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Tuesday, September 12, 2023

Kaʻū News Briefs, Tuesday, Sept. 12, 2023

Halema‘uma‘u crater on Tuesday night. See more below. Photo by Zach Schneider

MAYOR MITCH ROTH HELD A TOWN HALL MEETING ON TUESDAY EVENING at the Herkes Kaʻū District Gym, with numerous county department leaders. The entire meeting is available on the Mayor's facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/HIMayorMitch/videos/1515428795696531.
      The Mayor said that the County of Hawai‘i has been focusing on sustainability. "How do we create an island where our keiki can stay here and raise their keiki? And their keiki in turn can raise their keiki?" He said his own three children have left to work on the mainland.
    He noted that more Hawaiians live out of the state than in the state. "As we lose our local Hawaiians, we lose our culture and we lose who we are. So we become something different." 
    He said to keep Hawaiian kids here the County has engaged thought leaders. The County is also working on affordable housing for people with income from low-paying jobs and for such people as teachers, police officers and construction workers.
    He said under his administration, the number of affordable housing units under construction islandwide has risen from 1,200 in the pipeline to about 6,500 units. He said it was difficult to get a permit to build a house when he first took office with a waiting time of some 200 days. He said it has been reduced to about 30 days. He also posed the question, "What is affordable housing?"
     He said he also is working on jobs for local young people. He said a lot of kids are not interested in agriculture. They are interested in STEAM, Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics.  He went to Nā‘ālehu Elementary School on Tuesday for the introduction of new technology and science programs, including robotics and Makers Face, making things with 3D printing. He described the energy of Kaʻū kids as "amazing." 
     He also mentioned the Kaʻū Dreams program at Kaʻū High School, which is based on agriculture but also teaches business. He noted that Hawai‘i has some of the highest costs for electricity and fossil fuel in the country. "Everything that comes over here basically comes over using fossil fuel. How do we create other opportunities here that have clean energy that takes care of our environment that we can make here to be self-sustaining?"
    The Mayor also asked, "How do we make it so agriculture is something that our kids want to do?" 
    See more in upcoming Kaʻū News Briefs.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see facebook.com/kaucalendar. See latest print edition at kaucalendar.com, in the mail and on stands.

HAWAI‘I IS THE SECOND HAPPIEST STATE, according to a WalletHub study released on Tuesday. Happiest State is Utah, followed by the rest in the top ten, Hawai‘i, Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey, Connecticut, California, 
Image from Hawai'i Magazine.
See https://www.hawaiimagazine.com/
Florida, Idaho and Nebraska.
    The ten least Happy States are West Virginia, Louisiana, Tennessee, Arkansas, Kentucky, Alabama, Mississippi, Alaska, New Mexico and Oklahoma.
    Hawai‘i ranks number one in Emotional & Physical well-being, while Utah ranked 16. Hawai‘i ranks number one in the least Adult Depression. Utah ranks number one in Work Environment while Hawai‘i ranks 25.  Utah ranks number one in Community & Environment, while Hawai‘i ranks 30.
   Hawai‘i's worst ranking is 49th in Adequate Sleep Rate. Hawai‘i ranks 45 in Volunteer Rate while Utah is number one. Both Hawai‘i and Utah have some of the lowest divorce rates, with Utah being the lowest and Hawai‘i fourth. Hawai‘i is also the fifth safest state.
    See the entire WalletHub report and all the metrics at https://wallethub.com/edu/happiest-states/6959.


A visitor enjoys the view of fountaining lava from Kīlauea Overlook. NPS Photo

HAWAI‘I VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK ISSUED A STATEMENT ON THE ERUPTION, Tuesday:

    For the fifth time in almost four years, Kīlauea volcano has a dramatic new eruption in its summit crater with multiple lava fountains feeding a lake of molten rock.
    As an influx of visitors arrives to witness the eruption, everyone is urged to stay safe and be respectful of the hazards and sacredness of Kīlauea by doing the following:

