Independent grand jury counsel sought
The Circuit Court of the Third Circuit (Hawaii Island) is seeking applications for independent grand jury counsel for Hilo and Kona. The compensation shall be as provided by law.
Article I, Section 11 of the Constitution of the State of Hawaii establishes that whenever a grand jury is impaneled an independent counsel shall be appointed, as provided by law, to advise the members of the grand jury regarding matters brought before it.
In accordance with Hawaii Revised Statutes (§612-51 to §612-57), the Chief Justice of the Hawaii Supreme Court appoints grand jury counsel for the four judicial circuits of the state, selecting from among those individuals licensed to practice law in Hawaii who are not public employees.
Those interested in being considered for a one-year appointment for either Hilo or Kona should submit a letter indicating interest and a resume by May 14 to Chief Judge Robert D.S. Kim, Keahuolu Courthouse, 74-5451 Kamakaeha Ave., Kailua-Kona, HI 96740. A copy should also be faxed to Lester Oshiro, Chief Court Administrator, at (808) 961-7577.
PGV announces virtual community meeting
Puna Geothermal Venture (PGV) will host a virtual community meeting at 4 p.m. April 14. PGV, along with representatives of Hawaiian Electric Co. and the County of Hawaii, will give updates and answer questions from the public.
Due to the pandemic, PGV has periodically hosted virtual community meetings and will continue to do so until a return to in-person meetings is advisable. PGV also plans to host meetings in July and October. Details of these meetings will be announced later.
PGV, a subsidiary of Ormat Technologies, has been back online since November and is continuing to ramp up production.
“We are currently operating at 20 megawatts of power and are targeting to get back to our pre-eruption levels by the end of 2021,” said Michael Kaleikini, Ormat’s senior director, Hawaii Affairs. Prior to the Kilauea eruption, PGV provided 31% of all energy delivered to the Hawaiian Electric grid. Geothermal energy is a keystone for the state to meet its 100% clean energy goal by 2045.
The public can participate in the April 14 meeting by visiting www.punageothermalproject.com. The link will become live at the start of the meeting.
The public can also submit questions in advance at https://punageothermalproject.com/public-meetings/.
In addition to participating in virtual meetings, residents who have questions or concerns can call the toll-free line at (808) 369-9094. Weekly project updates are posted at www.punageothermalproject.com.
Celebrate National Library Week
The Hawaii State Public Library System invites everyone to join in celebrating National Library Week, which runs April 4 to 10. The theme this year is “Welcome to Your Library.” Whether patrons visit in person or virtually, our libraries have continued to offer endless opportunities to read, learn, grow and connect through the pandemic.
To celebrate this special week, the Hawaii State Public Library System has planned a variety of special programs for the community. There will be virtual visits by special guests, dynamic online discussions, video tours of Hawaii’s 51 branches, and a month-long reading challenge.
Special events include:
• “Search for Alien Life and a Home on Mars” with NASA’s Jesse Tarnas at 10 a.m. today at 10 a.m. Register at https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_8cr4IFm3RO6L-E64vkrMTw.
• Try Think Community Discussions moderated by staff of the Hawaii Council for the Humanities: “About Aging – Sharing Intergenerational Stories” at 4:30 p.m. and “About Gender – Transition to Self” at 4:30 p.m. on April 28. Register for both at https://www.librarieshawaii.org/2021/03/18/try-think-april-7.
• Virtual Author Talk with Newbery Award Winner Tae Keller, author of “When You Trap a Tiger” at 3 p.m. April 8. Sponsored by the Friends of the Library of Hawaii. Register at https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_LVx4LcubQ6WgNsJxugYVPg.
• Take video tours, learn fun facts about the architecture, artwork, special collections and services of Hawaii’s 51 public libraries through our month-long virtual reading challenge at www.librarieshawaii.beanstack.org.
All events are free. If you need an auxiliary aid/service or other accommodation due to a disability, call Library Development Services at (808) 831-6878 as soon as possible. All programs are subject to change.
For more information, visit www.librarieshawaii.org.
HVNP announces April flight operations
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park will conduct a range of flight operations during April.
On April 15, between 6:30 and 8 a.m. for ungulate surveys and control work at Kahuku between 4,000 feet and 6,000 feet in elevation.
April 15, between 7 and 11 a.m. for fountain grass control and mapping from the western boundary to Keauhou Trail from sea level to around 3,500 feet in elevation.
April 22, from 8 to 11 a.m., for guinea grass control and mapping, from Keauhou Trail at Hilina Pali to sea level.
April 30, times to be determined, to retrieve lua restoration equipment from coastal camping areas.
In addition, the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory may conduct flight operations over Kilauea and Mauna Loa to assess volcanic activity and maintain instrumentation.
Dates and times are subject to change based on aircraft availability and weather.
The National Park Service said that management of the park requires the use of aircraft to monitor and research volcanic activity, conduct search-and-rescue missions and law enforcement operations, support management of natural and cultural resources, and to maintain backcountry facilities.