HILO, Hawaii Island (AP) — Mayor Harry Kim has been diagnosed with walking pneumonia.
Managing Director Wil Okabe said Tuesday that Kim is continuing his work, despite his condition. He is taking antibiotics to address the problem.
Okabe said the mayor remains in charge, but is “pacing himself to ensure the county is running smoothly.”
Hawaii Island Mayor Harry Kim is battling health issues as he faces the challenge of an erupting volcano. Cory Lum/Civil Beat
Okabe said that Kim is awaiting the results of medical tests. The 78-year-old had at least one, possibly two heart attacks in late April.
He underwent a heart procedure on Oahu, where doctors told him he had a heart attack in Hilo, and possibly a second in Honolulu.
It was his fourth and possibly fifth such attack.
Meanwhile, county officials are dealing with an already spectacular disaster with an uncertain future as lava from the erupting Kilauea volcano continues to spread through fissures in the island’s southeast corner.
Thoughts on this or any other story? Write a Letter to the Editor. Send to news@civilbeat.org and put Letter in the subject line. 200 words max. You need to use your name and city and include a contact phone for verification purposes. And you can still comment on stories onour Facebook page.
GET IN-DEPTH
REPORTING ON HAWAII’S BIGGEST ISSUES
What it means to support Civil Beat.
Supporting Civil Beat means you’re investing in a newsroom that can devote months to investigate corruption. It means we can cover vulnerable, overlooked communities because those stories matter. And, it means we serve you. And only you.
Donate today and help sustain the kind of journalism Hawaiʻi cannot afford to lose.
