APHIS on Invasive Species: "The truth is we just don't care that much"
Hawaii Obamacare Exchange hasn't Paid IT Vendor Since January
PBN: As the Hawaii Health Connector winds down operations to move to the federal government's online platform, four of nine voting members of its board are leaving and a vendor has suspended its operations and continues to await payment.
Board Directors Clementine Ceria Ulep, Michael Gleason, Christine Sakuda, and JoAnn Tsark are leaving the Connector board at the end of the fiscal year on June 30. No replacements have been appointed by Gov. David Ige.
Hawaii Health Connector Executive Director Jeff Kissel says the nonprofit needs frozen federal funding to be released in order to cover the transition to the federal technology, continued outreach costs, and pay IT vendor TurningPoint Global Solutions....
read ... We Told You So
Luxury Realtor Behind Maui Anti-GMO Initiative Shifts Attack to State's Last Cane Plantation
MN: "While the HC&S general manager continues to explain all that the sugar company does for our community, he needs to learn more about what his company is doing to the thousands of families who live there."
(Suggestion: Anybody who moved to Maui under false pretenses should sue the realtor who lied to them.)
read ... Luxury Realtor Mark Sheehan
HPD Officer Arrested Breaking into House
KHON: Richard Staszyn, 53, was arrested Thursday, accused of criminal property damage and criminal trespassing at a home on Waipua Place in Ahuimanu.
According to court documents, Staszyn went into someone’s backyard, tried to open the back door and allegedly broke a window frame.
HNN: Staszyn allegedly tried to open the back door of a home Thursday morning where he broke a window.
read ... Officer Pleads not Guilty
Bill on Hawaii governor's desk could spell relief for older Oahu homes under historic review
PBN: A bill awaiting Hawaii Gov. David Ige’s signature would exempt thousands of homeowners from a controversial law that subjects homes built more than 50 years ago to a historic preservation review whenever a homeowner applies for a building permit.
House Bill 830, which was passed by state lawmakers during the 2015 session, creates an exemption from the review requirements for proposed projects at homes that are not designated on or nominated for Hawaii or national register of historic places and are not located in a historic district.
Nearly 40 percent of the existing homes on Oahu were built before 1970 and in certain areas, this percentage is as high as 85 percent.
The current state law says that any building, structure, object, district, area or site over 50 years old is considered historic property and is subject for review by the state Historic Preservation Division of the state Department of Land and Natural Resources prior to the issuance of permits for proposed projects.
In certain cases, this requirement has delayed the granting of permits for a period of many months, which has had an adverse effect on the construction industry, according to the bill.
read ... Review
Witness: Pier situation ‘out of control’
KGI: Allen Brian Alapai, 32, of Hanalei was charged with disorderly conduct and Ikaika Daniel Hebronwoodward, 22, (charged with rape & burglary in 2012) of Lihue was charged with disorderly conduct and harassment in an incident at the pier about 7:30 p.m., according to police....
...The witness said there were actually two separate incidents at the pier Tuesday night. The first involved a local man who appeared to be intoxicated and started harassing a tourist family, eventually taking a swing — but missing — at a male tourist at beach with a small child and another person.
The witness said the police were called at that time because the local man continued to be rude and belligerent while the family of three attempted to pack up their belongings and leave.
“He was drinking and he was loud, obnoxious and rude,” the witness said.
“It was a gorgeous day,” she continued. “Everybody is sitting there, relaxing after work, watching the sunset and this cute couple with a baby is there having a great day at the beach and all of a sudden this local guy starts in on them to the point where they are packing up the car to leave.”
Meanwhile, a separate group of about a dozen young local boys was causing a commotion, cursing loudly while some jumped off the pier into the ocean, the witness said....
read ... Out of Control
Am Samoa citizenship battle
Fusion: The D.C. court’s arguments in not granting citizenship at birth is that the country should have its own referendum and choose to gain citizenship democratically rather than having it imposed on them by a court, since there are varying opinions within the country about this. The fact that the country’s elected government sided with the U.S. government was one factor the court considered important.
“Despite American Samoa’s lengthy relationship with the United States, the American Samoan people have not formed a collective consensus in favor of United States citizenship,” the decision says.
read ... Am Samoa
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