Thursday, October 24, 2024

Kaʻū News Briefs Oct. 24, 2024

Together With Veterans group waves signs to raise awareness about suicides among veterans.
Photo from Kehau Kalani

Malama Our Veterans. Photo from Kehau Kalani
PREVENTING VETERANS FROM COMMITTING SUICIDE is a mission of Together With Veterans group of  Kaʻū  residents who hold signs on the 22nd of every month at 11 a.m. "Twenty-two is too many," said a sign held on Wednesday along Kamani Street next to posters with the 988 help line. The 22 refers to the campaign declaring 22 as the daily number of veteran suicides across the country. According to the Veterans Administration, approximately 8,030 veterans kill themselves every year, more than 5,540 of whom are 50 or older. The rate is about twice the rate of civilian suicides.
    Volunteer Fire Captain Ron Ebert, himself a vet of the Vietnam War, joined the sign waving and said soldiers weren't welcomed home in a positive way during the Vietnam era and it was something he personally had to deal with. Ebert became d public servant and pastor.
    More recent statistics show that more than 30 percent of those returning from war are afflicted with Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome, which can be an important factor in suicide risk.
    Together With Veterans organization is based in Pahala. Its facebook also notes a sign waving in Hilo on bayfront across from King Kamehameha's statue each 22nd of the month. Together With Veterans facebook says: "This in-person sign waving event aims to raise awareness and provide support to those who have served our country. Together, we can make a difference. Let's stand up against this critical issue and create a community that supports our heroes. Don't miss out on this opportunity to show your solidarity and contribute to a cause that truly matters. Mark your calendars for the 22nd of every month and join us for an hour filled with compassion, understanding, and hope!"

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VOLCANO WATCH: EAST RIFT ZONE WAS BUSY PLACE IN THE 1960S. That's the focus of this week's column by USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists and affiliates: The recent eruption at Nāpau Crater was the first on Kīlauea's middle East Rift Zone (ERZ) in six years. We often remember the Pu'u'ō'ō and Maunaulu eruptions when thinking about the middle East Rift Zone, but many lesser-known eruptions occurred on the rift zone in the past 200 years, including 11 during the 1960s!
    While there were several summit eruptions at Kīlauea during the 60s, including one that lasted more than 8 months, eruptions along the ERZ (mainly in the upper and middle portions) were much more frequent. Before the 1955 lower ERZ eruption, the last eruption on the ERZ had taken place near Makaopuhi Crater in 1923.Following the 1960 Kapoho eruption and three quick summit eruptions in the first half of 1961, a new short-lived ERZ eruption began in late-September of that year. Over the course of two days, 13 small flows erupted from vents that were spread over 21 km (13 mi) of the rift zone from Nāpau crater to within 4 km (2.5 mi) of the area where Leilani Estates Subdivision was later built. The largest lava flows from this eruption were located at the lower end of the fissure system closest to Pāhoa and fed by lava fountains 90 to 120 meters (300–400 ft) tall.
Color photograph of active lava pouring into a crater
fissure on the northwestern crater wall of Makauopuhi Crater on East Rift Zone of Kīlauea sent lava cascading into the 
deepest portion of the crater, forming a lava lake. USGS photo by E. Endo, March 6, 1965, along the old Chain of Craters Road.
  Two additional 2-day-long eruptions took place in December 1962 and August 1963 just uprift of Nāpau Crater. Both eruptions were very small and their lava flows only covered a combined total of 0.16 square km or about 40 acres of land, a quarter of the size of the 1961 flows.
    Less than two months later, a new eruption began along a 13 km (8 mi) stretch of the rift zone starting at Nāpau Crater and migrating east, downrift, to Kalalua Crater. The single day eruption in October 1963 was much larger than the three previous eruptions, though it covered only 3.24 square km (800 acres). Fissures opened on the rim and floor of Nāpau Crater, sending lava cascades down the crater wall and flows covered about 75 percent of the crater floor.
    In 1965, short-lived eruptions in March and December again opened on the ERZ—uprift of Nāpau Crater. After this time, there was a nearly two-year hiatus in eruptions at Kīlauea volcano until a new eruption started at the summit in late-1967, lasting 251 days.
    After that, activity once again shifted back to the ERZ with eruptions in the upper and middle ERZ in August and October of 1968. Associated seismicity and severe ground deformation were recorded at the summit and eruption sites.
    On the first day of the August 1968 eruption, fissures opened across the floor and walls of Hi'iaka Crater, the westernmost eruption site on the upper ERZ during the 1960s. A small lava lake drowned some of the fissures on the crater floor, where much of the ponded lava drained back. Additional fissures opened to the east over the next few days, but only produced small amounts of lava.
    After a little over a month, the October eruption was preceded by tremor and shallow earthquakes in the summit and upper ERZ. The eruption, which lasted 15 days, was the longest in this sequence of middle ERZ eruptions, and spanned from Kānenuiohamo to about where Pu'u'ō'ō cone is now. The eruption shifted along the fissure system but repeatedly focused in and around Nāpau Crater, often flooding the crater floor and sending lava cascading down the crater walls.

