Auditor's work papers protected, Maui ex-police officer gets prison time for soliciting sex for ticket fixing, Honolulu police defend arresting 10-year-old, keiki get vaccinated, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

 

Hawaii Auditor Les Kondo

Judge rules to keep Hawaii state auditor’s ‘work papers’ confidential. Both state auditor Les Kondo and the chairwoman of a special House committee investigating Kondo’s handling of two critical audits of state land management could claim partial victories after their dispute over subpoenas and “confidential work papers” went to Circuit Court on Wednesday. Star-Advertiser. Civil Beat.

Hawaii unemployment offices to reopen Dec. 1 with limited hours. Hawaii’s unemployment offices, closed since the early part of the pandemic last year, will reopen on a part-time basis beginning Dec. 1, the state Department of Labor and Industrial Relations said Wednesday. Star-Advertiser. Civil Beat. Tribune-Herald. Big Island Now. KITV4.

Hospitals seek to convince scores of traveling nurses to call Hawaii home. Hundreds of traveling nurses who have spent the past three months caring for Hawaii’s COVID patients will return to the mainland next week. That means many local hospitals will again be left short-staffed. Hawaii News Now.

Kaiser Permanente Hawaii mental health clinicians authorize a strike. After three years of contract negotiations, psychologists, social workers, psychiatric nurses, and chemical dependency counselors at Kaiser Permanente Hawaii have authorized a strike. KITV4.

Department of Public Safety faces a lawsuit over disclosing vaccination statuses. The civil lawsuit, which seeks unspecified monetary damages, was filed Oct. 25 in Honolulu Circuit Court by Hilo attorney Ted Hong on behalf of the Hawaii Government Employees Association and the United Public Workers. Tribune-Herald.

New service corps program would provide Native Hawaiian youth with job opportunities in conservation. The Indian Youth Service Corps program would provide Indigenous youth with education, employment, and training opportunities through conservation projects on public lands. Hawaii Public Radio.

Wespac’s Aggressive Effort To Muscle In On State Control Of Fisheries. From paying people to attend meetings to pushing legislation and even publishing a book, the federal fisheries panel spent years trying to influence state policy. Civil Beat.

The first COVID-19 vaccine doses go into the arms of children ages 5-11. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation’s most recent COVID-19 Vaccine Monitor, about 27% of parents surveyed said they are eager to get their kids ages 5 to 11 a vaccine as soon as it is authorized, while 33% said they will wait to see how the vaccine is working. Star-Advertiser. KHON2. KITV4.

Hawaii records 3 new coronavirus-related deaths, 176 additional infections. The new confirmed and probable infection count by island includes 102 new cases on Oahu, 21 on Hawaii Island, 13 on Maui, 25 on Kauai and 15 Hawaii residents diagnosed outside the state. Star-Advertiser.

Oahu

Honolulu Police Department tells commission arrest of 10-year-old girl ‘reasonable,’ ‘necessary’. Three officers who arrested a 10-year-old Black girl at a Waipahu elementary school after a complaint from another parent acted in a “reasonable” and “necessary” fashion, an HPD assistant chief told the Honolulu Police Commission on Wednesday. Star-Advertiser. Civil Beat. Hawaii News Now.

Hawaii’s Congressional delegation demands investigation of Navy’s actions at Red Hill. Hawaii’s four-member congressional delegation asked the Department of Defense on Wednesday to examine the Navy’s handling of fuel leaks at its Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility, a World War II-era tank farm situated 100 feet above Oahu’s primary drinking water aquifer. Star-Advertiser. Civil Beat.

Full capacity for many businesses hamstrung by 6-foot distance rule. Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi announced Wednesday that he intends to discuss the distancing limitation with Ige again in hopes of having it lifted because of the negative impact it has on many smaller restaurants and bars. Star-Advertiser. Hawaii News Now. KITV4.

Hawaii Island

Hotel tax advances without resident discount. A move to exempt county residents from having to pay an extra 3% hotel tax in order to enjoy a staycation on their own island was shot down Wednesday by a County Council majority before advancing Bill 81 on a unanimous vote. West Hawaii Today.

Kona Coffee Cultural Festival celebrates 50 years: Virtual, in-person events start today. Hawaii’s oldest food festival will be celebrating 50 years with both virtual and in-person events starting today. West Hawaii Today.

Maui

Ex-Maui police officer gets prison time for soliciting sex in exchange for help sabotaging drunk-driving case. A former Maui police officer today was sentenced to two and a half years in federal prison after he solicited a sexual relationship with a woman he had arrested for drunk driving in exchange for his help sabotaging the case against her. Star-Advertiser. Civil Beat. Big Island Now. Maui Now. Hawaii News Now. KHON2.

Maui’s vacation rental crackdown reveals strong community divide. In an all-day meeting Wednesday, Maui County Council’s Planning and Sustainable Land Use Committee heard testimony from more than a hundred people regarding vacation rentals on the island. Hawaii News Now.

Newly Selected Maui Police Chief Asks for Dedicated Recruiter, Cold Case Team, and K-9 Program. Newly selected Maui Police Chief, John Pelletier is scheduled to be sworn in on Dec. 15, and is expected to begin his new job as head of the department on the same day, according to information shared at a special meeting today of the Maui Police Commission. Maui Now. Hawaii News Now.

Maui Charter Commission Discussing Planning & Police at Nov. 4 Meeting. The Maui Charter Commission will receive testimony and discuss the remaining 10 proposed charter amendment under Theme G – Planning and also consider Theme H- Police at its next regular online meeting on Thursday, Nov. 4 at 9 am. Maui Now.

Kauai

Residents seek passage of zoning bill to halt glamping development. Wednesday, the council heard testimony from a dozen residents in support of Bill No. 2838, which would define undeveloped and developed campgrounds and the areas in which these would be acceptable. Garden Island.

The Elections Division of the Office of the County Clerk and the State Office of Elections have partnered with BallotTrax, a division of i3logix based in Denver, Colorado to offer free and secure mail ballot locator and notification services to all properly registered voters of the County of Kaua‘i beginning with the upcoming Prosecuting Attorney Special Elections. This service is currently only being offered to properly registered voters of the County of Kaua‘i, but will be expanded statewide for the 2022 Elections. Garden Island.