Earlier this year, the ACLU of Hawaii Foundation asked the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate our overcrowded jails and prisons and to force the state to remedy the situation. In an ACLU investigation, besides tight space, former inmates described problems ranging from unsafe food handling to poorly maintained infrastructure.

Should the feds need another reason to question conditions, recent construction work at Halawa Correctional Facility stirred up the vermin population, leaving kitchen and chow hall areas peppered with rat poop.

In response, exterminators reportedly had the situation under control last week. What will next week bring?

Target, Sears? Ala Moana for the rest of us

Ala Moana Center has been moving aggressively upmarket for years with designer stores aimed at the affluent shoppers, from here and overseas. But there’s been a bit of a downshift, first with Target and now with the grand opening held Saturday for the nearby Sears Appliances & Mattresses store.

Sears’ former section of the parking lot has vanished, replaced by the Park Lane ultra-luxe condominiums.

But even a small-scale homecoming is vastly preferable to the added Sears closures next spring in mainland towns. Wonder how many gift-wrapped fridges we’ll see this holiday season?