  • Volcanic eruptions can be hazardous and change at any time. Stay on marked trails and overlooks. Do not enter closed areas. Avoid cliff edges and earth cracks, they are unstable.
  • Hazardous volcanic gases present a danger to everyone, especially people with heart or respiratory problems, infants, young children and pregnant women.
  • Observe the eruption quietly and respect Native Hawaiian cultural practitioners who honor the sacred legacy of this land and give them space to practice their customs.
  • Slow down and drive safely. Expect long waits for parking spaces at popular vantage points like Kīlauea Overlook.
    The Keanakākoʻi viewing area is closed due to high concentrations of sulfur dioxide (SO2) and volcanic particulates and will remain closed until it is safe to reopen. Scientists with the U.S. Geological Survey Hawaiian Volcano Observatory measured preliminary sulfur dioxide (SO2) emission rates up to 100,000 tonnes.
    Optimal viewing of the lava lake and fountains is available at Uēkahuna, Kīlauea Overlook and areas along Crater Rim Trail as of Monday afternoon. Conditions can change at any time.
    The eruption began Sunday, Sept. 10 around 3:15 p.m. and all activity is confined within the summit crater in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. There is no threat to homes or the community at this time. There is a temporary flight restriction above Kīlauea caldera of 1,500 feet AGL.
    Check the park website for eruption viewing information, hazard and closure updates, https://www.nps.gov/hawaiivolcanoes.


AIR QUALITY CONTINUES TO FLUCTUATE, with the new volcanic eruption, reaching its lower quality during windless nights when the vog drifts inland. The air becomes cleaner with the wind blowing it offshore and toward Kona during the day. To see data from the monitors of particulates in the air and the SO2 see the state Department of Health's Hawai‘i Air Quality Data interactive map with links to air quality monitors in Ocean View, Nā‘ālehu and Pāhala. Also playing into air quality is dust largely caused by lack of rain.  See https://air.doh.hawaii.gov/home/map. At midnight Tuesday, the air in Pāhala was rated Unhealthy for Sensitive People with .173 ppm of S02.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see facebook.com/kaucalendar. See latest print edition at kaucalendar.com, in the mail and on stands.

MANY OF THE MAUI FIRE VICTIMS ARE FILIPINO AND THE CONSUL GENERAL OF THE PHILIPPINES diplomatic contingency in Hawai‘i is helping out. The Philippine Consulate General’s team has scheduled outreach at the Lāhainā Civic Center Gym from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 22, 23 and 24.
Emil Fernandez, Hawai‘i Consul General for the
Philippines, notes the large number of Filipinos
who are victims of the Lāhainā firestorm and has
 offered help through the Consulate.
    The consulate announced that at least four of those who died in a firestorm were Philippines citizens Eight are tied to Filipino nationals. Another 70 who were displaced are receiving assistance from the consul.
    The Consul General told The Honolulu Star-Advertiser that about 40 percent of Lāhainā’s 12,000 residents are Filipino. People from the Philippines make up about 25 percent of the population statewide. He told the newspaper that many of them are already immigrants and U.S. citizens but “still we have quite a number who are so-called green card holders” or legal permanent residents. Many work in the visitor and healthcare industries.
    In Lāhainā, the Consulate helps citizens replace lost travel documents, Philippine passports, access other consular services and help with contacting relatives in the home country and repatriating remains.
    To help Filipino victims in Maui through contact with the Philippines Consulate, see https://www.consularcorpshawaii.org/philippines. Also see https://www.facebook.com/PHinHonolulu/

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see facebook.com/kaucalendar. See latest print edition at kaucalendar.com, in the mail and on stands.

ANOTHER HOME GAME FOR KAʻŪ GIRLS VOLLEYBALL is Wednesday, Sept. 13 at 5 p.m. against Makua Lani Varsity at 5 p.m. in the Herkes Kaʻū District Gym in Pāhala. The Trojan girls are on a winning streak taking all three games so far this season.







 


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Monday, September 11, 2023

Kaʻū News Briefs, Monday, Sept. 11, 2023

 An eruption-monitoring overflight on Monday showed  multiple minor fountains active in the eastern portion of Halema‘uma‘u crater floor and on the downdropped block within Kīlauea's summit caldera. The line of vents stretched approximately 0.8 miles (1.4 km), from the eastern part of Halema‘uma‘u crater floor extending into the east wall of the downdropped block. Lava fountain heights were about 30 to 35 feet high Monday morning. USGS Photo by J. Schmith 

