Dominic Yagong, who spent years steering Hawaiʻi County politics and firing up Honokaʻa High School crowds as a beloved public‑address announcer, died last Wednesday in hospice care. He was 66 and had been facing complications that followed a second stroke late last year, as per Hawaii News Now.
Yagong passed away in hospice in Hilo, according to Hawaii News Now. Family statements and reporting note he first suffered a stroke in July 2024 and later experienced a more serious stroke that left him in comfort care, with those timelines and related details reported by the Honolulu Star-Advertiser.
Voice Of The Dragons
For decades, Yagong was the public‑address announcer at Honokaʻa High athletic events, earning the nickname “the Voice of the Honokaʻa Dragons.” His booming game calls and easy rapport with students made him a fixture at local fields and gyms, not just a guy behind the mic.
His daughter and longtime colleagues remembered him as someone who threw himself into school anniversaries and community gatherings and who loved cheering on students in just about any sport, according to Big Island Now.
Local Politics And Later Legal Fights
Yagong represented Hāmākua on the Hawaiʻi County Council for a total of 12 years and served as council chair, building a reputation as a fiscal watchdog at the county level. He ran for county mayor more than once, including bids in 2004 and 2012, and he endorsed Harry Kim in the 2012 general election.
His later years also played out in court. Yagong sued the county in 2022, seeking nearly $306,000 in reimbursement for legal fees and ultimately reached a confidential settlement in 2024, according to the Honolulu Star-Advertiser.
Election‑Era Court Records
Yagong’s time in office overlapped with contested election disputes that spilled into the courts. Records in those cases name him in the proceedings, and judges later considered those filings as part of the broader election record.
The 2018 decision in Nakamoto v. Kawauchi and related documents are part of the public record on the Hawaiʻi Supreme Court docket, available via FindLaw.
Community Reaction And Funeral Plans
Across Hawaiʻi Island, local leaders and residents said the community has lost a pillar who showed up whether the setting was the council chambers or the sideline of a rivalry game. Hawaiʻi County Mayor Kimo Alameda called Yagong a fierce champion for the underdog and praised his willingness to listen, according to Big Island Now.
A celebration of life is being planned, and funeral arrangements remained pending as of the latest coverage. The family has asked for privacy while they work through those plans.
Yagong’s mix of public service and local stewardship kept him a familiar face along the Hāmākua coast, whether he was pressing budget questions at the county level or calling out player introductions on a cool Friday night. Family and friends said community work sat at the center of his life, per Hawaii News Now.
