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| Prison wire ©2020 All Hawaii News |
As COVID-19 rages through state’s largest jail, court orders release of some inmates. With coronavirus raging through OCCC uncontrollably, the state Supreme Court on Sunday ordered the release of certain inmates from the overcrowded facility. The order comes on the same day that the state Public Safety Department announced that the number of inmates who have tested positive for COVID-19 at OCCC had swelled to 170. Hawaii News Now.
Hawaii Supreme Court orders the release of some OCCC inmates by Wednesday. The Hawaii Supreme Court has ordered the release of some of its Oahu Community Correctional Center inmates by Wednesday, August 19. KHON2.
Supreme Court orders OCCC jail inmate release due to COVID-19. Releases start Wednesday, and anyone released has to check in with the court in February. KITV4.
Inmates Start Fires Over Quarantine Lockdowns, Cramped Conditions. The state Supreme Court ordered the release of certain inmates because physical distancing is not possible and has the potential to place the inmates and staff at risk of death. Civil Beat.
Inmate unrest reported at OCCC, where number of COVID-19 cases has swelled to 200. Growing tension at Oahu Community Correctional Center led to inmate unrest on Sunday, with detainees setting several small fires. Hawaii News Now.
Inmates causing damage, setting fires as COVID-19 outbreak continues to strain OCCC. “Quarantine lockdowns, and cramped conditions, combined with the stress of the COVID-19 outbreak at OCCC translates to inmates becoming restless and agitated,” said a representative for the Department of Public Safety. KHON2.
OCCC inmates show frustration over lock down second day in a row. For the second day in a row, inmates at Hawaii's largest correctional facility started a fire in the housing module. KITV4.
‘An utter failure': Legal, medical experts fault state for massive outbreak at OCCC. Experts blasted the state for the massive COVID-19 outbreak at the Oahu Community Correctional Center, saying prison officials have not done enough to stop the spread. Hawaii News Now.
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‘This is their fault’: Dr. Miscovich rips Hawaii DOH. Dr. Scott Miscovich was emphatic when placing blame for the surge in positive coronavirus tests on Oahu in recent weeks, many of which he has tested himself. KHON2.
VIRUS TRACKER — Aug. 16: 220 New Cases As Surge Continues. Most of the cases were on Oahu, where officials are battling an outbreak in the state’s largest jail. Civil Beat.
The Latest: 9 Queen's Workers Positive; 220 New Cases; Positivity Rate Tops WHO Guideline. The Hawaii Department of Health reported 220 new COVID-19 cases today, bringing the state's total to over 5,000 at 5,042. These include 4,591 on Oahu, 148 on Hawaii Island, 226 in Maui County, and 54 on Kauai. Twenty-three cases were diagnosed out of state. The death toll stands at 40. Hawaii Public Radio.
With a benchmark of 3,000 active COVID-19 cases surpassed, another lockdown is on the table. Hawaii’s active coronavirus cases on Sunday went over 3,000 — a benchmark that health care officials have said would warrant a month-long stay-at-home order for Oahu, where most of the infections are. Star-Advertiser.
Coronavirus Cases in Hawai‘i Top 5,000 Sunday. The Hawai‘i Department of Health reported 220 new cases of COVID-19 Sunday, bringing the statewide total to 5,042. Big Island Now.
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State Lawmakers Call For Steps To Blunt Trump Anti-Mail Balloting Moves. The chairs of the Hawaii legislative judiciary committees called for action to prevent the state's highly successful mail-in balloting from being disrupted by President Trump's moves against the U.S Postal Service. Hawaii Public Radio.
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Amid economic crisis, the state unemployment office is hiring. Hawaii has 27 unemployment claim adjudicators, four of whom are currently on medical leave, plus 11 volunteers from other state agencies, six retirees who came back to help, and 12 new hires, said William Kunstman, DLIR spokesman. Hawaii News Now.
Health Officials Knew COVID-19 Would Hit Pacific Islanders Hard. The State Still Fell Short. As of Friday, 30% of confirmed coronavirus cases in Hawaii affect non-Hawaiian Pacific Islanders — including but not limited to Marshallese, Samoans, Tongans, Chuukese and other Indigenous peoples of the Pacific — even though they make up just 4% of the state’s population. Civil Beat.
Hawaii Gov. David Ige calls out senators following Department of Health contact tracing tour. Gov. David Ige has admonished Senate President Ron Kouchi after members of the Senate Special Committee on COVID-19 toured the Health Department on Aug. 7 to review contact tracing operations at the invitation of the state epidemiologist — but apparently without enough advance notice. Star-Advertiser.
