'Good Questions' still bedevil Honolulu rail
Mental Health Workers to Strike Kaiser Hawaii Facilities
Feds no Fools: Force Kealoha Conspirators to Face Jury
CB: … Three former Honolulu officials charged with engaging in a conspiracy had hoped a judge would determine their fates but will instead face a jury of their peers sometime this fall, U.S. District Court Judge Leslie Kobayashi said Thursday….
Federal prosecutors say the trio coordinated to deliver a $250,000 retirement package to the now-imprisoned police chief Louis Kealoha in 2017….
federal rules require that for a bench trial to proceed, prosecutors must agree. And the prosecution in this case denied the request, according to a filing from San Diego Assistant U.S. Attorney Colin McDonald this week.
“As with every case, the United States expects the defendants will receive an impartial trial by jury, which is their constitutional guarantee,” he wrote….
The federal corruption investigation that led to the indictment of Leong, Sword and Amemiya is ongoing.
Hawaii News Now reported the grand jury convened by the San Diego prosecutors heard from Gary Kurokawa, former Mayor Kirk Caldwell’s chief of staff, last week. Caldwell, who had been actively campaigning for governor, dropped out of the race the day before Kurokawa’s testimony….
SA: Ex-officials to face jury after losing bid for bench verdict
CB: The Three Mouseketeers
read … Ex-Honolulu Officials Charged With Conspiracy Will Face A Jury In The Fall
BWS scrambles to get wells online in hopes of avoiding mandatory restrictions
HNN: … The Board of Water Supply has been busy replacing old pumps to bring wells in Kalihi and Aiea that were out of service back online.
It’s part of an effort to try and prevent mandatory water restrictions from going into effect this summer as three wells near the fuel contamination at Red Hill remain closed.
The first pumps expected to be back up and running are located at the Kalihi Pumping Station.
Officials say they’ve got them working. They’re just waiting on results from water quality tests which they hope to have next month….
Water from the Kalihi wells will help serve customers on the makai side of the H-1 Freeway from Kalihi to Hawaii Kai….
Officials hope to have the remaining two pumps that service customers in Honolulu on the mauka side of the freeway working by August.
“In addition to the major renovation of the Kalihi Pumping Station we’re also bringing the pumps back on at Kalauao,” said Takaki.
Lau added, “Three of the six wells that are there were under repair prior to the Red Hill situation. And we’re trying to get those back in service by at least the late summer.”
On top of that, the city has already begun diverting water from other communities ― as much as 2.5 million gallons a day….
read … BWS scrambles to get wells online in hopes of avoiding mandatory restrictions
After a lengthy search, police commission names 4 finalists for HPD chief position
HNN: … The Honolulu Police Commission announced Thursday that they had taken the advice of the consultants and moved four of the seven on to the final round.
The finalists are:
- HPD Major Mike Lambert, who is head of training. He has been with HPD for 19 years.
- HPD Major Ben Moszkowicz, head of the traffic division who has 21 years with HPD.
- Maj, Gen. Arthur Joe Logan, who was director of the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency.
- And retired New Jersey State Police Lt. Col. Scott Ebner, the lone out-of-state finalist.….
CB: Honolulu Police Commission Names 4 Finalists For Police Chief
SA: The public will hear from the four finalists during a live, televised forum Thursday on PBS Hawaii’s “Insight” program.
read … After a lengthy search, police commission names 4 finalists for HPD chief position
Judge defers sentence for ‘Bougaloo’ Activist behind ‘email bomb’ attack on HPD’s network
HNN: … The man accused of orchestrating email attacks on the Honolulu Police Department’s computers in 2020 got his sentence deferred after pleading no contest to charges.
Authorities said 31-year-old Christian Grado allegedly sent thousands of emails to a server that police used to help report and enforce COVID lockdown orders.Officials called the attack an “email bomb.”
Grado pleaded no contest back in February.
On Thursday, a judge accepted the plea and deferred his sentence for four years while Grado served out a type of probation.
During that time, he’ll have to report to a probation officer and won’t be able to leave the island without permission.
Grado had previously been arrested for illegally carrying ammunition during a protest….
Oct, 2020: Honolulu 'Boogaloo' Activist Charged with Cyber Attack on HPD, Ammo, Drugs
read … Judge defers sentence for man behind ‘email bomb’ attack on HPD’s network
‘Habitual Criminal’ behind stolen catalytic converter--viciously oppressed by cash bail requirement
MN: .. Okamura has prior convictions for second-degree theft, third-degree assault, nine counts of contempt of court, two counts of failure to appear, driving without a license, driving under the influence of an intoxicant, third-degree promotion of a detrimental drug and a liquor violation.
In a pending case, he is charged with first-degree burglary, first-degree unauthorized entry into a dwelling, second-degree theft and three counts of habitual property crime.
Deputy Public Defender William Pannell asked for bail to be reduced to $1,000 for Okamura, who (allegedly) works part time doing landscaping (great way to case houses to burglarize).
(Raaaacist oppressor) Judge Blaine Kobayashi kept bail at $5,000. (Quick somebody call ACLU)
“Given the defendant’s extensive criminal record, including theft charges, the fact that he’s pending trial for yet another theft-related charge, the state’s request is reasonable and justified under the circumstances,” Kobayashi said….
SA Editorial: Break cycle of prison for women
read … Stolen catalytic converter found in man’s belongings, police say
Molokai Middle School pivots to distance learning
MN: … Principal Kainoa Pali told parents and guardians in a letter that the school would not be able to follow the bell schedule with distance learning due to staff shortages. Teachers and students were using Google Classrooms to upload and retrieve assignments.
According to the state Department of Education’s website, Molokai Middle School has reported 24 COVID-19 cases since the start of May as cases continue to rise statewide….
The last day of school for Molokai Middle School students is May 26, according to the school’s website….
read … Molokai Middle School pivots to distance learning
Maunakea observatories help astronomers capture image of Milky Way’s black hole--but don’t worry, they will be bulldozed soon
HTH: … A pair of Maunakea observatories were integral to the first-ever image of the black hole at the center of the Milky Way.
A collection of eight radio observatories around the world, collectively called the Event Horizon Telescope Collaboration, released on Thursday an image of Sagittarius A*, the long-hypothesized supermassive black hole around which our entire galaxy revolves.
Sagittarius A* is the second black hole ever to be imaged in this way, the first of which was M87*, also known as Powehi, which was also photographed by EHT.
Among the EHT component observatories were the (doomed) James Clerk Maxwell Telescope and the Submillimeter Array on Maunakea, which together formed the western extremity of an “Earth-sized” telescope powerful enough to capture an image of the black hole 27,000 light-years away….
read … Maunakea observatories help astronomers capture image of Milky Way’s black hole
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