Teenagers’ Climate Plan to be 'Handed Down' from Above? House Leaders Call for Extended Public Testimony
Hawaii's Only Oil Refinery Inks $100M 'Renewable' Fuels Deal
Search is on for a new KSBE Trustee
DoH: COVID Activity on the Increase in Hawaii
Election Conspiracy Nuts Finally Get a Report on the Elections Commission Agenda
CB: … The July 13 report from the Elections Commission investigative group found that Kauaʻi County collected 26,414 mailed-in ballot envelopes for the Nov. 4 election but the state Office of Elections says it counted 27,075 mail ballots from Kauaʻi, a difference of 661 votes….
The Hawaiʻi Elections Commission is set to discuss the group’s reports and its recommendations to ensure that local election results are conducted fairly and accurately at it’s next meeting July 30….
(TRANSLATION: Allowing this report to progress is a tactical move by the EC majority.)
While most of the races on the Kauaʻi ballot were not close, the winning margin for at least one Kauaʻi County Council race was just 106 votes….
But the committee’s report along with recommendations to ensure greater accountability when it comes to voting could significantly alter how the counties and the state conduct elections to ensure voting integrity. Those suggestions include keeping more accurate official daily counts of ballot collections and the presence of official observers for ballot collection and signature verification.
Michael Curtis, the Elections Commission chair, declined to comment on the report. (CLUE: Rope-a-dope.) Scott Nago, the state’s chief elections officer, also declined to comment. (CLUE: Rope-a-dope.)
Peter Young, the elections commissioner who chaired the group, could not be reached for comment. (CLUE: Rope-a-dope.) But during the commission’s meeting last week he said, “I think that what you’re going to see is something that can be debated, but should shed light on a situation that we’ve heard lots of commentary from both our citizens and commission members.” …
(TRANSATION: “Rope-a-dope.”)
Cushnie and his supporters, (ie Klean House Hawaii) including dozens of members of the public who turn out in large numbers to testify at Elections Commission meetings, regularly raise their concerns at the meetings. But they have gotten little traction with the commission other than to form the permitted interaction group to look more closely at some of the issues they’ve raised.
Cushnie also lost a case before the Hawaiʻi Supreme Court in December that challenged the Kauaʻi election. In that case Kushnie’s group alleged there were 3,772 more ballots cast on Kauaʻi than the state’s total. But the high court found no evidence of that….
(IQ Test: What does this teach you about KHH?)
The commission has also formed a permitted interaction group to examine the results of the Hawaiʻi County general election, something that Cushnie has also raised concerns about. That PIG hasn’t started work yet….
REAL ELECTION MALFEASANCE IGNORED BY ALL: Long Lines Suppress Republican Votes on Election Day: City Clerk Plans to do it Again in 2024
Read … Investigation Finds Vote Discrepancies In 2024 Kauaʻi Election - Honolulu Civil Beat
Drastic changes could be coming to Hawaii's cruise industry
KITV: … The DOT's plan reduces 50% of state greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. But to reach those goals it recommends cutting in half the number of cruise ships making calls in the islands. With a 75% reduction by the year 2035.
"That would be devastating to our economy. It could cost us $65 million each year and affect 250,000 visitors every year," said Grassroot Institute of Hawaii President Dr. Kelii Akina.
The plan not only calls for fewer vessels, but also reducing the size of cruise ships allowed in, as a smaller ship emits less greenhouse gas.
"In addition to the jobs that are lost directly, there are also others that will be lost, in restaurants, tourist attractions and other industries that will be affected severely by this," added Akina….
RELATED: Teenagers’ Climate Plan to be 'Handed Down' from Above? House Leaders Call for Extended Public Testimony
Read … Drastic changes could be coming to Hawaii's cruise industry | Local | kitv.com
The Insane Keep Dying in Jail Because We Closed the Insane Asylums
CB: … A prisoner with a mental disability who killed himself at the Hilo jail weeks before he was due to be released was abused by other inmates, and the jail never provided him with the mental health services he needed, according to a lawsuit filed last week.
A corrections officer found Drake Terlep, 55, hanging from a bedsheet from a top bunk in his cell in the Hawaiʻi Community Correctional Center at about 4:30 a.m. on Aug. 18, 2023. An autopsy report declared his death was a suicide.
Terlep had been awaiting a mental health evaluation to determine if he was mentally fit to proceed to trial on charges of first-degree theft and unauthorized control of a propelled vehicle for allegedly stealing a motorcycle.
The complaint is the latest in a series of lawsuits alleging a lack of appropriate mental health services in Hawaiʻi prisons and jails, which have seen a surge in suicides in recent years.
