Alleged palace vandal indicted ADVERTISING Alleged palace vandal indicted HONOLULU (AP) — A 21-year-old woman has been indicted for vandalism at Iolani Palace. The state attorney general’s office said Thursday an Oahu grand jury indicted Drew Paahau with criminal property
Alleged palace vandal indicted
HONOLULU (AP) — A 21-year-old woman has been indicted for vandalism at Iolani Palace.
The state attorney general’s office said Thursday an Oahu grand jury indicted Drew Paahau with criminal property damage and burglary.
Surveillance footage showed a woman kicking and smashing glass panes of a palace door in February.
Attorney General David Louie says he intends to prosecute the case to the fullest extent of the law because of the damage to a priceless and historic piece of Hawaii’s history.
The palace served as a home to the Hawaiian monarchy.
A judge issued a bench warrant for her arrest. It’s not clear if she has an attorney.
Group pushes tiny homes
HONOLULU (AP) — Advocates in Honolulu are proposing that Hawaii rejigger its ohana housing regulations so that the tiny homes might address the state’s housing shortage.
The Hawaii Appleseed Center for Law and Economic Justice has released a report on how the homes could expand affordable housing. Ohana homes are small units built onto houses or as standalone units in single-family lots.
Victor Geminiani, the executive director of the nonprofit, said that counties need to get creative to make more housing available. One approach would be to relax regulations on how densely homes may be built on lots. Another way would be to revise requirements on how much parking a home must have.
Geminiani says Hawaii will need 19,000 more affordable homes in the next two years.
Planned Kauai dairy opposed
LIHUE, Kauai (AP) — A group of biologists and residents is opposing plans for a dairy farm on Kauai.
The group accuses Hawaii Dairy Farms of starting construction without proper permits and downplaying environmental impacts.
Hawaii Dairy Farms hopes to begin producing milk for customers next year on more than 580 acres in Mahaulepu.
Farm spokeswoman Amy Hennessey says the company never went outside of its permitting and it’s disheartening to hear some believe the project is not doing what’s right for the community.
The group of more than a dozen people sent the letter to the county earlier this month.
The letter says the county should reconsider the project.
The county Public Works Department was working on a response to the letter.
Stepmom of slain daughter wants to leave Hawaii
HONOLULU (AP) — The attorney representing a woman who testified against her husband in his Hawaii capital-murder trial says she should be sentenced immediately, now that she’s satisfied terms of her plea deal.
But the judge says Delilah Williams’ sentencing has to wait until the trial against her husband is over.
Former Hawaii-based soldier Naeem Williams is charged with beating his 5-year-old daughter to death in 2005.
Delilah Williams testified that she inflicted months of abuse on her stepdaughter, Talia.
Assistant Federal Defender Alexander Silvert said in court documents Thursday his client spent nine years at Honolulu’s Federal Detention Center and wants to serve her sentence at a mainland facility. She wants a facility that offers “education, work and mental health treatment.”
Her deal calls for a 20-year sentence.
