Case and Ward ask Trump Admin to Ban Windfarms from Kaiwi Channel
Court ruling makes Miske indictments and convictions disappear
ILind: … Watson’s ruling, citing 9th Circuit precedent, notes that this “prevents, among other things, recovery against the estate of a fine imposed as part of the conviction and sentence and use of an abated conviction against the estate in related civil litigation.” Emphasis added.
This clearly precludes the government from using the jury verdicts to support its pending civil forfeiture lawsuit that was filed on January 22.
However, due to the pending lawsuit, Watson declined to release any of the disputed Miske property to his heirs or beneficiaries. The outcome of the civil case will determine whether the long list of assets will eventually be seized by the government or distribted to Miske’s beneficiaries.
Watson agreed with the government that Miske’s defense attorneys do not have standing to challenge the government’s forfeiture lawsuit.
“Rather, it is Defendant’s estate and/or heirs that must do so, if at all,” Watson noted.
It is currently unclear just who has such standing …
read … Court ruling makes Miske indictments and convictions disappear | i L i n d
Gas Attack: Former associate of late crime boss Mike Miske sentenced
HNN: … One of Mike Miske’s former associates was sentenced Wednesday to two years behind bars.
Ashlin Akau admitted the crime boss paid her $3,000 to dump pesticide onto a crowded dance floor at Ginza nightclub in 2017.
She cut a deal and pleaded guilty to a chemical weapons charge. In exchange, prosecutors agreed to drop conspiracy and robbery charges.
Akau was also sentenced to two years of supervised release ….
read … Former associate of late crime boss Mike Miske sentenced
HB1307: Big Island’s Next Geothermal plant to be on DHHL Land next to Pohakuloa?
HTH: … The measure is a follow-up to a 2022 bill, which appropriated $500,000 to the DHHL for the same purpose….
According to testimony by Kali Watson, chair of the Hawaiian Homes Commission, the additional funds in HB 1307 would be used to drill exploratory holes at previously examined sites, water well development, hiring consultants and more.
DHHL documents submitted by Watson indicate the main sites under consideration are on the Big Island: Kawaihae, South Point and Humu‘ula. That last site is considered the preferred development site, and is located directly next to the Pohakuloa Training Area.
Based on the results of further investigations into potential sites, DHHL eventually plans to enter into a power-purchasing agreement with “an experienced geothermal developer/operator,” according to the DHHL documents. The documents also state that DHHL will request $20 million for those further investigations.
While the bill has successfully passed two committees in the House this session — the Committee on Energy and Environmental Protection voted unanimously in support of the measure, while one member of the Committee on Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs voted against it — it has generated significant opposition from Big Island DHHL beneficiaries.
Hilo resident Terri Napeahi said the Hawaiian Homes Commission has developed this plan without beneficiary consultation, and she alleged a conflict of interest involving the commission because Hilo District Commissioner Mike Kaleikini is the senior director of Hawaii affairs for Puna Geothermal Venture.
Napeahi and many other testifiers also wrote about alleged negative health impacts caused by PGV’s activities.
“My father suffers from 90% mercury poisoning, a direct result of the toxins released by the nearby geothermal plant,” wrote Puna Resident Jasmine Steiner.
(IQ Test: Do you believe her?)
Some testifiers instead supported a different bill, Senate Bill 1269, which would allocate an unspecified amount of funds to the state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism for similar geothermal investigation on all islands but Oahu, which would not involve DHHL lands.
The House Finance Committee will discuss HB 1307 at noon today. SB 1269 has passed both Senate committees with only one vote in opposition….
read … Bill eyeing geothermal on Hawaiian home lands draws opposition
Investment Houses Salivate over Chance to Milk Passive Investors as Hawaii automatic retirement savings scam bills move forward
IG: … SB 855 would require a “covered employer” under the Hawaii Retirement Savings Act to automatically enroll covered employees into the Hawaii Retirement Savings Program unless they opt out and would repeal the limit on the total fees and expenses that can be spent for the program each year.
The bill has been passed by the Senate Labor and Technology Committee and Senate Ways and Means Committee. Its companion bill, HB 847, was amended and passed by the Committee on Labor and then referred to the Committee on Finance.
SB 1455 is similar to SB 855 in the “covered employer” requirements but lacks the other bill’s language concerning fees and expenses and appropriation of funds.
The Hawaii Retirement Savings Board strongly supports HB 847, according to written testimony from Ahlani K. Quiogue, the board’s executive director.
The requirement to automatically enroll employees is “critical to the feasibility of the program,” she wrote.
(TRANSLATION: Nobody is voluntarily signing up for this program. We need people who don’t notice they’re being deducted or we’re doomed.)
ASPPA: Expansion of Auto Enrollment in Hawaii Progresses in Legislature
2024: SB2553: Hawaii 'opt out' retirement scam
2022: State-Run retirement bill passes committees
read … Hawaii automatic retirement savings program expansion bills move forward
Slew of thefts in Lahaina burn zone
HNN: … Lahaina fire survivors say thieves are running rampant in the burn zone.
“My generator was stolen right before we started work on my property,” said Jeremy Delos Reyes.
Delos Reyes used to live in Wahikuli – a neighborhood almost completely erased by the 2023 fire.
After surviving the inferno, and grappling with the trauma, he says he and many of his neighbors are now being victimized by thieves.
“That house that is being built, some thieves tried to steal the mini excavator from there. Right across the street, the truck was stolen yesterday at midday, and right up the road, 10 houses up the road, there was a trailer, just like this that was stolen,” he said….
REALITY: Security contract for Lahaina Impact Zone ends Feb. 28 : Maui Now
NR: News Flash • County of Maui to install security cameras in Lahaina
read … County vows to install cameras, lights after slew of thefts in Lahaina burn zone
Did Maui’s Vacation Rental Crackdown Hit A Wall?
