Kaʻū News Briefs Jan. 31, 2024

DIETRICH VAREZ ART EXHIBITION WILL SHOW UNPUBLISHED WORKS. Volcano Art Center announces an exhibit opening on Saturday, Feb. 17, honoring life, art and legacy of the artist and author Dietrich Varez. The print-maker painter created scenes of Hawaiian mythology and traditional Hawaiian life and stylized designs from nature.

    Of Polish-Swedish and Lithuanian parents, he was born in Germany in 1939 and came to Hawai'i with his mom, brother and stepfather, Army Sgt. Manuel Varez.         

    The exhibition titled Dietrich Varez Legacy: The Expanded Collection features unpublished works of the artist which have recently been made available through the Varez Family Estate and a donation from Hawai‘i Council for the Humanities, through support from National Endowment for the Humanities.
The exhibit opens daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Volcano Art Center Gallery in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park and will be on display through May 26.
    For more information call (808) 967-7565 or visit www.volcanoartcenter.org.

Earthquakes between Jan. 25 and the end of January. Map from USGS

OVER 700 EARTHQUAKES OCCURRED AT KĪLAUEA ON WEDNESDAY. U.S. Geological Service upped the alert from Advisory to Watch on Wednesday morning and its Summit Observations said:  "Seismicity began to increase just before midnight. Since 3 a.m. HST, 25-30 locatable earthquakes have occurred per hour at depths of 1.5–3 km (1–2 mi) below the surface. Earthquake clusters have migrated between the area just south of Halemaʻumaʻu and the region southwest of the outer caldera boundary. The most intense activity occurred between 6 and 8 a.m., when earthquakes were clustering just south of Halemaʻumaʻu. There have been over 180 locatable earthquakes in this region in the past 6 hours, with magnitudes ranging from a maximum of 3.4 to less than 1. Several of these earthquakes were large enough to be felt by HVO staff in the field, who also reported rockfalls on the south side of Halemaʻumaʻu.
AN OCEAN VIEW WOMAN DIED AFTER STOPPING HER DOG FROM ATTACKING HER PET GOAT. Detectives with Hawai‘i Police Department’s Area II Criminal Investigation Section (CIS) are investigating the death of the 42-year-old. "At this time, it does not appear that her injuries from breaking up the dog attack on the goat resulted in her death. The victim has been identified as Sommer Crivello of Ocean View," reports HPD.
    On Tuesday at 3:44 p.m., Kona patrol officers responded to a dog bite complaint in the 87-3400 block of Māmalahoa Highway in South Kona.

    It was initially reported that a pet dog was attacking a pet goat. After Crivello intervened she was observed to be unconscious and unresponsive on the ground. Arriving on scene, police observed Crivello in the yard not breathing. Her only visible injuries were abrasions to her left hand, consistent with a dog bite. Officers immediately began CPR until Hawai‘i Fire Department personnel arrived on scene. HFD continued CPR efforts and transported Crivello to Kona Community Hospital where she was pronounced deceased upon arrival.
    Hawai‘i County Animal Control and Protection Agency responded to the scene, securing the dog and removing it from the scene. The dog was reported to be Crivello’s family pet and was not aggressive toward officers and others at the scene.
    "It is unclear at this time what caused Crivello’s death. Area II CIS detectives have launched a coroner’s inquest investigation, which is ongoing, and an autopsy is scheduled to determine the exact cause of death" reports HPD.
    Police ask that anyone with information relative to this investigation to contact Detective Donovan Kohara at (808) 326-4646, ext. 238, or via email at donovan.kohara@hawaiicounty.gov. Also contact the police department’s non-emergency number at (808) 935-3311.

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        At this meeting, Department of Environmental Management will: 

        Discuss the County’s tentative identification of the preferred option of a wastewater treatment for Pāhala and new collection system (Option 1) and will encourage public input.
        Provide an update for the large capacity cesspool closure project in Nā‘ālehu;
        Present the contents of its Semiannual Report to EPA covering activities completed in the second half of 2023; and
        Discuss next steps and deadlines.
        An updated website to track progress of this project is at www.dem.hawaiicounty.gov/projects.

TROJANS ATHLETIC DIRECTOR SEEKS FOOTBALL COACHING CANDIDATES.  The High School Athletics Department has opened applications seeking Head and Assistant Coaches for the 2024 football season. Athletic Director Jaime Guerpo said that anyone who is interested can pick up applications at Kaʻū High School main office.
    The football team is comprised of students from Kaʻū High and Volcano School of the Arts & Sciences.
    With any questions, call (808)313-4161. Deadline for completed applications is Feb. 29 at noon. Applications can be dropped off at the main office.