Kapa‘a High School alum honored for work in California

LIHU‘E — Michelle Toy, a 2006 alumnus of Kapa‘a High School, was recently recognized as California State Coach of the Year by the National High School Strength Coaches Association during a dinner at the NHSSCA National Conference in Chicago.

Happy Camper for Friday, July 14, 2023

What? We missed the 7-Eleven Slurpee special? Not to worry; McDonald’s is supposed to have their “limited time” cookies and creme pies (wonder how it compares with the all-time favorite apple pie) starting today.

Free Napali Coast boat tours offered

KEKAHA — Tour operators at Kikialoa Small Boat Harbor are offering free Napali Coast sightseeing tours for Kaua‘i residents on July 26, following the official veto of a bill that aimed to reduce their commercial boating operations.

Americans are widely pessimistic about U.S. democracy

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Only about 1 in 10 U.S. adults give high ratings to the way democracy is working in the United States or how well it represents the interests of most Americans, according to a new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.

GOP hopefuls face pressure to stop Trump in Iowa

DES MOINES, Iowa — As the six-month sprint to the Iowa caucuses begins, the sprawling field of Republican presidential candidates is facing growing pressure to prove they can become serious challengers to former President Donald Trump.

New record set for the deadliest six months of mass killings

NEW YORK — Slain at the hands of strangers or gunned down by loved ones. Massacred in small towns, in big cities, inside their own homes or outside in broad daylight. This year’s unrelenting bloodshed across the U.S. has led to the grimmest of milestones: The deadliest six months of mass killings recorded since at least 2006.

Judge urged to not postpone Trump’s document trial

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Justice Department urged a judge Thursday to reject Donald Trump’s efforts to postpone his classified documents trial, saying there was no basis for an “open-ended” delay sought by the former president’s lawyers.

Rice crops are being threatened by El Nino

NEW DELHI — Warmer, drier weather because of an earlier than usual El Nino is expected to hamper rice production across Asia, hitting global food security in a world still reeling from the impacts of the war in Ukraine.

A heat wave has southern Europe in its jaws

ATHENS, Greece — Tourists in central Athens huddled under mist machines and zoo animals in Madrid were fed fruit popsicles Thursday as southern Europeans suffered through a heat wave that was projected to get much worse heading into the weekend.

North Korea’s ambassador blames U.S. for regional tensions

UNITED NATIONS — North Korea’s U.N. ambassador defended his country’s recent long-range missile launch in a rare appearance at the U.N. Security Council on Thursday where he also accused the United States of driving the situation in northeast Asia “to the brink of nuclear war.”

Attorney says acupuncturist cheated with multiple women

HONOLULU — A Hawai‘i man charged with murder in the shooting death of the acupuncturist who was having an affair with his wife wasn’t the only person with a motive to kill him, a defense attorney told jurors at the start of the trial.

Kaua‘i paddlers win in Washington

Sonny Cruz, a hoe wa‘a enthusiast, said Kaua‘i had some big wins for the island’s OC6 paddlers in Stevenson, Washington. Kaua‘i paddlers took gold in two divisions, the OC6 Men’s Masters 60s and the OC6 Women’s Masters 50s divisions, Cruz said.

Authorities update Po‘ipu hit-and-run case

An ongoing investigation into an alleged hit-and-run on Saturday evening revealed that two teenage girls were walking along Po‘ipu Road at the time they were struck by a vehicle.

Filipino group gives $8,000 in scholarships

The Kaua‘i Filipino Chamber of Commerce hosted eight of 12 scholarship recipients and their families to a short presentation on Tuesday evening at the triple-booked Kaua‘i Philippine Cultural Center.

Obituaries for Thursday, July 13, 2023

• Jeanette Sanae Kawamura • Erlinda ‘Erla’ Bukoski • Norman Shohichi Inoue • Florendo Guillermo Ramos • Felix Viernes Erorita Sr. • Rudy Madrid Fernandez