Reef fish EA weaves a tangled net 9A
Restoring PGV could take 18 months 6A
KEALAKEKUA — A new
restriction is in place for Hawaii
Community Correctional
Center inmate releases as
Public Safety officials probe
a July blunder that resulted
in an accused murderer being
erroneously released into the
FRIDAY, AUGUST 10, 2018 WESTHAWAIITODAY.COM $ .75
community.
Since Brian Lee Smith
was mistakenly freed on July
24, the state Department of
Public Safety has delegated
the responsibility of releasing
inmates from the Hilo jail to
just two people — the warden
and the chief of security,
Deputy Attorney General Laura
Maeshiro, representing the
department, told 3rd Circuit
Court Judge Melvin Fujino
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during a hearing in which the
jail’s warden, Peter Cabreros,
was to explain the mishap.
Cabreros, however, did not
address the court and few
details were divulged Thursday
after Fujino said that he would
forego action on the matter
pending the outcome of a DPS
investigation into the incident.
Smith remained free for two
days before calling to turn himself
into police around 11 p.m.
July 26.
“The court is cognizant that
the Department of Public
Safety is conducting its own
internal investigation in to this
case, and as such, the court will
leave it up to the Department
SEE RELEASE PAGE 6A
Kahu Daniel Akaka Jr., second from left, leads a blessing at the dedication of phase
2 of the Queen Kaahumanu Highway widening project on Thursday. CAMERON MICULKA/
WEST HAWAII TODAY
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HI 87 LO 76 WEATHER, PAGE 10A
VOL. 50, NO. 222 20 PAGES
Kailua-Kona’s sunset practically smiles
after the passage of Hurricane Hector on
Wednesday. SIMMY/COMMUNITY CONTRIBUTOR
DPS to probe own mistaken release
JUDGE DEFERS ACTION PENDING OUTCOME OF INTERNAL INVESTIGATION
BY CHELSEA JENSEN
WEST HAWAII TODAY
cjensen@westhawaiitoday.com
MENTAL HEALTH EXAM ORDERED FOR BRIAN LEE SMITH
Smith Cabreros
2018 Primary
Blunder to survive, or
blunder that sinks?
HAWAII DEMOCRATIC
GOVERNOR RACE REVIVES
FALSE MISSILE ALERT
BY CALEB JONES
ASSOCIATED PRESS
HONOLULU — Hawaii Gov. David
Ige wants voters to look at his four years
of accomplishments, including his handling
of the Big Island’s erupting volcano,
as reasons to give him a second term.
But U.S. Rep. Colleen Hanabusa, his
main opponent in Saturday’s Democratic
primary in the heavily blue state, wants
voters to look at 38 minutes in January as
reason enough to send Ige packing.
That’s how long panicking Hawaii residents
waited to learn that a warning
about an incoming ballistic missile was
not real. Officials mistakenly sent a statewide
alert to cellphones, televisions and
radios warning of an imminent attack on
Jan. 13. “THIS IS NOT A DRILL,” the
message read.
It was a drill — one never intended to
be seen by the public — and the hysteria
it caused sparked a firestorm of criticism
against Ige.
“When you hear the stories about
what people did in 38 minutes, it gives
you a clear sense that it truly affected
so many people,” said Hanabusa, who is
giving up her seat in Congress to challenge
the governor.
SEE BLUNDER PAGE 6A
THE LONG ROAD THERE
3 YEARS AFTER GROUNDBREAKING, QUEEN KAAHUMANU HIGHWAY DEDICATED
BY CAMERON MICULKA
WEST HAWAII TODAY
cmiculka@westhawaiitoday.com
KAILUA-KONA — As local
officials celebrated the dedication
of the newly widened
stretch of Queen Kaahumanu
Highway, the sound of horns
from passing cars punctuated
the speeches and remarks,
notes of thanks — or at least,
relief — for the completion of
a project years in the making.
Three years after breaking
ground and more than 10 years
since the state first awarded a
bid for the project, the highway
now spans four lanes of
north- and southbound traffic
for a little more than 5 miles
between Kealakehe Parkway
and Keahole Airport Road.
“Even though we blessed
this three years ago, we prayed
every day that this would be
completed,” said kahu Daniel
Akaka Jr., who provided the
blessing Thursday and at the
2015 groundbreaking. “So this
is a happy day for all of us, this
community and for the Island
of Hawaii.”
Thursday’s ceremony officially
marked the $121 million
project as “substantially complete,”
with some work, such as
landscaping and signage installation,
still remaining.
Motorists driving through
the area will likely notice the
use of ’a’a in the median. Donald
Smith, Hawaii District engineer
with the state Department
of Transportation Highways
Division, said the use of ’a’a
isn’t just for aesthetics, it’s also
low-maintenance and discourages
motorists from attempting
to cut across the median.
And for those who have
worked to push the widening
project forward, Thursday’s
dedication was cause for
celebration.
“The area north of Kona, the
area that this portion of the
Queen Kaahumanu Highway
services, is a great example
of the best that Hawaii state
and Hawaii Island has to
offer,” said Gov. David Ige in
remarks to the crowd. “Scenic
views, a connection to the history
of the people of the first
nation of Hawaii, our second
international air point-of-entry
at Ellison Onizuka Kona
International Airport and
really an example of technical,
environmental and cultural
SEE HIGHWAY PAGE 7A
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