Ochiai appointed to Circuit Court bench
Gov. Neil Abercrombie appointed Honolulu District Judge Dean Ochiai to a 10-year term as a circuit judge for Oahu.
Ochiai, 57, would fill the vacancy created when the governor appointed Richard Pollack as an associate justice on the Hawaii Supreme Court.
Ochiai’s appointment, announced on Friday, is subject to state Senate confirmation.
Ochiai has been a district judge since 2011, when he was named to the position by Chief Justice Mark Recktenwald.
"Judge Ochiai has tried 39 jury trials, more than 300 non-jury trials, arbitrations, mediations and settlements, and he has also supervised and monitored more than 2,000 civil actions," Abercrombie said in a statement announcing the appointment. "I am confident that his extensive and diverse experience will provide a well-rounded perspective to his judicial duties at Circuit Court."
Ochiai previously was vice president and managing attorney for First Insurance Company of Hawaii Ltd. He also served as a senior trial attorney for the city Corporation Counsel, an associate attorney for Damon Key Char and Bocken and a city deputy prosecutor.
The governor selected Ochiai from a list of finalists sent to him by the state Judicial Selection Commission.
Schatz taking resumes for staff positions
U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz will be staffing his office in the weeks ahead, according to a news release Sunday.
"Getting my office operational and building our team is essential and we’ve made good progress in a very short period of time," Schatz said.
"We will be receiving resumes of people interested in serving in either our Washington, D.C., or Hawaii offices. We’re looking for talented, energetic and public-minded people who want to serve their state and their country," he said.
Resumes should be sent to: senatorschatz.jobs@gmail.com.
The deadline for receipt of resumes is Friday. Applicants should indicate whether they are applying for positions in Hawaii, D.C. or both.
Schatz spoke with Sen.-elect Hirono Sunday, and the entire delegation will meet as soon as all members are in Washington.
"These are difficult times and it is incredibly important that we unify around what is best for Hawaii and every indication so far is that we are going to be able to do that," Schatz said.
Man drowns while picking opihi in Kona
A man believed to be in his 40s apparently drowned Saturday while picking opihi in an area off OTEC Road in North Kona.
The victim reportedly went to pick opihi around 9 a.m. and was spotted around 3:30 p.m. floating face down about 100 yards offshore.
Hawaii County fire rescue personnel recovered the man’s body.
Grass fire in Lihue brought under control
A small grass fire broke out Sunday afternoon on the ocean side of Lihue Airport, but it was quickly extinguished.
The call came in at 12:42 p.m., and when fire personnel arrived, they found roughly a half acre of grass on fire. Crews brought the blaze under control in roughly 45 minutes, and left the scene with the fire fully extinguished at about 2:08 p.m.
No one was injured and no structures were damaged.
3 state parks close early on New Year’s Eve
KAILUA-KONA » Some state recreation areas are closing early today to keep people from shooting off fireworks there.
The Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources says it is closing Hapuna Beach State Recreation Area in South Kohala, Kekaha Kai State Park north of Kona Airport and Kiholo State Park Reserve in North Kona at 5 p.m.
DLNR Director William Aila Jr. said fireworks are prohibited in state parks, and the early closures are intended to keep people from trying to shoot them off in the affected areas.
He says the early closures are to protect the public and natural resources in those areas.
Normal park hours will resume Tuesday.