The lawsuit filed Thursday on behalf of Terlep’s family members alleges the mental health system in state correctional facilities “is defined by severe staffing shortages, an inadequate screening and assessment process, significant delays in access to clinicians and medications,” and a lack of treatment services….
Read … Lawsuit Alleges Mentally Disabled Inmate Was Preyed Upon - Honolulu Civil Beat
Felon Gets (another) Federal Case
SA: … A 44-year-old convicted felon who barricaded himself in a Wahiawa home for more than eight hours July 13 is facing federal criminal charges after 11 pounds of methamphetamine, guns, a smoke grenade and a silencer were found following his arrest, authorities said.
Patrick Palani Vaughn Nowicke was charged July 15 with a single count of possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine, according to federal court documents.
He is scheduled for a detention hearing Wednesday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Rom A. Trader. Nowicke is being held at the Federal Detention Center in Honolulu.
Nowicke was sentenced to (a piddling) 71 months in federal prison in 2007 on felony firearms possession charges from a November 2006 incident in which he threatened to blow up his ex-girlfriend’s car and kidnapped her after brandishing an AR-15-type assault rifle wrapped in a red T-shirt….
Read … Felon involved in Wahiawa barricade faces federal charges | Honolulu Star-Advertiser
Police leaders under pressure to allow media scanner access
HNN: … on Monday, when contacted by Hawaii News Now, Vanic issued the following statement:
“HPD acknowledges the need for the public and media to be aware of crime alerts, and our team is actively working on solutions to provide this service quickly and effectively. We believe in the importance of timely, accurate information and fully support efforts to keep our community informed.
“However, providing the media with direct access to police radio dispatches presents serious concerns related to operational security, officer safety, and the risk of misinterpreting real-time information.
“For these reasons, we respectfully oppose Bill 46 in its current form and encourage the City Council to explore alternative solutions that uphold transparency while also safeguarding sensitive law enforcement communications.”
The council will have a chance to question both Vanic and media representatives at a hearing of the Public Safety Committee on Thursday.
The officers union, SHOPO, issued its own statement: “We support the goal of transparency in Bill 46, provided that the final policy clearly protects officer safety, ongoing investigations, and other sensitive police operations. We hope the final version of the bill strikes a fair balance between the objectives of transparency and safety.” …
CB: Media Access To Police Scanners Essential For Public Safety - Honolulu Civil Beat
Read … Police leaders under pressure to allow media scanner access
Hawai‘i Supreme Court rules on 7 years of "BS"
ASD: … Heated language during a 2018 divorce case led to a seven-year disciplinary debate….
PDF: SCAD-23-0000396.pdf "We hold that Zenger did not violate HRPC Rules"
Read … Hawai‘i Supreme Court rules on 7 years of "BS"
Pandering Relentlessly, Hawai‘i County Council to discuss resolution asking military to end bombing at Pōhakuloa Training Area
BIN: … Hawai‘i County Councilmember Rebecca Villegas has proposed a resolution requesting that the military cease all bombing and “desecration activities” at Pōhakuloa Training Area.
Resolution 234-25 will be discussed during the Policy Committee on Environmental and Natural Resource Management at 2 p.m. on Tuesday….
“This resolution is a collaborative effort born from decades of dedication and unwavering advocacy by community activists, cultural practitioners, environmentalists and lineal descendants of this ‘āina (the usual suspects),” Villegas said Monday.
(TRANSLATION: Decades of leftist agitation produces only this worthless piece of paper.)
If the committee, which encompasses the nine council members, supports the resolution, it will move to the regular council meeting for approval.
The Army doesn’t intend to submit testimony on the resolution, said Lani O. Pascual, public affairs officer at the U.S. Army Garrison-Pōhakuloa Training Area.
(TRANSLATION: This is just performance politics. Why would the Army be a clown in the Hawaii County Council’s show?)
Villegas said she didn’t notify the Army about the introduction of this resolution.
“Unfortunately, under this current national administration, trust for government is at an all-time low and our island is even more vulnerable to its nefarious agenda,” the councilwoman said….
(CLUE: Trump will be gone long before the new lease takes effect.)
The resolution specifically asks to end activities that include the use of white phosphorus and depleted uranium, which have (not) caused severe environmental contamination that poses ongoing risks to public health and safety (any problems, but sound scary) ….
UPDATE: Hawai‘i County Council postpones discussion on resolution asking Army to end bombing at Pōhakuloa : Big Island Now
BIVN: Council Postpones Vote On Pōhakuloa Training Area Resolution
Read … Hawai‘i County Council to discuss resolution asking military to end bombing at Pōhakuloa Training Area : Big Island Now
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