Ka‘ū News Briefs, Thursday, April 7, 2022

Hawai'i Sen. Mazie Hirono questioned Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson durding Senate hearings on

 her nomination to become Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. The 

Senate voted Thursday and Jackson became the first black woman confirmed to serve on the highest court.

Photos from PBS

 CONFIRMATION OF THE FIRST BLACK WOMAN TO SERVE ON THE U.S. SUPREME COURT  drew praise from both Hawai'i Senators, Mazie Hirono and Brian Schatz. Hirono a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, took part in the hearings and voted along with Schatz to confirm her. Jackson was confirmed by a vote of 53-47, with Republican Senators from Alaska, Maine and Utah joining the Democrats.
    Hirono said, "Today is a historic day. For the first time in our country's history, an exceptionally qualified Black woman will serve on the Supreme Court—and the Court's decisions will be better as a result. Judge Jackson is a brilliant legal mind without an ideological axe to grind, and it is no surprise that she has received broad support across the political spectrum and across the country. Throughout the hearings, Judge Jackson displayed the intellect, integrity, and temperament necessary in a Supreme Court Justice.

    "Judge Jackson being on the Supreme Court will send such a powerful message of perseverance to

Sen. Brian Schatz interviewed Jackson and voted for her
to become an Association Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court.
She was confirmed on Thursday. Photo from Schatz

everyone in this country, but in particular, to Black women and girls. She will make an exceptional Justice and I was honored to vote to confirm her to the Highest Court."
    On Wednesday, Hirono delivered remarks on the Senate floor in support of the nomination of Jackson. A link to download video of that speech is available here at https://www.hirono.senate.gov/news/press-releases/video-senator-hirono-lauds-judge-ketanji-brown-jacksons-historic-nomination-to-the-supreme-court-in-senate-floor-speech.
     Schatz said, “Judge Jackson has the legal expertise, record of fairness, and extensive experience – both professional and personal – that will make her an excellent addition to the Supreme Court. Throughout her years of public service, she has demonstrated a dedication to the Constitution, including a strong commitment to equal justice under the law. It’s a record that’s earned her praise and respect from legal experts across the country and my support.
    “As the first Black woman on the Supreme Court, Judge Jackson has made history and will help the Court better reflect the diversity of our country. I’m proud to have voted for her confirmation.”

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VIBRANT HAWAI'I ANNOUNCED MICRO-INVESTMENTS IN LOCAL ENTERPRISE on Thursday. A statement from the non-profit says: "Throughout 2021, the Vibrant Hawaiʻi Economy Stream engaged stakeholders across sectors and regions to learn about six industries that our community identified as conducive to the island – art, education, food systems, health, tourism, and technology. The Vibrant Hawaiʻi Economic Development Strategy is a living document that anyone can act on and we will hold ourselves accountable to. It was developed consistent with Economic Development Administration standards, and includes Action Plans organized according to asset-based community development. We believe there is opportunity for everyone to get involved and create conditions where more people have more chances and choices.

Na'alehu Resilience Hub is the recipient of a Vibrant Hawai'i micro-investment.

Photo from Nāʻālehu Hub

    "In February, Vibrant Hawaiʻi launched a micro-investment program to provide Economy Stream Core Teams with financial capital to pilot ideas or scale up concepts identified in the Economic Development Strategy. Micro-investments are intended to support quick action to demonstrate feasibility of solutions and are available in amounts up to $2,500. In reciprocity for the investment, awardees have committed to supporting and sharing their learning journey with one another through Unrulr, an online collaboration tool, and helping co-create and inform the design of future micro-investment opportunities."

    Applications were received from community groups and entrepreneurs island-wide and reviewed by a committee of Vibrant Hawaiʻi volunteer board members.

    Micro-Investment Awardees are in the following:

    Creative and Performing Arts: Hawaiʻi's Volcano Circus, Oahi Entertainment Wedding and Events, PPAC Community Center.

    Education: ʻĀina University of Puna, Kalamapiʻi PLAY School, Kohala Okinawa Children's Day Camp, Kukulu Kaiāulu, Māmaki Ola Curriculum Development and Implementation, Project Hale Kohala, Volcano Precious Plastic.

    Health and Wellbeing: North Kohala Archery, Root & Rise "Nature & Art as Therapy."

