Off the News: Filling Ty Cullen’s seat, for several months

Now that the nominee list has been narrowed to three names — Luella Costales, Tesha Malama and Richard Oshiro — Gov. David Ige has until April 9 to appoint one of them to fill the remaining months in the District 39 House term. This is the vacancy left with the resignation of former Rep. Ty Cullen, who last month pled guilty to taking bribes.

Once the state starts accepting candidacy applications, we’ll see if one or more want to run for the full two-year term.

One question: Why wait until April 9, when the Legislature is in session now?

Another year without graduation lei?

Thanks to COVID-19, we know what graduations look like without a public ceremony. The Class of 2022 could find out what a ceremony looks like without lei. Because, alas, although in-person grad ceremonies are back, lei-giving is not. Those joyful images of graduates shoulder-to-shoulder, all piled to the eyeballs with lei — maybe not this year.

Things could change, though, given the easing of city and state restrictions underway. Keep up with changes through the Department of Education’s commencement guidelines at hawaiipublicschools.org.