Photo provided by Food Basket Driver Vince Cruz checks the contents of a box on an empty rack at the Hilo Food Basket warehouse on June 22. The Food Basket continues to struggle with supply chain issues, the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the rising cost of living, all of which have contributed to a major shortage of food that Executive Director Kristin Frost Albrecht calls “unprecedented.”

(BIVN) – This year’s Richardson Rough Water Swim has been cancelled due to ongoing construction at Richardson Ocean Park. The Hawaiʻi County Department of Parks and Recreation made the announcement in a Tuesday news release. The department stated: The open ocean swim event is held annually in late July or early August at Richardson Ocean Park in Hilo, where the start and finish lines are established and where pre-and post-event activities are hosted.

A local chef had mentioned that Restaurant Osaka in Hilo is one of his faves, so I went to check it out! Restaurant Osaka offers Japanese, Korean, and American menu items. I opted for Japanese food. Combination plates come with miso soup, rice, tsukemono, potato and macaroni salad, and tea. Unlike other local-style Japanese restaurants I go to on O`ahu, Osaka serves only the miso soup first, and everything else comes in a huge platter (at my fave eateries that are similar to Osaka, the miso soup, tsukemono, salad gets served first, and then the main entrees).