    Regenerative and Community Driven Tourism: Hawaiʻi Forest Farms Tours & Education, Kohala Kūpaʻa Online Marketplace, WaiʻUli: We Count.

    Resilient and Sustainable Food Systems: Nāʻālehu Resilience Hub Insecurity and Workforce Development, Orchard Garden Project at Becca's Farm, Sugar Hill Farmstore, The Honeybee Education Program, Youngs Family Farm.

   Software, Technology, and Creative Media: Startup Hawaiʻi, The Future of Remote Work in Higher Education on Hawaiʻi Island, The Hawaiiverse Initiative.

    A second cycle will open in May, with awards announced in mid-June.

Vibrant Hawaiʻi says its mission is "to empower the Hawaiʻi community by increasing equitable opportunities, shifting deficit narratives and systems, and implementing strategies that are developed and resourced by the community and reflect native intelligence."

     To learn more, visit www.vibranthawaii.org.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see www.facebook.com/kaucalendar/. See latest print edition at www.kaucalendar.com. See upcoming events at https://kaunewsbriefs.blogspot.com/2022/03/upcoming-events-for-kau-and-volcano.

AN ECOSYSTEM MONITORING INTERNSHIP is available for students. Forest Solutions is collaborating with Kamehameha Schools to offer a full-time paid internship on Hawai'i Island for high school or college students to participate in a vegetation monitoring program this summer. Refer to the position description for more information and to apply at https://kohalacenter.us5.list-manage.com/track/click?u=54bdd67c601f0c0d3ea430053&id=4868a8210c&e=0e3fe20c1f.

THE KOHALA CENTER IS HIRING A RURAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT SPECIALIST, who will be responsible for supporting economic development in Hawai'i's rural areas in ways that strengthen the ecological, cultural, economic, and social well-being of the whole community. This includes indigenous economic frameworks "that recognize our communities not only comprise people, but also environmental kin, valuing outcomes of reciprocity and collective abundance." Visit The Kohala Center's  Career Portal at https://kohalacenter.us5.list-manage.com/track/click?u=54bdd67c601f0c0d3ea430053&id=579fd5d144&e=0e3fe20c1f to review the full position description and to apply.

     The Kohala Center has most recently supported Ka'u Coffee farmers in their quest to become land owners. Among its many program is the publication of its frequent Agricultural Resources Bulletin.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see www.facebook.com/kaucalendar/.See latest print edition at www.kaucalendar.com. See upcoming events at https://kaunewsbriefs.blogspot.com/2022/03/upcoming-events-for-kau-and-volcano.

GROWING OPPORTUNITY: A Guide to USDA Sustainable Farming Programs has been updated by the The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition.The Kohala Center reports that "This resource is a comprehensive, practical guide for farmers and ranchers who want to better understand federal programs offered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The guide is available to read online at https://sustainableagriculture.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Growing-Opportunity-Guide-2022-Interactive.pdf.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see www.facebook.com/kaucalendar/.See latest print edition at www.kaucalendar.com. See upcoming events at https://kaunewsbriefs.blogspot.com/2022/03/upcoming-events-for-kau-and-volcano.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see www.facebook.com/kaucalendar/.See latest print edition at www.kaucalendar.com. See upcoming events at https://kaunewsbriefs.blogspot.com/2022/03/upcoming-events-for-kau-and-volcano.

See The Ka'u Calendar April edition at 
www.kaucalendar.com,
on newsstands and in the mail. 

                              SEE UPCOMING EVENTS IN KAʻŪ & VOLCANO

        at http://kaunewsbriefs.blogspot.com/2022/04/upcoming-events-for-kau-and-volcano.html

Ka‘ū News Briefs, Wednesday, April 6, 2022

ʻŌhai, Sesbania tomentosa, is one of Hawaiʻi's endangered endemic coastal species and is featured in the monthly
column Lāʻau Letters: Native Plants of Kaʻū, with this illustration by Volcano artist Joan Yoshioka.

