A long-overdue reunion for father and son

Hollywood could not have scripted a better ending. The estranged son of a Hawaii fisherman rescued after 12 days at sea looks forward to seeing his father for the first time since the 1990s, grateful for a second chance to reconnect.

Ron Ingraham was presumed dead after an extensive search prompted by his Thanksgiving Day distress calls turned up nothing. The Coast Guard had contacted his next of kin, son Zakary Ingraham in Missouri, who was filled with regret over the lost years but couldn’t shake the feeling that his "tough guy" dad was still alive. Sure enough, Ron Ingraham was rescued Tuesday. Now he’s back on Molokai, and Zakary is planning a trip to Hawaii for the reunion.

Learning about lava, up close and personal

Teachers could simply turn to Google and type in "lesson plan" and "volcanoes" and get ideas and materials for their classroom. However, there’s no topping the real thing. Geologists from the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, run by the U.S. Geological Survey, have been using the perfect outdoor classroom in Pahoa, taking the students on a view of the stalled flow.

If the community must endure the stress of volcanic uncertainty, it’s at least great that the kids benefit from an up-close-and-personal perspective.