowing into global markets while clamping down on President Vladimir Putin’s ability to fund his war in Ukraine.
Israel’s Netanyahu puts hardliner in charge of settlements
JERUSALEM — Israel’s designated prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Thursday a coalition deal that will give a hardline, pro-settler party control over a number of key government ministries and a senior role in overseeing the construction of Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank.
Hawai‘i eruption brings tourism boon during slow season
HILO, Hawai‘i — The spectacle of glowing-hot lava spewing from Hawai‘i’s Mauna Loa has drawn thousands of visitors and is turning into a tourism boon for this Big Island town near the world’s largest volcano.
Prayers? Bombs? Hawai‘i history shows stopping lava not easy
HONOLULU — Prayer. Bombs. Walls. Over the decades, people have tried all of them to stanch the flow of lava from Hawai‘i’s volcanoes as it lumbered toward roads, homes and infrastructure.
Letter for Thursday, December 1, 2022
• Highway needs restriping
Needy would appreciate any gifts
Mr. Howard has dementia and Mrs. Howard has Parkinson’s disease. Despite Mrs. Howard’s conditions, she is her husband’s main caregiver. They make it work by helping each other and utilizing services available to help them in their home.
Kaua‘i drug treatment center lawsuit tossed as former operator faces legal challenge
At a hearing in Lihu‘e Circuit Court on Tuesday, Chief Judge Randal Valenciano tossed out the lawsuit from Hope Treatment Services over the county’s termination of its contract to operate the embattled adolescent drug treatment center.
Lihu‘e lights up for the holidays
Josh Pajela of Kukui Grove Center said the shopping center’s Holiday Lights will be held up until after the Rotary Club of Kaua‘i Lights on Rice holiday lights parade on Friday.