 

'ŌHAI IS THE APRIL NATIVE PLANT OF THE MONTH IN KAʻŪ for the column Lāʻau Letters by Jodie Rosam, with illustration by artist Joan Yoshioka. The monthly contribution is about Kaʻū’s native plants and their moʻolelo (stories), uses, preferred habitats, and opportunities to adopt them for stewardship. This column seeks to encourage making new plant friends and to reunite with others.
    ʻŌhai, Sesbania tomentosa, is another one of Hawaiʻs’s endangered endemic species (like last month’s featured friend, hala pepe), and belongs to the Fabaceae family (a cousin to wiliwili and māmane). This lovely lāʻau is variable, growing as a sprawling ground cover or even an upright shrub. Similar to other Fabaceae, each ʻōhai leaf is made up of many small, oval-shaped leaflets which in some cases are covered in tiny silver hairs. This trait is called tomentose (note that the species name of ʻōhai makes a connection to its namesake), and it is an evolutionary adaptation to the intense sun and heat. On sunny days, these leaflet clusters smell like sweet tangerines. 

    The flowers commonly form in pairs, and are most often a crimson red, scarlet, or salmon color, although a very unique Kaʻū population bloom a lovely pure pastel yellow.
    Uses: The bright and showy flowers of ʻōhai were historically used to make a gorgeous lei, although that was when the plants were more abundant. Because ʻōhai is an endangered species, there are legal protections which restrict collection of plant material. With that said, if you are able to purchase ʻōhai and

ʻŌhai is found along the coastlines in Hawai'i Volcanoes
 National Park and Kamāʻoa Puʻuʻeo Ahupuaʻa in Kaʻū.
  Photo from U.H Botany

cultivate it, the flowers are okay to pick (if you can bring yourself to pluck them - they are such a beautiful sight on the plant when in bloom). In addition, ʻōhai leaves can be placed under your pillow before bedtime to induce the dreamscape and help open up the space of learning and receiving messages.
    Habitat: ʻŌhai have the potential to inhabit coastal and lowland dry areas from sea level to 2,500 feet elevation, though local populations today tend to be restricted to undeveloped coastlines (and are under the constant threat of habitat loss, displacement by invasive species, and feral ungulate pressures). ʻŌhai have been successfully outplanted in the Waikōloa Dry Forest Preserve (go visit them!) and protected along the coastline within Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. In Kaʻū, a wild population remains along the coast within the Kamāʻoa Puʻuʻeo Ahupuaʻa. This area is known for off-roading, which, if not done responsibly, can ultimately decimate Kaʻū’s beloved ʻōhai population.
    Growing and Purchasing: Because ʻōhai are endangered, it is not pono to collect seeds or plant material from wild plants. However, some nurseries specializing in native species are able to obtain the necessary permits to grow and sell them. ʻŌhai are nitrogen-fixing plants (as are all Fabaceae), so planting them in the landscape will enrich the soil and benefit surrounding plants. They prefer full sun and well-drained substrates, and enjoy being planted with a bit of clean beach sand. ʻŌhai would undoubtedly make a gorgeous addition to any landscape, preferably planted with plenty of room to sprawl and near other native plant friends.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see www.facebook.com/kaucalendar/.See latest print edition at www.kaucalendar.com. See upcoming events at https://kaunewsbriefs.blogspot.com/2022/03/upcoming-events-for-kau-and-volcano.

THE WEEKLY COVID UPDATE FROM HAWAI'I COUNTY CIVIL DEFENSE AGENCY says that as of Wednesday, April 6, there were 107 new cases of Covid during the last seven days, a total of 176 active cases and two persons hospitalized. "This is a Weekly COVID-19 informational update for Wednesday, April 6.
    In the last seven days for Hawai'i County, the Department of Health reports 107 new cases, 176 active cases, and two persons hospitalized. "While the Island of Hawai'i is categorized by the CDC as Low Risk,

coronavirus is still within our community and it is recommended as a Best Practice that masks be worn around vulnerable populations, when in crowded areas, or where there is little to no distancing available in public. Wash hands frequently and use hand sanitizer. Clean and disinfect high-touch surfaces regularly. Stay home if sick - are all best practices we can live by."

    While most public venues have made mask wearing optional, such places as Mizuno's Superette in Pāhala, the Will & Grace store in Nāʻālehu and 'Ōhelo Cafe in Volcano have kept their mask-wearing requirement.
    The statement also said, that "County of Hawai'i will continue to have available hand sanitizing stations and you are welcomed to wear masks at county facilities."
   For a comprehensive calendar and list of all pharmacies and clinics providing vaccination and testing, visit the Civil Defense website. www.hawaiicounty.gov.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see www.facebook.com/kaucalendar/.See latest print edition at www.kaucalendar.com. See upcoming events at https://kaunewsbriefs.blogspot.com/2022/03/upcoming-events-for-kau-and-volcano.