Ige to Kouchi: Senators’ visit to DOH was ‘neither respectful nor appropriate'. In a newly obtained letter to Hawaii’s Senate president, Gov. David Ige calls out the lawmakers who made an unannounced visit to the health department earlier this month. Hawaii News Now.
State Was Lying To Us About Contact Tracing, Gabbard Says. Gabbard was joined by a Department of Health employee whistleblower, and revealed what is really going on with the State's COVID-19 contact tracing tracing efforts. Big Island Video News.
Public schools get unusual start to new academic year. Today is the first day of school for public school students, but rather than offering their traditional warm welcome, many principals advised kids to stay home given the sharp rise in COVID-19 cases. Star-Advertiser.
Tourism officials can’t market Hawaii as ‘the safest place on earth’ anymore. It was just a few months ago when some Hawaii tourism and government officials thought Hawaii had a shot at marketing the state to tourists as “the safest place on earth.” Star-Advertiser.
Auto sales careened downhill 41.8% in the second quarter. Hawaii auto sales plunged 41.8% in the second quarter as the work-from-home labor force, a near standstill in tourism, the closure of most recreational activities and a quarter million people unemployed left the industry parked on the side of the road. Star-Advertiser.
Farmland becoming food vs. fuel battleground. What’s at stake are two competing state policy goals: producing 100% of energy from renewable sources by 2045, and doubling local food production by 2030. Star-Advertiser.
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Moratorium on aquarium trade continues. A decision by the state Environmental Council last week effectively continues a moratorium on commercial aquarium collection along the Kona Coast, an activity long opposed by some Native Hawaiians and marine conservation groups. Star-Advertiser.
Council upholds BLNR’s rejection of aquarium fishing EIS. A May decision by the state Board of Land and Natural Resources to maintain a ban on aquarium fish collection off West Hawaii was recently upheld by the state Environmental Council. West Hawaii Today.
Aquarium fishing ban upheld. The state’s Environmental Council has upheld the state Board of Land and Natural Resources’ decision to maintain the ban on collecting fish for the aquarium-pet trade off the west coast of Hawai‘i Island, and to reject an environmental impact statement aimed at restarting the destructive practice. Garden Island.
Oahu
Obama and the beach house loopholes. As Barack Obama entered the home stretch of his presidency, his close friend Marty Nesbitt was scouting an oceanfront property on Oahu, the Hawaiian island where the two regularly vacationed together with their families. Star-Advertiser.
Bones found on a property tied to Obama, causing tension with Native Hawaiians. n January, workers had found human remains, or iwi kupuna, as they reshaped a multimillion-dollar oceanfront lot into a luxury compound being developed by Marty Nesbitt, the chair of the Obama Foundation and head of a Chicago-based private-equity firm. Star-Advertiser.
Honolulu Government Goes Local for Some Transit Technology. Some local tech companies are landing big contracts with the City & County of Honolulu’s for transit work. Hawaii Public Radio.
Hawaii Island
South Kohala resorts show off reopening plans. Representatives from several properties on the Gold Coast Thursday shared with state and county legislators and officials their ever-evolving plans and procedures for reopening with on-site visits at The Westin Hapuna Beach Resort, Fairmont Orchid and Hilton Grand Vacations. West Hawaii Today.
Sewer replacement project gets underway Tuesday. Traffic patterns on Palani Road, between Kailua Pier and Kuakini Highway, will be altered beginning Tuesday as work begins to replace an aging sewer line. West Hawaii Today.
Maui
Big-brand hotels roll out pandemic safety plans. Leaders mull resort bubbles for Neighbor Island resortgoers. Maui News.
Mayor Victorino Addresses Rumors Relating to Resort Bubbles and Public Beach Access. Mayor Michael Victorino today addressed “rumors and misinformation” he said is spreading on social media about resort bubbles and public beach access. Maui Now.
Tenants at Lahaina Front Street Apartments Celebrate Federal Court Win to Keep Rent Affordable Until 2051. The 40-page decision by Hawai‘i federal District Court Judge Jill Otake rejected an attempt by the project developer, Front Street Affordable Housing Partners, to end the restrictions set in place to prevent sharp increases in rents or sale of the project unencumbered by the rent restrictions. Maui Now.
Thermal scanners now installed at all arrival gates at Kahului Airport. Facial imaging gear to be added before end of year. Maui News.
Some businesses support Young Brothers rate hike. Several Maui County businesses are throwing their support behind Young Brothers’ request to raise its rates 47 percent, though at least one called for an independent audit of the struggling interisland shipper. Maui News.
Kauai
Festival of Hope sold out again. Novelyn Hinazumi, Child &Family Service Kaua‘i director, was busy stuffing backpacks with digital thermometers Saturday as cars started flowing through the CFS Festival of Hope for Families distribution in the Vidinha Stadium parking lot. Garden Island.
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