BH: … Maui’s vacation rental battle has taken another turn, with greater uncertainty now looming over the county’s ability to implement its plan to phase out 7,000 short-term rentals. A $300,000 study meant to evaluate the ban’s economic impact has failed to come to fruition, with no interest from potential bidders….
The vacation rental industry has also made it clear that it won’t go down without a fight. Owners have been preparing for extensive legal battles, with some predicting the process would take years to resolve.
Mark M. summed it up: “The lawsuits are coming, and it’s going to be a long, expensive battle. In the end, I wouldn’t be surprised if nothing really changes except that Maui ends up with even more division and bad press.”
With some legal experts suggesting that existing rental owners have a strong case, the county faces an uphill battle if it proceeds with enforcement. If the matter moves forward only to get tied up in court, it could render the ban ineffective for years, leaving both renters and property owners stuck in a state of uncertainty….
read … Did Maui’s Vacation Rental Crackdown Hit A Wall—What It Means for Travelers - Beat of Hawaii
Deadline Tomorrow: Candidate Registration for Neighborhood Board Elections
SA: … Oahu’s Neighborhood Board System was founded in 1973 and, though its record of influence is impressive and its role is critical to maintain, it’s long overdue for a renovation, along with an infusion of new energy.
The opportunity for the latter comes around with each election every two years. In the current cycle, residents have until Friday to declare their candidacy for a seat on one of the 33 boards. All the details are rounded up online, including the candidate submission form (www8.honolulu.gov/nco/neighborhood-board-elections/ Opens in a new tab).
The problem is that there’s a deficit in excitement over this opportunity for community engagement. Almost three-quarters of the races in recent years are not races, in fact: That proportion of seats typically go uncontested….
read … Editorial: Help neighborhood boards flourish | Honolulu Star-Advertiser
Honolulu Fire Battalion Chief released pending investigation in sexual assault case
SA: … A 25-year veteran of the Honolulu Fire Department was arrested Tuesday afternoon in connection with the alleged sexual assault of a 33-year-old woman at the department’s main station on Valentine’s Day.
Blake Akio Kanoa Takahashi, a battalion chief, was arrested at 1:13 p.m. after he turned himself in at the Honolulu Police Department’s main station Tuesday afternoon.
“An adult male subjected an adult female to sexual penetration and fellatio by strong compulsion,” read a police highlight of the alleged incident that occurred at about 9 p.m. Friday night at HFD’s South Street headquarters….
read … Honolulu Fire Battalion Chief released pending investigation in sexual assault case
Pentagon chief orders big cuts, but Indo-Pacific Command among exemptions
SA: … There was a long list of exemptions, including U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, funding for the military’s mission along the U.S. border with Mexico, as well as missile defense and autonomous weapons, one of the officials said.
The military’s commands that oversee operations in Europe, the Middle East and Africa were not exempt.
The Pentagon’s budget is approaching $1 trillion a year. In December, then-President Joe Biden signed a bill authorizing $895 billion in defense spending for the fiscal year ending Sept. 30.
Hegseth has said publicly that the Pentagon’s focus is on U.S. border security and threats posed by China.
He has said the U.S. can no longer be “primarily focused on the security of Europe.”….
read … Pentagon chief orders big cuts, but Indo-Pacific Command among exemptions
Trump order halts ‘community benefits plans’
HPR: … They were in line for a $75,000 grant from HECO to hire arborists to remove the trees. But before the funding could go through, the group received word from the utility that their grant had been suspended.
"I was literally finalizing the paperwork on Jan. 27, the day before the funding was rescinded," Chalker said.
That $75,000 grant is a tiny chunk of HECO's $190 million investment in wildfire prevention, half of which is funded by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act through the federal Department of Energy.
On Jan. 28, the DOE sent a memorandum to HECO ordering the utility to immediately cease any activities using federal funds for DEI, community benefits plans, or Justice40 initiatives….
read … Trump order halts wildfire prevention work around Waikōloa's high-risk power lines | Hawai'i Public Radio
To Rescue The Cliffs Below Diamond Head, This Group Went Rogue
CB: … For the past five years, volunteers with the nonprofit community group Kuilei Cliffs have spent their Saturday mornings clearing invasive weeds, brush, thorny Keawe trees and heaps of rubbish from one of Honolulu’s most popular city beach parks.
They’ve replaced the overgrown landscape there with inviting St. Augustine grass plus naupaka and other native plants, creating more open space and helping visitors better enjoy those scenic slopes below Diamond Head.
They’ve made those improvements, however, without the proper approvals from the city through its Adopt-a-Park program.
“They’ve known we’re here,” Kuilei Cliffs co-founder Keoni Kino said after a recent Saturday morning work session on these state-owned, city-managed grounds. “The way we looked at it, the city just looked the other way, just acknowledged that it was way too much work to do and just let it go.”
Nonetheless, the tricky legal and liability issues associated with looking the other way finally came to a head on Jan. 3, when a city parks official informed Kuilei Cliffs that a police report had been filed about the volunteers’ removal of the invasive keawe trees — and that all work needed to stop. …
Kino, however, says the cliffs’ transformation would never have occurred if the group had tried to fit within Adopt-a-Park’s constraints….
Specifically, the program requires that the group alert the city a month before any planned work event and provide the estimated number of volunteers expected to attend. All volunteers must sign a liability waiver ahead of time.
That’s unrealistic, Kino said, for cleanups that occur weekly and rely on people to stop by when they can….
read … To Rescue The Cliffs Below Diamond Head, This Group Went Rogue - Honolulu Civil Beat
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