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ACLU: Why did Police Leave Rifle Unattended?
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Report: Honolulu Liquor Commission is Still a Mess
UHERO: Housing Even More Expensive Than Reported
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Hanabusa Retaliation: Rail CEO Slapped With ‘C-minus’ Evaluation, ‘not deferential enough’
SA: … The evaluation offers wildly different comments from HART board members on Kahikina, especially regarding communications and HART staffing, and notably regarding her relationship with the board itself.
Specifically, at one point, the evaluation concludes that Kahikina “could show greater deference” to the HART board.
(Translation: Show greater deference to The Hanabusa.)
Colleen Hanabusa, HART board chairperson, did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Kahikina’s evaluation Wednesday….
REALITY: www.TheRealHanabusa.com
CB: HART CEO Gets A Mediocre Report Card From The Rail Board — And No Bonus
PDF: Performance Review -- Board members also noted areas needing improvement. Some members said that greater deference could be paid to the Board of Directors in Ms. Kahikina's communication and interactions with the Board. Some noted that the ED/CEO's facilitation of Board member participation in HART events could improve: "Board member participation in community events, senior staff briefings and/or HART construction walkabouts should be improved in the next period." One member encouraged the ED/CEO to make greater efforts to explore alternative means of funding to Ala Moana and beyond. Another member noted that, while the ED/CEO had cultivated relationships with many stakeholders, she should do so with labor unions and financial institutions. Several Board members also expressed concern regarding staffing in the areas of discipline, terminations/resignations, retention, and vacancies, with one member citing staff grievances regarding "lack of staff support and too strong of an authorial [sic] management style." A couple of members said that having access to HART staff survey results would be helpful in assessing the staff's opinion of the ED/CEO's leadership. Members were also critical of the financial oversight of the project, one stating "[c]onsistent requests to provide the Board of Directors with a longterm financial plan...have gone unfulfilled."
read … Rail CEO receives ‘C-minus’ evaluation ahead of the project’s biggest milestone
McCarthy: Why did HPD Leave Rifle Unattended?
HNN: … Former HPD Deputy Chief and HNN law enforcement expert John McCarthy spoke to the unusual nature of this incident.
”During my career, I know of officers who have had the gun away from them, physically, but never were the officer during a barricade incident like this, left it unattended and it fell in the hands of the suspect,” McCarthy said.
“We don’t know all the details yet but the officer is gonna have to be held accountable for that, that’s something that just shouldn’t happen.”…
SA Editorial: HPD must reckon with greater risks
read … Critics call on HPD to release body cam video from fatal officer-involved shooting
Evictions Creep Up On Oahu As Renters Face Waning Pandemic-Era Aid
CB: … The eviction moratorium, which prohibited a landlord from removing a tenant from their home for not paying rent, took effect in April 2020 as the state rushed to offer protections to residents suffering economically as businesses and the vital tourism industry essentially shut down.
The number of evictions cases filed on Hawaii’s most populous island dropped from over 1,700 in 2019 to 659 in 2020, while the number of evictions dropped from over 1,100 in 2019 to the 333 in 2020.
The moratorium ended over a year later, triggering Act 57, which gave tenants the right to request a mediation session with their landlord. The state-funded sessions helped landlords and tenants reach agreements and avoid the court system.
While Act 57 was in effect, the mediation center opened over 3,000 eviction mediation cases, resulting in more than 1,200 written agreements. The nonprofit organization was able to keep up with demand by contracting mediators, many of whom were based on the mainland and conducted the hour and a half long sessions over Zoom. In 2021, 844 eviction cases were filed and 504 evictions occurred.
“We saw the benefits of mediation and rental assistance working together,” said Wiltgen.
But the law expired in August 2022, and the number of eviction cases filed increased to more than 1,100 that year, with over 700 decided in favor of the landlord….
There were 655 cases filed and 247 evictions from January through the end of May, according to the figures provided by the Judiciary. That is still below the 2019 figures….
SA: Green urged to intervene in Waiahole Valley leases
read … Evictions Creep Up On Oahu As Renters Face Waning Pandemic-Era Aid
BWS detects low levels of ‘forever chemicals’ in Pearl City Shaft
HNN: … The Pearl City Shaft serves an area that spans from Lehua Community Park to Pearl City District Park.
PFAS, or Polyfluorinated Substances, are a class of synthetic chemicals used to make products resistant to water, heat and stains. They are also known as “forever chemicals” because they do not break down in the environment or in bodies.
BWS officials said that the current amount of PFAS is below levels that would pose a “significant health risk” to affected community members. However, if people have concerns, an installation of a home filtration system can reduce PFAS levels.
In accordance with state law, BWS has also reported its detection of PFAS to the state Department of Health…
read … BWS detects low levels of ‘forever chemicals’ in Pearl City Shaft
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