Hawaii Unemployment Rate Drops to 13.9%
Hawaii has Fewest Pass-Through Businesses in USA--and 4th highest taxes
City Announces Progress on Sewage System Consent Decree
VIDEO: TMT Remains Committed to Finding a Way Forward in Hawaii
Major new study finally reveals how much Jones Act costs Hawaii
Facial Recognition Contractor Selected for Hawaii Airports
EPA: Waters Around Two Hawaii Beaches Impaired by Plastic Pollution
Oahu man dodges bullets after turning down alleged hit during Miske saga
HNN: … Lindsey Kinney says in 2016, he was offered $50,000 to kill a young man named Johnathan Fraser but he turned it down. “They approached me when they were in the hospital, saying Mike Miske wants to hire me to kill Johnny Fraser,” Kinney said.
Kinney said that decision — to deny Miske’s request — put his own life in danger.
In 2017, he said, Norman L. Akau III told him Miske wanted to fight him near Kualoa Ranch. But when Kinney showed up, he narrowly escaped gunfire.
“First shot went right past my head while I was running and I’m pretty sure I heard two other smaller calibers,” said Kinney….
Kinney said Miske’s motive to kill him was no secret.
“I was a loose end,” he said….
Kinney said Miske also offered him $20,000 to remain silent, but he turned that down as well….
SA: Accused Hawaii crime boss Michael Miske Jr. kept alleged target close
read … Oahu man dodges bullets after turning down alleged hit during Miske saga
Feds: Alleged crime boss spent far more than he earned from legitimate business
HNN: … From 2010 to 2017, the alleged ringleader of a massive organized crime group spent more than $15 million to fund a lavish lifestyle that included luxury homes, sports cars and hundreds of thousands of dollars in art work and jewelry, court documents say….
Documents reviewed by Hawaii News Now show Kamaaina Termite and Pest Control had $8.5 million in revenues in 2017 and a net profit of $2.5 million.
They also show that Miske earned $281,000 that year -- or far less than what the Feds said he was spending.
According to federal prosecutors, Miske used the $15 million buy a number of luxury items, including:
- His Portlock home, now worth $7 million;
- A 2017 Ferrari F12 Berlinetta, for which he paid $219,000;
- And $200,000 for luxury watches, jewelry and art.
Lind, who has been tracking Miske’s exploits for years, said the Teamster union member has come a long way from his early days as small-time hood….
While Kamaiana Termite was one of Miske’s legitimate companies, federal authorities said it also served as the headquarters for his criminal ventures.
They said his associates conducted drug deals out of the building.
The feds also alleged that they threatened customers and competitors who complained about the company’s service and business tactics.
“As far back as 2003, one of his business competitors was alleging that Miske threatened to slit his termite fumigation tents and release poisonous vapors into neighborhoods,” said longtime investigative reporter Jim Dooley.
“The man had been building up a reputation for a number of years for being a fairly ruthless individual.”…
ILind: Here we go again --Miske wasn’t just a thug with a history of violence. He was a man about town who appears to have had many contacts and considerable influence within elite business and political circles. We should hope that unravelling Miske’s complex criminal enterprise will also end up exposing the nature of his political influence. That could turn out to be the source of even more surprises as this case moves forward.….
read … Feds: Alleged crime boss spent far more than he earned from legitimate business
Hawaii County seeks proposals to spend $80 million: Fast-tracked bid request to get money on the street
WHT: … Feed the hungry while supporting local farmers, fishers and restaurants is one goal of millions of dollars worth of grants being offered by the county.
Other grants will support childcare businesses so parents can get back to work, expand social-related, health and wellness programs that build resilient communities and enhance internet access in poorly connected neighborhoods so students can participate in classes and workers can work from home….
Another series of grants will go solely to community development financial institutions, financial empowerment centers, financial opportunity centers, or nonprofits with the capacity to evaluate applications and deliver emergency monetary rent, lease, or mortgage assistance on behalf of residents. Utility relief is also available through a separate grant.
Those interested in applying for any of the grants better hurry — the deadline is 4:30 p.m. Tuesday.
Details about the grants and how to apply can be found at www.hawaiicounty.gov/cares. Deputy Finance Director Steve Hunt said Thursday he couldn’t really speak about the process while the request for proposals is ongoing.
