Tax proposals defy common sense
New Survey: 50% of Hawaii businesses not paying rent
Ige Approves Kauai Return to 'Safe Travels' Program
Hawaii Highest Internet 'Latency' in USA
Hawaii Motor Vehicle Deaths Drop 20%
How Many Deficiencies? 43 Hawaii Nursing Homes Ranked
'Safe Travels' App to Become Vaccination Passport?
COVID Cash: $6 Billion Coming To Hawai‘i
Retaliation for Discrimination Suit: Did Kaneshiro Frame ex-Mitsunaga Employee?
HNN: … A parade of Keith Kaneshiro’s campaign donors testified this week before the federal grand jury hearing evidence against the former city prosecutor.
It’s another twist in a widening federal corruption probe.
Six of those who testified were all tied to Mitsunaga & Associates, an architectural and engineering firm known for its political connections…
It appears the federal grand jury is hearing evidence surrounding the false prosecution of a former employee of the firm.
The woman was fired in 2011 and filed a sex and age discrimination lawsuit in 2012.
She lost that civil claim in 2014. Months later, Kaneshiro’s office prosecuted her for a crime she did not commit ― felony theft.
Neither the Honolulu Police Department nor the state Attorney General’s Office were involved, just investigators and prosecutors working for Kaneshiro….
The two deputy prosecutors on that criminal case were:
- Chasid Sapolu, who was deemed a subject of the federal public corruption case;
- and Jake Delaplane, former deputy city prosecutor who worked alongside Katherine Kealoha in the failed prosecution of nine people in the state’s largest gambling case. The case was dismissed with the circuit court judge also questioning the conduct of the office.
The theft case against the woman was thrown out by Circuit Court Judge Karen Nakasone.
She wrote in her decision, “The flawed process and the flawed proof compromised the integrity of the charges against the defendant.”…
Inside the courthouse, attorney for Mitsunaga and Associates, Sheri Tanaka accused the FBI agents of threatening and harassing her clients. Tanaka was heard telling the special prosecutor, Michael Wheat, that the grand jury process was unlawful.
(She was not saying: “My Client paid good money for that prosecutor!”)
An FBI agent asked Tanaka if she was recording her conversation on her phone while she was in the hallway outside the grand jury room.
Deputies with the US Marshals Service responded, but it’s not clear what happened after that. Recording inside the federal courthouse and especially surrounding grand jury proceedings is illegal….
read … Federal authorities zero in on Kaneshiro campaign donors in next phase of corruption probe
SB1117: Pay Ex-cops to lead vigilante quarantine and mask crackdowns in Hawaii?
SA: … Efforts are underway to create a statewide force of retired police officers to further crack down on Hawaii’s mask-wearing requirements and track down more people who violate COVID-19 quarantine laws.
“We’re just hoping to get it under control so that we can get tourism back and open the state back up,” Angela Keen of Hawaii Quarantine Kapu Breakers told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser’s Spotlight Hawaii online program on Friday.
State Sen. Donovan Dela Cruz, chairman of the Senate Ways and Means Committee, was planning to submit a resolution calling for a task force that could create another layer of COVID-19 enforcement, but on Friday told Keen he was proposing a bill instead, Keen said….
Dela Cruz later told the Star-Advertiser that new language was added to Senate Bill 1117, an existing bill to make emergency appropriations for COVID-19 that was amended to create a task force….
The retired officers would be paid from unused CARES Act funds and, potentially, from an anticipated new round of federal stimulus, Keen said.
The retired officers could work through the state Attorney General’s office, which has been following up on tips from Kapu Breakers to cite and arrest COVID-19 quarantine violators….
Read the Comments: “This Keen woman sounds like that weird paranoid neighbor we all know who has a police scanner and sits home and listens to it all day. Now our government has given her a temporary touch of authority and she won't let go.” -- “Perfect combination - Corrupt cops enforcing corrupt civil rights laws. What could possibly go wrong?”
