Leopold found guilty in Maryland county
ANNAPOLIS, Md. >> A judge found Anne Arundel County Executive John Leopold guilty of misconduct in office for using his security detail to perform political campaign activities while on the job and for making a secretary and members of his detail empty his urine catheter bag for months in 2010.
Leopold is a former Hawaii state senator, representative and Board of Education member. He also ran for Hawaii governor as a Republican in 1978, losing to Democratic incumbent Gov. George Ariyoshi.
Leopold has been suspended as Anne Arundel County executive as a result of the judge’s finding.
Leopold was also found guilty of requiring members of his security detail to put up campaign signs as he ran for re-election in 2010 when they were on duty as police officers. Leopold also required them to pick up campaign checks and compile dossiers on political opponents.
Judge Dennis Sweeney acquitted Leopold of spending $10,000 in overtime pay to use members of his security detail for his benefit. Leopold also was acquitted of using some of that overtime money to conceal a personal relationship with a woman.
NEIGHBOR ISLANDS
Laser impairs airplane pilot
A Coast Guard HC-130H Hercules airplane aborted a landing Monday night at Kahului Airport and was forced to return to Barbers Point Air Station after someone on Maui shined a light from a laser pointer at the aircraft, the Coast Guard said.
The crew was on a training flight at the time. The laser affected the vision of the co-pilot, compromising his ability to fly the aircraft, Coast Guard spokesman Lt. Casey Corpe said Tuesday. No one else was affected.
Corpe said the public needs to be made aware of the seriousness of "lasing" an aircraft.
"Not only does it risk the health of the air crew, it can seriously delay response times during rescue missions, risking the lives of the people that need help the most," Corpe said in a news release.
Shining a laser at an aircraft is a federal crime. It can cause glare, flash blindness or temporary loss of night vision, endangering the crew, the Coast Guard said.
On Oct. 23 a Coast Guard MH-65 Dolphin helicopter was forced to land at Barbers Point when someone lased it as it flew offshore of Oahu, compromising the vision of two crew members.
Hunt is named finance director
Steven A. Hunt was named Kauai County director of finance by Mayor Bernard Carvalho Jr. on Tuesday.
Hunt is a county real property review officer. He will begin his new job Friday.
Before joining the county, Hunt was a Bank of Hawaii assistant vice president for private client services and owned a real estate appraisal company, Island Appraisal Co. He is a Kauai High School graduate.
