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| Coffee grown in Kaʻū will have to be at least 51 percent Kaʻū to use the name Kaʻū as the identifying wording on the label. Most Kaʻū coffee farmers sell 100 percent Kaʻū. Photo from Kaʻū Coffee Festival |
FOUR BILLS FOCUSED ON AGRICULTURE, including protecting the brands of the coffee and macadamia nut industry and measures to increase biosecurity, got the signatures of Gov. Josh Green this
week. Numerous farmers from Kaʻū supported the measures.
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| Hawaiian Macadamia Co, lobbied with Hamakua and other local growers, who sell 100 percent Hawaiian grown nuts, for transparency in labeling to prevent Hawai's ame from being used to sell foreign macnuts. The bill passed and the Governor signed it. |
HB2278: ENHANCING MACADAMIA NUT LABELING TRANSPARENCY: This increases transparency in macadamia nut labeling by requiring products containing nuts grown outside Hawaiʻi to disclose this fact on the label. It prohibits misleading “with Hawaiʻi-Grown” claims unless all macadamia nuts are sourced from Hawaiʻi, with stringent enforcement measures and penalties for violations.
SB2079: STRENGTHENING IMPORTATION CONDITIONS: This measure enhances regulations for the importation of nursery stock, plants, animals, and related products into Hawaiʻi. It mandates immediate notification upon arrival, detailed shipment information, and secure holding to prevent pest spread until inspection. The bill also strengthens labeling requirements and grants inspectors the authority to enforce quarantine and treatment protocols.
SB3365: COMPREHENSIVE BIOSECURITY MEASURES; These require the mandatory distribution of state plant and animal declaration forms to passengers and crew arriving from outside Hawaiʻi. Visitors, returning residents, and crew will be allowed to submit their forms electronically while maintaining Hawaiʻi’s paper option.
To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see facebook.com/kaucalendar. See upcoming events, print edition and archive at kaunews.com. Support this news service with advertising at kaunews.com. 7,500 copies in the mail and on stands.
A MAGNITUDE 4.1 EARTHQUAKE RATTLED THE SOUTH FLANK of Kilauea volcano at 8.48 p.m. on Saturday, about 9 miles south of Fern Forest, followed by aftershocks.
U.S. Geological Survey reported that the quake's depth was 4 miles (7 km) below sea level. It was followed by three aftershocks in the same area within 10 minutes. They recorded as a M2.0, M2.6 and one M3. Other aftershocks are possible. "The earthquake had no apparent impact on either Mauna Loa or
Kīlauea volcanoes. Most earthquakes in this region are caused by abrupt motion of Kīlauea volcano’s south flank, which moves to the southeast over the oceanic crust. The location, depth, and waveforms recorded as part of today’s earthquake are consistent with slip along faults related to the south flank detachment fault," says the USGS report.
Hawai'i County Civil Defense sent out a Local Earthquake Information Statement message. saying that the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center reported that the quake was not large enough to cause a tsunami for the Island of Hawaii. "As in all earthquakes, be aware of the possibility of after-shocks. If the earthquake was strongly felt in your area, please check for any damages, including but not limited to structural and gas, water, and electrical utilities."
The daily update on Kilauea volcano from USGS on Saturday morning said, "Earthquake counts in the upper East Rift Zone remain above background levels following the seismic swarm that took place from June 27–July 1. Longer-term, gradual inflation of the summit and upper rift zones has persisted since the end of the June 3, 2024, eruption. Any substantial increases in seismicity and/or deformation could result in a new eruptive episode, but there are no signs of an imminent eruption at this time."A MAGNITUDE 4.1 EARTHQUAKE RATTLED THE SOUTH FLANK of Kilauea volcano at 8.48 p.m. on Saturday, about 9 miles south of Fern Forest, followed by aftershocks.
U.S. Geological Survey reported that the quake's depth was 4 miles (7 km) below sea level. It was followed by three aftershocks in the same area within 10 minutes. They recorded as a M2.0, M2.6 and one M3. Other aftershocks are possible. "The earthquake had no apparent impact on either Mauna Loa or
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| M4.1 south flank earthquake near Fern Forest on Saturday. USGS map |
Hawai'i County Civil Defense sent out a Local Earthquake Information Statement message. saying that the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center reported that the quake was not large enough to cause a tsunami for the Island of Hawaii. "As in all earthquakes, be aware of the possibility of after-shocks. If the earthquake was strongly felt in your area, please check for any damages, including but not limited to structural and gas, water, and electrical utilities."
To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see facebook.com/kaucalendar. See upcoming events, print edition and archive at kaunews.com. Support this news service with advertising at kaunews.com. 7,500 copies in the mail and on stands.