Big Island Chocolate Festival, which goes live this May 13 and 14, following the Covid shutdown, featured a booth from 
Kaʻū High School's culinary class in 2019. Students presented their Smoked Meat with Kaʻū Coffee Chocolate Barbecue
 Sauce and their Kaʻū Gold Orange Chocolate Drizzle. Photo from Kaʻū High School

THE BIG ISLAND CHOCOLATE FESTIVAL IS LIVE THIS MAY 13 and 14, following a two year hiatus during the pandemic. Kaʻū has been featured in the past. In 2019, Kaʻū High School's culinary class mentored by 'Aina Akamu, presented its Smoked Meat with Kaʻū Coffee Chocolate Barbecue Sauce and its Kaʻū Gold Orange Chocolate Drizzle. The 2016 Big Island Chocolate Festival honored the centennial of Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park with the theme Lavalicious.

    A statement from the Big Island Chocolate Festival says that "the ever-popular Big Island Chocolate Festival is presenting a reimagined edition May 13-14, 2022 at the Waikoloa Beach Marriott Resort & Spa. The in-person festival offers a guided plantation tour May 11 at Original Hawaiian Chocolate Factory in Kona, cacao growing and processing seminars by industry experts, culinary demonstrations for the home cook and a fun, reformatted VIP evening gala.

    "As our valued culinary festival partners are busy reopening restaurants and securing staffing, we are changing our format to forego multiple food stations and instead provide a VIP experience featuring a chocolate-inspired, multi-course, sit-down dinner," announces Stephanie Beeby, event chairperson. "And while this yearʻs festival wonʻt be as large as yearʻs past, it will be enjoyable and tasty for our guests."

    The Saturday evening gala will offer the rich taste of chocolate in both its sweet and savory forms in the air-conditioned ballroom. In addition to a cocoa-inspired, three-course dinner plus dessert platter, diners 
can partake in a towering chocolate fountain complemented with your choice of fruit and pastries.
    Guests will groove on the cool jazz, blues and hot Latin stylings of the Blue Jade Band featuring Ann Hoku Lyn and Binti Bailey. Fun includes dancing, an artist who uses chocolate to sketch in-the-moment 
portraits, a silent auction and surprises. Guests can enjoy unlimited wine, beer, iced tea and coffee.
    In its ninth year, the celebration of chocolate is presented by the non-profit Kona Cacao Association. "Itʻs great to be able to gather together in person again and support our enterprising, local cacao growers, processors and chocolate confectioners," says KCA president Farsheed Bonakdar of The Cocoa Outlet & The Chocolate Guy Hawai'i.
    All VIP gala tickets, with seating at tables of eight and service for a three-course meal plus fourth-course dessert platter, are $200. Also available is a one-night hotel package with two VIP gala tickets for $750. Friday educational activities and prices will be announced on the website. All event tickets are sold
online and additional tax and ticketing fees apply. Details: https://bigislandchocolatefestival.com.
    The Chocolate Festival's statement says, "The mission and goal of KCA is to promote the cacao industry on the Island of Hawai'i by presenting the Big Island Chocolate Festival as an educational and outreach opportunity for local cacao farmers, the hospitality industry and cacao enthusiasts." Visit http://konacacaoassociation.com. @BIChocoFest.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see www.facebook.com/kaucalendar/.See latest print edition at www.kaucalendar.com. See upcoming events at https://kaunewsbriefs.blogspot.com/2022/03/upcoming-events-for-kau-and-volcano.

PLANS FOR THIS YEAR'S KAʻŪ COFFEE FESTIVAL REMAIN VIRTUAL, as some farmers and organizers take off for the annual live Specialty Coffee Association Expo to be held April 8-10 in

Boston. Hawai'i Coffee Association Executive Director Chris Manfredi and other representatives from the statewide coffee industry will man a booth at the SCA Expo. They return for the live Hawai'i Coffee Association annual convention in Kona May 19-21, followed by a live Kona Coffee Cultural Festival Nov. 4-13. 

     Manfredi planned for the virtual Kaʻū Coffee Festival to be launched some time in April. Hawai'i Tourism Authority has provided a $20,000 grant for the project, as part of its Community Enrichment Program for 2022. 