BE PREPARED FOR AIR QUALITY IMPACTS FROM THE ERUPTION OF Kīlauea, cautions state Department of Health. It reported Monday that permanent air quality monitoring stations registered some elevated poor air quality levels at Ocean View and Pāhala. The eruption has also caused vog conditions to return up the coast to Kona on the west side of Hawaiʻi Island. "Particulates in the air and levels of sulfur dioxide may increase and fluctuate in various localized areas on Hawai‘i Island, causing poor air quality," says the Department of Health statement.
    Air quality has been fluctuating and SO2 readings reached Unhealthy for Sensitive People and for a short time it was Hazardous on Monday before dawn in Ocean View but recovered. Good air quality lasted all day into late evening Monday in Ocean View and Pāhala as the breeze shifted the vog offshore and carried it toward Kona.
    USGS reported that volcanic gas emissions in the eruption area are elevated; between 4 p.m. and 5 p.m. Sunday, HVO staff measured preliminary sulfur dioxide (SO2) emission rates of up to 100,000 tonnes per day or more.
    At Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park on Monday,  Keanakākoʻi viewing area was closed due to unsafe air quality. The Park posted, "That big plume you see contains sulfur dioxide, other gases and shards of volcanic glass that pose a significant risk to anyone if inhaled. Stay safe and stay out of closed areas."
  DOH advises "to be prepared for and aware of the surrounding conditions, and how they may react to poor air quality or vog. When in areas of vog, DOH suggests precautionary measures:
  • Reduce outdoor activities that cause heavy breathing. Avoiding outdoor activity and exercise during vog conditions can reduce exposure and minimize health risks. This is especially important for sensitive groups, such as children, the elderly, and individuals with pre-existing respiratory conditions including asthma, bronchitis, emphysema, and chronic lung and heart disease.
  • People with asthma or other chronic respiratory disease should always have medications available. 
  • Daily prescribed medications should be taken on schedule.
    Vog rises out of Halema‘uma‘u on Sept. 11 and heads toward
    Kaʻū and Kona, sometimes missing Kaʻū as it travels offshore.
    USGS Photo by J. Schmith
  • People experiencing health effects should contact their medical provider as soon as possible if any symptoms develop, as respiratory conditions might worsen rapidly in heavy sulfur dioxide or vog conditions.
  • Stay indoors and close windows and doors. If an air conditioner is used, set it to recirculate. If you need to move out of an impacted area, turn on the car's air conditioner and set it to recirculate.
  • Face masks (surgical, cloth, KF94, KN95, N95) do not provide protection from sulfur dioxide or vog.         
  • However, they can be effective in outdoor environments in reducing inhaled hazardous particulates associated with falling ash and Pele's hair.
  • Do not smoke and avoid second-hand smoke.
  • Drink plenty of fluids to avoid dehydration.
    Vog and air quality updates are available through the:Hawaiʻi Interagency Vog Information Dashboard, and through DOH Clean Air Branch.


Trojans Girls Volleyball continued a winning streak at home against the Cowgirls on Monday. Photo by Julia Neal
Ka‘ū beat Kohala at home on Monday, Sept. 11 Images by Jennifer Makuakani
TROJANS GIRLS VOLLEYBALL CONTINUED ITS WINNING STREAK at home on Monday, with Varsity beating Kohala 25-14, 25-15 and 25-18. The Kohala Cowgirls JV won in three sets 12-25, 25-16 and 15-7. 
      In the home opener on Aug. 30 against Pāhoa Daggers,  JV and Varsity both won in three sets. Kaʻū traveled to Lapahoehoe on Sept. 8 with varsity taking down the Seasiders in three sets.
     The next competition is at home again this Wednesday, Sept. 13 against the Makua Lani Lionesses at 5 p.m., followed by an away game against the Parker School Bulls in Waimea on Saturday, Sept. 16 at 10 a.m.


