SUNDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2018 WESTHAWAIITODAY.COM $1.50
for the current system in the
3rd Circuit Court,” Department
of Public Safety spokeswoman
Toni Schwartz said Wednesday,
referring to the Big Island. “The
Department of Public Safety is
committed to working collaboratively
Piilani Rivera, left, hugs Helen Vailuu, founder of King’s Daughters Ministry, while seated inside the car she
received Saturday from the nonprofit organization. CAMERON MICULKA/WEST HAWAII TODAY
KAINALIU — When Piilani Rivera
came to the King’s Daughters Ministry
thrift store on Saturday, she was expecting
to pick up some clothes and other
items for her family.
Instead, the nonprofit’s founder,
Helen Vailuu, greeted her with the key
to a Mercury Mountaineer parked right
outside.
“I’ve heard about them doing this
before, but I never, ever thought that
it would be me,” said Rivera, an Ocean
View mother of two. “They’re amazing
people.”
Saturday’s giveaway marks the latest
in the more than 15 vehicles King’s
Daughters Ministry has given away in
the last 14 years.
In this part of Kona, reliable transportation
can be vital.
“This is life-changing,” Vailuu said. “It
is such a big boost for someone, especially
a single mother of two kids.”
Rivera, who helps clean with her auntie,
said the vehicle will be a big help
getting her kids to school and doctor
appointments as well as getting to work.
When it comes to getting around
without a car in Ocean View, she said,
“it’s impossible.”
She said she has family that is able to
help her out, but when they can’t, she
and her daughters have to rely on the
bus, which isn’t easy.
And on this bright Saturday Kona
morning, Rivera had one particular
destination in mind for her and her
daughters.
“Beach,” she said with a laugh.
King’s Daughters Ministry’s dedication
to helping its neighbors goes far
beyond getting folks moving.
For 14 years, it has given away hundreds
of Thanksgiving turkeys with
trimmings to families. The organization
also helps families and individuals with
HILO — Since March 2013,
23 inmates were mistakenly
released from Hawaii jails
and prisons with 16 — more
than two-thirds — released
from Hawaii Community
Correctional Center.
According to the state
Department of Public Safety,
nine of those erroneous releases,
and six on the Big Island,
occurred this year, including the
release of an alleged killer.
“We acknowledge that procedural
improvement is needed
Clearing
the streets
ABANDONED VEHICLE
PROGRAMS DEEMED
A SUCCESS
BY NANCY COOK LAUER
WEST HAWAII TODAY
ncook-lauer@westhawaiitoday.com
HILO — Two county programs to
remove abandoned vehicles are being
declared a success, with 331 junk cars
either removed or being scheduled to be
removed so far.
That’s according to Environmental
Management Director Bill Kucharski,
who said Friday the resumption of picking
up vehicles on private roadways,
coupled with an amnesty program that
subsidized disposal costs for those who
towed their own vehicles to the scrapyard,
has proved a win-win for the county
and communities.
The two programs are part of a threeprong
approach to remove unsightly
and dangerous vehicles from island
roadways. The third component is a
new state law giving the county more
wiggle room in how it handles abandoned
vehicles, while requiring that
counties take abandoned vehicles into
custody within 10 business days.
A $12 fee on annual vehicle registrations
pays for the programs.
“It’s good to be able to use the money
that we collected for the program to get
these vehicles off the road and properly
handled,” Kucharski said. “This is a
good use of these funds.”
with our Judicial partner
on this effort.”
The problem came to a head
on July 26 when the department
announced police and sheriffs’
deputies were looking for Brian
Lee Smith, a pretrial detainee
facing a second-degree murder
charge, after a “mistaken release”
two days earlier from HCCC.
Smith, who has a Jan. 8 trial
date in Kona for the fatal shooting
of Thomas Ballesteros Jr.,
turned himself in to police the
same night. He had returned
to Kona from the Hilo jail after
authorities set him free.
Smith’s mistaken release
and a manhunt that ensued
occurred shortly after police
tracked down and fatally shot
fugitive cop-killer Justin Waiki,
who shot and killed Puna Patrol
Officer Bronson Kalimai July 17
beside Highway 11 in Mountain
View.
Kona Circuit Judge Melvin
Fujino summoned HCCC
Warden Peter Cabreros on
Aug. 9 to explain the release of
Smith, the second time this year
Cabreros was called on the carpet
by a Kona Circuit judge to
explain erroneous releases.
“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 of Public
Safety to determine what did or
what did not happen regarding
the release of the defendant,
Brian Smith,” Fujino said at that
time after noting there was “no
excuse” for the release of Smith.
The previous order for DPS to
show cause was in March, when
Judge Robert Kim summoned
Cabreros to explain the early
releases of Adam Glassbrook,
Tandi Ezzo and Ryan Wiles.
“During that day in court with
Judge Kim, we promised to hold
meetings with our Judiciary
partners to discuss ways to
tighten up the process in the
3rd Circuit Court. We have been
holding true to our promise,”
Schwartz said.
SEE ABANDONED PAGE 9A
INDEX Annie’s Mailbox . . . . . . . 6B Classified. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1D Home. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1C Nation & World. . . . . . 3A-5A Opinion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6A Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1B
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VOL. 50, NO. 280 28 PAGES
INSIDE
END OF A LONG,
BITTER STORY
Brett Kavanaugh
confirmed as
114th Supreme
Court justice
PAGE 5A
▼
УДАЧИ,
VASILISA!
Girl from Pahoa
takes on Russian
ballet academy
PAGE 10A
▼
MISTAKENLY RELEASED
SINCE 2013, 16 INMATES HAVE BEEN ERRONEOUSLY RELEASED FROM HCCC — 6 WERE ALLEGED KILLERS
BY JOHN BURNETT
HAWAII TRIBUNE-HERALD
SEE RELEASE PAGE 7A
A stripped, abandoned vehicle sits
on the side of Mamalahoa Highway
in Honaunau on Jan. 17. LAURA
RUMINSKI/WEST HAWAII TODAY
‘This is life-changing’
KING’S DAUGHTERS MINISTRY GIFTS CAR, LOOKS
TO FUTURE YOUTH CENTER FOR REGION
BY CAMERON MICULKA
WEST HAWAII TODAY
cmiculka@westhawaiitoday.com
SEE CHANGING PAGE 9A
link
link