Kaʻū News Briefs Nov. 14, 2024

Kaʻū's former Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard and Robert Kennedy, Jr. campaigned for Trump across
 the country and have both been nominated by the President-Elect to become members of his cabinet,
requiring confirmation by the U.S. Senate.

   

     

TULSI GABBARD who formerly represented Kaʻū and all of rural Hawai'i in Congress, before she launched a campaign for President, departed the Democratic Party and joined the Donald Trump campaign, is the President-elect's choice for Director of National Intelligence. Also picked by Trump is Robert Kennedy, Jr, who is nominated to run the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. He was involved in Hawai'i in the Save Our Seas organization, headlining one of its conventions, years ago.

       The Office of the Director of National Intelligence website describes the job that Gabbard would take under Trump:
    "The Director of National Intelligence serves as the head of the Intelligence Community,  overseeing and directing the implementation of the National Intelligence Program budget and serving as the principal advisor to the President, the National Security Council, and the Homeland Security Council for intelligence matters related to national security.

  "Working together with the Principal Deputy DNI and with the assistance of Mission Managers and Deputy Directors, the Office of the DNI's goal is to effectively integrate foreign, military and domestic intelligence in defense of the homeland and of United States interests abroad."

   

    The agencies Gabbard would oversee as Director of National Intelligence would be: Federal Bureau of Investigation, Central Intelligence Agency, Department of State, Department of Homeland Security, Drug Enforcement Administration, Air Force, Army, Navy, Marines, Coast Guard and Space Force National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, National Reconnaissance Office, National Security Agency, Department of the Treasury, Department of Energy and Defense Intelligence Agency.

    The Director of National Intelligence also oversees: National Counterterrosim Center, National Counterintelligence & Security Center, National Counterproliferation & Biosecurity Center, Cyber Threat Intelligence Integration Center and Foreign Malign Influence Center.

   Current Director of National Intelligence is Avril Haines, who has a long career in the intelligence field and is the first woman in that position. See more on her at https://www.dni.gov/index.php/who-we-are/leadership/director-of-national-intelligence.

   See more on the National Intelligence Director's department at https://www.dni.gov/index.php/who-we-are/leadership/director-of-national-intelligence.

     Gov. Josh Green commented on the Gabbard appointment: “I’ve known Tulsi for a very long time and hope that she can bring some aloha to the new administration. This is going to be an era that truly tests humanity and our willingness to treat vulnerable people with compassion.”

     Kaʻū's current congresswoman Jill Tokuda gave her view of the Kennedy nomination: "RFK Jr. and President-Elect Trump have committed to an extreme agenda that promises to hamstring our federal health agencies and their essential work to keep Americans safe. Cutting critical investments is not making America healthy again—it's reckless, and leaving us unprepared."

        

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see facebook.com/kaucalendar. See upcoming events, print edition and archive at kaunews.com.

HOLIDAYS IN KAHUKU
has been set for Saturday, Dec. 7 by Friends of Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park and the Park. Location of the Kahuku Unit of the Park is at the 70.5 mile marker on Hwy 11 between South Point Road and Ocean View.
    The fifth annual free family event will feature emcee Alya-Joy Kanehailua, with hula from Halau Ke Olu Makani O Mauna Loa.
    Music all day will include South Side Symphony with classics, the Kipapa Sisters performing Hawaiian music, Volcano Choy performing Jazz and the Hot Potaytahs band performing rock and roll.
    Crafters from Kaʻū and beyond will sell locally made items – jewelry, pottery, stain glass, holiday decorations, and more.
    Food will be available for purchase from Hawaiian Civic Club of Kaʻū and 4 Scoops of Aloha. Friends of Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park will offer free shave ice minis and face painting. Santa will present bags to the first 200 keiki.
   Friend’s logo merchandise and memberships will be available with proceeds supporting park projects and programs.
    Friends of Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park is the official Philanthropic Fundraising Partner of Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park and is a non-profit 501 (c) 3 organization.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see facebook.com/kaucalendar. See upcoming events, print edition and archive at kaunews.com.

