Court boots suit contesting District 6 election count

The state Supreme Court has dismissed a complaint filed by state representative candidate Kalei Akaka that sought redress of what Akaka claimed were "massive voting conduct irregularities" that may have caused her to lose the Democratic Party race for the District 6 seat in last month’s primary election.

The suit named as defendants fellow candidates Nicole Lowen, Bucky Leslie and Fred Housel as well as Chief Election Officer Scott Nago, Hawaii County Clerk Jamae Kawauchi and Gov. Neil Abercrombie.

Lowen won the election with 1,067 votes, followed by Akaka with 1,022.

Akaka, granddaughter of outgoing U.S. Sen. Daniel Akaka, claimed that Abercrombie lacked the authority to extend polling hours for Hawaii island, that elections officers miscounted or mishandled ballots, and that the late opening of polling places on the island ultimately "caused invalid ballots and votes to be cast and inextricably intermingled with valid ballots and votes cast."

Akaka’s complaint asked for a new election for the seat, a manual recount of primary ballots for the race, and payment of her attorney fees.

The court on Friday dismissed Akaka’s complaint on the basis that it was filed one day after the filing deadline of Aug. 20. The court’s ruling noted that even if the complaint had been filed on time, it lacked "a claim upon which relief can be granted."

The court stated: "Taking Akaka’s allegations as true and viewing them in the light most favorable to her, it appears that Akaka can prove no set of facts that would entitle her to relief because Akaka has failed to present specific acts or actual information of mistakes, error or irregularities sufficient to change the results of the election."

Arrest may solve multiple burglaries in West Hawaii

A drug arrest has turned up a suspect in a series of burglaries in West Hawaii.

The Hawaii Tribune-Herald reported that officers arrested Joseph Narzisi, 25, of Kona on Wednesday.

Police said they found drug paraphernalia and obtained search warrants for the apartment Narzisi was in, his Kealakekua home and his car. As a result, he was charged with drug and firearms offenses and was being held in lieu of $495,000 bail at the Kona cellblock.

Police said several items in Narzisi’s possession had been reported stolen in four burglaries in the Kealakekua area between July 4 and Aug. 21. On Thursday, he was charged with burglary, terroristic threatening, assault and four counts of second-degree theft.

Blaze damages Maui Job Corps site

Fire caused about $1,000 in damage to a building at the Maui Job Corps facility in Makawao Friday, county fire officials said.

The fire was reported at 7:22 p.m. Firefighters found the business building filled with smoke but a small fire had already been doused by occupants using fire extinguishers.