Wide fountain of episode12, the last high fountain of the Mauna Ulu...

December 30, 1969 lava fountain that reached 1,000 feet high spilled into Alo'i Crater. USGS photo 

    As the decade came to an end, Kīlauea put on a spectacular show with the start of the Maunaulu eruption on May 24, 1969. A series of high fountaining events reaching 540 m (1770 ft), were some of the highest recorded at Kīlauea. Lava flows from this eruption extended south to the ocean, covered large portions of the old Chain of Craters Road, and was (at the time) the largest and longest ERZ eruption in over 2000 years before it came to an end in 1974.
    As we continue into this new and dynamic era at Kīlauea, it is relevant to look at the past behaviors of the volcano for clues into what the future may hold. The ERZ is known to be quite active, but only time will tell where the volcano erupts next.

Volcano Activity Updates
    Kīlauea is not erupting. Its USGS Volcano Alert level is ADVISORY. Over the past week, earthquake rates beneath Kīlauea summit and upper-to-middle East Rift Zone have nearly doubled. About 50 earthquakes were located beneath the summit, and about 190 were located in the upper-to-middle East Rift Zone. Ground deformation rates remain low following the September 15-20 middle East Rift Zone eruption, but continue to show that magma is moving at a low rate from the summit to the middle East Rift Zone. Future intrusive episodes and eruptions could occur with continued magma supply. The most recent measurement of sulfur dioxide (SO2) emission rate at the summit was 60 tonnes per day on September 17, 2024, and SO2 emissions were not detected at downwind of the eruption site on Monday, September 23.
    Mauna Loa is not erupting. Its USGS Volcano Alert Level is at NORMAL. No earthquakes were reported felt in the Hawaiian Islands during the past week.
    HVO continues to closely monitor Kīlauea and Mauna Loa.
    Visit HVO's website for past Volcano Watch articles, Kīlauea and Mauna Loa updates, volcano photos, maps, recent earthquake information, and more. Email questions to askHVO@usgs.gov.

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Kaʻū News Briefs Oct. 23, 2024

KA'U COFFEE FARMERS ARE INVITED TO SUBMIT INFO TO SHARE WITH COFFEE BUYERS at the 2024 Tawian International Coffee Show, as part of the 2024 Taiwan Coffee & Tea Expo, Nov. 15-18. Deadline to fill out a survey with coffee info is Nov. 1.
     Ka'u Coffee farmer and marketer Ralph Gaston of Rusty's Hawaiian, along with coffee educator Madeleine Longoria-Garcia, are leading the mission through a Synergistic Hawai'i Agriculture Council marketing grant.
    A statement from Hawai'i Coffee Association says, "Our coffee industry will return to Taipei for the 2024 Taiwan Coffee & Tea Expo. We will continue our work of promoting Hawai'i coffees from several growing regions, with the continued goal of raising awareness and knowledge of Hawai'i's coffee industry in this emerging coffee market.
    "So....if you produce green 100% Hawaii coffee that you're looking to sell, please fill out this survey at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/2024_Taiwan. We will share your contact info with interested buyers. Please submit this survey no later than November 1st."

