In this case, the wheels of justice turned so slowly that they simply ground to a halt. And that’s unfortunate for the owners of the Kahuku Goats farm, who had 23 goats stolen — and never recovered — in September 2013. Although two men were arrested and charged for livestock theft about a week after the goats disappeared, repeated delays by the prosecution caused the case to be dismissed this week. Further, the judge was right in questioning the government’s commitment to the case since the latest prosecutor had been the third in a line assigned to it.

One defendant remains charged. Whether the goat farmers receive any justice remain in the prosecutor office’s shaky hands.

Don’t forget your own bag — or get a paper one

It’s only been a day since the long-anticipated plastic bag ban has been in effect on Oahu, the last island to adopt that environmental policy, though in a somewhat softened form.

But maybe a few predictions can be made. One is that the availability of paper bags will allow some shoppers to postpone making that habitual shift to reusable bags. And the other is that there will now be a new kind of “omiyage” gifts local people bring home, a new element in care packages sent here: a wad of the old T-shirt-style plastic bags.