TWO VOLCANO RESIDENTS ARE IDENTIFIED AS FATALITIES in in a two-vehicle collision early Saturday morning, Nov. 9. They are 48-year-old Joanna Graves and 54-year-old David Makizuru.
Responding to a traffic collision on Highway 11 near the 24-mile marker at 1:14 a.m., police determined that a blue 2019 Jeep Renegade was traveling south, Ka‘ū bound, on Highway 11 when it crossed the centerline and collided head-on with a white 1996 Toyota Camry operated by Makizuru. Graves was the front seat passenger in the Camry.
    The operator of the Jeep, a 39-year-old Kona woman, was transported to the Hilo Benioff Medical Center and was subsequently transported to Queens Hospital on Oahu in stable condition. She has since been released from the hospital.
    It is unknown at this time if drugs are a factor in this investigation. Hawai‘i Police Department’s Area I Traffic Enforcement Unit has initiated two negligent homicide investigations and ordered autopsies to determine the exact cause of death. Police anticipate bringing charges in this investigation.
    Anyone with information regarding this collision may contact Officer Laurence Davis at (808) 961-2339 or via email at Laurence.Davis@hawaiicounty.gov.
    These are the 26th and 27th traffic fatalities of 2024 compared to 15 traffic fatalities this same time last year. 

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see facebook.com/kaucalendar. See upcoming events, print edition and archive at kaunews.com.

Kaʻū Taro Festival will be Saturday, Dec. 14 at Kaʻū Herkes Gym Complex in Pāhala. Vendors
 can sign up until Nov. 26. Sign up for a booth online at www.okaukakou.org/kau-taro-festival.
 The event is free and open to the public.

Kaʻū Taro Festival will be Saturday, Dec. 14 at Kaʻū Herkes Gym Complex in Pāhala. Vendors
can sign up until Nov. 26. Sign up for a booth online at www.okaukakou.org/kau-taro-festival.
The event is free and open to the public.


   

Kaʻū News Briefs Nov. 13, 2024

NPS Photo of a couple seated at a picnic table in Lower Kahuku, beneath an ʻōhiʻa tree.

THURSDAY IS THE NĀ’ĀLEHU MEETING ON PLANNING THE FUTURE OF KAHUKU. Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park is developing a plan to manage 132,000 acres in Upper and Lower Kahuku and the newly acquired Kahuku-Pōhue, and encourages public input. The meeting is from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Nāʻālehu Community Center, Thursday, Nov. 14.

    The next public input meeting is Saturday, Nov. 16 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Kahuku Visitor Contact Station. There will also be a virtual option on Tuesday, December 3 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., https://swca.zoom.us/j/91799290126.
     A Park statement recommends the community to "Check out the Story Map to see some of the options the park is considering and wants to talk with the public about, especially the Kaʻū community who has deep ties to these special places."
  Also submit comments online: https://parkplanning.nps.gov/KahukuPlan

  See story on the plan with photos of the Kahuku shoreline at https://kaunewsbriefs.blogspot.com/2024_11_06_archive.html.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see facebook.com/kaucalendar. See upcoming events, print edition and archive at kaunews.com.

The male nēnē at Uēkahuna guards his pregnant female. Image
 taken through binoculars from a distance.
NPS Photo by Dr. Kristina Paxton

TO PROTECT NESTING NĒNĒ, the east entrance of Uēkahuna parking lot, and a short section of Crater Rim Trail are temporarily closed. The announcement from Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park says:
    No parking stalls are closed for now, and the west entrance to the parking lot will serve as both entrance and exit. However, large motorcoaches (buses 25 feet or more) will not be able to access the Uēkahuna parking lot because there is no place to turn around. The temporary closure also includes a short section of Crater Rim Trail east of the parking lot, effective immediately. The eastern overlook of Kīlauea caldera at the landmark USGS triangulation station remains open, with the closest access by foot from Kīlauea Overlook.
    The portable toilets and western overlook of Kīlauea caldera remain open and accessible from the Uēkahuna parking lot.
    “Safeguarding native wildlife is part of our mission at Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park,” said the park’s wildlife biologist, Dr. Kristina Paxton. “Nēnē are very vulnerable to being killed by vehicles, and this partial closure improves their chances for survival.”

