Free Speech? UH Manoa Policy Encourages Abuse
Free Speech? UH Hilo Policy Encourages Abuse
Oahu COVID Restrictions Back--Parks, Gatherings
Ige Appoints Cathy Betts to Head DHS
Former Matson Lawyer: Why It's Time to Update Jones Act
COVID Count: 144 New cases out of 1,814 tests
Poll: Blangiardi Holds Double-Digit Lead In Honolulu Mayor’s Race
CB: … Twenty-seven percent of Oahu voters surveyed in the latest Civil Beat/Hawaii News Now poll favor Blangiardi. He leads former U.S. Rep. Colleen Hanabusa and businessman Keith Amemiya, who are tied at 15% each.
But because a candidate must take more than 50% of the vote to win the mayor’s race outright on Saturday, it is almost certain there will be a runoff on Nov. 3 between Blangiardi and either Hanabusa or Amemiya.
Honolulu City Councilwoman Kym Pine is at 12%, and with a margin of error of 3.5% she is still in the hunt….
(Strategy: Vote for Pine to knock Mafia Hanabusa, Amemiya, and Hannemann out of the runoff.)
read … Poll: Blangiardi Holds Double-Digit Lead In Honolulu Mayor’s Race
Poll: Steve Alm Still Ahead In Race For Honolulu Prosecutor
CB: … (Tough on crime) Megan Kau and (Socialist-endorsed) Jacquie Esser are neck and neck in qualifying for an expected November runoff….
(Strategy: Vote for Kau to knock Esser out of runoff.)
read … Poll: Steve Alm Still Ahead In Race For Honolulu Prosecutor
More than a year after guilty verdict, still no sentencing date for Kealohas, police officers
HNN: … It was June 27, 2019, that ex police chief Louis Kealoha, his wife Katherine, a former deputy prosecutor, and two Honolulu Police Officers - Derek Hahn and Minh Hung “Bobby” Nguyen - were found guilty of conspiracy and obstruction.
The group was supposed to be sentenced on March 17 but the day before, all court proceedings were abruptly canceled, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Attorney Eric Seitz represents the victim of the conspiracy, Gerard Puana and his late mother’s estate,“There’s just no explanation and the lack of an explanation makes this all the more disturbing because frankly, this is a case that’s been around for a long time. It’s a case with a lot of public interest, a lot of other cases are dependent.” …
Katherine Kealoha was the only one ordered to the FDC after the verdict. The others remain free with pretrial bond conditions….
There is a status conference scheduled for August 14 for the civil suit, Seitz said if the court doesn’t allow the lawsuit to proceed he may consider asking the Intermediate Court of Appeals to intervene.
The delay in sentencing also affects other related criminal cases.
Former HPD officer Niall Silva - who pleaded guilty in 2016 to conspiracy - is still also waiting for his punishment to be handed down.
Also waiting, ex Hawaii County fire fighter Jesse Ebersole. In July 2018, he admitted to lying to the grand jury to hide his affair with Katherine Kealoha,…
Meanwhile, defendant Bobby Nguyen does have a hearing scheduled in federal court this Thursday after the federal pretrial services office filed a petition for action, saying Nguyen may pose a danger to another person and, or the community.
The concern appears to stem from a state lawsuit that Nguyen filed to get 10 guns from his ex-girlfriend. The court records say the two had an agreement that the woman, also a Honolulu police officer, “would receive, register, and hold (Nguyen’s) firearms and accessories in her name on a temporary basis”,…
read … More than a year after guilty verdict, still no sentencing date for Kealohas, police officers
Hospital CEO Warns Hawaii On Track To Exceed Health System Capacity
HPR: … Hawaii Pacific Health CEO Ray Vara made the comments following the regular meeting of the State House of Representatives Select Committee on COVID-19 Economic and Financial Preparedness.
“If we continue of this trend of triple digit numbers for the next 7-10 days, we’re going to begin stressing those capacities pretty quickly,” Vara warned.
Hawaii Pacific Health operates four hospitals on Oahu and Kauai, including Kapiolani, Straub, Pali Momi, and Wilcox….
