Hawaii DoE Organizing Students to Walk out March 14
Legislature: Mandatory Gay Conversion followed by Assisted Suicide March 6
Maui Mayor Signs Sea Level Proclamation: County Will Grab for More Oceanfront Land
Third Reading: House Sends 131 Bills to Senate
Feds Nail CWS Again: 'Toxic Environment', 'Fails to Protect Children'
SA: …Nivia Bruner, a social worker, lasted only five months at the state’s Child Welfare Services office in Kona before quitting in frustration three years ago.
The work environment was so toxic, Bruner said, that the Department of Human Services, which includes CWS, brought in a psychologist and then a retired judge to help address the personnel problems.
“I loved the job,” Bruner, 65, now retired on the mainland, told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser. But the dysfunction within the office proved too much, she added.
Just a few months before Bruner quit in 2015, the Kona office’s director resigned as well. She had been on the job only five months, too.
The resignations within that small office reflect what has been a larger, long-standing problem at the state’s child-protection agency: attracting and retaining qualified employees, including social workers, who are the backbone of the system.
The staff turnover problem and other difficulties faced by CWS were cited by the federal government recently after it completed its third major evaluation of the agency since 2003.
The latest results — like the previous ones — were not good.
In the 14 categories that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services analyzed in 2017, the state agency showed no improvement from 2009, the last time the federal government did a major review of CWS.
In all seven of the main outcomes that the regulators evaluated, including one titled “Children are first and foremost protected from abuse and neglect,” CWS failed to meet the thresholds set by the federal government. In the review jargon, that meant the agency was not in “substantial conformity” with any of the seven categories.
PDF: Federal Report
read … Child welfare agency shows no improvement in latest federal review
Another CWS Failure: Girl who was severely beaten after state returned her to mom gets $450K payout
HNN: … Twelve years ago, Shari Rodrigues suffered permanent brain and internal injuries after she was beaten by her biological mother’s boyfriend.
The state initially took the girl, who was 2 at the time, away from her mother. The girl was then returned.
"CPS dropped the ball because they let a person with a history of beating women and alcohol and drug problems in the house and they didn't monitor him,” said the victim's attorney, Michael Green.
Francisco Ramirez was convicted of attempted manslaughter in 2007 and is now serving a minimum 13-year sentence.
But the legal battle over responsibility for Shari's care languished in the courts for a decade before it was settled this year.
Along with the state, her doctor and a Maui shelter will also pay a substantial amount for not doing enough to protect the girl. The terms of those settlements were not disclosed.
The girl now lives on the mainland with her adoptive parents and siblings.
"She's 14 now, she's going to high school next year,” said Holly Bell, her adoptive mother. "She'll be in special education classes for the rest of her life because of the brain damage she got during the beating." ….
read … Girl who was severely beaten after state returned her to mom gets $450K payout
Questions remain after release of toddler’s autopsy
HTH: …Three-year-old Fabian Garett-Garcia’s autopsy report has been released, but the toddler’s parents are still left with questions seven months after the boy’s untimely death while in foster care.
The pathologist’s report, which the Hawaii Police Department said it received Feb. 22, determined Fabian’s cause of death to be “blunt force trauma to the head,” according to a media release. The manner of death was listed as “undetermined.”….
Records: ER staff suspected abuse in death of 3-year-old foster child
SA: Boy died of head trauma, results of autopsy show
read … Questions remain after release of toddler’s autopsy
Attorney claims officers caught on video dunking man’s head in urinal
KHON: …The homeless man violated drug probation and has been in prison since the alleged incident.
“I went out to see Sam. I was frankly shocked at the story he told,” Breiner said.
Breiner says Ingall was using a restroom in the Keeaumoku area in early February when four police officers walked in.
The officers checked Ingall’s record and found a bench warrant for his arrest for violating HOPE probation.
Breiner says the officers told Ingall he wouldn’t get arrested under one condition: he had to lick the urinal.
“He refused to touch the urinal,” said Breiner.
Breiner says the officers dunked his head in the urinal, with Ingall’s urine still in it, and flushed repeatedly.
Breiner says there’s video footage of it happening, and FBI agents paid Ingall a visit in jail to show him…..
read … Attorney claims officers caught on video dunking man’s head in urinal
Maafala to Become SHOPO Executive Director
KHON: …What does he plan to do after retiring?
“The rumor and word is out there that I’m being considered for the executive director position here at SHOPO, and it’s still in the makings. It’s still being considered,” Maafala said.
Since he will no longer be a police officer, he can’t stay on as SHOPO president. The vice president, Malcolm Lutu, will serve the remainder of Maafala’s four-year term as president, which started last December.
As for the complaint with the Hawaii Labor Relations Board, that’s scheduled for a hearing on March 16….
PDF: Click here to view the full complaint.
read … Not Gone
Ex-police chief Doesn’t Want to be Associated with Himself -- wants 2 trials in 20-count indictment
HNN: …Former HPD chief Louis Kealoha is now requesting that the 20 count, federal indictment be split into two cases: He wants two trials.
According to the court documents, Kealoha wants one trial for himself and his deputy prosecutor wife, Katherine, to defend against financial crimes, which include identity theft and bank fraud.
Kealoha then wants a second trial where he, his wife, and four other current and former HPD officers will defend themselves against conspiracy charges.
Those charges include lying to federal agents and destroying evidence in a mailbox theft that the FBI says, was staged to frame a Kealoha relative.
The indictment accuses the group of making up the mailbox theft then covering it up so that the relative was arrested and charged with a felony crime.
