VIDEO: Roseanne Barr Running for Governor of Hawaii?
Navy P-8A Poseidon Overshoots Runway, Splashes in Kaneohe Bay, Crew Safe
Organized Crime: Clayton Hee Cheers Hawaii Senate Panel Approval of Supreme Court Nominees
CB: … Clayton Hee, a former Senate Judiciary chair, testified that other Supreme Court justices without prior or much bench experience include William S. Richardson, Edward Nakamura, James Duffy and current Chief Justice Mark Recktenwald….
the state Senate Judiciary Committee on Monday voted unanimously to approve Lisa Ginoza and Vlad Devens to serve on the Hawaii Supreme Court.
The nominees await a full 25-member Senate vote Tuesday that is likely to be a formality….
Both nominees were deemed “qualified” for the high court by the Hawaii State Bar Association, and both were hailed for their local roots on Oahu.
(Translation: ‘Defend Hawaii’)
Devens earned his juris doctor degree from the University of California, Berkley School of Law. He has been a partner at the law firms of Meheula, Devens and Winer, and Meheula and Devens….
Green chose Ginoza and Devens from a list of six people recommended by the Judicial Selection Commission. ‘If’ (LOL!) confirmed, they will replace former Associate Justices Mike Wilson and Paula Nakayama, who retired earlier this year upon reaching the mandatory retirement age of 70.
There are five members on the Hawaii Supreme Court. ‘If’ (LOL!) Ginoza is confirmed, Green will have the opportunity to name her replacement to lead the ICA….
As Explained: As Predicted: Andy Winer's Law Partner Nominated for Supreme Court
read … Hawaii Senate Panel Approves Supreme Court Nominees
Disorganized Crime: West Side needs help
SA: … Three telling news stories appeared in this newspaper this month. One detailed a surge in homicides along the Waianae Coast. Another told of a 46-year-old man accused in federal court of leading a criminal “Westside” gang, which allegedly included his 71-year-old mother, brother and wife. The third gave notice of a Nov. 10 sign-waving on Oahu’s West Side calling for an end to the violence beleaguering the community.
Three days before the sign-waving, a 62-year-old man was stabbed to death at Nanakuli Beach, allegedly by a 28-year-old who was charged with second-degree murder. “It seems like every week we have something on the West Side,” said community leader Patty Kahanamoku-Teruya, who helped organize the demonstration. “They’re not using their hands. It’s weapons — guns, knives, scissors.”
The largely law-abiding, nonviolent people who live along the Leeward side want an end to the violence and upheaval, which are causing people to feel unsafe in their own communities, and all on Oahu should join them in demanding this change….
CB: Waianae Cockfighting 'Pavilion' Once Hosted Hundreds. Now It's Quiet - Honolulu Civil Beat
HHD: REP. KILA'S STATEMENT REGARDING HPD ENFORCEMENT ON LEEWARD COAST
read … Editorial: West Side needs help against crime
PUC is Expected to Approve HECO`s Grid Hardening Application
IM: … The Hawaiian Electric Companies filed an application with the Public Utilities Commission to commit $190 million to harden the HECO, MECO, and HELCO grids on June 30, 2022….
“This initiative will identify four miles of overhead laterals for underground conversion to validate cost assumptions before more aggressively pursuing this resilience strategy.”…
Phase 1 would examine whether the project is “reasonable and in the public interest,” whether the proposed accounting ratemaking treatments “are appropriate, just, and reasonable,” and what impact would the project have on “the State's reliance on fossil fuels on price volatility, export of funds for fuel imports, fuel supply reliability risk, and greenhouse gas (`GHG`) emissions.”…
Phase 2 would consider upgrading the Ma‘alaea-Pu‘unene transmission line on Maui and the Saddle Road transmission line on the Big Island.
Discovery, Workshops, and Position Statements were completed between October 2022 and April 2023.
The PUC decision on phase 1 is pending….
read … PUC is Expected to Approve HECO`s Grid Hardening Application
More Delaying Tactics: New Maui Office Begins Navigating The 'Complex Landscape Of Recovery'
CB: … Mayor Richard Bissen’s administration is requesting Maui County Council approval of budget amendments that would add the new office under the Department of Management and transfer $20.6 million from the county’s Emergency Fund to use as seed money.
The amount breaks down to $403,895 for eight civil service positions and $20.2 million for equipment and operations that include recovery management services, water testing, waterline repairs and initial costs related to a final disposition site for ashes and debris from the fire.
County officials have said they expect a substantial portion of that spending to be reimbursed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency….
read … New Maui Office Begins Navigating The 'Complex Landscape Of Recovery'
Lawyer Plans to Blame Mental Health Care System for Murder of Nurse
HNN: … Two years ago, while he was fighting an assault charge, Cravalho’s family filed a GoFundMe page in hopes of getting him legal help and better health care than they felt the state was providing.
“Tommy Carvalho from a very young age has struggled with mental disabilities that he was born with that range from mild to severe. Autism, dyslexia and ADHD,” the family wrote.
“Under the care of the State of Hawaii, Tommy was mistreated, abused and misunderstood.”
