VOICES: Telehealth brings expertise, support to island families

Earlier this year, Tyra gave birth to her son, Oshen, at Wilcox Medical Center in Lihu‘e. Immediately after, Oshen suffered a stroke and was airlifted to Kapi‘olani Medical Center on O‘ahu. Fortunately, the medical team was able to stabilize Oshen, but his mother still worried about his future and how this might impact his development.

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.

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.

VOICES: Don’t wait, vaccinate your keiki today

In early November, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention approved Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 5 through 11. While this may seem like a long-awaited step on the journey to end the pandemic for some, the decision to vaccinate keiki is daunting for many parents.

HOOSER: 10 things to do in 2022

As we enter the final days of the year it’s good to remind ourselves of a few things (10 to be exact) that we can do to make our community a better place.

HOOSER: Making democracy work. We need you in 2022.

As 2021 draws to a close, I think not so much about the coming holidays but more about the work being done in Congress, by our County Council, and in the coming legislative session that opens on Jan. 19, followed oh-so-quickly by the primary election Aug. 13.

HOOSER: Bill No. 2491, 8 years later

The story of Bill No. 2491, about how the people of Kaua‘i went to battle against the largest chemical companies in the world, is too long, too complex and too intense to tell in 600 words. If you’re interested, consider watching the documentary film “Poisoning Paradise,” free on Amazon Prime.

VOICES: Remember Greg Silva for a fifth year

A friend and ally of mine dedicated to forwarding the cause of prison reform has said several times that her commitment of 25 years is powered by love. This is also where the family of Greg Silva comes from as we remember this man in the fifth year of his tragic ending.

VOICES: Traveler testing beats vaccine passports

According to The Garden Island on Nov. 3 (aka 20 months into flatten the curve), Mayor Kawakami feels pressured by Governor Ige’s proclamation regarding opening restaurants at full capacity. Specifically, he feels we may have “no choice” but to start requiring proof of COVID vaccine or a negative test within 48 hours in order to go to restaurants and other select businesses. Just like they currently do in O‘ahu.

VOICES: Climate conference crucial to the world

This month’s Conference of the Parties (COP) is critical for the future of the climate, and being widely thought of as the last chance for world leaders to commit to action on the climate crisis.

HOOSER: The truth about vote-trading

Recently, I wrote a column in which I suggested that President Joe Biden should “Give them (those who are blocking the Build Back Better legislation) a freeway, an airport, a rail system or maybe a football stadium. Name an aircraft carrier, battleship or destroyer after them. Just cut the deal.”

VOICES: Are you using your device or is it using you?

It’s sometimes hard to imagine what life would be like without the ease and abundance of technology we have today. We get business done with it, speak to our family and friends, watch movies, TV and play games.