Road Fees and Taxes: Nobody Pays More than Hawaii Drivers
Hawaii Judiciary Seeking Volunteers
Registration Open for 2019-2020 Hawaii LifeSmarts Competition
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37 Oahu TVRs Get Notice of Violation
Court: Fox Must Face Lawsuit over Malia Zimmerman Conspiracy Theory
Telescope Protesters Put $5,000 Bounty on Police Officer
HTH: … At a press conference today in Honolulu, Ige and state Attorney General Clare Connors highlighted a series of social media posts that urged violence against employees and officials involved in the state’s efforts to build the Thirty Meter Telescope on Maunakea.
Connors criticized language used in some social media comments that “falsely characterize law enforcement as ‘out to get people,’” saying that language leads to more dangerous rhetoric.
In particular, Connors pointed to an image circulating on social media offering a $5,000 bounty for the identity of a law enforcement officer who destroyed a Hawaiian flag while dismantling an unpermitted structure at Maunakea Access Road last week.
Nolan Espinda, director of the state Department of Public Safety, said he stood by the actions of the officer who destroyed the flag, explaining that the flag was affixed to a barricade across the structure’s entrance and could not be quickly removed.
Connors said other state employees have had their identities, addresses and contact information leaked online, leading to harassing and threatening messages. She played a voicemail reportedly left to one employee, wherein a man told the employee “I hope you die.”
Ige said he calls upon any one engaging in such behavior online to stop immediately, and also denounced racist language used against TMT opponents as well.…
History of Anti-Telescope Violence:
read … Ige denounces threats against state employees, officials
Soft on Crime: Convicted Killer Barricades himself, Shoots it out with Police Every Time he is Released from Prison
SA: … The suspect’s daughter, who was at the shelter, identified her father as Wayman K. Kaua and said he was shot by police in the stomach and was alone in the house.
Kaua has a long criminal history dating to 1988, with about a dozen felony convictions ranging from manslaughter to robbery and various misdemeanor offenses, according to state records.
This is the second time that Kaua has had a violent standoff with police in the Pearl City area. (It’s really the third—the first one doesn’t count because it was in Ewa Beach.)
On Oct. 30, 1998, a police sharpshooter shot Kaua in the chest as he was holding his wife, Chanel Kaua, at gunpoint at 1938 Waimano Home Road. A SWAT team had stormed the house.
The shooting happened after a 22-hour standoff that stranded hundreds of residents and closed several area schools.
Kaua fired more than 17 shots from an assault rifle during the standoff that started when police went to the home seeking Kaua, who was wanted for parole violations.
Kaua recovered from his gunshot wound and was sentenced to life in prison, but the sentence was later overturned.
A panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed a lower court’s ruling that the state’s use of a law allowing judges to impose extended prison terms was unconstitutional.
The 1998 standoff was not Kaua’s first.
He barricaded himself, his then-pregnant girlfriend and her infant son for three hours in 1990 in an Ewa Beach home when police tried to serve him with a probation violation warrant, according to a Honolulu Star-Bulletin report. That standoff ended peacefully.
Kaua, who had lost his job just before the standoff, was convicted for firearms possession as a result of the standoff and was paroled in August 1997.
Kaua’s daughter said this afternoon that her father was released from prison in March. She confirmed that her father was in the house of his ex-girlfriend and the couple had argued earlier….
read … Lets Release him Again
Gun law questions raised after four shootings in five days
KHON: …Hawaii has some of the strictest gun laws in the country, but following four shootings in five days some are wondering if the laws need to be tougher gun control really works….
read … Gun law questions raised after four shootings in five days
Delays prompt judge to dismiss charge against accused killer
HNN: …In August, Robert Midel allegedly confronted Ryan Cavalear in the hallway at the Pali YMCA.
Police said Midel stabbed the 35-year-old several times in the head and neck. Cavalear was taken in critical condition to a hospital, where he later died.
On Wednesday, a judge agreed that the prosecution’s delays were excessive and dismissed the case….
Prosecutors told her that Midel may be released before they start the case over again….
In a statement, the city Prosecutor’s Office said because the murder charge was dismissed without prejudice, new charges can be filed.
“The Rule 48 violation results from the time it took police to provide their final report to prosecutors and from the judge’s decision to hold the prosecution responsible for time in a continuance requested by the defense,” the city Prosecutor’s Office said.
(As usual everybody points fingers .)
read … Delays prompt judge to dismiss charge against accused killer
Religious freedom and Mauna Kea
ILind: … The hearings officer said members of the Mauna Kea Hui had failed to present evidence showing they had “conducted or participated in religious ceremonies” on the TNT site, and did not identify religious practices that would be interfered with.