SB1117: Text, Status
Related: VIDEO: Police Chief says 263 officers abused overtime policy
Nov 2020: Nearly 60,000 citations issued for violating emergency orders
read … Ex-cops could lead quarantine and mask crackdowns in Hawaii
Hawaii County looks to lift more COVID-19 restrictions soon
KITV: … Hawaii County Mayor Mitch Roth submitted changes to his Emergency Proclamation to Governor David Ige asking for approval to lift some Big Island restrictions, including allowing outdoor gatherings of up to 25 people (from 10 people), reopening Parks and Recreation open air gyms, and allowing businesses to hold bigger events on a case-by-case basis. Businesses have to submit safety protocol plans for a specific event and get Mayor’s approval.
Mayor Roth says he is waiting for Gov. Ige’s approval, hopefully this weekend or Monday….
read … Hawaii County looks to lift more COVID-19 restrictions soon
Almost 500 state education employees received a shot of the Johnson and Johnson COVID-19 vaccine
KITV: .. Nearly 500 Department of Education employees received a shot of the Johnson and Johnson COVID-19 vaccine at Windward Health Center in Kaneohe on Friday. It's the first time the state administered the newest vaccine available since receiving shipment on Wednesday. The idea of a single dose instead of two changed many minds.
(Translation: Are you under 70? Keep waiting. Your union doesn’t pick the Governor.)
Jamie Shioji is a special education teacher at multiple schools. At first she wasn't sure she wanted a shot but after doing her own research, she changed her mind.
"One thing was it's only one shot and I don't like shots," Shioji said. "I feel confident, get more comfortable... I'm just hoping things will start to look more normal."
Appointments for this vaccine opened online Wednesday afternoon, and a thousand doses per week are available.
MN: Eight more students at Maui County public schools have tested positive for COVID-19
SA: Nearly 500 DOE employees receive Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine ahead of resumption of in-person classes
HNN: State administers first doses of Johnson & Johnson vaccines to educators
read … Almost 500 state education employees received a shot of the Johnson and Johnson COVID-19 vaccine
UH finishing up employee vaccinations—’Nearly All’ staff vaccinated
KL: … Nearly all UH employees have already been contacted to schedule an appointment for the COVID-19 Vaccine, according to UH spokesperson Dan Meisenzahl.
Most have scheduled an appointment already, and as of Feb. 28, over 5,000 employees within the UH system had already received at least one vaccination dose, and many more have received it in the week since then. 2,000 of these employees have received their second dose, according to Meisenzahl….
This week may be the last week that employees will be able to schedule their appointments, though, according to an email sent out Friday to UH employees. Meisenzahl said that anyone else who still hasn't been contacted or scheduled an appointment will be emailed by the end of this coming week, and should set up their appointment as soon as possible.
Meisenzahl said that this is due to the fact that the Hawaiʻi Department of Health may be moving on from vaccinating the 1b group (first responders, frontline workers and adults 75 and older) to the 1c group (adults age 65 to 74, persons age 16 to 64 with medical conditions and essential workers not vaccinated in 1b)….
read … Vaccine doses coming in from mainland are quickly being administered to faculty and staff.
Report Calls For Better Data About And For Native Hawaiians
CB: … Native Hawaiians face disproportionate social and economic problems, but data about them is often incomplete, complicating efforts to improve the situation. ….
PDF: REPORT
read … Report Calls For Better Data About And For Native Hawaiians
Maui Bill removes Mandatory Fine for Trespassing
MN: … if HCP-30 passes, it would still be illegal to trespass when a county park is closed, but the county prosecutors would have the discretion/leeway to direct people to services like shelters, medical help, mental health services, addiction programs and social work support, instead of just paying a fine, which they likely can’t afford….
read … Homelessness must be decriminalized
Hawaii congressional delegation seeks national forest declaration—could transfer 1000s of acres to Federal Government
HTH: … Hawaii’s four-member U.S. congressional delegation has introduced bills to direct the U.S. Forest Service to assess the potential for Hawaii lands to be declared a national forest, in partnership with local stakeholders from the state and community.
The pair of bills were introduced by Sens. Brian Schatz and Mazie Hirono and Reps. Ed Case and Kai Kahele, all Democrats….
Hirono is a member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, and Case is a member of the House Committee on Natural Resources. This bill will be referred to these committees for consideration.
read … Hawaii congressional delegation seeks national forest declaration
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