But two County Council members, in recent nonbinding resolutions approved by the full council, asked the county to prioritize financial bailouts for very small and women-owned businesses.
Proposals will go-through a three-phase procedure using quantitative ranking, the county says. First, a two-person team will screen the applications to ensure all the required information is provided. The proposal then goes to an evaluation committee that will assign points in various categories and create a priority list that then goes to the director of the Department of Research and Development.
It’s a fast-tracked process in order to get the money out to the people quickly; the request for proposals for the grants was just published Sunday. The money must be spent by Dec. 30….
read … County seeks proposals to spend $80 million: Fast-tracked bid request to get money on the street
40 Currently Hospitalized with COVID Statewide
HNN:… Health officials confirmed that 40 people were hospitalized with the coronavirus across the state Thursday. Seven are in intensive care. That’s nearly double what it was two days ago. At last check, none of those patients are in need of a ventilator….
read … Health officials confirmed
Hawaii Health Officials Back Superintendent’s Plan To Reopen Schools
CB: … Hawaii’s top health officials waded into a growing furor over the Hawaii Department of Education’s school reopening plan, telling state lawmakers Thursday that the decision to reopen classrooms in a few short weeks has to be a balancing act between health and safety considerations and meeting children’s educational needs.
“The only way to completely obviate the risks for kids, teachers, is, you stay home. And I think everyone understands that’s not an option,” said State Epidemiologist Sarah Park. “You cannot shelter in place forever. But that’s the only way you won’t be infected.”
Park, a pediatrician, emphasized to a state Senate Special Committee on COVID-19 that schools must practice appropriate sanitation measures like hand washing and wearing of masks, and that by separating younger kids into “Ohana bubbles,” schools could minimize the potential to spread the virus.
“If infection is introduced, unfortunately, in a school — because of consistency and each classroom is a bubble, that bubble is the one that is affected and not the entire school,” she said….
KITV: DOE: Reopening public schools is going to be a 'challenge'
TGI: Reopening schools discussion ongoing
read … Hawaii Health Officials Back Superintendent’s Plan To Reopen Schools
Decommissioning plan for Hoku Ke‘a teaching telescope on board agenda
HTH: … The Maunakea Management Board during a meeting today will discuss a $1.3 million plan to decommission and relocate Hoku Ke‘a, the University of Hawaii’s teaching telescope on Maunakea.
The Office of Maunakea Management’s board will take action regarding the next steps in the decommissioning of the first of five telescopes to be removed from Maunakea in exchange for (huh?) the planned construction of the Thirty Meter Telescope….
(Better Idea: Stop tearing down perfectly good telescopes and negotiate the money demands with OHA. This is all about money.)
read … Decommissioning plan for Hoku Ke‘a teaching telescope on board agenda
Hawaii agency seeks to terminate Hunt Cos. from $1B Mayor Wright Homes redevelopment
PBN: … The Hawaii Public Housing Authority is seeking to terminate its master development agreement with the Hunt Cos., nearly six years after selecting the developer to undertake a $1.3 billion redevelopment of the aging 364-unit Mayor Wright Homes public housing project into a mixed-income complex and adding more than 2,000 new affordable and market-rate rental apartments near Downtown Honolulu.
The HPHA board is scheduled to vote at its regular meeting on Thursday, which will be held virtually on Zoom because of Covid-19, to terminate the master development agreement with the developer “for convenience and to authorize the executive director to undertake all actions necessary to effectuate the termination,” according to a meeting agenda posted last week.….
Nearly three years ago the board voted to terminate “for convenience” a master development agreement with Michaels Development Co. to redevelop units at the Kuhio Park Terrace public housing project. The board later reversed the termination and Michaels is in negotiation for a revised master agreement.
Officials from Michaels are also scheduled to give a presentation Thursday on the Kuhio Park Terrace project, as are officials from Retirement Housing Foundation, which has a master development agreement with HPHA to redevelop its School Street headquarters with 800 affordable senior rentals in a $370 million mixed-use complex on six acres….
read … Hawaii agency seeks to terminate Hunt Cos. from $1B Mayor Wright Homes redevelopment
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