“Petitioners (those known as the Mauna Kea Hui whose protest triggered the contested case) and everyone else will have continued access to the area, for religious practices and for any other activity,” the hearings officer concluded….
CS: Cornell Student Assembly Urges Divestment from Construction of Observatory on ‘Sacred’ Hawaiian Mountain
read … More on religious freedom and Mauna Kea
Maui Windfarm Allowed to Kill 140 Bats
MN: … Auwahi Wind Energy owns the 21-megawatt Auwahi Wind Farm on Ulupalakua Ranch land. It sought to increase its “incidental take” of ope’ape’a, or Hawaiian hoary bats, to 140, up from the 21 bats in its original application, through 2037.
The final supplemental environmental impact statement to increase the bat deaths was accepted by the state Department of Land and Natural Resources, according to the state Office of Environmental Quality Control’s The Environmental Notice published Sunday.
On the federal level, a record of decision on the final programmatic environmental impact statement for the increase in bat deaths has been prepared and was signed Sept. 3. However, Auwahi has not received a printout from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service yet, said Melissa McHenry, managing director of external communication for American Electric Power, which runs the wind farm.…
read … Auwahi allowed to increase ‘incidental take’ of bats
Honolulu City Council: Who’s Raking in the Big Bucks?
CB: … And check out what we’re paying Honolulu City Council members and other employees of the city’s legislative branch….
The top two engineers for Oahu’s municipal water system have received raises totaling about 15% over the past two years.
Ernest Lau, manager and chief engineer, is now paid $191,432, compared to $165,939 two years ago. His deputy, Ellen Kitamura, earns $181,860, up from $158,396 two years ago.
They are the top paid of 589 employees of the Honolulu Board of Water Supply that have just been added to Civil Beat’s public employee salary database, along with 128 employees of the Honolulu Legislative Branch….
Just added are the employees within the Honolulu Legislative Branch, including the City Council, the City Auditor’s Office, the City Clerk’s Office and the Office of Council Services.
City Council chairman Ikaika Anderson is paid $76,968. Two years ago, then-chair Ron Menor made $71,520.
The other eight City Council members are earning $68,904. Two years ago, that figure was $64,008.
Andre Malahoff, executive assistant to the council chair, is paid $110,000. As a legislative analyst two years ago, he made $85,500.
The City Council currently has 20 legislative analysts, with senior advisor Kimberly Ribellia earning the most at $105,000.
The Office of Council Services provides research and reference services to the council. Director James Williston earns $166,560, up from $154,728 two years ago.
Deputy director Warren Senda earns $158,040. Two years ago as a senior staff attorney, he made $120,642. At that time, Galen Onouye made $146,808 as assistant director.
Current supervising attorney Lloyd Yoshioka makes $126,938. He earned $104,406 two years ago as a staff attorney.
At the City Auditor’s Office, acting city auditor Troy Shimasaki is paid $166,560. Two years ago, then-Auditor Edwin Young got $145,002.
All nine of the other employees in the Auditor’s Office are legislative analysts earning from $48,195 to $113,548.
The database includes 29 employees of the City Clerk’s Office. Glen Takahashi, the city clerk, makes $160,920, up from $154,728 two years ago.
Next highest paid is Chadd Kakota, departmental staff executive assistant, within a range of $92,100 to $153,228.
read … Pay Hikes For Water Board Engineers Outpace Other City Officials
Sweeps: 8 bums forced into shelter–in jail
HNN: …The sweep, which started around 1:30 a.m., happened in the area of Ilalo Street, near Kakaako Gateway Park, a hot spot for campers for several years.
The City and County of Honolulu said it's enforcing its sidewalk nuisance and stored property ordinances.
Honolulu police said they've also arrested eight people for warrants.
Crews are also planning to clear areas in Waimanalo, Mililani and Kahala throughout the day….
SA: Prosecutor’s, Public Defender’s offices team up to offer homeless services
read … Arrests made as crews conduct homeless sweeps in Kakaako
Experts tell lawmakers: Localize Hawaii’s CBD industry to safeguard consumers
SA: Unlike Hawaii’s highly regulated medical pot industry, there is no oversight of CBD. …
The DOH earlier this week announced it is investigating Hawaii’s first suspected case of severe respiratory illness related to vaping following the hospitalization of a Hawaii island youth for a “serious lung injury.” More than 450 cases of severe lung injuries, including at least six deaths — many related to illicit cannabinoid products, such as THC — have been reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention….
read … CBD Oligopoly Next
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