WSJ: “Hawaii Democrats are trying to silence opponents so unions can coerce workers to keep funding progressive political causes”

Defacto Eminent Domain: Maui County prepares land buyback roll out for Lahaina

PBN: … Maui County is still working to determine how to rebuild Lahaina’s main commercial artery, Front Street, as landowners await clearer guidance on next steps.

(CLUE:  The agenda has always been to exploit the Lahaina fire to wipe out the makai side of Front Street.  The purpose is to re-make Lahaina to maximize the tourist experience.  Here is how it is being done.)

Over six months have passed since Pacific Business News last reported that landowners were still in the dark about how they will rebuild their commercial properties. Early recovery efforts prioritized rebuilding housing, but the county has since committed to placing greater emphasis on rebuilding commercial properties. As a result, the county is preparing to roll out a land buyback program this summer as part of its broader plans for Lahaina.

(CLUE: Stringing them along like this is effectively an illegal taking.)

The program would offer some Lahaina landowners, commercial and residential, the option to sell their land to the county. The county, however, has yet to define the program's parameters.

“When it comes to the county buying property and using federal funds to do so, there has to be quite a bit of policy developed to even be able to engage in that process,” John Smith, administrator of Maui County’s Office of Recovery, said. "We're finalizing our policy development right now, so that things like valuation can be super clear.”

Smith clarified that Maui County is not seeking to obtain land through eminent domain, leaving any decision to sell up to the landowners….

(TRANSLATION:  We have stalled you for three years.  This is a defacto eminent domain.   Now we think you get the point and are ready to sell.)

read … Maui County prepares land buyback roll out for Lahaina - Pacific Business News

2024 election question to be resolved after 2026 election

ASD: … Allegations of election mismanagement on Hawai‘i County two years ago are disputed by the state, but official answers are still likely months away….

Osterkamp had been a member of another permitted interaction group that, in September, published its own report rejecting claims of electoral wrongdoing.

“This is a one-man crusade by Commissioner Cushnie to try to show that a discrepancy exists that does not exist,” Osterkamp said. “We all know that, we know the emperor has no clothes, but we’re pretending that this is a real issue.” …

read … 2024 election question to be resolved after 2026 election

Loud rides create louder debate over Hawaii noise cameras

SA: … Hawaii drivers may see expanded enforcement against vehicles, including motorcycles, whose audio or muffler systems make noise equivalent to a lawn mower.

The state Department of Transportation already has installed eight of 10 planned cameras that flag noise exceeding 90 decibels while collecting data on sources and patterns of the noise, according to DOT spokesperson Shelly Kunishige ….

read … Loud rides create louder debate over Hawaii noise cameras | Honolulu Star-Advertiser

Drunk Driver sentenced to so-called ‘15 years’ for fatal crash that killed mother and daughter

SA: … The intoxicated driver who killed a 38-year-old mother and her 7-year-old daughter on Feb. 26, 2022, in Nanakuli has been sentenced to 15 years in prison and restitution of nearly $24,000….

Shaylee Hanakahi had just exited the parked vehicle before it was struck, and was seriously injured. Her mother and sister were pronounced dead at the scene….

Peters-Holokahi had a history of traffic citations for speeding.

He was fined in October 2020 for driving 105 mph in a 45-mph zone. He was also cited in June 2019 for traveling 73 mph in a 55-mph zone, and in 2018 for traveling 66 mph in a 35-mph zone. He was fined $247 for hitting an unattended vehicle in 2019….

Peters-Holokahi, who has been in custody at the Oahu Community Correctional Center for a little over two years, was given credit for time served….

(DO THE MATH: With 50% off for good time, his 15 yrs becomes 7.5-2 yrs served = 5.5yrs until release.)

read … Driver sentenced to 15 years for fatal crash that killed mother and daughter | Honolulu Star-Advertiser

LEGISLATIVE AGENDA:

1. Big Q: What do you think of COVID-19 hazard pay for government workers? | Honolulu Star-Advertiser

2. Hawaii Senators Push Congress To Federally Legalize Marijuana And Clear Past Convictions - Marijuana Moment

3. Trump suggests states raise taxes to pay for child care, says federal government can’t afford it | KHON2

4. The Grid Is Your Ally — Stop Treating It Like the Enemy | Ililani Media

5. Hawaii’s natural gas plan faces scrutiny over ‘billion-dollar mistake’

6. Council Committee opens budget deliberations with Finance Department review : Maui Now

7. County OED Fiscal Year 2027 grant program opens with April 30 deadline to apply : Maui Now

8. Honolulu City Council considers expanding Fort Street Mall | Honolulu Star-Advertiser

FLOOD NEWS:

1. Another major rain storm may pound Hawaii next week | Honolulu Star-Advertiser

2. Weather alert: New system may bring more rain to Hawaii Apr 8-11

3. North Shore neighbors say drainage system failure may have increased flooding during a devastating Kona low storm | Hawaii News Now

4. What To Do When Your Disaster Insurance Claim Is Denied - Surfer

5. Laie business seeks community help after flood damages thousands of pairs of slippers | Hawaii News Now

6. Molokai residents impacted by Kona low storms helping fellow survivors | Hawaii News Now

7. Firefighters return home to the Waialua fire station after destructive storm

8. Otake Camp remains uninhabitable in wake of devastating floods |Hawaii News Now

9. Hawaii National Guard aids in Kona low storm recovery

10. Track Kona storm damage with Honolulu's new dashboards

11. Survivors of disasters can address their needs through interim disaster recovery plan : Big Island Now

12. Office of the Governor — News Release — State of Hawai‘i Responds to Kona Low Impacts, Launches Kona Low Interim Disaster Case Management Program | Governor Josh Green, M.D.

13. Virginia nonprofit group provides hot meals to Hawaii flood victims

14. DVIDS - Video - Hawaii National Guard assists Waialua residents with flood debris removal

QUICK HITS:

1. Waianae Elementary's principal wins top education award

2. Hawaii's largest manufacturers, 2026 - Pacific Business News

3. 4/2/26 – HELP PREVENT SPREAD OF INVASIVE ALGAE RECENTLY DETECTED ALONG SOUTH SHORE OF KAUAʻI | Department of Land and Natural Resources

4. Photo Essay: Hawaiʻi Medical Students Anxiously Seek Their Perfect Match - Honolulu Civil Beat

5. Former Trustee Championing The Native Hawaiian Voice | Island Life Live | kitv.com

6. Hawaii DOH warns of raw milk cheese recall over E. coli | Honolulu Star-Advertiser

7. 100th Battalion correspondence from WWII era to be digitized | Honolulu Star-Advertiser

8. Long-secret Hawaii WWII site to open to the public

9. Why some American travelers say Hawaii is becoming less appealing as a vacation destination, and what’s driving the change

10. Why Hawaiian Airlines Pilots Must Shave Their Beards During Alaska Integration

11. Airlines Are Running A Shakedown On Hawaii Travelers

12. You Can Visit Niihau. Here Is What It Actually Gets You.

13. Hawaii retailers and restaurants face Easter price surge