The family’s struggle had echoes of a murder case from 2006, when Adam Mau Goffredo killed three people at Tantalus after his family also tried to get him help for years.
“The family was never, shall I say, certain that Adam was getting the kind of treatment he needed,” said Mau’s attorney, Brook Hart.
Hart said he believed many of the same gaps remain in the mental health system….
CB: Suspect In Fatal Stabbing Of Nurse Pleads Not Guilty - Honolulu Civil Beat
read … Hawaii State Hospital murder suspects pleads not guilty as new details of his past come to light (hawaiinewsnow.com)
Halawa Prison Electrical Problems Leave Inmates Sitting In The Dark
CB: … Electrical problems at the state’s largest prison have caused outages throughout the facility that left about 20% of the cells without power at one point last month, and it is unclear when the outages started or when they will be fixed.
The Hawaii Correctional System Oversight Commission learned of the continuing electrical failures during a tour of the Halawa Correctional Facility on Oct. 19, and were told some cells have gone for weeks without power.
“My understanding is it’s been going on for a while, maybe even months at this point,” said Christin Johnson, oversight coordinator for the commission. The commission was told it began with a power outage, and “it has been extremely difficult to get electricians in to fix the problem and actually keep it fixed.”
HCF is the largest and newest of the state’s correctional facilities, and opened in 1987. The 80-square-foot cells in the prison generally house two inmates each, and Halawa had a total population of 819 prisoners as of Nov. 13….
She said the outages were affecting 20% of the cells when commission members visited last month. Some inmates were in the dark in their cells, while other cells “were not available for use at all,” she said.
Torney, a former deputy director of Public Safety, attributed the problem to “leakages that were coming in from the roof, so it was creating a very dangerous situation.”…
read … Halawa Prison Electrical Problems Leave Inmates Sitting In The Dark
Kalakaua Avenue Bridge in ‘poor’ condition, city says
SA: … Built in 1929, the bridge — part of a heavily traveled thoroughfare leading into and out of Waikiki — has seen its overall condition degrade over time, the city says.
“The condition of the bridge superstructure is rated ‘poor,’” Cindy Cromwell, city Department of Design and Construction spokesperson, told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser via email. “The rehabilitation work is necessary to restore the structural integrity of the bridge and thus ensure public safety.”…
In past years both Honolulu and the state have received poor marks for the condition of their bridges, roads and other man-made infrastructure.
In particular, the American Society of Civil Engineers — founded in 1852 and representing 150,000 civil engineers worldwide — previously rated Hawaii’s bridges as part of its so-called “Report Card” for America’s infrastructure.
In 2019 the organization gave the state of Hawaii a D+ for its overall infrastructure, while it graded the state as well as the City and County of Honolulu at a C+ level for its bridges….
“Hawaii’s 1,135 bridges have an average age of 60 years. Of these bridges, 6.9% are structurally deficient,” the 2019 ASCE report states. “While the percentage of bridges rated to be in good condition has risen over the past several years due to rehabilitation efforts, the number of structurally deficient bridges has also increased during the same time period. In addition, due to the state’s isolated location, marine environment and various natural hazards, bridge construction costs are the highest in the nation.
“Therefore, current efforts by state and county agencies are focused on preserving the existing bridge inventory and maintaining safety rather than upgrading bridge capacity or resilience to meet future needs,” the report states. “To this end, there are 44 state bridges and up to 34 City and County of Honolulu bridges slated for repair in the next four to six years.”…
read … Kalakaua Avenue Bridge in ‘poor’ condition, city says | Honolulu Star-Advertiser (staradvertiser.com)
Farmer pleads for resolution in years-long dispute on state agricultural lands
HNN: … A legal dispute over a sublease on state agricultural lands has dragged on for years and a produce farmer at the center of the controversy says the stress is taking a toll on his mental health….
In their lawsuit, the Rojases alleged that the Agriculture Department had not properly managed the Kahuku Agriculture Park where part of their farm is….
Since last year, lawmakers have demanded an investigation and audit of the state’s ag park program in Kahuku and now a faster resolution to the sublease dispute.
“We want this case to be settled. It’s a tactic that I’ve seen defense attorneys do. Delay, deny, delay, deny. Unfortunately, it appears the state is doing the same thing. In this case, it may be fatal for my constituent and friend,” said State Rep. John Mizuno….
The state attorney general says it can’t comment on ongoing litigation. A settlement conference with all parties was in late October.
“The Department of Agriculture is willing to engage in further settlement negotiations in this matter,” it said in a statement….
read … Farmer pleads for resolution in years-long dispute on state agricultural lands
High COVID hospitalizations force cancellation of all indoor programs at HVNP
HNN: … All indoor programs at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park have been called off due to an increase in COVID hospitalizations in Hawaii County, according to the National Park Service on Monday.
One of the programs “After Dark in the Park” had been planned for Tuesday night but park officials cancelled it.
Park film screenings in the Kilauea Visitor Center auditorium are also off for now….
read … High COVID hospitalizations force cancellation of all indoor programs at HVNP
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