Filipino Chamber gala is Saturday
The Kauai Filipino Chamber of Commerce is hosting its 2018 Awards & Installation Gala at 5 p.m. Saturday at the Koloa Landing Resort in Poipu. Officers and directors of the chamber will be installed. The keynote speaker will be Jade Butay, interim director for the state Department of Transportation.
Health barriers impact learning
Hawaii is only one of 20 states that require adequate health screenings for children entering school, according to a recent report.
Indoor cycling studio trains and entertains while improving fitness
Kauai has its very own bicycling boutique. The indoor cycling studio, Island Ride Kauai, has gained more than 500 members since it opened in April.
Kalapaki studio combines hip hop, contemporary dance instruction
Dancing is an activity that keeps adults healthy and youths out of trouble. “The island is so small and there’s so much drugs out there that we’d rather have a dance studio for kids to come to be safe,” said Mary Rapacon, mother of one of Kauai’s hippest dance instructors.
State plan empowers pupil learning
With a good plan, every student can succeed in school. The state Department of Education received approval from the U.S. Department of Education of its state plan for the Every Student Succeeds Act. Federal officials shared the authorization of the plan during a call with state DOE leadership Friday morning.
Gabbard’s office to offer 1-on-1 assistance with federal issues
Three federal agency assistance sessions will offer Kauai constituents the opportunity to get individual assistance with federal agency matters. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard’s Kauai Outreach Liaison, Kaulana Finn, will be available for one-on-one federal casework assistance during the sessions.
Guidelines for the Kinolau O Kanaloa poster contest
Here are the guidelines for the Kinolau O Kanaloa poster contest:
Ocean awareness poster contest open to all students
The Kinolau O Kanaloa poster contest encourages aloha for the ocean. The student art contest focuses on celebrating the kinolau (bodily forms) of Kanaloa (Hawaiian god of the sea) and is open to all Kauai students. The artwork will be on display at Kukui Grove Center from Feb. 9-18.
Humans welcome whales with song, prayer, dance, poetry
The whales have returned to Hawaii, and 100 people welcomed them back on Saturday at Kealia by sharing songs, poems, prayers and whale stories at an open-mic event.
Navarro among hospitality award-winners
One Kauai High School educator was recently recognized for her hard work preparing students for careers in hospitality. Business teacher Charlene Navarro received the Hospitality Educator of the Year Award when Hawaii’s hospitality industry honored the best-of-the-best of its employees at the 28th annual Na Poe Paahana (The Hard-Working People) Awards, in Waikiki earlier this month.
Standing up for human rights
Women stood up for their rights on Saturday, and their voices were heard loud and clear. Several hundred supporters, including men, women, children and dogs, gathered at the intersection of Ahukini Road and Kapule Highway in Lihue, waving homemade signs and cheering to bring awareness to important issues. The Kauai event was held in support of marches around the nation on the one-year anniversary of President Donald Trump’s inauguration.
Laurie Lewis to perform in Princeville
Award-winning original acoustic roots musician Laurie Lewis is going to be jamming on Kauai. “We love the beautiful Garden Isle,” Lewis said. “We feel very lucky, blessed to be able to do it.”
St. Catherine School unveils colorful mural
“Heaven on Earth” was created by Sally Harrison, who is in charge of the After School Care program in addition to helping with recess.
Scams and fraud prevalent in Hawaii
Scams and fraudulent activities, especially those targeting kupuna, remain a problem. “There are so many scams out there that people are being taken advantage of,” said Eric Nordmeier, volunteer for Senior Medicare Patrol.
Minimum wage goes up
Hawaii’s minimum wage jumped from $9.25 to $10.10 per hour starting the first day of the new year. Entry-level employees will benefit most from the 85-cent increase, while some small businesses may experience negative financial impacts.
A third of Hawaii families struggle financially
Many Kauai residents are struggling to make ends meet. Among them is Gilbert Medeiros, a Vietnam-era Army veteran. Growing up in a plantation camp and working since the age of 12, Medeiros was employed as a mechanic and machinist. He worked as a licensed driver for Kauai Freight, Rego Trucking, Garden Island Disposal and finally Thronas Concrete for more than 30 years before taking early retirement.
Rising costs
According to the state self-sufficiency study, a single adult with no children needs to earn an hourly wage of $17.41 to be economically self‐sufficient. A two‐adult couple with no children needs a combined hourly wage of $22.80 to be economically self‐sufficient.
Flu season ‘particularly intense,’ hasn’t peaked in Hawaii yet
Influenza is widespread through every state except Hawaii, although the season hasn’t officially peaked here yet due to the islands’ geographic isolation.
Kauai Harley-Davidson keeps cruising
Kauai Harley-Davidson keeps cruising the island despite declining sales nationwide. The Milwaukee-based company is placing a renewed emphasis on attracting more customers as the industry grapples with years of declining sales and an aging customer base.
Gas prices remain steady
Hawaii gas prices continued to remain mostly stable over the past week, according to the AAA Hawaii Weekend Gas Watch.