Chad Blair

Maui Tea Partier In D.C.: IRS Scrutiny 'Chilling'

civilbeat.com — Maui Tea Party called to Washington D.C. to testify in IRS scandal.

New Helmet Law On Way For Skateboarders In Honolulu?

hawaii.news.blogs.civilbeat.com — Honolulu's skateparks may soon get a helmet law. City Councilman Joey Manahan recently introduced a bill that will make it illegal for anyone not wearing an "approved helmet" to skateboard in a city skatepark. Approved helmets are those that meet or exceed the bicycle helmet standards of the U.S.

Hawaii Monitor: Why Are So Many Inmates Committing Suicide?

civilbeat.com — Chad Blair/Civil Beat The string of five inmate deaths - including four suicides - in Hawaii correctional facilities in just over two months is indeed a crisis, as Ted Sakai, the state's director of public safety said recently. And it should be seen as a crisis for the community as a whole, not just for the prison system.

Big Island Press Club Gives Lava Tube ‘Award’ To Hee

hawaii.news.blogs.civilbeat.com — From Hawaii 24/7: The Big Island Press Club has given state Sen. Clayton Hee the dubious honor of this year's Lava Tube Award for his leadership role in overturning Hawaii's shield law, which protected news reporters' sources and unpublished notes.

DATA: Ala Wai Bacteria Levels Off The Charts

civilbeat.com — The Ala Wai Canal far exceeds the state's safe standard for bacteria levels associated with skin, nose, air and eye infections, as well as well as painful gastrointestinal illnesses. The charts below show the levels of enterococci bacteria detected in the canal since 2006.

SLIDESHOW: Photos Show A Changing Waikiki

civilbeat.com — Historic photos, many from the Hawaii State Archives, show how the Ala Wai Canal changed the Waikiki area. From lush farms, fields and wetlands to a lanscape scraped and filled by dredging machines and other turn-of-the-century equipment, business and civic leaders transformed the area. Scroll down to view on mobile devices and iPads.

Ala Wai Canal: If It Makes You Sick Why Not Shut Down Public Access?

civilbeat.com — Sophie Cocke/ Civil Beat Twain Newhart is about to take off in a one-man kayak on the Ala Wai Canal. He lifts up his leg and points to a black scab. "It happens all the time," he says. "It can be bad. It can be really bad.

Senate Panel Passes Immigration Bill, Filipino Vets Included

civilbeat.com — Kery Murakami/Civil Beat WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Senate Judiciary Committee passed the most ambitious immigration reform package of a generation on Tuesday - one that gives a path to citizenship for thousands of undocumented immigrants who had been living in the shadows.

Hawaii Teacher: Does Island Culture Allow Bad Student Behavior?

civilbeat.com — Alia Wong/Civil Beat Last year, a buddy of mine invited me to participate in an education think-tank group. About twelve of us met on a Saturday morning in a conference room downtown. We had a diverse group of participants: Teachers born and raised in Hawaii, TFA alumni, department heads, a professional development consultant, a special education coordinator, and political education advocates.

Civil Beat Lab Tests: Canal Seafood Is Contaminated

civilbeat.com — Sophie Cocke/ Civil Beat As rains pounded the Ala Wai Canal one day this March, Glenn Barbadillo, sat under a tarp amid canoes lined up near the McCully Bridge. Construction material from a pool deck flowed into a nearby storm drain and out into the canal, turning a swath of the murky water white.