HAWAI‘I RANKS 39TH IN VACCINATING FOR COVID, according to a WalletHub study released Monday. Hawai‘i ranks 43rd for children and teenagers, 36th for adults and the elderly. Other states ranking in the bottom 13 for COVID vaccinations are: Mississippi, Alaska, Arizona, Georgia, Wyoming, Oklahoma, Texas, Nevada, West Virginia, Louisiana and New Jersey. 
    Hawai‘i Gov. Josh Green, MD encouraged everyone to get vaccinated with daily online and televised updates on the COVID pandemic during his tenure as Lt. Governor and now Governor.
    States with the highest rates of COVID vaccinations are: Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Iowa, Vermont, Connecticut, Washington, North Dakota, Wisconsin, New Hampshire, Colorado, Maine, Maryland and Pennsylvania.
    The WalletHub report narrative supports vaccinations, stating: "Vaccinations are some of the most valuable contributions to modern medicine. They have drastically reduced the prevalence of certain diseases, including polio, tetanus, measles and chicken pox. One disease, smallpox, has even been eradicated completely, with no natural cases since 1977. 
    "Most recently, we developed a vaccine for COVID-19, which drastically cut down cases and deaths, and allowed the country to get back to normalcy.
    "Vaccines are most effective when a large portion of the population gets them, so it’s important to make sure people are educated on the importance of vaccines and how much good they have done for public health. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that vaccines prevent around 4 to 5 million deaths per year. Vaccines are also very safe, and according to the WHO, 'so few deaths can plausibly be attributed to vaccines that it is hard to assess the risk statistically.'”

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see facebook.com/kaucalendar. See latest print edition at kaucalendar.com, in the mail and on stands.

A BON DANCE CLASS WILL BE HELD THIS WEDNESDAY, in preparation for the community Bon Dance this Saturday, Sept. 16 at Pāhala Hongwanji. The Wednesday practice will be at Pāhala Community
Center 11:30 a.m. and is free. It will be taught by Jane Heit from Puna Hongwanji and also by Tsukikage Odorikai.


FIREARMS, DRUG AND THEFT CHARGES AGAINST OCEAN VIEW RESIDENT Daniel James Lemaire have been made. Hawai‘i Police Department and Prosecuting Attorney Kelden Waltjen reported on Monday that they made the arrest this past Saturday, Sept. 9 and he was charged on Sunday, Sept. 10. Hawai‘i Island police arrested and charged the 42-year-old, stemming from an incident in Kailua-Kona on Friday, Sept. 8, involving the stealing of a car at Kona Airport.
     Lemaire made his initial appearance in Kona District Court on Monday afternoon. Over Prosecutors’ objections, the District Court granted Lemaire’s request to reduce his bail from $288,250 to $10,000. Lemaire was ordered to appear for a preliminary hearing on Sept. 13 in Kona District Court. 
Danielle James Lemaire
    Around 11:20 a.m. on Friday morning, patrol officers observed a previously reported Saturn Vue exiting a parking lot in the 75-6000 block of Kuakini Highway in Kailua-Kona. Upon stopping the vehicle, officers identified the operator, and sole occupant, as Daniel James Lemaire.
    Lemaire was arrested without incident and transported to the Kealakehe Police Station while Kona patrol officers continued their investigation and recovered the stolen vehicle.
    A search of the stolen vehicle was conducted later in the day on Friday, resulting in the recovery of 51.53 grams of methamphetamine, 29.35 grams of marijuana, a loaded semi-automatic rifle, 12 rounds of ammunition, and drug paraphernalia consistent with methamphetamine distribution.
    After conferring with the County Prosecutor’s Office, police charged Lemaire Sunday morning, Sept. 10, with the following offenses: Unauthorized control of a propelled vehicle; Permits to acquire; First-degree theft; Driving without a license; two counts of ownership/possession prohibited; Place to keep a loaded firearm. First-degree attempted promotion of a dangerous drug; First-degree promoting a dangerous drug; Possession of a firearm with the intent to facilitate a felony drug offense; Carrying or possessing a loaded firearm on a public highway; Second-degree promoting a detrimental drug; and Prohibited acts related to drug paraphernalia.
   Anyone with information about this case is encouraged to contact Kona patrol officer Justin Uresti, via email at Justin.Uresti@hawaiicounty.gov, or the police department’s non-emergency number at (808) 935-3311.