                   Dr. Kristina Paxton, Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park Wildlife Biologist. NPS Photo by Janice Wei

    Paxton noted that nēnē usually mate for life. The female incubates two to five eggs while the male guards the family. Incubation takes about a month, and re-nesting could occur if eggs are destroyed or abandoned.
    She said that nesting season is September through May and many nēnē are seen on or near park roads, making them especially vulnerable to being killed by vehicles this time of year. "Everyone can help protect nēnē: slow down, watch for them near roads, and never feed them. Keep wildlife wild and stay at least 60 feet from them."

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see facebook.com/kaucalendar. See upcoming events, print edition and archive at kaunews.com.

COMING TO KAʻŪ ARE USDA FARM & RANCH WORKER RELIEF GRANTS to be given in person by USDA representatives on Friday, Nov. 22. 

   Workers can preregister for the In-person Payment Registration Event. The USDA is providing $600 per person to eligible farm and livestock workers for expenses they incurred due to the COVID-19 pandemic if they worked between Jan. 27, 2020 and May 11, 2023. To be eligible, must show pay stub, direct deposit or income statement or tax return, W-2 or written attestation.
    The location of the event will be provided to those who send in the application for the grant. See the QR codes in poster to access the registration materials.

     For this program USDA is cooperating with Executive Office on Early Learning, Hawai'i Good Food Alliance, County of Hawai'i, NORC research group at University of Chicago and others.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see facebook.com/kaucalendar. See upcoming events, print edition and archive at kaunews.com.\

Kaʻū Taro Festival will be Saturday, Dec. 14 at Kaʻū Herkes Gym Complex in Pāhala. Vendors
 can sign up until Nov. 26. Sign up for a booth online at www.okaukakou.org/kau-taro-festival.
 The event is free and open to the public.

  

Kaʻū News Briefs Nov. 12, 2024

Hawai'i Police Department launched its new website on Tuesday. All photos from www.hawaiipolice.gov

A NEW HAWAI'I POLICE DEPARTMENT WEBSITE went live on Tuesday. It offers access to a Crime Map, the Booking Log, and sections on Unsolved Homicides, K9's of HPD, HPD History, and much more about the police department staff bios, community resources and other info. 

Deputy Chief Reed Mahuna

Chief Ben Moskowicz

    Denise Laitinen, Public Relations Specialist for HPD, noted that during the annual HPD-Media meeting last April, Chief Benjamin Moszkowicz told attendees that he is committed to providing a digitized copy of the booking log and to making it accessible on the new website. The new booking log will be updated daily around 6:30 a.m, said Laitinen.

    See the new website at www.hawaiipolice.gov. 

    Laitinen said, "One of the most exciting new features on the updated website is a Crime Map, provided by City Protect. At any time, members of the public can use the map to see what crimes have occurred in their neighborhood during a time frame of their choosing."
    She also noted that the website is a year in the making, the first time updated since 2011. The website is mobile-responsive, meaning it is easy to use on smartphone, tablet and laptop.
    “We are extremely excited to launch this new website and provide an easy-to-use and helpful resource to community members,” said the Police Chief.

Members of the HPD K9 Team.

