Candidate Gabbard threatened via email
Congressional candidate Tulsi Gabbard filed a police report Thursday after receiving a death threat via email that morning, her campaign spokesman confirmed Friday night.
Gabbard, 30, is the Democratic nominee for Hawaii’s 2nd Congressional District and is heavily favored to win the seat over lesser-known Republican opponent Kawika Crowley. Police have opened a terroristic threatening case, said Gabbard campaign spokesman Jim McCoy. The message came from a phone that appears to have originated from California, he said.
The candidate thinks the threat may have come from the same man to whom a District Court judge issued a three-year injunction in March 2011 ordering him to stay away from the then-member of the City Council, McCoy said.
Effort under way to restore state job cuts
Hawaii’s health director says a special task force is looking to restore many of the cuts made to mental health services several years ago.
Hawaii News Now reported the task force and state health officials are looking to restore many of the 319 mental health and other Health Department positions that were lost during former Gov. Linda Lingle’s administration. The mental health division was one of the hardest hit by budget cuts in 2009.
Health Director Loretta Fuddy disclosed those plans during settlement talks over a lawsuit filed by three former mental health administrators who lost their jobs. Their attorney, Eric Seitz, says they were given assurances the Health Department convened the task force.
Fuddy says the department will request additional funding to restore positions in the most critical areas.
State tries anew to ease bridge-fix traffic
The state Department of Transportation is bringing in police special-duty officers earlier in the afternoon starting Monday to help ease the bumper-to-bumper traffic due to repairs to the Karsten Thot Bridge in Wahiawa.
The officers will help direct traffic at 1:30 p.m. They had previously started at 3 p.m.
The DOT opens a lane on the bridge during morning rush hour traffic. "The reason we are not opening the bridge to afternoon rush hour at this time is that it will significantly prolong the time to repair the bridge," DOT spokeswoman Caroline Sluyter said in a news release. "Engineers estimate it could extend the project work time by 50 percent."
NEIGHBOR ISLANDS
County reminds owners of home tax exemption
Kauai County officials are reminding eligible property owners to take advantage of the opportunity for the low-income home tax exemption.
Households with a gross annual income of $60,200 or less are eligible for the additional exemption for tax year 2012. The previous income ceiling for the exemption was $40,000.
The deadline to file for this exemption is Sept. 30.
For more information about the exemption, go to www.kauai.gov or call the Real Property Assessment Division at 241-4224.
Grant will aid Maui College’s leaders effort
The University of Hawaii Maui College’s Liko A‘e Native Hawaiian Leadership Program will receive a $4.7 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education’s Native Hawaiian Education Program, UH announced Wednesday.
Students who are selected for the program will work with community groups in Hawaii and on the mainland. Activities will include working with cultural practitioners, presenting research at conferences and participating in leadership programs in Washington, D.C., and at the United Nations in New York.
The application period for the 2013-14 Liko A‘e leadership program begins March 4. Students of Hawaiian ancestry pursuing higher education may apply. Instructions and requirements for this new project will be posted in February. For more information, go to www.likoae.org or call Liko A‘e’s Maui office at 984-3553.