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Sunday, September 10, 2023

Kaʻū News Briefs, Sunday, Sept. 10, 2023

Vog with sulphur gases coming from new eruption at Halema‘uma‘u as seen at 6:30 p.m. on Sunday from Honu‘apo Overlook. By 10 p.m. the air was Unhealthy for Sensitive People in Pāhala. See https://air.doh.hawaii.gov/home/map. Photo by Bob Martin
From the Uēkahuna overlook on Sunday, the new eruption at the summit of Kīlauea is
 visible. The farthest east fissure is near the margin of downdropped block that formed
during the 2018 summit collapse. The base of the main fissure, which is farthest
 west  (right on the image), is approximately 70 meters wide. USGS photo

A NEW SUMMIT ERUPTION at Kīlauea, with a Warning Alert Level issued by USGS and new vog coming from the Volcano, began on Sunday afternoon, Sept. 10 at about 3:15 p.m. The main fountain, which HVO geologists estimated at approximately 50 meters tall, was on the eastern margin of Halemaʻumaʻu crater. As of approximately 4:30 p.m. HST, the fissures extended
approximately 1350 meters to the northeast, onto the downdropped block that formed during the 2018 summit collapse.
   The eruption also carried with it an increase in sulfur gas emissions, which built slowly after 6 p.m. on Sunday to reach a level at 10 p.m. in Pāhala, measured by the state Department of Health, to be Unhealthy for Sensitive People.
    Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park posted: "Kīlauea began erupting this afternoon, serving as a solemn reminder of the sacredness ingrained in this landscape, symbolizing the presence of the akua, the spiritual forces of Hawaiʻi. 

View of Halema‘uma‘u Crater at 8:38 p.m. Sunday, with its new eruption and increased sulphur gas emissions and made Pāhala
 air Unhealthy for Sensitive People by 10 p.m. See https://air.doh.hawaii.gov/home/map. Image from USGS webcam

The privilege to witness the creative forces of a new eruption comes with a responsibility to approach this place with reverence.
     "We implore all visitors heading to the area to exercise the highest level of respect. While eruptions can spark excitement, it is imperative that observation occurs in silence, allowing the eruption's voice to reach you. Native Hawaiian cultural practitioners, who honor the legacy of this land, deserve unreserved respect for their customs."
    The last eruption ended in June without damage to life or property. The 2018 eruption saw lava destroying more than 700 homes in Puna and sending ash fall and poor air quality in all directions.
   With the new eruption, an increase in sulphur in the air began again this Sunday. At 9:15 p.m. Sunday, the Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park air quality map showed good air quality at all of its monitors with the emissions going downslope from Halema‘uma‘u, south to the ocean, away from populated areas. However, the vog built up in Pāhala and by 10 p.m. was Unhealthy for Sensitive People. In the coming days, winds are expected to continue to push the vog southwest into Kaʻū. See https://air.doh.hawaii.gov/home/map https://air.doh.hawaii.gov/home/map? See Pāhala air quality graphic at  at fbclid=IwAR30q7ALHZ9D3xLJsFn9OS7t4P3vUiDIBu5t4NXs8jDCdHxA9DXR_q6ddWM. Also see the current Hawai‘i Volcanoes air quality map at https://www.nps.gov/havo/air-quality-alert.htm.

    For lava viewing at Halema‘uma‘u, Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park is open 24 hours a day.

Fountaining lava fissures of the new eruption inside Halemaʻumaʻu taken by a USGS webcam. See the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory webcam at  https://www.nps.gov/havo/air-quality-alert.htm.

INVASIVE WILDLIFE OF THE PACIFIC ISLANDS IS THE AFTER DARK IN THE PARK 
Dr. Steve Hess
presentation this Tuesday, Sept. 12 at 7 p.m. in Kīlauea Visitor Center Auditorium in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park.
    Dr. Steven Hess will explain that the terrestrial biota of the Central Pacific is primarily defined by its degree of isolation. "At the center are the Hawaiian Islands, almost 4,000 km (2,480 miles) from the closest continental land mass. Millions of years of evolutionary isolation created beautiful and unique native ecosystems," says the invitation to the event. "However, the Central Pacific islands were suddenly besieged by alien rodents, carnivores, ungulates, reptiles and diseases."
   Hess, research biologist with the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, reveals how reversing the devastating effects of alien species has proven to be difficult, but limited successes have resulted in the dramatic recovery of native species. 
    The presentation is one of Hawai‘i Volcanoes’ ongoing After Dark in the Park programs and is co-sponsored by the Friends of Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. Free, but park entrance fees apply.


A HOME GAME FOR TROJANS GIRLS VOLLEYBALL is set for Monday evening at Herkes Kaʻū District Gym in Pāhala. The opponent is Kohala. Game time is 5 p.m.


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