Hawaiians: Diverse and Dispersed Yet Bound Together in Aloha
Honolulu Council Employee Guilty of Smuggling Heroin
VIDEO: DLNR Clears Homeless Camp from Coco Palms Area
Spewing CO2 Governor Jets off to Scotland Global Warming Confab
Solar Developer Abandons Big Island Project
Maui Council Proposal Would Outlaw 7,300 Legal Vacation Rentals
Maui County TAT Takes Effect
Congressional Delegation Squeezes Navy on Fuel Leak
Prison Drug Smuggling: UPW, HGEA Retaliate on Top Hawaii Prison Official After Guard Refuses Contraband Search
CB: … The state Department of Public Safety has opened an internal affairs investigation into actions taken by its Departmental Human Resources Officer Shelley Nobriga Harrington, a longtime correctional system administrator who allegedly pressured a subordinate to change an investigation report.
Harrington is the subject of a complaint by the United Public Workers and the Hawaii Government Employees Association, which last month accused Public Safety officials of turning a “blind eye to serious concerns and complaints about Harrington’s misconduct.”
Both unions also sued the department in Honolulu Circuit Court last week alleging that Harrington sent out a mass email on Aug. 19 that disclosed the Covid-19 vaccination status of 260 Public Safety staff members.
Harrington did not have permission or consent to disclose that information, and the department likewise did not have “authorization or consent to share (the employees’) private, confidential, medical health information and/or medical status,” according to the lawsuit….
UPW and HGEA filed their complaint about Shelley Harrington in an Oct. 18 letter to Public Safety Director Max Otani, raising concerns about a decision by the Hawaii Labor Relations Board last spring in the botched firing of a corrections officer at Maui Community Correctional Center in 2018….
That case grew out of a tip from a prisoner who alleged that Adult Corrections Officer Daniel Edward Parker would likely attempt to smuggle contraband into MCCC on Sept. 8, 2017.
When Parker arrived at work that day, he was summoned to a captain’s office and told he needed to give his consent for a strip search. Two other officers were present, including one who was recording with a video camera … (in order to provide their union brother with an excuse to refuse the search, thus leading to this complaint)…
HTH: DPS faces two lawsuits over disclosing vaccination statuses
Background:
read … A Top Hawaii Prison Official Faces An Internal Affairs Investigation
Drug Smuggling USO Prison Gang News: Former Kauai Councilman Arthur Brun to change plea in federal court
KHON: …Former Kauai Councilman Arthur Brun wants to change his plea.
He will be in federal court via video on Nov. 10.
Court documents did not indicate what the plea will be changed to.
He previously plead not guilty to drug and firearms charges in a 2020 indictment….
Prosecutors describe Brun as the leader of a crime ring that distributed large quantities of methamphetamine.
Investigators say he also has ties to the Samoan prison gang USO which stands for United Samoan Organization.
Two other co-defendants of Brun’s have previously changed their not guilty pleas to guilty with sentencing still pending….
2020: Judge orders Kauai Councilman Arthur Brun to remain in custody—UPW-USO Prison Smuggling an Issue in Case
read … Former Kauai Councilman Arthur Brun to change plea in federal court
ACLU Sues Maui County to Keep Meth-Addled Bums on Streets
CB: … The county said it would make shelter beds available prior to moving homeless people from the area in September but the lawsuit says adequate space was not provided….
(Their evidence? The hard-core shelter-refusers were still on site.)
That morning, eight to 10 people were still living there, the lawsuit says. The people, including two of the plaintiffs, Riedell, 48, and Walton, 40, left “under threat of arrest by County officials,” the lawsuit alleges.
The next day, the ACLU of Hawaii issued a letter demanding that the mayor and county stop the sweep, saying it violated constitutional rights. The letter estimated 53 homeless people were living along Amala Place, but that, “capacity at shelters in Maui is woefully scarce: as of this writing, the County has shelter vacancy for only 9 people County-wide.” The ACLU says it received no response.
On Monday, Maui County had 12 shelter vacancies for individuals.
About 40 homeless individuals residing at Kanaha filed requests for a contested case hearing in which they said that their property interests were constitutionally protected and “must be afforded procedural due process before the County may terminate” those interests, the lawsuit says.
None of the homeless individuals who filed requests received a response, and none received a contested case hearing, according to the suit….
MN: Houseless residents evicted from Kanaha sue county
HNO: HOUSELESS RESIDENTS IN MAUI SUE COUNTY FOR VIOLATING RIGHTS
read … Flop Anywhere and Smoke Meth
New Police Chief Wants To Import Successful Las Vegas Programs To Maui
CB: … John Pelletier wants to use community policing programs and revamping oversight of use-of-force incidents to improve relations in Maui….
read … New Police Chief Wants To Import Successful Las Vegas Programs To Maui
Experts: COVID death rate for unvaccinated Hawaii residents is 20 times higher
HNN: … As churches around Oahu held All Saints’ Day memorials Monday for the 916 Hawaii residents who have died of COVID so far, healthcare experts said many of the most recent deaths could have been prevented.