Three of the four, Officer Danny Sellers, Lt. Derek Hahn, and former Maj. Gordon Shiraishi have all filed motions this week to each have their own trials….
HNN: Third officer accused in corruption case against ex-police chief wants separate trial
read … Doesn’t want to be associated with himself
Next GEMS-Type Disaster: Hawaii Community Solar
PBN: …A new renewable energy program is set to democratize access to solar energy in the state, but even before the first kilowatt hour of electricity has been generated concerns about the program’s structure and its attractiveness to developers have been raised….
Iwase, who as the PUC chair had to sign off on the program’s structure, has doubts about the initial success of community solar in Hawaii. “Will there be interest from developers to buildout these utility-scale solar projects, so that people can buy into it?” he asked. “We will find out.”….
The Hawaii Solar Energy Association, a nonprofit representing the state’s solar industry, has not held back voicing its concerns about community solar under the current structure. “Several developers that we’ve spoken with believe the current CBRE program design is too risky and too costly for them to develop projects, especially on Neighbor Islands, and that the current CBRE rates are too low,” (Aha! They want more money for themselves. Now I get it!)
Hawaiian Electric said in its latest filing with the PUC that the initial cost of the CBRE program will be close to $650,000. The amount consists of an estimated $200,000 for the independent observer along with $439,000 in administrative costs during the first 12 months….
PBN: Do you expect community solar to be a success in Hawaii?
read … Hawaii's community solar puzzle
Star-Adv: Lets Act to Undermine Affordable Housing two different ways
SA: The City Council on Wednesday approved the measure that bars, for two years, the city Department of Planning and Permitting (DPP) from issuing building permits in a residential neighborhood for any monster house with a floor area greater than 70 percent of the land area….
Meanwhile, if needed affordable housing is such a big concern that politicians claim it is, the Council is urged to pass Bill 58 (2017), a measure that requires developers to provide more lower-income housing units.
Reality: Bill 58 (2017) would require developers and builders to put up affordable units that are more accessible to those making 80 percent of area median income or less. Developers say some of the requirements would make it tougher for them to finance any kind of housing.
read … Take time to rein ‘monster homes’
Caldwell’s Solution for UPW’s Make-Work Bulky Pickup—Tax it
KHON: …Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell addressed the issue directly in his budget for 2019.
“We’re proposing a call-in of bulky-item pickup in a bill we’ll be submitting with our budget,” Caldwell said, “and that we’re going to charge for it being picked up, and we picked the number of $10 per cubic yard.”
The proposal would require people to call in or log on to a website and list exactly what needs to be picked up. Only the items listed would be collected.
(Charge money and leave stuff on the curb because it wasn’t listed. Genius Caldwell plan.)
SA: Bulky trash continues to pile up in East Honolulu
read … Proposal to reduce bulky trash pileups by adding pickup fee gets mixed reviews
In attempt to cut down on ER visits, nurses hit the streets to vaccinate homeless
HNN: …On a drizzly Friday, an IHS outreach team walked the streets of Waikiki looking for people to vaccinate.
"Would you be interested in a flu vaccine?" said Justin Phillips asked a homeless person.
The traveling clinic was a first — so it wasn't clear how many people would accept the vaccination.
…the majority of people who were offered the shot agreed to get one. In the first hour, outreach nurses went through half of their supply….
William Schaeffer has been homeless about a month. He said he had been wanting a vaccine after hearing about the epidemic on the mainland and the traveling clinic made getting one convenient.
"I just figured it would be a good idea with all the people dying," said Schaeffer. "I didn't have to go nowhere. Came right to me,"
read … In attempt to cut down on ER visits, nurses hit the streets to vaccinate homeless
Coco Palms Developer Cleaning up Piles of Junk left by Homeless Occupiers
KGI: …Developer Chad Waters was on the Coco Palms property Friday. He had just gotten done feeding several animals and called the Kauai Humane Society regarding their condition and removal.
About a dozen chickens, two goats and a dog were still there, left behind, Waters said, by occupiers recently ordered from the land.
The livestock was secured in pens and a dog was tied up outside of a tent. Pigs had gotten loose and were roaming the property….
Waters said Coco Palms Hui LLC is planning to start cleaning up the site.
“They can come anytime before that to the site, (to collect their belongings), “or meet us at off site storage after Tuesday,” Waters said. “We’ll store their belongings for 30 days.”…
Since last week’s ejectment enforcement, the occupiers have moved to a different location, but remain in Wailua. This week, they were ordered by state Department of Land and Natural Resources officers to leave their current location on state land by March 5.
read … Homeless Camp
Long waits to bury loved ones at vets cemetery called 'unacceptable'
HNN: …Families of veterans are waiting weeks to bury their loved ones at the Hawaii State Veterans Cemetery in Kaneohe, in a situation the state says is regrettable but unavoidable given the number of burials handled weekly.
Joe Kuhio Lewis says his grandmother, Viola, died Feb. 19. Her burial at the cemetery won't happen until April 2.
She'll be buried next to her husband, Merchant Marine Devering Lewis, who delivered supplies for the troops during World War II.
"It's just not sitting well with any of us that she's going to be in the morgue for almost a month and a half," Lewis said.
The cemetery told the family that was earliest the burial could be scheduled…..
…a state military spokesman says the cemetery can only do three burials per day. And with the rate that veterans are dying, there's a growing backlog….
read … Long waits to bury loved ones at vets cemetery called 'unacceptable'
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