Lawmaker pleads no contest to traffic crime ADVERTISING Lawmaker pleads no contest to traffic crime WAILUKU, Maui (AP) — A state lawmaker charged with not having vehicle insurance says he was mistaken when he told the media last year he
Lawmaker pleads no contest to traffic crime
WAILUKU, Maui (AP) — A state lawmaker charged with not having vehicle insurance says he was mistaken when he told the media last year he was ticketed while fixing his “undriveable” car outside his home.
Police said Rep. Kaniela Ing was driving his car when he was cited in January 2016 for failing to provide proof of insurance.
Ing, 28, released a statement saying his comments in July were wrong. At the time, Ing was seeking re-election to the state House seat representing south Maui.
Ing’s statement came Wednesday after he pleaded no contest to not having vehicle insurance. As part of a plea deal, prosecutors agreed to drop a charge of failure to appear.
The lawmaker missed a February court date related to the traffic citation and a bench warrant was issued for his arrest. He turned himself in July 26 and posted $250 bail to be released.
Ing presented proof of insurance for the 2000 BMW during this week’s hearing.
Post office faces closure, consolidation
LIHUE, Kauai (AP) — Kauai’s first stand-alone post office building, which opened nearly 80 years ago, is facing closure.
The U.S. Postal Service confirmed the proposed closure Wednesday after a notice was posted in the lobby of the post office at 4441 Rice St. The agency is considering a consolidation of the Lihue post office and another Postal Service facility nearby.
Under the proposal, according to Duke Gonzales with the USPS, all Lihue post office box customers would have their boxes moved to the new location and addresses would remain the same.
No jobs would be lost because employees would be transferred.
The proposal is open for public comment.
Zuckerberg to drop lawsuits
HONOLULU (AP) — Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said Friday that he is dropping lawsuits seeking to buy out Native Hawaiians who own small pieces of land within his sprawling estate on Kauai, promising to work with the community on “a new approach.”
Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan, said in a letter to the community published in The Garden Island newspaper that they were ending the cases “to find a better path forward.”
The 14 parcels involved in the dispute mostly belong to Native Hawaiian families awarded the land during the mid-19th century, when private property was established in Hawaii. Many original owners died without wills. Ownership today is split among hundreds of descendants, many of whom are unaware of their shares.
The couple filed court cases last month to identify the owners and ask the court to auction the land. Critics say the process often results in Native Hawaiians losing their land.
Kilauea Sugar Co. previously owned Zuckerberg’s land. He bought his 700-acre oceanfront property in 2014 for $100 million, Forbes reported.
