The Hawaii County Council voted 6-3 on Wednesday to approve Mayor Billy Kenoi’s plan to sell 737 acres of Hawaii County land to cover the cost of government operations. According to the “Hawaii Tribune-Herald”, council members also voted against requiring the administration to release terms of the sale or gain follow-up approval before completing land sales.
Hawaii Correctional Industries administrator Matthew Kaneshiro will brief Governor Linda Lingle’s East Hawaii Advisory Council today at 5:30 pm on plans to use the old Hilo Hospital as a training site for certain Hawaii Community Correctional Center inmates. According to the “Hawaii Tribune-Herald”, HCI plans on using a portion of the former hospital on Rainbow Drive to provide job training for inmates who are transitioning back to society.
The public has been invited to offer testimony on the next phase of the Saddle Road alignment project at two meetings in December. A 10.3 mile section of road will branch off from the existing road near the 42-mile marker and continue to the Mamalahoa Highway. The first meeting is set for December 9th, 5:00 pm , at Aunty Sally’s Luau Hale on Piilani Street in Hilo. The second meeting will be held on December 10th, 3:30 pm, at the Ntural Energy Laboratory Authority on the Queen Kaahumanu Highway.
The University of Hawaii at Hilo launches the first in a series of research presentations by University faculty with a free, public discussion on the homeless issue. The presentation, entitled ” Homelessness in Hawaii” will be held from 1-2:30 pm on Friday, November 20th, in UCB 127.
The Kona Task Force on Feeding the Hungry’s “Meet & Eat” program will celebrate Thanksgiving at its weekly dinner on Wednesday, November 25th. The Thanksgiving dinne with all the trimmings will start at 5:30 pm at the Kealakehe Intermediate School cafeteria. The free meal is open to the public.
(AP). A Hilo special education teacher is being sentenced to five years in prison for conspiring to distribute crystal methamphetamine. A federal judge handed down the sentence to 52-year old Lynn Dionise on Tuesday. Dionise pleaded guilty to the chare in April. In addition to the prison term, Dionise will remain on supervised release for five additional years.
Hilo will celebrate its national designation as a “Playful City” on Saturday, November 21st, with a community play day from 11 am to 3 pm at Mooheau Park. Hilo was selected one of the Playful City USA communities by KaBOOM, a national non-profit dedicated to bringing play back into children’s lives.
According to Hawaii police, a 22-year old Honokaa woman died from injuries sustained in a two vehicle crash on Highway 19 300 feet west of the 52 mile marker in the Hamakua District. Police identified the victim as Keshia A. Fernandez. Police said Fernandez lost control of her 1998 Honda sedan and hit a 2002 Ford multi-purpose vehicle. Fernandez died at the North Hawaii Community Hospital. Those in the other vehcile suffered minor injuries. Police said the highway was wet when the accident occurred. A negligent homicide investigation is underway and an autopsy has been ordered to determine the exact cause of death.