More than 300 people in the islands died in September and October due to the surge of the Delta variant ― and most of those people were unvaccinated.
“The latest information we have is there is a 20 times higher chance of dying from COVID if you’re unvaccinated than if you’re vaccinated,” said Hilton Raethel, CEO of the Healthcare Association of Hawaii.
Raethel said that vaccinated people represent 10 to 12% of all COVID hospitalizations in the state. But he said they have much more positive outcomes.
“They may be in the hospital for four or five days with a low level of care. They get discharged and they’re doing fine,” he said.
“People who are unvaccinated are generally in for 10 to 14 days if not longer. They’re at a much higher level of care ― they’re in the ICU.” …
read … Experts: COVID death rate for unvaccinated Hawaii residents is 20 times higher
Superintendent: 91% of student-athletes at Hawaii public schools are vaccinated
HNN: … The state Department of Education reports that 91% of its student-athletes are vaccinated against COVID.
Meanwhile, 543 athletes have been approved for religious exemptions. Those students must test twice a week in order to continue to play….
read … Superintendent: 91% of student-athletes at Hawaii public schools are vaccinated
Plate lunch prices could reach $20 soon
KHON: … Supply chain issues have impacted everyday items including the main ingredients in plate lunches, and most places that sell them are passing the cost on to you.
“It’s just random things, and it just depends where you are as well,” said Bryan Andaya, L&L Hawaii COO. “Shortages on mayonnaise and certainly the price has gone up a lot, but all of a sudden we have locations having trouble getting mayonnaise or having to wait or having their orders slashed. I think it has to do with the chickens and laying the eggs.”
He said there are also a lot of items stuck on ships waiting to dock.
“I’ve heard rice prices going up astronomically that’s maybe related to some of the storms,” he continued. “The climate in California where most of the rice is produced.” …
He said he’s been forced to raise his prices twice in the last six months by 20%, and he said it’s still not enough.
Fried foods are also going to start costing more because the price of cooking oil is through the roof.
“It’s gone from a price of about $20 for a five-gallon tub,” explained Simply Ono owner Harris Sukita. “It’s now up to $57. It’s almost tripled.”
He said it’s concerning going to the store and not seeing basic items too.
“For two weeks in a row, we didn’t have access to rice, why?” he said. “I have no idea, and salt was out,”
“Beef, say for a hamburger, the price is pretty much almost doubled, so we have tried to keep our prices down because you know everybody’s going through a hard time,” he said.
read … Plate lunch prices could reach $20 soon
Hawaii State Senate hiring for several positions during 2022 legislative session
KITV: … Current openings include committee clerk, legislative assistant, budget analyst, legislative researcher, legislative research attorney, data-entry clerk/office assistant, and video conference support staff….
read … Hawaii State Senate hiring for several positions during 2022 legislative session
Protecting Incumbents: Hawaii County Redistricting Commission looking at incremental changes
HTH: … “We’re making these little adjustments,” said Commissioner James Hustace. “For the comfort level of most of the public (incumbents) people like incremental change. … People (incumbents) don’t like the drastic change (that might lead to them actually facing a real election challenge).”
Still, commissioners noted, there has to be some adjustment of boundary lines to make each of the nine council districts as close to the ideal 22,232 people per district as possible.
The commission is completing a series of public hearings in each of the nine districts. While there is not yet a proposed draft map, the commission is interested in hearing from the public….
read … Just a little around the edges: Redistricting Commission looking at incremental changes
New ‘citizen suit’ may take aim at aging Red Hill fuel tanks
SA: … The Wai Ola Alliance, an “environmentally and culturally focused” community group, said it’s issuing a 90-day notice of its intent to sue the Navy in federal court to speed up major repairs to the Red Hill fuel farm.
The “citizen suit” will allege that the Navy is in violation of the Resource Conser- vation and Recovery Act by contributing to “handling, storage, treatment, transportation and/or disposal of solid waste in a manner that presents an imminent and substantial endangerment” to human health and the environment, according to the group.
Maui resident, Native rights activist and alliance member John Miller said to be able to sue, the 90-day notice is required, “so this is the first step in a federal lawsuit.”…
read … New ‘citizen suit’ takes aim at aging Red Hill fuel tanks
UH Tenure for Teachers Only?
IHE: … University of Hawai‘i is considering major changes to its tenure system, including limiting tenure to instructional faculty only, tying hires and tenure to enrollment and unit “success,” and involving the administration in post-tenure review….
read … Tenure for Teachers Only
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