    Manfredi recently took the job as Executive Director of the Hawai'i Coffee Association after serving as its volunteer president for years, at the same time serving as one of the organizers of Kaʻū Coffee Festival, which first went virtual in 2020 due to the pandemic.

     In a March 11 letter to Kaʻū Coffee farmers and Kaʻū Coffee Festival organizers, Manfredi wrote, "The virtual content we created and promoted during the last virtual festival reached thousands of people across the world and we hope to create yet another successful event this year." He also wrote that the "online content is more durable than a live event. I love live events as much as the next person, but they are over in a few days. The virtual content is available essentially forever and is being shared year-long on a global scale."

      Check for Kaʻū Coffee Festival 2022 virtual event progress at www.kaucoffeefestival.com.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see www.facebook.com/kaucalendar/.See latest print edition at www.kaucalendar.com. See upcoming events at https://kaunewsbriefs.blogspot.com/2022/03/upcoming-events-for-kau-and-volcano.

See The Ka'u Calendar April edition at 
www.kaucalendar.com,
on newsstands and in the mail. 

                              SEE UPCOMING EVENTS IN KAʻŪ & VOLCANO

        at http://kaunewsbriefs.blogspot.com/2022/04/upcoming-events-for-kau-and-volcano.html

Ka‘ū News Briefs, Tuesday, April 5, 2022

‘Ua‘u or Hawaiian Petrel will be monitored from helicopter flights on April 12 and 14 by Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park. The petrel nesting area is between 6,000 and 9.000 feet on Mauna Loa. See more below. HVNP photo by Jim Denny

"UNIFICATION AND COLONIZATION OF HAWAI'I FROM AN INDIGENOUS POINT OF VIEW" is the subject of a new Apple TV eight-part series to be written and produced by star Jason Momoa, according to a story in Variety Magazine on Tuesday. The actor, with Hawai'i roots, helped to bring celebrity to the 2019 Mauna Kea protests against building the Thirty Meter Telescope there. The title of the eight episodes is Chief of War. At least some of the filming is expected on Hawai'i Island.

AN END TO ASTRONOMY ON MAUNA KEA is what Gov. David Ige predicted, should a bill setting up new stewardship protocol for the mauna be approved by the Hawai'i Legislature. The governor made the comment to Hawai'i News Now on Tuesday, during an interview. Regarding the proposed stewardship authority called Mauna a Wakea, Ige asked, "Are they intending to shut down astronomy on Hawai'i Island? They should be clear about it. Do they support astronomy or do they believe it should be stopped?"

Jason Mamoa, who is contracted by Apple TV to be the star, producer and writer for a new drama featuring Hawai'i history from an indigenous point of view, is shown with kupuna during Thirty Meter Telescope protests in 2019. 
Photo from Protectors of Mauna Kea

    According to Hawai'i News Now, the governor "says he's worried a much-debated Mauna Kea stewardship bill could end the $100 million astronomy industry on Hawai'i Island and with it, the stalled TMT project."

    The measure would set up a management authority involving Native Hawaiians, the university and telescope representatives. House Bill 2024 is up for a vote this Friday. To read the bill, committee reports and testimony, see https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/measure_indiv.aspx billtype=HB&billnumber=2024&year=2022 

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see www.facebook.com/kaucalendar/.See latest print edition at www.kaucalendar.com. See upcoming events at https://kaunewsbriefs.blogspot.com/2022/03/upcoming-events-for-kau-and-volcano

NOROVIRUS IN RAW OYSTERS HAS LED TO THREE CASES ON HAWAI'I ISLAND, one with hospitalization, according to the state Department of Health. DOH issued a warning on Tuesday to restaurants, food distributors and the public. DOH asks that anyone who has consumed raw oysters and experienced norovirus symptoms to contact its Disease Investigation Branch on its Disease Reporting Line at 808-586-4586.

 A Norovirus outbreak has come from raw oysters.
Image from USDA National Agricultural Library

     Symptoms, which typically occur within 12 to 28 hours after ingesting tainted raw oysters, include nausea, vomiting diarrhea, stomach pain and sometimes, fever, head and body aches. Most people recover in one to three days, but victims should be careful to hydrate often to avoid dehydrations. 

      Food contamination with norovirus is not obvious, producing no unusual odor or discoloration of the raw oysters. The virus survives heat, up to 145 degrees F. 