HNN: In ‘sobering’ warning, Lt. Gov. Green says Hawaii ICUs could be full by the end of the month
read … Hospital CEO Warns Hawaii On Track To Exceed Health System Capacity
DoH Again Resists call for More Contract Tracers
SA: … As Hawaii’s COVID-19 counts surge — there were more than 500 new cases over the past week, including 207 on Monday alone — frustrations are mounting that the state doesn’t have enough contact tracers to prevent officials from reverting to lockdowns to contain the spread.
State Department of Health director Bruce Anderson said Monday that the state has about 105 active contact tracers, a number he said was sufficient and could increase if needed.
“I believe as does the governor that we are in good shape there and we are going to be able to continue our activities as we have and follow up in a timely way with all the cases that we are hearing about,” Anderson said.
Still Hawaii’s contact tracing team is much smaller than what’s been put together by other countries, states, cities and counties, who see contract tracers as the best level of defense to avert lockdowns. And it’s only about 25% of the tracer level recommended by the National Association of County and City Health Officials, which have estimated that 30 tracers per 100,000 in population is optimum during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Based on Hawaii’s population, NACCHO’s recommendation would be about 420 tracers during emergency conditions. That’s the number Lt. Gov. Josh Green said he and other like-minded stakeholders have championed, especially given that COVID-19 case numbers in Hawaii are surging to a level that increases the possibility of another widespread shutdown….
On July 29, State Epidemiologist Sarah Park told the Senate’s Special Committee on COVID-19 in a letter that DOH had 77 active contact tracers. Park also said that DOH could increase the number of tracers from within the department to 196.
Anderson said Monday during a media briefing that the state has a bench of about 450 tracers that had been trained at the University of Hawaii and 100 of them were ready to be hired at anytime.
(Translation: They really don’t know how many tracers they have. Maybe the need somebody to trace the tracers.)
The DOH hired 20 people this week and plans to hire another 20 next week in anticipation of higher COVID-19 counts, he said. DOH also can tap other staff members, public health nurses and Hawaii National Guard members, Anderson added.
Anderson said new computer applications allow each tracer to track up to 20 individuals a day — so 100 tracers could potentially trace 2,000 people per day.
read … Hawaii needs more contact tracers, critics say
House COVID-19 Committee: We Need More Info From Health Department
CB: … with cases generally rising, Carl Bonham, executive director of the University of Hawaii Economic Research Organization who’s also a member of the committee, said it’s key to let people know what things are safer to do – and what’s not safe – in order to keep certain economic sectors and activities going.
For example, Bonham said, if it’s relatively safe to shop at a grocery store wearing a mask, people need to know that so they keep shopping. Conversely, if the virus is being spread at bars or large beach gatherings, the public needs to know so people can refrain from doing that.
Without more detailed information, people might engage in little economic activity – even relatively safe things — for the sake of safety.
“Providing that information is crucial,” Bonham said.
Hawaii House Speaker Scott Saiki, who co-chairs the committee, said being able categorize cases – saying how many new cases came from bars, for instance – could give the public a sense of what not to do while still protecting the privacy of individuals.
Likewise, Saiki said, it would be useful to know how many cases came from people visiting Hawaii versus, say, residents returning from a trip to Las Vegas.
It could also give government officials an idea of what activities to limit and what to allow, rather than imposing a sweeping stay-at-home order like the one that effectively shut down the economy in the spring….
HPR: Crucial Public Information Missing to Create a Local COVID-19 Model
HTH: As state plans reopening, Health Director says COVID-19 ‘endemic’
KITV: DOH concerned about delays in COVID-19 test results, working to shorten turn-around times
read … House COVID-19 Committee: We Need More Info From Health Department
DoH: Where COVID Spreading
SA: …Health officials said it is not the time for Hawaii to let its guard down, and noted several clusters that are under investigation, including:
>> 71 cases linked to a series of funeral events;
>> Six cases linked to a hot yoga class;
>> 12 cases associated with a birthday party;
>> Multiple household and other clusters associated with social interactions.
