Trump supporters, yes; agriculture experience, no

It’s unfortunate that President Donald Trump’s picks for Hawaii’s U.S. Department of Agriculture director posts appear to lack extensive experience tied to that industry.

The USDA’s Farm Service Agency and Rural Development directors are tasked with implementing policies and administering programs in their respective states. In a news release last week, many names on the appointee list were accompanied by brief credentials noting roots in farming and ranching matters. Hawaii’s appointees, Allen “Al” Frenzel and Gigi N. Jones — both Trump campaign supporters — were among those listed with no mention of agriculture at all.

Is the water clean? Check online

These days, along with reviewing weather and surf reports, beachgoers should consult with Google to be safe.

That’s the platform the state Department of Health is using to make water-quality information much more accessible to the public. Go to health.hawaii.gov/cwb (think “Clean Water Branch”) and click on the “Current Water Quality Advisories” link.

A check on Monday showed trouble spots on Molokai, Maui and Hawaii island — not usually thought of as pollution zones. Is this a new phenomenon, the runoff fouling the water? Or were we all just swimming in blissful ignorance before?