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Coffee Berry Borer is one of the invasive species that state Department of Agriculture hopes to fight with new rules passed on Tuesday, allowing quarantining moving plant materials in areas where  invasive species threaten farming and nature.
Photo from Department of Agriculture

STOPPING THE SPREAD OF INVASIVE SPECIES, including Coffee Berry Borer and Coffee Leaf Rust, both damaging to Kaʻū Coffee farms, is the goal of state Board of Agriculture. On Tuesday it approved permanent rules that will enable the state to designate quarantine areas in places of infestation. It voted to establish monthly updates on invasive species management and progress, and  to come up with a guide to educate businesses threatened by invasive species.
   The new rules mean that plants and other materials tainted with invasives can more easily be banned from moving them around the islands where they could spread the infestation. The new rules give the state the authority to inspect movements of plant materials.
    Support has come from agriculturalists, environmentalists and public health advocates. Such invasives as Little Fire Ants attack and hurt pets and people; they are often carried in potted plants from nurseries into communities.
Little Fire Ants can sting and blind animals and attack people. Photo from state of Hawai'i Invasive Species Council 

    Coconut rhinoceros beetles that live in decayed plants can be carried around in potted palms, in moving palms and in mulch and compost. They kill palm trees and damage and destroy banana, taro, papaya, sugar cane and pineapple.
    Coffee Berry Borer and Coffee Leaf Rust can seriously reduce production and kill coffee trees.
    Department of Agriculture has developed action plans to deal with various invasives. and plans to further strategize with such agencies as state Department of Land & Natural Resources, which has the Hawai'i Invasive Species Council and University of Hawai'i, which has Invasive Species Committees on each island.
    Board of Agriculture Chair Sharon Hurd said the new campaign will begin with education, followed by regulation. She said, “educate before you regulate.” Before adoption, the rules will go to state Small Business Regulatory Review Board and then to Gov. Josh Green for final approval.

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THE NUMBER OF TRAFFIC DEATHS HAS SOARED across this island this year. The latest involves an eight-year old boy driving an ATV on Tuesday. It overturned and his 13-year old passenger died. The tragedy took place on Puakala Road, mauka of Kona International Airport. The deceased boy has been identified as Maxim Beregovoy. This was the 25th traffic fatality this year on Hawai'i Island. Last year at this time there were 15.
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POLICE ARRESTED 15 FOR DUI from Oct. 7 through 13. Hawai'i Island police arrested the motorists for driving under the influence of an intoxicant. Two were involved in a traffic accident. One was under the age of 21.
    So far this year, there have been 770 DUI arrests compared with 767 during the same period last year, an increase of 0.39 percent.
   Hawai'i Police Department’s Traffic Services Section reviewed all updated crashes and found 764 

major crashes so far this year, compared with 660 during the same time last year, an increase of 15.8 percent.
    Through Oct. 13, there were 21 fatal crashes, resulting in 23 fatalities, compared with 13 fatal crashes, resulting in 14 fatalities for the same time last year. This represents an increase of 62 percent for fatal crashes and 64.3 percent for fatalities.
    In 2024, the non-traffic fatality count through Oct. 13 (not on a public roadway) was zero compared to zero non-traffic fatalities for the same time last year.
    HPD promises that DUI roadblocks and patrols will continue island wide.

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TROJANS GIRLS HIGH SCHOOL VOLLEYBALL TEAM hosted Parker School from Waimea on Tuesday. Parker managed the win 25-23, 27-25, 12-25, 25-19.

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