Health officials noted that 24 of today’s newly diagnosed cases are the result of community spread, two are travel-related, and 118 cases are still under investigation….
read … Hawaii records 27th coronavirus-related death and another triple-digit increase in cases
30,000 Hawaii workers may have opted out of job market in July
SA: … With COVID-19 cases surging and Hawaii’s economy struggling, as many as 30,000 workers could have taken themselves out of the state’s labor market last month.
“If there aren’t jobs, people will continue to drop out,” said Carl Bonham — executive director of the University of Hawaii Economic Research Organization, who serves on the House Select Committee on COVID-19 — at a committee meeting Monday. “You may very well see a 30,000-person drop in employment.”
Bonham said it’s difficult to make an estimate. But whatever July’s numbers turn out to be, Bonham said they’re certain to increase in the coming months as employees on the verge of retirement also pull the plug on full-time employment, such as school teachers, airline workers and others who may face the possibility of furloughs and further shutdowns.
“All of these things are coming into play,” Bonham said. “We’re seeing retirements already, teachers who will choose not to come back into the classroom. … That incentive grows if we’re talking furloughs.” …
KITV: 400 DFS employees in Hawaii to lose their jobs due to COVID-19
SA Editorial: Public needs swift help from states
read … 30,000 Hawaii workers may have opted out of job market in July
Small business revenue sees a decline in July
KHON: … small businesses were hardest hit in April with more than 70% revenue loss.
In June the loss was 37% which was an improvement. However, in late July the revenue dropped to about 48%.
The President of Retail Merchants of Hawaii, Tina Yamaki, said these losses are also reflected in retail sales.
“The extra $600 from the federal government has gone away as well,” Yamaki said. “Some places that have opened are now closing again whether it’s to bankruptcy, or there are just no customers there.”…
read … Small business revenue sees a decline
Hawaii’s vacation rentals hard hit in June by lockdowns and low travel demand
SA: … Statewide vacation rental occupancy in June rose to 13.8%, a number that was 59.8 percentage points behind June 2019 but better than the prior month. In June 2020, the total monthly supply of statewide vacation rentals fell 61.5% to 339,441 unit nights and monthly demand fell 92.8% to 46,719 unit nights.
In comparison, only 9% of short-term units statewide were occupied in May, a month when emergency bans were active on all islands and occupancy experienced a 61.7 percentage-point drop. May’s supply of vacation rentals also was more constricted and demand was lower….
read … Hawaii’s vacation rentals hard hit in June by lockdowns and low travel demand
EMS faces 'challenges with staffing' as more first responders test positive for COVID-19
KITV: … The Honolulu Fire Department reports seven fire fighters have tested positive for COVID-19 and all personnel that had close contact with them are now in self-quarantine….
After contact tracing, eleven total paramedics and emergency medical technicians are now in quarantine.
Honolulu EMS crews have treated and transported 97 COVID-19 positive patients since the start of the pandemic….
read … EMS faces 'challenges with staffing' as more first responders test positive for COVID-19
Micronesians make up one-third of all COVID-19 cases in Hawai'i
KITV: … The number of COVID-19 cases in Pacific Islanders is on the rise.
The state reported on Monday that the ethnicity group now makes up more than one-third of all cases in Hawai'i, despite Pacific Islanders making up just about 5% of Hawaii's population.
Director Bruce Anderson says much of it is socioeconomic, Pacific Islanders often work front line jobs in the service industry and few can work from home.
In addition a reason cited by DOH is that culturally they often live in close quarters….
According to Dr. Bruce Anderson Native Hawaiians are not included in the Pacific Islander group….
HNN: Some worry ‘there’s no contingency plan’ for COVID at Hawaii’s public housing
KITV: Hawaii Public Housing Authority to hold emergency online meeting in response to rise in COVID-19 cases
read … Pacific Islanders make up one-third of all COVID-19 cases in Hawai'i
State debunks popular Oahu church’s fake face mask waiver
HNN: … As recently as Monday morning, the website of Calvary Chapel of Honolulu had a link to a document that appeared to serve as a waiver form for mask wearing, saying individuals can be exempt from donning a face covering because ‘wearing a face mask is far more hazardous than the threat of coronavirus.'
The document was meant to appear like an official government message, complete with a seal from the Department of Justice.
