Database: More than 13,000 gender reassignment procedures on minors between 2019-23
One year after the wildfires: Rents up 43%, Poverty Doubles
Tour Boat Operators Hit Hard by Insurance Increases
Will FBI Finally Release 11,790 pages of Hawaii Legislative Bribery Files?
CB: … Well, folks, after much handwringing and teeth-gnashing but as it turns out not nearly as much time as first claimed, the FBI has finally finished going through all the investigative files in the bribery sting cases of former Hawaii lawmakers Ty Cullen and J. Kalani English.
Getting kicked in the okole by a federal judge will do that to you.
Now, let the next round of obfuscation begin as the feds try to justify why they can’t release the records that they have finally finished reviewing.
To recap: Civil Beat is in the midst of a lawsuit versus the FBI in which we are trying to get the investigative files in the Cullen and English cases so we can finally see what those two political scoundrels actually did and how the corruption transpired….
in a status update filed last week with the federal court, the FBI says it has completed its review. It came out to 28 documents, 11,790 pages and 28 minutes of media (we’re hoping that’s the hidden dash cam video of English trying to stash an envelope of cash under the floor mat as the FBI moved in to arrest him.)
Next up: a hearing scheduled for Nov. 4 where we all will argue over whether the records can actually be withheld and for what reason. Meanwhile, The Blog will be eagerly watching for all the briefs that are sure to be filed before the hearing….
read … The Sunshine Blog: The FBI Finally Gives Our Long-Sought Bribery Files Some Love
Sentencing of Miske & Asociates
ILind: … several of these court dates have been rescheduled several times, and could still be changed again. And there are a few other defendants who were charged separately and have already been sentenced who aren’t yet included ….
read … Sentencing of Miske & associates | i L i n d
Hawaii's Lagging Fire Preparation Hurts Hawaiian Electric (HE)
SAlpha: … Hawaiian Electric stock is near a bottom and should rise considerably if the Hawaii Supreme Court throws out the insurance claims. However, long-term, Hawaii's lack of solutions to wildfire risk means owning the stock is like playing with matches ….
read … Hawaii's Lagging Fire Preparation Hurts Hawaiian Electric (HE)
Critical Locked Gate Overlooked In Investigation Of Maui Fire Evacuation
CB: … The state attorney general’s latest report on the deadly 2023 Lahaina wildfire flagged various locked gates that blocked people trying to flee as flaws in Maui’s evacuation planning.
Yet a padlocked gate where the largest cluster of Lahaina wildfire fatalities occurred was not included in the analysis, which therefore did not seek to determine whether lives could have been saved if it had been opened either by emergency responders – or anyone with a key….
Now, as the institute’s investigators move into the third phase of their evaluation for the state, Schwartz said they are using the photos to determine whether there’s anything more to learn about what happened there.
Locked gates impeded escape in several parts of Lahaina on the day of the fire. In Kelawea Mauka, a neighborhood just north of Kuhua Street, local residents worked with a Maui police officer to break down a locked Department of Water Supply gate and create their own path to safety via Lahaina Bypass ….
HNN: Investigators analyze critical locked gate in Maui fire evacuation probe (hawaiinewsnow.com)
read … Critical Locked Gate Overlooked In Investigation Of Maui Fire Evacuation
Hawaii Supreme Court Says Insurance does not Cover Oil Companies Climate Change Lawsuit Defense Costs
BL: … AIG insurers likely off hook for climate change lawsuits…Federal trial court to make final coverage determination….
Greenhouse gases fall under pollution exclusions in several policies issued by American International Group Inc. units, Hawaii’s high court said, likely closing the door on insurance coverage for climate-change related claims against a gas company.
The decision marks one of the first appellate rulings in an insurance dispute over climate change-related claims.
Two Hawaiian local government lawsuits against a Sunoco LP subsidiary alleged that greenhouse gas emissions related to its fossil fuel products caused climate change-related damages. Aloha Petroleum Ltd. sued AIG subsidiaries National Union Fire Insurance Co. and American Home Assurance Co. in the US District Court ....
read … Hawaii High Court Sides With Insurers on Climate Change Coverage
DLNR Continues with plan to let North Shore Houses fall into Ocean
KHON: … “The homeowners have asked for emergency permits so they can keep or install new [sand] burritos,” Quinlan explained. ”Unfortunately, burritos create kind of a mess in the nearshore environment, they’re not the ideal tool, so we’re still having talks with DLNR and OCCL to see what’s possible and not possible from a state perspective.”
Some homeowners said they would pay for sand pushing in early summer to protect their homes from seasonal erosion.
The Office of Conservation and Coastal Lands said in an e-mail that sand pushing has been successfully used as a seasonal measure to mitigate erosion. The city’s Department of Parks and Recreation gets an annual permit approved from OCCL to push excess sand from streams in front of lifeguard towers and public beach right of ways ahead of the winter surf.
OCCL said when the Paumalu stream needs to be cleared, the excess sand can be used to build a temporary berm in front of at-risk properties.
