Legislature Paves Way for Issuance of SPRBs for Carbon Credits – Or Does It?
HECO's Idea of 'Good News' -- Oahu Electric Bills to go up 4%
Military families sue US over water contaminated by Navy jet fuel
Good Medicine for OHA’s “Red Flags”
3,125 mailed ballots in Hawaii’s primary election weren’t tallied due to missed deadline
SA: … County election officials report that 3,125 ballots cast by mail in the Aug. 13 contest didn’t count because they weren’t received in time…..
The state Office of Elections, the U.S. Postal Service and two of four county election offices refrained from promoting public guidance on how much time voters plausibly had to put their ballots in the mail so that ballots were received in time by county election officials.
This receipt deadline, a state law, is 7 p.m. on the last day of voting. Voters received ballots about 18 days before the primary election.
On Oahu, 2,201 votes didn’t get counted because mailed-in ballots arrived late. That was up 59% from 1,385 late ballots in the 2020 primary election, which represented the first time the state conducted mainly mail-in voting under a 2019 decision by the state Legislature….
On Kauai, 175 ballots were received late by mail….
There were 538 ballots received late in Maui County….
Hawaii County reported 211 late ballots….
read … Many mailed ballots in Hawaii’s primary election weren’t tallied due to missed deadline
Honolulu DPP report reveals permit backlog in the thousands
PBN: … Wait times for residential and commercial permits are said to take anywhere from six to 24 months…..
read … Honolulu DPP report reveals permit backlog in the thousands
Hawaii County Police commission begins new chief selection process
HTH: … The search is on for a new chief to oversee the Hawaii Police Department. ….
read … Police commission begins new chief selection process
Battle of TROs involving prosecutor heads to mediation
HTH: … Hawaii County Prosecutor Kelden Waltjen wouldn’t comment Thursday about whether a deputy prosecutor who has an ongoing court battle with a neighbor has been placed on leave or is the subject of an internal investigation….
Background: Big Island Deputy Prosecutor and ‘Massage Therapist Known as Isis’ Ordered To Stop Alleged Harassment
read … Battle of TROs involving prosecutor heads to mediation
DoE, DoT, Maui County Dispute May Let New Kihei HS Sit Empty for next 5 Years
CB: … the state Department of Transportation, which oversees the highway that leads to the campus, is currently building a $16 million roundabout at the school entrance. The DOT says the roundabout will provide enough of a safe passage for a small group of incoming students and has previously said that if that project doesn’t satisfy the safe crossing requirement, the school’s opening “may be delayed three to five years.”
That conflict among the state agencies has put Maui County officials in a difficult position….
MN: DOE still needs LUC’s approval to get out of crossing requirement
DoE: Community input on pedestrian crossing study for Kūlanihāko‘i High School in Kīhei requested via survey
read … County Officials Fear Kids Won’t Have A Safe Way To Get To New Kihei High School
Attorney known for his use of the “Kingdom defense” apparently at odds with Disciplinary Counsel
ILind: …In an order published on August 31, the Hawaii Supreme Court denied a “Petition for a Writ of Mandamus” filed by attorney Dexter Kaiama against the Office of Disciplinary Counsel, which investigates complaints of complaints of alleged unethical conduct by Hawaii attorneys….
The substance of Kaiama’s complaint about the Disciplinary Counsel isn’t known because the it is sealed and unavailable for public inspection, according to the court docket, although the court’s own rules appear to provide such filings are normally public records.
Kaiama is probably the leading proponent of using the “Kingdom defense” in the courtroom. In court filings, he has repeatedly used the legally-discredited notion that Hawaii’s annexation to the U.S. in 1898 wasn’t legal, the Hawaiian Kingdom continues to exist as a state pursuant to international law and has been under a prolonged and illegal occupation, leaving Kingdom law still in effect. As a result, Kaiama has argued federal and state courts have no jurisdiction in civil or criminal matters.
Kaiama has pursued this argument in a number of criminal and civil cases in both state and federal courts, which has previously brought him into conflict with the Disciplinary Counsel and other agencies….
ILind: Hawaii’s Office of Disciplinary Counsel has long considered itself a secret enclave
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read … Attorney known for his use of the “Kingdom defense” apparently at odds with Disciplinary Counsel
Outside Investigator Sought To Probe Maui’s Monster House Permits
CB: …The Office of Council Services on Wednesday published a request for proposals for someone to conduct a formal legislative investigation of Maui County’s Planning and Public Works departments related to their approval of development permits for the massive structure at 5385 Lower Honoapiilani Road. The towering home, which dwarfs any nearby structure, is under construction by developer Greg Brown….
Proposals are due by Sept. 29 and the deadline for the final report is Dec. 5….
Maui resident Kamanu Balinbin has testified before the Government Relations, Ethics and Transparency Committee and has signed a sworn declaration that he has inside knowledge of a county employee receiving a bribe that allowed Brown to get permits to build his gargantuan house in violation of county codes.
Paltin has said she won’t schedule a hearing on the matter until she has received written documentation from Balinbin and others who are alleging wrongdoing.
“Still have not received any info from Napili bay community association,” Paltin wrote in a text message late Thursday afternoon….
read … Outside Investigator Sought To Probe Maui’s Monster House Permits
Vandalism delays system launch of Oahu red-light cameras
SA: … A vandal climbed a utility pole at the intersection of School and Kalihi streets, above, and damaged equipment that had been installed to determine which of 10 intersections will get red-light cameras….
In an email to the Star- Advertiser, DOT spokesperson Shelly Kunishige initially said, “Vandalism delayed the collection of the baseline data.” Asked how vandalism delayed the study, Kunishige later wrote, “Some of the equipment for the baseline data collection required by law was stolen.”
A state lawmaker said she was told by a DOT administrator that vandalism was indeed to blame….
The end result, according to Kunishige, is that the red-light camera system at 10 yet-to-be-chosen intersections will begin issuing citations in November at the earliest.
Inouye said the vandal attempted to dismantle the system at the intersection of School and Kalihi streets on May 24 and damaged it enough to make its data irretrievable, prompting another round of data collection….
Separately, 10 hours of data was not retrievable from the equipment located at the intersection of Palama Street and Vineyard Boulevard, prompting another round of data collection after the original period, Inouye said. “I understand it is unclear whether this was due to an equipment malfunction or vandalism,” she said….
read … Vandalism delays system launch of Oahu red-light cameras
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