It also cited the Americans with Disabilities Act, saying masks are dangerous because they impede breathing and collect bacteria ― claims which experts say are just not true.
Bill Stonebraker, the church’s leader and the father of Honolulu mayoral candidate Bud Stonebraker, says posting the fake document was a mistake and had it removed this afternoon.
“We received the mask exemption notice from California and thought it legitimate for those it would apply to, but now after your call, I have researched the issue to find it is not a valid exemption so it has been taken down,” Stonebraker said in a statement after inquiries about the issue from Hawaii News Now….
read … State debunks popular Oahu church’s fake face mask waiver
Locals Trash Hawaii Parks in Ways Tourists Never Did
CB: … On July 28, the state closed Polihale indefinitely, calling it “the first casualty of bad behavior under COVID-19 rules.”
In the past tourists were blamed for over-stressing Hawaii’s parks but Hawaii today has very few visitors.
“We cannot attribute the recent spate of vandalism, theft, graffiti and bad behavior on tourists — it is now us,” Dennison said in the press release….
The rowdy and unpermitted campers raced their trucks on the beach, driving through dunes containing Hawaiian burial sites and critically endangered native plants.
The park has no restrooms so hundreds of the violators defecated on Polihale’s fragile sand dunes….
read … Why Are People Trashing State Parks?
The Dirty Secrets Of ‘Clean’ Electric Vehicles
F: … To begin with, about half the lifetime carbon-dioxide emissions from an electric car come from the energy used to produce the car, especially in the mining and processing of raw materials needed for the battery. This compares unfavorably with the manufacture of a gasoline-powered car which accounts for 17% of the car’s lifetime carbon-dioxide emissions. When a new EV appears in the show-room, it has already caused 30,000 pounds of carbon-dioxide emission. The equivalent amount for manufacturing a conventional car is 14,000 pounds.
Once on the road, the carbon dioxide emissions of EVs depends on the power-generation fuel used to recharge its battery. If it comes mostly from coal-fired power plants, it will lead to about 15 ounces of carbon-dioxide for every mile it is driven—three ounces more than a similar gasoline-powered car. Even without reference to the source of electricity used for battery charging, if an EV is driven 50,000 miles over its lifetime, the huge initial emissions from its manufacture means the EV will actually have put more carbon-dioxide in the atmosphere than a similar-size gasoline-powered car driven the same number of miles. Even if the EV is driven for 90,000 miles and the battery is charged by cleaner natural-gas fueled power stations, it will cause just 24% less carbon-dioxide emission than a gasoline-powered car. As the skeptical environmentalist Bjorn Lomborg puts it, “This is a far cry from ‘zero emissions’"….
Video: Planet of the Humans: Michael Moore Debunks Hawaii's Clean Energy Initiative
IM: Small Little-Known Phrases Have Powerful Hawai`i Impacts
read … The Dirty Secrets Of ‘Clean’ Electric Vehicles
Ten of the 23 shelters at Waiale park are occupied
MN: … Each unit cost $4,900 before shipping and add-ons, making the total cost at least $113,000 for the 23 shelters….
The temporary housing may be available for the next six to eight months. Sheltered residents also are still working with case managers to seek permanent housing, the county said.
Each unit is 64-square-feet with two beds, air conditioning, electrical outlets and a designated parking space on the park’s premises. County officials said that 24-hour security also is provided, as well as a mobile trailer equipped with showers, bathrooms and laundry services….
Current residents living in the Waiale pallet homes all previously were homeless with existing relationships with outreach workers from the Family Life Center, Maui County spokesman Chris Sugidono said. Case managers help the residents find permanent housing and employment and obtain disability income and housing subsidies.
Meals are catered every day with some paid for by the county from Hale Mahaolu. Other meals are donated by Ka Hale A Ke Ola and Family Life Center….
“The pallet homes have given these residents not only a safe place to sleep at night with a roof over their head, but also the services and support they need to succeed long-term,” Victorino said. “We have received many positive comments on this project, and we are very grateful to all the neighbors who have embraced them as part of their community.”
read … Ten of the 23 shelters at Waiale park are occupied
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