Kaʻū Patrol Captain
Edwin Buyten

   The new website features:  An events page of police outreach efforts; FAQ page featuring frequently asked questions; History of Hawai‘i Police Department; K9s of Hawai‘i Police Department; HPD’s Police Memorial Wall and bios of HPD fallen officers.
    People can also easily find out how to obtain a police report, background check, request an active shooter presentation or station tour, as well as how to request a special duty officer.   Those seeking a career in law enforcement, will find detailed information on civilian and sworn positions, as well as current positions available in the department.
    The new website provides a wealth of safety tips for keiki, business owners, and kupuna. Teens and families can find info and resources on how to combat cyberbullying and sextortion. There are scam prevention tips for the elderly.
   Laitinen said the department’s old website domain, hawaiipolice.com, will go down for maintenance once the new website goes live and will come back online a few days later as an archived media release site featuring the department’s media releases dating back to when the website first launched in March 1999.
    "We encourage you to spend a few minutes to take a look at the many new features offered on hawaiipolice.gov," said Laitinen.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see facebook.com/kaucalendar. See upcoming events, print edition and archive at kaunews.com.

Hawai'i farmers and ranchers gathered at Hawai'i Convention Center last weekend for Hawai'i Ag Conference. Photo from Agricultural Leadership Foundation. See www.agleaderhi.org

DURING THE HAWAI'I AGRICULTURE CONFERENCE, PASSING THE FEDERAL FARM BILL before the end of the year with initiatives to help Hawai'i farmers and ranchers was a main topic of Congresswoman Jill Tokuda who represents Kaʻū and all of rural Hawai'i. Tokuda holds a seat on the U.S. House of Representatives Agriculture Committee. See https://tokuda.house.gov/farm-bill.

    She spoke at last weekend's Hawai'i Agriculture Conference at Hawai'i Convention Center on O'ahu with its theme, "Building CommUNITY through Hawai'i Agriculture."

Rep. Jill Tokuda encouraged farmers to fight
for the federal Farm Bill when she spoke at the
Hawai'i Ag Conference. Photo from Tokuda

    Tokuda said, "It’s critical that we have a long-term Farm Bill to help small and family farmers meet the challenges we face today. Only five weeks left to get this done—we must keep pushing for Hawaiʻi’s ag community!" 

    Also attending the Hawai'i Agriculture Conference was Kaʻū's County Council member Michelle Galimba who said she encourages local farmers to attend in the future. The next one is scheduled for 2026. "The Hawai'i Ag Conference is a great event to learn and network with farmers and other people working in agriculture. Congratulations to the Agricultural Leadership Foundation of Hawai'i on the best Hawai'i Ag Conference that I have been to yet," said Galimba.

    In his message, Gov. Josh Green said, "Agriculture is a vital economic engine for our islands and a cornerstone of our cultural heritage and identity. Your work in promoting food security, advancing sustainable. practices, and preserving our natural resources is commendable.... Building a vibrant agricultural industry requires the collective effort of producers, neighbors, landowners, lenders, decision-makers and consumers alike."

    Agricultural Leadership Foundation sponsors the Ag Convention and also the Agricultural Leadership Program for promising leaders from Hawai‘i’s agricultural, natural resource management, and rural community sectors. Since its inception in 1982, Agricultural Leadership Foundation has graduated 191 leaders to positively impact Hawai‘i agriculture and their communities.
    Agricultural Leadership Foundation also works with youth through Future Farmers of America and other organizations. See the programs at www.agleaderhi.org.

    

Hawai'i Agricultural Leadership Foundation sponsored last weekend's statewide Hawai'i Agriculture Conference and also programs to develop agricultural adult and youth leaders. See www.agleaderhi.org.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see facebook.com/kaucalendar. See upcoming events, print edition and archive at kaunews.com.

Kaʻū Taro Festival will be Saturday, Dec. 14 at Kaʻū Herkes Gym Complex in Pāhala. Vendors
 can sign up until Nov. 26. Sign up for a booth online at www.okaukakou.org/kau-taro-festival.
 The event is free and open to the public.