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Salmonella outbreak reaches Hawaii
There is at least one Hawaii case of salmonella poisoning linked to a California outbreak that has sickened hundreds in the past six months.
The Hawaii case is one of 278 in 17 states linked to raw chicken packaged at three Foster Farms facilities in California, the Centers for Disease Control reported Tuesday.
More details from the state Department of Health on the Hawaii case were not available.
Symposium on gay marriage called off
A symposium on the religious exemption in a gay marriage bill that was scheduled for this evening at the state Capitol has been canceled.
Organizers from the University of Hawaii law school said there was a misunderstanding about whether the symposium would only focus on the religious exemption or whether other issues related to the bill would be discussed.
The religious exemption has emerged as one of the key issues in the debate over the bill.
The symposium was going to be moderated by Avi Soifer, dean of the UH law school, and feature James Hochberg, an attorney and president of Hawaii Family Advocates; Lois Perrin, legal director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Hawaii; and Andrea Freeman, a UH assistant professor of law.
Refuse station stops processing mixed waste
The Hanapepe refuse transfer station is suspending mixed waste processing because of a mechanical failure in the hydraulic system, Kauai County officials said Tuesday.
All other services are continuing as usual.
The transfer station’s hours of operation are 9:15 a.m. to 5:15 p.m.
Questions should be directed to Rick Renaud at 652-0282.
County police invite public to meet staff
The Hawaii County Police Department will hold a meeting from noon to 2 p.m. Tuesday at the Kohala Intergenerational Center so the public can meet the department’s command staff and discuss operations in the North Kohala District.
Those interested in participating but unable to attend may call Capt. Jason Cortez at 889-6540, stop by the North Kohala police station in Kapaau or email concerns to copsysop@ hawaiipolice.com.
Fire still burning through 3 acres in forest reserve
State fire crews Tuesday continued to fight a brush fire in a remote section of the Hilo Forest Reserve near Keanakolu.
Department of Land and Natural Resources firefighters working this weekend to mop up an earlier fire in the reserve found another small fire below a fenced unit on the Humuula Trail. The combined size of both fires is three acres. Since the grass was green in the new area, as it dries out, it is reigniting and burning because of the high organic content in the soil.
State firefighters brought in a private 5,000-gallon water tender from Waimea to help.
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