CLUES TO THE OCEAN VIEW MURDER OF ADAM SANTOS ARE SOUGHT BY HAWAI' POLICE DEPARTMENT. His sister Mary Benevides told KITV News that Santos, 51, was a mechanic, who was loved by his family, and lived next door to where he was found. "Adam was like one of the funniest guys. He was so kind. You know he would help anyone. We just want some closure as to why one of us is no longer here anymore. Especially one of the ones that was just so kind, so humble, My brother was just a
good guy."
HPD reports the death as unattended and will review the classification to consider murder when autopsy is concluded. The HPD statement says: On Tuesday, July 2, at approximately 2 p.m., the Area II Criminal Investigation Section received information from an anonymous source that something was believed to dead and was partially buried on a vacant lot in Ocean View.
The anonymous source referenced an earlier reported missing person from the area of Tiki Lane in Hawaiian Ocean View Estates as possibly being the victim and gave specific directions on how to get to the location.
Kaʻū Patrol officers were informed of the information, responded and conducted checks at a vacant lot located on the 92-9200 block of Tiki Lane where they discovered the deceased body of a male lying face down and covered with dirt and rocks. Area II CIS detectives responded to the scene and upon uncovering the male, they observed severe injuries to his head. The identity of the deceased male matched the description of a male named Adam Santos who had been reported as missing on June 30.
On July 3, upon further investigation, the deceased male was positively identified as the missing 51-year old Adam Santos. His next of kin has been notified.
An autopsy was scheduled to determine the exact cause of death.
Anyone with information relative to this investigation is encouraged to call the Hawai‘i Police Department’s non-emergency number at (808) 935-3311. Also contact Detective Donovan Kohara at (808) 960-3118; or via email at donovan.kohara@hawaiicounty.gov.
The late Adam Santos photo provided to media by his family.![]()
THE 45TH ANNUAL KAʻŪ ROPING & RIDING 4TH OF JULY RODEO continues Sunday, July 7 at Nāʻālehu Rodeo Arena. Slack Roping starts at 8 a.m. and the show starts at noon and is expected to go until around 2:30 p.m. Admission tickets are $8. Food will be sold on the rodeo grounds.
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CLUES TO THE OCEAN VIEW MURDER OF ADAM SANTOS ARE SOUGHT BY HAWAI' POLICE DEPARTMENT. His sister Mary Benevides told KITV News that Santos, 51, was a mechanic, who was loved by his family, and lived next door to where he was found. "Adam was like one of the funniest guys. He was so kind. You know he would help anyone. We just want some closure as to why one of us is no longer here anymore. Especially one of the ones that was just so kind, so humble, My brother was just a
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| The late Adam Santos photo provided to media by his family. |
HPD reports the death as unattended and will review the classification to consider murder when autopsy is concluded. The HPD statement says: On Tuesday, July 2, at approximately 2 p.m., the Area II Criminal Investigation Section received information from an anonymous source that something was believed to dead and was partially buried on a vacant lot in Ocean View.
The anonymous source referenced an earlier reported missing person from the area of Tiki Lane in Hawaiian Ocean View Estates as possibly being the victim and gave specific directions on how to get to the location.
Kaʻū Patrol officers were informed of the information, responded and conducted checks at a vacant lot located on the 92-9200 block of Tiki Lane where they discovered the deceased body of a male lying face down and covered with dirt and rocks. Area II CIS detectives responded to the scene and upon uncovering the male, they observed severe injuries to his head. The identity of the deceased male matched the description of a male named Adam Santos who had been reported as missing on June 30.
On July 3, upon further investigation, the deceased male was positively identified as the missing 51-year old Adam Santos. His next of kin has been notified.
An autopsy was scheduled to determine the exact cause of death.
Anyone with information relative to this investigation is encouraged to call the Hawai‘i Police Department’s non-emergency number at (808) 935-3311. Also contact Detective Donovan Kohara at (808) 960-3118; or via email at donovan.kohara@hawaiicounty.gov.
The late Adam Santos photo provided to media by his family.
THE 45TH ANNUAL KAʻŪ ROPING & RIDING 4TH OF JULY RODEO continues Sunday, July 7 at Nāʻālehu Rodeo Arena. Slack Roping starts at 8 a.m. and the show starts at noon and is expected to go until around 2:30 p.m. Admission tickets are $8. Food will be sold on the rodeo grounds.
To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see facebook.com/kaucalendar. See upcoming events, print edition and archive at kaunews.com. Support this news service with advertising at kaunews.com. 7,500 copies in the mail and on stands.
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| 5,500 in the mail, 2,000 on the streets Volcano to Miloli'i See www.kaunews.com |