      DOH advises that the oysters were sourced in British Columbia, harvested and identified from the following sites Baynes Sound: #1407063, #1411206, #278737 in BC 14-8 and #1400036, in BC 14-1. Product tags display as Baynes Sound 14-8 and/or DEEP BAY, 14-15. DOH directed retailers and restaurants to refrain from serving and selling these raw oysters and to dispose of them or return to distributors.

Three cases of Norovirus reported on 
this island from eating raw oysters.
Photo from CDC

     In addition to the three cases on this island, one was recorded on O'ahu. All occurred in early to late March. The Center for Disease Control & Prevention announced that the norovirus outbreak from raw oysters is multistate, with at least 91 illnesses in 13 states as of April 4. Norovirus is the leading cause of foodborne illness in the U.S.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see www.facebook.com/kaucalendar/.See latest print edition at www.kaucalendar.com. See upcoming events at https://kaunewsbriefs.blogspot.com/2022/03/upcoming-events-for-kau-and-volcano

FLIGHT OPERATIONS FOR HAWAI'I VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK are planned for this month:

    April 11 between 9:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. for survey and control of invasive guinea grass in the Keauhou area, between sea level and 700-ft. elevation.
    April 12 between 7:30 a.m. and 11 a.m. for Hawaiian petrel monitoring, between 6,000- and 9,000-ft. elevation. The endangered Hawaiian petrels live at sea but nest high on the volcanoes.

    Also on April 12, survey and control of invasive banana poka will occur in the Mauna Loa burn area, between 4,000- and 5,000-ft. elevation.

    April 14 between 8 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. there will be more flights for Hawaiian petrel monitoring, between 6,000 and 9,000-ft. elevation. 

Mouflon sheep are considered an invasive species within the Kahuku Unit of
 Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park. They are included in an ungulate survey by
helicopter this month at  at elevations of 4,000 to 7,000. Photo from USGS

    More flights will occur on April 19 between 6:30 a.m. and 8:30 a.m. for ungulate survey in Kahuku between 4,000- and 7,000-ft. elevation.
    In addition, the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory may conduct flight operations over Kīlauea and Mauna Loa to assess volcanic activity and maintain instrumentation.
    The park statement sayd HVNP regrets any noise impact to residents and park visitors. Dates and times are subject to change based on aircraft availability and weather.
    According to an HVNP statement, management of the park requires the use of aircraft to monitor and research volcanic activity, conduct search-and-rescue missions and law enforcement operations, support management of natural and cultural resources, and to maintain backcountry facilities.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see www.facebook.com/kaucalendar/.See latest print edition at www.kaucalendar.com. See upcoming events at https://kaunewsbriefs.blogspot.com/2022/03/upcoming-events-for-kau-and-volcano.

HAWAIIAN ELECTRIC IS OFFERING DISCOUNTED RATES FOR HEALTH-COMPROMISED CUSTOMERS whose rates are higher due to medical equipment or increased heating or cooling needed

for their conditions. The program offers the discount to 2,000 Hawaiian Electric customers statewide. The discounts began with a pilot program in 2017, which has been transferred to a permanent program, to include those who participated, plus additional customers who qualify. Those interested can go to hawaiianelectric.com/specialmedicalneeds. Maximum savings is $20 a month per electric bill.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see www.facebook.com/kaucalendar/.See latest print edition at www.kaucalendar.com. See upcoming events at https://kaunewsbriefs.blogspot.com/2022/03/upcoming-events-for-kau-and-volcano.

FEDERAL STUDENT LOAN PAYMENTS WILL BE FROZEN THROUGH AUG. 31, according to

Student loan payment freeze will be extended
by the fed. Image from www.plansponsor.com

news from Bloomberg and other sources. Federal student loan payments have been suspended since 2020, due to financial hardships promulgated by the pandemic. The delay in payments does not mean that the loans are forgiven, though numerous members of congress an others are asking for loan forgiveness for student debt.

 To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see www.facebook.com/kaucalendar/.See latest print edition at www.kaucalendar.com. See upcoming events at https://kaunewsbriefs.blogspot.com/2022/03/upcoming-events-for-kau-and-volcano.

See The Ka'u Calendar April edition at 
www.kaucalendar.com,
on newsstands and in the mail. 

                              SEE UPCOMING EVENTS IN KAʻŪ & VOLCANO

        at http://kaunewsbriefs.blogspot.com/2022/04/upcoming-events-for-kau-and-volcano.html