In other years, excess sand from the shoreline can be pushed back against the property line, however, there is currently a significant amount of torn sandbags fronting these properties, as well as debris from decks and pools that collapsed on the beach over a decade ago and which the landowners have not removed. Sand pushing cannot be used to cover up debris. Furthermore, Conservation District rules do not allow our office to issue permits to properties that have open enforcement cases against them.
There were 17 homes along the stretch of sand from Kammie’s to Rocky’s, once the second home is demolished there will be 15. OCCL said all but two of the homes have cases or violations….
read … North Shore home hanging on edge as swell set to arrive
‘It’s a safety issue’: After years of bird-based eco-restrictions, some on Kauai want night football games back
HNN: … It’s an issue dating back to 2010. Seemingly every season, there’s a debate over whether to prioritize protecting endangered birds or protecting young athletes from intense afternoon heat.
The Kauai Interscholastic Federation confirmed there will be no nighttime games for 2024 at the recommendation of the Department of Fish and Wildlife Service.
(TRANSLATION: The eco-religion value birds more than your kids.)
read … ‘It’s a safety issue’: After years of restrictions, some on Kauai want night football games back
Hawaii Water supplier American Water Works says systems hacked
CBS: … American Water Works — a supplier of drinking water and wastewater services to more than 14 million people — on Monday said hackers had breached its computer networks and systems, prompting it to pause billing to customers.
The Camden, New Jersey-based utility became aware of the unauthorized activity on Thursday, and took protective steps, including shutting down certain systems, American Water Works stated in a regulatory filing. The company does not believe its facilities or operations were impacted by the cybersecurity incident, but is "currently unable to predict the full impact," it stated.
"In an effort to protect our customers' data and to prevent any further harm to our environment, we disconnected or deactivated certain systems. There will be no late charges for customers while these systems are unavailable," an American Water spokesperson told CBS News in an email. The company is "working around the clock to investigate the nature and scope of the incident," the spokesperson added.
The company said it has notified law enforcement and is cooperating with them.
According to its website, American Water is the largest regulated water and wastewater utility company in the U.S., and provides drinking water and wastewater services to more than 14 million people in 14 states and on 18 military installations. It manages more than 500 water and wastewater systems in about 1,700 communities in California, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia….
read … Water supplier American Water Works says systems hacked
How many construction cranes dot Honolulu's skyline?
KITV: … How many construction cranes dot Honolulu’s skyline these days?
You may have noticed several new ones pop up, and you are not just seeing things—in fact—two new cranes have gone up to help build a private healthcare project and a public-sector industrial development.
That brings the total number of construction cranes to 14 in Honolulu. A new report out by construction cost firm Rider Levett Bucknall notes that mixed-use residential developments dominate the ongoing projects, reflecting strong demand for both market-rate and affordable housing.
The report goes on to say that robust construction activity across the public and private sectors is expected to keep contractors busy for the next 12 to 24 months….
read … How many construction cranes dot Honolulu's skyline?
Over Chief’s opposition, city offers $1.5M settlement in police shooting case
HNN: … The settlement seems certain to be approved at a council meeting Wednesday, despite the prosecutor saying the shooting of 29-year-old Lindani Myeni was justified and the objections of the police chief….
In April of 2021, Myeni, who had recently moved to Hawaii with his Oahu-native wife and young children, acted strangely in encounters with police at Kewalo Basin and then wandered into a Nuuanu house. Three officers responded to a call reporting a home break-in, and when they confronted him, he lashed out….
Police bodycam video shows Myeni making rapid martial arts strikes and kicks, with which he managed to injure all three officers and take down one officer who had shot him once. A second officer fired three times while Myeni was on the ground with the first officer.
After a two-month investigation, the Prosecutor, Steve Alm, cleared the officers….
SA: City reaches $1.5M settlement with family of Black man killed by Honolulu police
read … Over Chief’s opposition, city offers $1.5M settlement in police shooting case
Honolulu Morgue Flooded with Drug Overdoses, hiring new personnel
CB: … The Iwilei Road facility just underwent a $5.9 million renovation, which included increasing its storage capacity from 60 bodies to 140.
Kobayashi said the facility is not at capacity, but it’s important to have extra space in case of a mass casualty incident. The department also has three refrigerated trailers that can hold 150 bodies.
The medical examiner’s office has not only been dealing with a lack of staff, but its cases more than doubled between 2008 and 2023.
Kobayashi attributed the increase in part to the Covid-19 pandemic, which caused many people to forgo regular checkups from their primary care physicians. This meant that many who died did not have doctors to sign their death certificates, causing their deaths to be deemed “unattended” and get referred to the medical examiner’s office.
Another reason for the increase is spiking drug overdoses. Last year was the deadliest year on record for overdoses in Hawaii ….
read … Honolulu Morgue Aims To Start Giving Families Answers Faster With New Deputy
Election News:
Lahaina Fire News:
QUICK HITS: