November 15, 2024 News Read > Hawaii Free Press

Hawaii Daily News Read

Friday, November 15, 2024

November 15, 2024 News Read
By Andrew Walden @ 2:01 PM :: 921 Views

Hirono Claims SCOTUS Created Ability to Own Guns in 2008

Red Flag Warning May Lead to Power Shutoffs Today

Open Enrollment: Only 20,000 Sign up for Obamacare in Hawaii

Defend Hawaii: After Years of SHOPO Guerilla Warfare, Embattled Kauai police chief finally forced out

HNN: … Raybuck’s resignation comes a week before the Kauai Police Commission was scheduled to discuss Raybuck facing possible disciplinary action for allegedly leaving his loaded service weapon inside a KPD bathroom stall earlier this year.

(CLUE: SHOPO is against any outsider ever becoming chief of any Hawaii PD.)

On March 4, records revealed Raybuck left his loaded Glock wedged between the wall and a handicap assist bar inside a KPD bathroom stall. An officer later found it and turned it in.

(REALITY: Raybuck cannot be trusted because he doesn’t have a meth addicted pimp for a son running loose in Honolulu. Hint, hint.)

One month later, that officer and the officer who booked it into evidence filed retaliation complaints against Raybuck.

Raybuck has been involved in a string of controversies since he assumed leadership of the department in 2019.

In 2021, the chief was suspended five days without pay for alleged racist comments he made in 2019 and 2020.

In 2022, the State of Hawaii Organization of Police Officers (SHOPO) union released a survey that showed the majority of its members had a low opinion of the Kauai Police Department, and gave low marks for Raybuck.

In August, a survey ordered by the police commission revealed numerous departmental issues, including poor communication, lack of accountability, and distrust of leadership.

SHOPO President Robert Cavaco (did not pump his fist and chant ‘Defend Hawaii’ as he) said in a statement:

“The Kauai Police Department has struggled with officer and employee morale for several years, and nothing short of a major change can jumpstart the effort to raise morale. The tremendous challenges identified by Gallup, as well as their recommendations on how to address morale and employee engagement, require a fresh start. The men and women of the Kauai Police Department now have the opportunity for the fresh start that’s needed to mold KPD into a Department that can live up to its potential, is an engaging place to work for our professionals, and can retain our veteran officers and help attract new officers.” …

Kauai Police Chief Todd Raybuck statement - The Garden Island

No investigation of retiring police chief - The Garden Island

LVRJ: Former Las Vegas officer announces retirement as Kauai police chief

read … Embattled Kauai police chief announces retirement

Next to Go: SHOPO Continues Attack on Maui’s Outsider Chief

HNN: … Emails reveal Maui Police Department still holds portion of Lahaina fire victim’s remains ….

(CLUE: This issue is 100% about getting rid of Pelletier because he is from outside Hawaii.)

CB: Kauai Police Chief's Retirement Plans Won't End Disciplinary Proceedings - Honolulu Civil Beat

read … Emails reveal Maui police still hold portion of Lahaina fire victim’s remains

Kamehameha Schools trustee process is upheld

SA: … An almost decade-old effort to make the selection process for Kamehameha Schools trustees more self-governing appears to have come up short in state court.

Circuit Judge Jeannette Castagnetti, at the end of a two-day probate hearing Thursday, wasn’t inclined to have court-appointed panels, which put forth trustee candidates, made up exclusively of trust stakeholders, according to advocates for such a change.

Since 2016 a group of former Kamehameha Schools leaders and supporters has advocated for the change because they believe the current trustee selection process in place since 2000 lacks transparency and stakeholder management….

“Specifically, we believe the process for selecting trustees of Kamehameha Schools should be internally driven, not externally managed, as is the process currently in place,” advocacy group leaders said in a 2017 letter to then-Circuit Judge Derrick Chan….

The resolution also says qualifications for committee members aren’t clear, and urges that future committees be made up of Kamehameha Schools stakeholders, who could include Kamehameha Schools alumni, faculty, scholarship recipients as well as generally any Native Hawaiian person knowledgeable of the trust’s mission.

However, the group, in part led by former Kamehameha Schools President Michael Chun, didn’t have standing to petition the court to act on its claims regarding the roughly $15 billion charitable trust established to benefit Native Hawaiians through education.

In 2022, Kamehameha Schools trustees petitioned the court to review the process, and the court quickly appointed three special masters to explore the matter and submit a report to the court with recommendations….

Julian Ako, a former principal of the trust’s high school on Oahu who also is helping lead Swell the Echo, said backers of the group aren’t willing to give up their struggle and that public demonstrations could be part of next steps….

read … Kamehameha Schools trustee process is upheld | Honolulu Star-Advertiser

Winners unchanged after 298 Maui voters cure deficiencies on ballots; gap in South Maui Council race narrowed to 97 votes

MN: … As of 4:30 p.m. Nov. 13, 2024, 298 Maui County voters cured deficiencies with their ballot envelopes, according to the Maui County Clerk’s office. All cured ballots were securely transported to the Counting Center, where elections personnel opened the ballot envelopes, removed the secrecy sleeves, and prepared the ballots for scanning and counting. All of this work was done in the presence of official observers, according to the County Clerk.

Results were updated by the State Office of Elections at 7:10 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024 and are posted below. The slim margin in the South Maui Council race narrowed from 117 votes after the third printout to 97 votes in the final summary report, with incumbent Tom Cook defeating Kelly Takaya King….

MN: With ballots cured, Cook still leads by a narrow margin in Maui County Council race

read … Winners unchanged after 298 Maui voters cure deficiencies on ballots; gap in South Maui Council race narrowed to 97 votes

City considering new regulations on e-bikes

HNN: … The city said just three years ago, there were about 1,400 e-bikes, making up only 5% of all bicycles registered on Oahu.

“Fast forward to 2023, you’re looking at ten thousand regular bikes and almost eight thousand e-bikes, so we’re reaching the tipping point where it’s almost a 50-50 split,” said Nouchi.

So far this year, EMS reported responding to 180 crashes involving an e-bike -- about one every other day. Thirty of those crashes involved kids 15 and under, who aren’t allowed to operate e-bikes.

The city council is trying to make streets safer by starting with the question: What is an e-bike?

“Bill 52 takes a national standard of classifying e-bikes into three different categories depending on how fast they go, and whether a rider needs to continually pedal or of it’s throttle-assisted,” said councilmember Tyler Dos Santos-Tam, who introduced the bill with fellow councilmember Augie Tulba.

The bill would also cap the speed of e-bikes at 28 miles per hour. The fastest category would also ban operators under 15, and helmets would be required for those under 18….

read … City considering new regulations on e-bikes

Doomed: Underground fuel tanks on Mauna Kea need to be replaced

HTH: … Construction could begin at Halepohaku in January as part of a year-long project to remove a potentially leaky fuel system.

The midlevel facility about 9,400 feet up Maunakea currently has three underground fuel storage tanks that together can hold up to 18,000 gallons of gasoline. The tanks were installed in the early 1980s and are currently used to fuel the facility’s backup boiler, fleet of vehicles and other heavy equipment.

However, the three tanks also are single-walled, which makes them less resistant to corrosion and leaks. Amended regulations by the U.S. Environ-mental Protection Agency dictate that any facility using single-walled underground storage tanks installed before 2013 must be upgraded with additional containment systems by 2028.

Consequently, the University of Hawaii’s Center for Maunakea Stewardship — which retains management of the Maunakea Science Reserve, including Halepohaku, until 2028 — is preparing to replace the fuel tanks.

According to project documents presented at a Thursday meeting of the Maunakea Stewardship and Oversight Authority — the state agency that will take over management of the summit area in 2028 — construction could begin by January and is not estimated to be completed until July 2026….

(IQ Test: You know what will happen next.)

HTH ERROR Nov 22, 2024: A Nov. 18 article stated that construction to remove fuel tanks at Halepohaku on Maunakea could begin by January. In fact, development on the project’s environmental assessment is expected to begin that month. The Tribune-Herald also clarifies that these particular tanks are not known to have ever leaked since their installation.

read … Underground fuel tanks at Halepohaku need to be replaced - Hawaii Tribune-Herald

Election News:

QUICK HITS: