Investigative stories and local news updates Coverage of the Hawaiʻi State legislature in 2025 Award winning in-depth reports and featured on-going series Get the week’s news delivered straight to your inbox The Honolulu Prosecuting Attorney’s Office declined to file charges Rishard Keamo-Carnate will not be charged after he was arrested for killing a neighbor who stormed onto Keamo-Carnate’s property and shot five people Keamo-Carnate, 42, was arrested on suspicion of second-degree murder after killing his neighbor, Hiram Silva, 59, on Aug. 31. Prosecutors declined to charge him Wednesday, citing “issues related to self defense and defense of others,” according to a news release by the Honolulu Police Department At around 11:15 p.m. on Aug. 31, Silva drove a front-end loader into Keamo-Carnate’s home on Waianae Valley Road before opening fire on bystanders as they tried to flee. Three women Keamo-Carnate was released from police custody at 7:55 p.m Some community members were outraged that Keamo-Carnate was arrested. The incident sparked discussions among lawmakers about strengthening Hawaii’s self-defense laws “Justice in this case clearly was that my client was within his rights to defend himself and others and they’re not prosecuting him,” Keamo-Carnate’s attorney “Thank God they did the right thing.” Green said he is pursuing civil action against the city and Silva’s estate which is one of the state’s deadliest in the last 20 years has also left residents of West Oahu shaken as violent crime has increased in the area The Honolulu Police Department has said it is sending dozens of additional reserve officers to patrol the Westside district and will meet every two weeks to discuss strategy Unfortunately, being named a finalist for a Pulitzer prize doesn’t make us immune to financial pressures. The fact is, our revenue hasn’t kept pace with our need to grow, and we need your help Civil Beat is a nonprofit, reader-supported newsroom based in Hawaiʻi. We’re looking to build a more resilient, diverse and deeply impactful media landscape, and we hope you’ll help by supporting our essential journalism Madeleine Valera is a reporter for Civil Beat. You can reach her by email at mlist@civilbeat.org and follow her on Twitter at @madeleine_list Civil Beat has been named the best overall news site in Hawaii for the 14th year in a row by the Society of Professional Journalists Hawaii Chapter By Peter Boylan Crime in HawaiiEditors' Picks Rishard Keamo-Carnate on Tuesday recalled the events of the Aug Keamo-Carnate used a legally registered handgun to stop his neighbor Hiram Silva Sr sat Tuesday with wife Alison in the Honolulu law offices of attorney Michael Green Prosecutors determined that Keamo-Carnate “was acting in self-defense and defense of others” when he fatally shot neighbor Hiram Silva Sr Already a Honolulu Star-Advertiser subscriber? Log in now to continue reading The 42-year-old man who shot and killed the neighbor who rammed his house and shot and killed three women on Waianae Valley Road said he opened fire after the neighbor pledged to “kill ’em all.” 31 incident with the Honolulu Star-Advertiser ram the first two cars into the side of the house he lives in with his wife their children and Alison’s mother on Waianae Valley Road Silva was driving a front-end loader stacked with fuel drums and was armed with an unlicensed AK-47 assault rifle and handgun so I ran upstairs to grab my gun,” Keamo-Carnate said noting the registered firearm was a 9 mm Glock handgun “When I was upstairs trying to grab it and unlock it More than 20 casings from Silva’s weapon were recovered at the Keamo home where 23 people were hanging out at the time of the attack Silva “shot before he came out” of the loader after the collapsing porch roof of the home forced the driver-side door shut maintains that Silva was trying to get into the house hold the occupants at gunpoint and set the home on fire Keamo-Carnate said that when he got downstairs he put cars between him and Silva and looked for him Silva’s daughter ran into the Keamos’ driveway shouting at her father I going kill ’em all,’” said Rishard Keamo-Carnate wiping away tears at times while describing the chaos “As he was walking out … I just fired.” Keamo-Carnate emptied his eight-round clip and went back upstairs to grab more ammunition and turn off the lights in the home to make it harder for Silva to identify targets “I didn’t want him to shoot anybody else because everybody was still scrambling around the property,” he said Keamo-­Carnate saw Silva and opened fire a second time Silva died of a gunshot wound to his torso ‘I going stop him,’” he said “I wish I was more prepared for this ‘I gotta stop him,’ but at the same time I might not be able to come home after I do this … I never thought I was coming home because I didn’t know what was going on on the outside when I was locked up.” A Silva family representative did not immediately respond to a Star-Advertiser request for comment Alison Keamo-Carnate said that at one point before the fatal shots were fired Silva’s wife reportedly stood in front of Alison’s brother-in-law Silva ended up killing three of the five people he shot when the long-­simmering dispute between the neighbors turned deadly The three women fatally shot were visiting the home for an annual Keamo family mahjong tournament The Keamo family had finished the awards ceremony and dinner and were winding down when Silva attacked Rishard Keamo-­Carnate was arrested on suspicion of second-degree murder at 12:15 a.m 1 and released pending investigation at 7:55 that night the Silvas and Keamos had been neighbors for more than 20 years The animosity between the families began in 2021 when a car leaving an illegal concert on Silva’s 19-acre property during the height of COVID-19 restrictions hit a car filled with Keamo family members who were returning to their property on the single lane they share with the Silvas Frederick “Freddy” Kauakahiokamakahikulani Keamo after Keamo helped Silva through a difficult time after Silva was convicted in 1980 of killing his ex-wife in Nanakuli on March 23 “My dad was a friend who helped him through all that,” said Alison Keamo-Carnate “So I think the relationship that they had influenced Hiram’s relationship with our family we never had problems with him despite him having problems with everyone else around us … until 2021.” Alison Keamo­-­Carnate wrote a letter to county and state lawmakers alleging violations of COVID-19 gathering rules and a drunken driver leaving a concert on Silva’s property rammed head-on into her vehicle as she drove up the single-lane road she shares with Silva’s property The collision resulted in the driver attempting to flee a fight breaking out as the result of the second accident and “hundreds of cars lined up revving their engines at a dead stop with no way out because the accident (was) on our one-way lane.” “Before that we didn’t have problems with him We used his machinery to do things on our property We shared materials with them,” said Keamo-Carnate “They were really different from us … and we just accepted them.” Rishard Keamo-Carnate remembers Silva attending his family’s Labor Day parties playing cards with the Keamos’ family and friends Sometimes when Silva lost while social gambling and the Keamos would hear him discharging firearms in frustration They were accustomed to Silva’s behavior when he lost be upset and shoot (up in the air),” said Keamo-Carnate Alison Keamo-Carnate said Silva saw a television reporter walk onto his property as part of the reporter’s investigation of complaints about Silva’s unpermitted-­structure parties Silva allegedly blamed the Keamos for calling the news media The Keamos reported the threat to Honolulu police Honolulu Police Chief Arthur “Joe” Logan told the Rick Hamada radio show during his “Ask the Chief” segment Sept 9 that officers did go to the Silva property in 2021 to arrest Silva for first-degree terroristic threatening but Silva was behind a locked gate and using a different name Officers were unable to positively identify him as part of the process to establish probable cause for the arrest The Keamo-Carnates “became a danger to … the money (Silva) was making and that’s when he threatened them,” said Green and the Keamos “didn’t bother them … didn’t talk to them.” “We were hesitant to go in (to their property Aug after seeing speeding up and down their shared lane off of Waianae Valley Road Rishard Keamo-Carnate went to the Silva family to talk He walked into the “Silva Dome,” saw the partygoers asked whose party it was and was then met by Silva’s daughter ‘We’re tired of the speeding.’ And then I guess the mom saw us ‘What are you doing on our property?” said Rishard Keamo-­Carnate “I said … ‘The speeding gotta stop.’” Keamo-Carnate said a verbal altercation started outside of the dome and that it lasted about 10 minutes They said their apologies and we went back home,” he said “We were just hanging out … lying down in our ramp where our patio was And then … you could hear a humming noise.” they saw Silva entering their driveway with a front-end loader and they could hear him swearing at their family the Department of the Prosecuting Attorney explained why prosecutors decided that no charges would be filed against Rishard Keamo-­Carnate “related to the events at 85-1373 Waianae Valley Road Prosecutors determined that Keamo-Carnate “was acting in self-defense and defense of others” when he fatally shot Silva after Silva “repeatedly drove a front loader through multiple parked cars and onto the center of the Keamo house/porch area The department noted that HRS 703-304 and 703-305 hold that the “use of deadly force is justifiable if the actor believes that deadly force is necessary to protect himself or others against death Keamo-Carnate was “not obliged to retreat from his dwelling” when confronted with Silva’s deadly force “The Department will also be moving to forfeit Mr Silva’s front loader,” according to the statement Green said he will file civil complaints against the Silva family and the City and County of Honolulu to ensure the Keamo family gets “justice.” Some lawmakers want to amend the state law on use of deadly force for self-protection but a key senator says that’s unnecessary Not long after the recent shooting deaths at a party on Oahu’s West Side where a man rammed his tractor into several vehicles at a neighbor’s house and then opened fire Keamo-Carnate was arrested on suspicion of murder in the second degree but later released Honolulu Prosecutor Steve Alm has not commented on the matter While Honolulu Police Department officers would not allow the legislator to enter an active crime scene “I just wanted to make sure everybody was OK,” Kila said Friday But Kila wants to do more than that. He wants to amend state law to reassure his constituents that, in a worst-case scenario like what happened late on a Saturday night on Waianae Valley Road “they can defend their loved ones and don’t have to worry about some form of legal repercussion.” He is among a group of legislators who will likely reintroduce legislation in January that clarifies when a person does not have to retreat before using deadly force in self-defense if they are in their home or on their property It was one of six related measures proposed in the House in the 2024 session Now, with Keamo-Carnate’s lawyer arguing that his client acted legally in self-defense Kila and other supporters of amending Hawaii’s law on self-defense believe there may be momentum “This is happening in our backyard,” said Kila “It doesn’t mean it can’t happen in your backyard tomorrow.” The state law on use of force for self-protection, Hawaii Revised Statutes 703-304 says that force is justifiable when someone believes it “is immediately necessary for the purpose of protecting himself against the use of unlawful force by the other person.” That protection is justified not only against threat of death Use of force is not justified under other circumstances including when someone is resisting arrest by a law enforcement officer or when the person using the force provoked the incident HRS 703-704 also states that deadly force is not justified if it can be avoided “with complete safety by retreating or by surrendering possession of a thing to a person asserting a claim of right thereto.” HPD Chief Joe Logan said last week that Hawaii is not a stand-your-ground state meaning a state where people can defend themselves with lethal force without first trying to escape or retreat from a threatening situation According to the National Conference of State Legislatures in the 1980s there were a handful of state laws that addressed immunity from prosecution in use of deadly force against another person who unlawfully and forcibly entered a person’s residence In 2005, Florida passed a stand-your-ground law based on what’s known as the “castle doctrine.” The Florida law, according to the NCSL, states that someone who is not engaged in an unlawful activity and who is attacked “in any other place where he or she has a right to be” does not have to retreat and is permitted to “meet force with force if he or she reasonably believes it is necessary to do so to prevent death or great bodily harm to himself or herself or another or to prevent the commission of a forcible felony.” at least 28 states have laws that say there is no duty to retreat “in any place in which one is lawfully present.” At least 10 of those states include stand-your-ground language Eight states, including California, Oregon and Washington, permit the use of deadly force in self-defense “through judicial decisions or jury instructions,” the NCSL says But Hawaii is one of 21 states, along with California, Oregon and Washington, that have stopped short of stand-your-ground statutes, which Everytown for Gun Safety calls “shoot first” laws that allow people to shoot and kill in public “even if they can safely walk away from the situation.” Some research raises doubts about the efficacy and equity of stand-your-ground a nonprofit founded by Michael Bloomberg in 2013 that advocates for gun control says shoot-first laws “dramatically escalate violence leading to 150 additional gun deaths each month nationwide.” The laws also “drastically reduce consequences with homicides in which white shooters kill Black victims deemed justifiable five times more frequently than when the situation is reversed,” the organization says A 2021 study from the National Institutes of Health reached similar conclusions “In some U.S. states, most notably Florida, stand-your-ground laws may have harmed public health and safety and exacerbated social inequities,” the report states The six bills proposed last session by more than a dozen lawmakers vary in scope but share the goal of empowering citizens in threatening situations Among the proposals was House Bill 86 which would have clarified that someone who uses deadly force in self-defense does not have a duty to retreat if they are in their dwelling or on their property “The Legislature finds that the people of Hawaii have a fundamental right to be safe in their homes,” the bill read. “However the recent rise in violent crimes is threatening the public’s sense of security.” The bill cites HPD’s 2021 annual report that found Oahu had seen a rise in violent and property-related crimes including murder Introduced by Kila and fellow Democratic Reps the bill states that it is “imperative that residents be allowed to defend themselves when in their home but that the use of deadly force is less justified when the person using force is at the person’s place at work.” which encompasses Oahu’s North Shore and parts of the Windward Side the genesis of the bill was really that I represent a very rural district,” he said and even with more staffing the response times are always going to be slower in rural areas.” Quinlan said he was inspired to push HB 86 in part because he said there was an attempted break-in at his mother’s house The would-be intruder was scared off by a barking dog but Quinlan said he left behind a “robbery toolkit” in the yard — “screwdrivers and pliers and hammers and things like that.” “So that was obviously a really scary moment for my family,” he said “And I looked into it and realized that we have this duty-to-retreat clause in Hawaii if the robber had tried to enter and my parents had defended themselves.” Quinlan does not favor calling his legislation a stand-your-ground bill because of the negative connotations associated with the killing of Trayvon Martin in Florida in 2012 He said self-defense is not a gun issue so much as it is a fundamental right Two of the self-protection bills came from the minority caucus in the House and for similar reasons expressed by Democrats “If a stand-your-ground law was passed and established here hopefully this would basically give common-sense protections to law-abiding citizens when they use their firearms as the Second Amendment (intended) — protection of themselves and their families,” said Republican Rep “If somebody is encroaching on your property — like for instance in Waianae where that suspect was ramming vehicles and people with his heavy equipment machine and then shooting them — I mean the homeowner used a registered firearm the exact way that it was intended for,” Garcia said None of the six bills received a hearing in the only committee to which they were referred the House Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs Committee Chair David Tarnas was traveling out of country and did not respond to media inquiries last week Tarnas’s counterpart on the Senate side where the bills would eventually end up if passed in the House does not think HRS 703-304 needs to be amended you can kill somebody — and legally — if your life is threatened,” he said “And I believe when you’re in your own house you have no duty to retreat.” Rhoads said the statute does include circumstances “where if you’re sure you can get away without getting injured you’re not under that obligation.” Rhoads said it’s also legal to shoot somebody on the street if someone believes their life or that of another person is in danger of serious bodily harm “So I think the short answer is I don’t think it needs to be changed,” he said “You can already kill somebody if you’re threatened.” said he respects the authority and expertise of the House and Senate judiciary chairs “They are the subject matter experts,” he said because I can point to probably several hundred people in everybody’s district that would support a measure like this I don’t want to make it a red or blue issue but obviously this is sometimes an issue.” The Waianae shootings and the renewed calls for self-defense legislation come as Hawaii has experienced major changes in its gun laws Supreme Court found that people have a constitutional right to carry weapons in public On Friday, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Hawaii can enforce a law banning firearms on beaches and in parks the issue of defending the home is not likely to go away Chad Blair is the politics editor for Civil Beat. You can reach him by email at cblair@civilbeat.org or follow him on X at @chadblairCB. Civil Beat has been named the best overall news site in Hawaii for the 14th year in a row by the Society of Professional Journalists Hawaii Chapter. This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. The action you just performed triggered the security solution. There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data. You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked. Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. While the scoring pace in the PBA Chameleon Championship has yielded 20 perfect games thus far, no one in the 200-player PBA World Series of Bowling (WSOB) XVI field has struck at the rate of Canada’s Mitch Hupé and Japan’s Yuma Haraguchi. Hupé and Haraguchi tied for the qualifying lead on the 41-foot Chameleon oil pattern, averaging a blistering 256.92 for their 12 games to tally a total pinfall of 3,083 (+683). They each finished three pins shy of the 12-game scoring record, which was set by Michael Davidson during the PBA Delaware Classic earlier this year. For their efforts, Hupé and Haraguchi earned a bye to the Round of 16 in PBA Chameleon Championship elimination match play. Lanndyn Carnate, Tun Hakim, Jesper Svensson, Chris Via, Pontus Andersson and Zach Weidman also earned a bye as top-eight qualifiers. In the Round of 24, which was contested on Sunday night, EJ Tackett and Boog Krol swept their best-of-five-games match, respectively. Tackett and Krol made the Round of 16 in all three animal pattern championships so far in the WSOB. Thomas Larsen (aided by games of 299 and 296), Andrew Anderson, Tomas Käyhkö, AJ Johnson, Kevin McCune and Zach Wilkins also won their Round of 24 match. The Rounds of 16 and 8 will take place on Tuesday, March 18, leading to the championship round that day at 4 p.m. PT (7 p.m. ET) on FS1. The only two animal pattern championships Tackett has yet to win in his career are the Viper and Chameleon Championships He has won two titles in each of the past two WSOBs “Winning a bunch at this tournament over the course of my career definitely makes me feel good every time we walk into this event,” Tackett said “When it says “WSOB,” I wouldn't say my confidence goes up — one thing I've never really lacked is confidence in myself — but I always like my chances Because of the amount of games that we bowl and the different things that you have to do every single day to put it together I've always enjoyed (this event) and it's shown the success that I've had in the PBA World Championship.” Tackett is a three-time and two-time defending PBA World Champion titleist He ranks second in the major championship through 36 games of qualifying which includes qualifying games from the PBA Scorpion Belmonte has enjoyed a narrow margin over Tackett after each round specifically for the lead following the past three rounds “Jason is one of the greatest that’s ever played the game and he hasn't really been that for the last 12-15 months he's starting to find his way back to being Jason Belmonte again,” Tackett said I think it would be really cool if we were able to have a title match rematch from (2023) but my end goal is to win the tournament and I’m going to show up and bowl to the best of my abilities no matter who it is.” Despite Tackett’s success thus far in the WSOB the standard title event of which he is the defending champion — the PBA Shark Championship — has yet to begin B-squad begins PBA Shark Championship qualifying at 9 a.m The squads will flip competition times on Tuesday All rounds of PBA WSOB XVI qualifying and match play will be livestreamed on BowlTV Full standings are available here Full standings are available here — PBA Shark Championship - B-Squad Qualifying Round 1 (six games)2:30 p.m — PBA Shark Championship - A-Squad Qualifying Round 1 (six games) — PBA Shark Championship - A-Squad Qualifying Round 2 (six games)2:30 p.m — PBA Shark Championship - B-Squad Qualifying Round 2 (six games) Top 24 players advance to elimination match playTop 1:4 of field advance to PBA World Championship advancer rounds — PBA Shark Championship - Match Play Round of 24 (best-of-five games) — PBA World Championship - Advancer Round 1 (eight games) — PBA World Championship - Advancer Round 2 (eight games) Top 16 players advance to PBA World Championship round-robin match play National Championships - Meet and Greet4 p.m Saturday, March 159 a.m. — PBA Jr. National Championships - Match Play12:30 p.m. — PBA Jr. National Championships - Stepladder Finals (MIXED, U18 Boys and U18 Girls)3 p.m. on FS1 — PBA Mike Aulby Nevada Classic pres. by Pilgrim’s - Finals7 p.m. — PBA Jr. National Championship - Finals tapingFree Tickets — PBA Scorpion Championship - Match Play Round of 16 (best-of-five games)11:30 a.m — PBA Scorpion Championship - Match Play Round of 8 (best-of-five games) Four winners and highest-seeded loser in Round of 8 advance to PBA Scorpion Championship Finals 5 p.m. on FS1 — PBA Scorpion Championship - FinalsFree Tickets — PBA Viper Championship - Match Play Round of 16 (best-of-five games)11:30 a.m — PBA Viper Championship - Match Play Round of 8 (best-of-five games) Four winners and highest-seeded loser in Round of 8 advance to PBA Viper Championship Finals 4 p.m. on FS1 — PBA Viper Championship - FinalsFree Tickets — PBA Chameleon Championship - Match Play Round of 16 (best-of-five games)11:30 a.m — PBA Chameleon Championship - Match Play Round of 8 (best-of-five games) Four winners and highest-seeded loser in Round of 8 advance to PBA Chameleon Championship stepladder finals 4 p.m. on FS1 — PBA Chameleon Championship - FinalsFree Tickets — PBA Shark Championship - Match Play Round of 16 (best-of-five games)11:30 a.m — PBA Shark Championship - Match Play Round of 8 (best-of-five games) Four winners and highest-seeded loser in Round of 8 advance to PBA Shark Championship stepladder finals 4 p.m. on FS1 — PBA Shark Championship - FinalsFree Tickets — PBA World Championship - Round-Robin Match Play Round 1 (eight games)5 p.m — PBA World Championship - Round-Robin Match Play Round 2 (eight games) Top five players advance to PBA World Championship stepladder finals Saturday, March 2212 p.m. on FOX — PBA World Championship FinalsFree Tickets More information on the PBA World Series of Bowling XVI is available here © 2023 PBA. All Rights Reserved  A dispute over a party at a neighbor’s property preceded the shooting Saturday night A large yellow front-end loader is still rammed into the side of a partially collapsed carport at the end of rural Waianae Valley Road which is tucked down the dead-end street surrounded by farmlands and mountains is now the site of one of Hawaii’s deadliest shootings The police cordon that blocked off the area after the weekend killings was gone and not a single police car was in sight in the area Tuesday afternoon which started as a dispute between neighbors and ended up with four people dead including the shooter left the Westside community reeling as it followed a cluster of other shootings in the area in recent weeks “It’s just insanity at its peak,” said Kala-A’na Lindsey a Waianae resident who said she knows both of the families involved in the melee Tensions began to rise Saturday night over a party being hosted on 58-year-old Hiram Silva’s property in a structure he rented out known as the “Silva Dome,” said Philip Ganaban chair of the Waianae Coast Neighborhood Board and friend of the families involved Silva drove the tractor into the home’s carport before opening fire killing three women and wounding two other bystanders who was standing in the driveway at the time Carnate was arrested on suspicion of murder in the second degree and released about 20 hours later pending investigation Carnate’s attorney Michael Green said his client was defending his home and family and had acted legally “This guy had to be stopped before he killed more people,” Green said Tuesday Silva often rented out the tubular prefab building for parties and events that sometimes got rowdy The building sits on property that covers about 19 acres at 85-1383 C Waianae Valley Road County records show the owners as Silva and his wife Sandra Silva declined to comment when reached by phone Tuesday Ganaban also said Silva ran his own trucking business and would often spend time with his children and grandchildren some guests at the party were racing cars up and down the road and burning rubber in the street which has lived for generations in the house adjacent to the Silvas was having its own gathering Saturday night Family members were worried about the safety of the children and went down to the Silva Dome to ask the guests to stop speeding The Keamos had previously talked to Silva about parties in his dome and told him to ask his guests to be respectful and Silva didn’t like other people interfering with his business Sometime after the Keamos confronted the partygoers Silva drove the front-end loader onto the Keamo property People screamed as they tried to flee when Silva rammed several cars in the carport and began shooting Police said Sunday that he also shot into four 55-gallon drums on the front loader that were carrying an unknown type of fuel.  were killed while a 31-year-old man and a 52-year-old woman were injured Ganaban said those killed were all cousins of Carnate Carnate’s arrest provoked outrage among many members of the community although some noted that it was part of the legal process that had to play out Those sentiments were reflected in comments posted on Civil Beat with a large number praising the person who shot the suspect as a hero “People were upset about that because they felt he shouldn’t have been arrested,” Ganaban said Green said Carnate was clearly acting in self-defense “This is a massacre that happened in his yard,” he said “The law is pretty clear you have a right to use deadly force.” Hawaii statute says that deadly force is justifiable if the individual believes it is necessary to protect themselves from death or serious bodily injury But Honolulu Police Chief Joe Logan pointed out Tuesday that Hawaii is not a “stand-your-ground state.” Stand-your-ground laws allow people to defend themselves with lethal force without first trying to escape or retreat from the threatening situation He would not comment specifically on Carnate’s arrest but Logan said anyone who discharges a firearm and injures another person in Hawaii will likely be arrested and investigated They must be released after 48 hours if no charges are filed Police then work with the prosecutor’s office to determine whether the suspect will be charged.  That determination has not yet been made in Carnate’s case Honolulu Prosecutor Steve Alm did not respond to a request for comment Tuesday. Alm said Sunday that he does not comment on open investigations Logan said the handgun Carnate used was legally registered Silva had two guns in his possession during the shooting — a pistol and a long gun — and neither was registered Ganaban said the Keamo and Silva families had disputes going back years largely over events held at the Silva Dome The Keamos had brought their concerns to the neighborhood board and the Honolulu Police Department including reporting Silva for shooting his gun on his property Silva threatened to shoot someone in the Keamo family Logan said Tuesday that police did not receive any calls for service to the Keamo house or any homes in the immediate area in 2024 He did not have information on whether police had responded to the neighborhood in prior years Deena Thoemmes said Sunday at a press conference that police responded once to a disagreement between the neighbors in 2023.  But the Silva Dome has long been a source of frustration for the community.  Ganaban said it would sometimes hold concerts and other events during the Covid-19 pandemic when the state was under heavy restrictions The city’s Department of Planning and Permitting has investigated at least 20 community complaints related to the Silva property since 2001 according to City and County of Honolulu spokesman Ian Scheuring fines against the property totaled $587,250 the department received a complaint about a large tent structure on the property but when inspectors repeatedly tried to go onto the land to reinspect the owners did not respond to their requests.  The city has issued five notices of violation on the property one regarding the dome and another for illegal grading which is the process of reshaping land to prepare it for construction work.  DPP has really taken all of the actions available to them in terms of enforcement,” Scheuring said.  Carnate’s main concern now is potential retaliation against himself or his family Green wants to see more police presence in the neighborhood.  Logan said he would provide “additional resources” to the district but did not specify how many additional officers would be sent The district was not at 100% staffing the weekend of the shooting Green said Carnate is home now but his family is concerned about what could happen next.  he sees family members shot to death in his yard.” Civil Beat reporter Blaze Lovell contributed to this report Community members say events in venues without permits are common on the Westside while the city says it cannot do much more than issue violations Complaints about a party on Hiram Silva’s property in 2021 led a city inspector to pay a visit to his home on Oahu’s Westside Silva let the inspector know he had a gun in his car.   “It was not a friendly meeting,” said Dawn Apuna director of the Honolulu Department of Planning and Permitting.  the inspector issued a notice of violation for a large tent-like structure that didn’t have a permit – and left But neither the visit nor the violation seemed to curtail operations at the so-called Silva Dome. Parties continued for the next three years until Aug. 31, when Silva shot five people at a neighbor’s home on Waianae Valley Road before being fatally shot himself by the neighbor.  The planning department has little power to compel landowners to comply or even to allow inspectors onto their properties to investigate complaints The department also prioritizes cracking down on violators that draw more consistent community complaints Although community members say they were concerned about some of the events at the Silva Dome the department says it only received the one complaint – the one about the party in 2021.  A handful of other illegal party venues exist on agricultural land between Waianae and Nanakuli and one other has been cited by the planning department for hosting large events But many community members see the value such venues bring to a community without many options for places to gather and celebrate.   “That’s why we have to come to some type of agreement,” said Philip Ganaban chair of the Waianae Coast Neighborhood Board We don’t have spaces anymore to be able to do these We have to acknowledge the cultural practice of being able to gather and celebrate specific things some community members – who have long felt their concerns on the Westside neglected by city and state officials – blamed city planning for not taking more action against the Silva Dome Silva drove a frontloader into his neighbor’s home at around 11:15 p.m. on Aug. 31 before opening fire on bystanders and shooting into 55-gallon drums of fuel he was carrying on the machine. One of the home’s residents, Rishard Keamo-Carnate, then fatally shot him. Prosecutors on Wednesday decided not to pursue charges against Keamo-Carnate Ganaban said about 200 people had attended a party at the dome that night Although they were supposed to leave the property by 10 p.m. some were racing and burning rubber on the narrow Members of the Keamo-Carnate family confronted partygoers “All of this could have been prevented if that tent would have been taken down,” Waianae Coast Neighborhood Board member Johnnie-Mae Perry said during a community meeting on Sept But city officials say the planning department is not an enforcement agency and there isn’t much they can do beyond issuing violations and fines The agency issued an illegal grading violation against the property in August 2013 which today still carries outstanding fines of more than $587,250 the inspector issued the violation for the tent structure Apuna said the inspector didn’t call police after Silva showed him the gun in his car because Silva didn’t actually pick it up and threaten him with it Inspectors are used to dealing with property owners who aren’t happy to see them but they’re not supposed to confront potentially dangerous people they’re not trained to deal with that kind of situation other than to just leave for their own safety,” she said provided to Civil Beat show that the inspector had driven by the property eight times since the original complaint in March but the property was always padlocked and the owner wouldn’t respond “I am going to leave 1 more door tag,” the inspector wrote “I am still receiving calls about the large tent still erected.” Apuna said she did not know the date of the inspector’s last visit Sandra Silva – who is also listed as an owner of the property – declined to comment when reached by phone Silva’s daughter did not respond to a Facebook message.  Honolulu Police Department spokeswoman Michelle Yu wrote in an email that before the shooting in August police had only responded to the property twice — once in 2021 during the rowdy party and again in 2023 for a dispute between neighbors The next course of action available to officials would have been foreclosure but the city only goes that route in extreme cases Mayor Rick Blangiardi said the foreclosure process requires extensive city resources and often doesn’t result in the desired outcome Banks are often first in line to get paid after a foreclosure He added that the city prefers to try to get property owners to comply instead of kicking them out of their homes.  The city has supported legislation for the past three years that would allow it to do nonjudicial foreclosures, which happen through an administrative process outside of court. The latest measure, House Bill 106 was carried over to the 2024 session and never received a hearing.  The planning department has also hired a collection agency to help it collect outstanding fines from violators but the focus is illegal short-term rentals which can rack up fines of $10,000 per day.  Blangiardi said the city is making it a priority to crack down on short-term rentals owned by companies outside of Hawaii The illegal rentals drive up rent prices and take homes off the market that could be long-term apartments for local families the fact that the Silva Dome was allowed to remain standing is another example of the city neglecting their community ‘We’re doing everything that we can,’ I find it very very hard to believe,” said Samantha DeCorte chair of the Nanakuli-Maili Neighborhood Board then everybody else would be dealing with the same issues that Waianae is dealing with with the lack of resources we need here “Only Waianae looks like Waianae,” she said “You don’t go to Kailua and it looks like Waianae.” Silva’s property isn’t the only venue in the area that drew the attention of neighbors and the city One popular space known as the Westside Mauka Pavilion at the intersection of Paakea Road and Lualualei Naval Road has a lien against it from 2014 and has accrued $411,250 in fines The planning department has issued five notices of violations including one in 2015 for hosting parties and events on agricultural land The last complaint received about the property was in 2018 according to the planning department.  Westside Mauka Pavilion did not respond to a call and Facebook message seeking comment.  a member of the Waianae Coast Neighborhood Board said the facility has been operating for decades He has looked into renting it out himself.  so I have mixed emotions on how to explain it,” he said Ganaban said there are a handful of other venues in the area Waianae Valley Ranch, less than a mile from Silva’s property on Waianae Valley Road, advertises itself as a wedding venue. A man who answered the phone there said the venue only hosts small events and gatherings. Kapila Gardens is another wedding venue in Waianae, according to its website No one responded to a call or email seeking comment neither of those properties have conditional use permits or approvals to host events but the agency has not issued any violations against them so we will not inspect/investigate unless we have a complaint,” Apuna wrote in an email. “DPP does not have the resources to patrol every single property for compliance with all of our codes and therefore relies heavily upon the community as the eyes and ears.” DeCorte said she doesn’t condone the use of unpermitted event venues but understands the problem presented by a lack of available spaces where community members can gather and hold celebrations One of the few places to do so is at the beach parks where those looking to host an event must apply for a permit through the Department of Parks and Recreation and spaces get reserved quickly once applications go live on the website.  and many of the property owners are kupuna elders who use their family and friends network to rent space on their land and earn extra income “Our city and our state also doesn’t give us much in return to be able to survive in this economy,” she said The planning department has been able to stop illegal events on agricultural land on other parts of the island inspectors cited an illegal Christmas festival at North Shore Stables in Waialua The event was scheduled to last a couple of days and when inspectors returned to re-inspect the activity had stopped and the violation was closed the planning department received an advertisement for an event scheduled to take place at Kia’i Farm of Waialua on Sept An inspector went to the property during the event “Had we sufficient prior notice,” she said “this would have been the same process for the (Silva) dome had they had similar events.”  Silva built the large tent on his 19-acre property in 2018 and started renting it out for events Silva was charging around $2,500 to rent the space plus a $500 deposit The tent was the site of a variety of celebrations, including a baby’s first birthday party and a drive-in commencement ceremony for Waianae High School, based on social media posts, as well as a funeral for a local musician, according to his obituary in the Honolulu Star-Advertiser spokeswoman for the state Department of Education said the commencement ceremony was not a school-sanctioned event Waianae resident Kala-A’na Lindsey said she attended a celebration of life for Hawaiian entertainer Darren Benitez at the dome in 2023 She described it as a “nice event” with music and food and estimated there were about 1,000 people there The hosts sold memorabilia shirts with pictures of Benitez’s face on them.  “I didn’t see anything untoward or disrespectful that night,” she said But it was a concert on the night of March 21 while the state was under Covid-19 restrictions that sparked serious concern among neighbors sent a letter to elected officials describing the mayhem and pleading with them to do something about the Silva Dome She said a drunken driver collided with her family’s car as they were making their way home down Waianae Valley Road The driver then attempted to flee and hit another vehicle “How do I make sure that this NEVER happens to my family “What can I do to prevent illegal activities from occurring?”  She also went to then-Nanakuli-Maili Neighborhood Board Chair Patty Teruya who submitted a formal complaint with the planning department on March 25 Maile Shimabukuro also forwarded Alison Keamo-Carnate’s letter to the department An inspector visited Silva’s property four days later and called Teruya to follow up “She is satisfied with outcome,” says a note written by the inspector Teruya said she doesn’t remember receiving a phone call She said the inspector should have sent a written response so progress could be tracked “We look at departments to be accountable,” she said Apuna said the inspector didn’t feel a written response was required Apuna also encouraged community members to report problem properties and said they can do so anonymously if they fear retaliation.  “I don’t think we failed to investigate when people told us that there was a problem,” she said said he thinks the city has some liability in the Aug 31 shooting because officials knew about the illegal operations at the dome for years He plans to file a lawsuit against the city and Silva’s estate within the next 30 to 40 days “There’s going to be a reckoning between the city and the estate of Silva.” were identified as the three women killed in the Saturday night rampage One worked for an insurance company; another for a bank The three women were described by loved ones as being kind generous and talented before they were killed by a neighbor who opened fire after driving a front-end loader into a carport late Saturday on Waianae Valley Road The Honolulu Medical Examiner’s office on Wednesday identified the victims of the rampage as Courtney Raymond-Arakaki Raymond-Arakaki’s boyfriend and her aunt want people to remember her for how much she cared for others “She’s an angel,” said her boyfriend of six years “She had a lot of love and aloha to share with everyone.” The medical examiner’s statement also confirmed that the 59-year-old shooter was killed by a gunshot wound in the torso The violence, which police said escalated after beginning as a dispute between neighbors, was the deadliest of a spate of recent shootings and has shaken the close-knit Westside community The medical examiner’s report underscored the horror of the tragedy as people who had gathered for a party tried to flee after Silva rammed the tractor into several vehicles Police said he was armed with a pistol and a long gun Cherell Keamo was killed by a gunshot to the head while Raymond-Arakaki and Amasiu both died of multiple gunshot wounds was shot to death by one of the home’s residents Carnate was arrested on suspicion of murder in the second degree and later released pending investigation “Everyone’s just reeling from this catastrophic tragedy that we have to pick up the remains from and figure out a way forward,” said state Rep “All of our community members are mourning the loss of some great people.”  Gates said he went to Waianae High School with Amasiu and both graduated in 2011 Amasiu recently worked for First Hawaiian Bank Cherell Keamo also graduated from Waianae High School, in 2006, and was a part of Searider Productions, a multimedia program based at the school “She was amazingly open and inclusive,” he said “She was such a ‘bring everybody together’ kind of person Keamo also showed early talent as a video producer and traveled with the program to multiple conferences on the mainland One award-winning piece she produced was a public service announcement about her younger brother who died of leukemia in 2002 at the age of 12 The PSA was about the importance of bone marrow donation which could have saved her brother. She traveled to Minneapolis in 2005 to accept an award for the piece.  She continued to use her video production skills later in life, posting videos about travels to Disney World and Las Vegas on her YouTube channel But Allen especially remembered her for how kind and helpful she was with her classmates He considered himself a tough teacher at the time but said Keamo inspired him to be more empathetic with his students.  “I learned a lot from her and the way she approached how to help people,” he said was known for her kindness and how much she cared for others Wyman Keamo said Raymond-Arakaki’s top priority was family and she loved to babysit her nieces and a nephew Their favorite destinations were Disneyland and Las Vegas “Words can’t describe how awesome of a person she is,” he said who worked as a senior associate in the claims department of an insurance company was the oldest of five siblings and always sacrificed to help her family she stepped up to the plate to care for her loved ones.  for her sisters and her brother,” she said She was close not only with her own family but also with the Keamo family through her boyfriend “We were all waiting for them to get married.” Raymond-Arakaki dreamed of getting married and having kids of her own her loved ones are mourning a life cut short (her boyfriend is) planning a funeral,” she said.  Arakaki said news of the shooting traveled fast between family members So many loved ones are now left devastated “For the first few minutes when I heard it I couldn’t even cry because I was in such shock and disbelief,” she said when people kept calling us and we watched the news and everything It’s not something that you ever want to be woken up to.” Following a spate of violence including the fatal shooting last weekend in Waianae Civil Beat will hold a pop-up newsroom to hear directly from Westside residents about their concerns and ideas for solutions to the problems facing the community Subscribe! Honolulu Magazine | Honolulu Family What do you get when you put together a DJ and a sushi chef In the case of Toma Turner and Erwin Carnate Lil Piggy goes back to a time in Las Vegas when Turner did music while Carnate made sushi at restaurants including Morimoto and Blue Ribbon Local guys living outside the islands tend to party together They started cooking and selling local food and when their Hawaiian smoked meat proved popular opened a barbecue counter in the back of Kō Hana Distillers find This Lil Piggy by following your nose to the aroma of smoked barbecue You’ll be greeted by a covered patio with picnic tables and a scenic view of the surrounding farmlands and mountains The order window is on the side of the building SEE ALSO: Our 4 Favorite Places for Chinese Barbecue Ribs in Honolulu Not listed are the plate lunch specials: two choices for $15 and three choices for $20 We go with the plate lunches so we can sample everything It turns out to be my favorite of everything we try Generous portions of fat cling to the beef offering unctuousness with a hint of smokiness and salt is almost tender enough to part with your tongue If you can grind a piece of brisket with fat is sautéed with guava jelly and onions It’s a succulent dish with a gentle sweetness Glistening morsels are permeated with a restrained smoky taste SEE ALSO: $40 Pau Hana for 2: Signature Prime Steak & Seafood The kalua pork slider is deconstructed on the plate The shredded strands have a wood-fire flavor but be sparing or you’ll overpower the subtle flavors of the pulled pork Baked beans are an unexpected surprise that turn out to be my wife’s favorite They’re also This Lil Piggy’s best seller beans and sauce play nicely with each other It’s a succulent experience with a flavor that makes me think of smoked nectar The sausage is a juicy take on your standard sausage but This Lil Piggy’s worth checking out if you have a craving for smoked barbecue My pro tip: Make a day of it and enjoy the rum tasting at Kō Hana afterwards Welcome Mickeymickey@disney.comManage MyDisney AccountLog OutNYPD officers rescue man who fell on subway tracks in Queens with train approachingByEyewitness News Sunday identified as a 23-year-old Bronx resident was taken to NYC Health and Hospitals/Elmhurst in stable condition.QUEENS New York (WABC) -- Two NYPD officers are being hailed as heroes after rescuing a man who fell onto subway tracks with a train approaching the station in Queens The incident happened on Saturday just before 2 p.m at the 90th Street and Roosevelt Avenue station Officers Jonathan Valle and David Carnarte were assigned to the Mobile Force Field Post at the station when they saw a man fall off the platform onto the tracks of the southbound 7 train police say Officer Valle jumped onto the tracks and grabbed the man Officer Valle was able to hoist the victim into the hands of Officer Carnate Carnate was able to pull the man back onto the platform while Valle and the good Samaritan also climbed back onto the platform before the train pulled into the station was taken to NYC Health and Hospitals/Elmhurst in stable condition * More Queens news * Send us a news tip * Download the abc7NY app for breaking news alerts * Follow us on YouTube Have a breaking news tip or an idea for a story we should cover? Send it to Eyewitness News using the form below. If attaching a video or photo, terms of use apply. This work, NMCB-5 completes Evacuation Center Construction on Marshall Islands, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright This work, NMCB-5 Detail Marshall Island Seabees Continue Legacy, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright Only in Hawaii would prosecutors arrest an armed homeowner who stopped a violent neighbor who had just rammed several cars with a front-end loader and posed an immediate threat to shoot more that’s exactly what law enforcement officials did before ultimately deciding not to pursue charges citing “issues related to self-defense and defense of others.” Even anti-gun officials as much as they might have wanted to prosecute the man had to acknowledge this was a clear case of justifiable self-defense The incident occurred on Aug. 31 in Waianae, about 30 miles west of Honolulu. Rishard Keamo-Carnate, 42, shot and killed his neighbor with his registered firearm, Hiram Silva, 59, who had driven a front-end loader into Keamo-Carnate’s home and opened fire with his unregistered firearm (according to KHON 2 reports) on a family gathering 29—and wounded a 31-year-old man and a 52-year-old woman before Keamo-Carnate acted to stop the rampage Keamo-Carnate was arrested on suspicion of second-degree murder following the shooting but prosecutors later declined to charge him The Honolulu Police Department confirmed that charges were dropped due to “issues related to self-defense and defense of others.” “This case clearly shows my client was within his rights to defend himself and others,” said Keamo-Carnate’s attorney The deadly confrontation stemmed from a long-running neighborhood dispute who rented out space for parties on his property had been a source of frustration for neighbors partygoers reportedly sped through the area prompting complaints from Keamo-Carnate’s gathering about the safety of children present Silva retaliated by ramming his front-end loader into parked cars and opening fire on the group police later discovered that Silva’s front-end loader was carrying four 55-gallon drums of fuel which he also fired upon during his rampage The Honolulu Fire Department’s Hazmat Team was called to remove the dangerous materials from the scene Community members expressed outrage over Keamo-Carnate’s initial arrest emphasizing the absurdity of the situation Keamo-Carnate was released about 20 hours after his arrest one of Hawaii’s deadliest in recent memory Local lawmakers are now discussing the possibility of strengthening the state’s self-defense laws in response to the incident Democratic state representative Darius Kila (that’s right Kila has expressed interest in making Hawaii’s laws more clear-cut by shifting toward a “stand your ground” framework rather than the current “duty to retreat” standard He believes residents should be assured that they can defend themselves and their loved ones without fear of legal repercussions especially in situations as dire as the one that unfolded in Waianae As violent crime continues to rise in the area Honolulu police have pledged to send additional reserve officers to patrol West Oahu and are working with community leaders to develop safety strategies “Justice was served in this case.” They definitely have “issues” with him defending himself and others Tell them the attorney is happy to speak for you and .gov forces you to spend time in jail and spend money to defend yourself…in leftist states In a Red state he would have been called a hero and enjoyed weeks of handshakes Where society has been heading since pr0gtards started their great work in the 70s it’s always Opposite Day in leftist land He should have simply run away like a good communist Then the state wouldn’t have had to arrest him “unregistered firearm” = IE an unconstitutional provision in a marxist state’s code And not relevant to the story (Don’t pimp the unlawful) There appears to be some real “issues” with the Honolulu P.D Congratulations “citizens” of the mostly autonomous region of Hawaii – you got what you’ve been voting for for decades This is what happens when you antagonize a psyco Respect your neighbors and you don’t have to worry about one flipping their lid and going on a murder rampage The victims are at fault for complaining to the neighbor about danger If they had just submitted quietly to his abuse he wouldn’t have flipped out you will antagonize any psycho you come into contact with He might just have some deep-seated anger over something he THOUGHT you did a week ago Could be like that lady yelling at the tall buildings downtown she couldn’t be bothered to wear shoes this morning who decides to try to firebomb a party and kill some women It’s what makes evil thrive and grow IIRC an earlier article laid the blame on the Honolulu Police Chief who claimed there was no right to self-defense in Hawaii law executive or any other branch of government individual or person or something that identifies as a person civilian and non-civilian alike: RIGHTS TO NOT COME FROM LAW ALL PEOPLE in ALL NATIONS in ALL TIMES have the natural RIGHT to SELF DEFENSE because it sure seems to be completely unobvious to a large portion of humanity News Flash: I live innHawaii and can say with considerable confidence that the great majority here do nor care about our so-called rights The great majority of voters here appear to prefer our elected officials to be stupid The people behind arresting and initially charging that man should be fired and lose their retirements!! Hawaii has been a democrat stronghold since they locked up the Queen starting as a city councilman and going thru all the seats ending up as mayor or governor or state representative and so forth He was in almost every official position in the city and state government They just change job titles and line their pockets at the people’s expense Look at the rail debacle that is still not finished after 12 years I was born and raised in Honolulu and left when I was 40 years old My grandfather worked for the Ariyoshi crime family we went to the Waikiki police hut right on the beach It became clear quickly that we werent being asked the usual circumstances type of questions I was told point blank that he thought I stole it After showing him that no contents were missing Told to stay there as he was the only one at the station I flipped it and asked him how I dont know that he will take the money and blame me Concierge said the Police were looking for me They told the PD the story and they left it alone I have a customer who is a Pacific Islander born in the Marshall Islands but spent more time in Hawaii and every now and then I ask him how they are doing He was arrested by the cops on-scene because he killed a guy and spent one night in jail until the circumstances clarified Spending a night in jail is suspect at best but could be appropriate in the event of the need for further investigation in a situation such as this the attitude and approach of law enforcement and the prosecutor’s office IS the story They have no understanding of the concept of rights and the purpose of law assuming that the duly constituted authority hadn’t lost them Just goes to show how far the Left is over the cliff Hard for me to comprehend this even knowing how crazy and stupid these people are and website in this browser for the next time I comment Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" and insights to help you stay informed on the latest trends in gun culture Leah Ho of the Kaua‘i Planning & Action Alliance are busy with a family of students attending the Kawaikini New Century Public Charter School on Wednesday at the free book giveaway at the Kaua‘i ‘Ohana Resource Kiosk at Kukui Grove Center in Lihu‘e stands next to the S-10 pickup that powered her to the Ladies Night win at Kaua‘i Raceway Park in Mana recently was also named Rookie of the Year at an earlier race She was among the Garden Isle Racing Association team that presented $6,000 to Wilcox Medical Center to support the Women’s Center Rebecca Carnate of Kaua‘i Economic Opportunity takes appointments for the free first aid at Kukui Grove Center in Lihu‘e as part of Health Equity in COVID-19 Prevention and Mitigation Project 2023 The Kaua‘i Robotics Alliance presents its 2023 Robotics Expo on Saturday at the Kaua‘i Philippine Cultural Center close to Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School in Puhi People attending can expect a lot of hands-on demonstrations and an opportunity to explore college scholarships while meeting two of the World Dean’s List winners of FIRST Robotics It’s the same time as the Kaua‘i Food Drive Day where people can meet Wes Perreira and his Hawai‘i Foodbank Kaua‘i staff and board members while contributing to help victims of the Maui wildfires We can top the day off with football at Hanapepe Stadium where Waimea High School (Head Coach Kyle Linoz just got back from taking his daughter to college) hosts a school from Arizona in the final preseason football contest before the Kaua‘i Interscholastic Federation opens its football season on Sept 2 (and the Kaua‘i Marathon runs on Sept in front of the Po‘ipu Shopping Village!) (function(d,s,n){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];js=d.createElement(s);js.className=n;js.src="//player.ex.co/player/bdc806f4-0fc1-40a1-aff0-a3d5239c169c";fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}(document,"script","exco-player")); Kudos to Leah Ho of Keiki to Career (The Kaua‘i Resilience Project?) and Sheila Bradley of Paper Pie (that is such a cool rebranding!) on giving away those books parents (or siblings) can read to their young ‘uns up to 3 years old They’ll do it again next Wednesday from 2 to 3:30 p.m at the Kaua‘i ‘Ohana Resource Kiosk that’s near the Kaua‘i Society of Artists gallery at Kukui Grove Center in Lihu‘e And kudos to Rebecca Carnate of Kaua‘i Economic Opportunity on hosting the free instruction and certification for CPR first aid and AED as part of the Health Equity in COVID-19 Prevention and Mitigation Project Rebecca said they’ll be doing this (they can have up to 10 people in a class) through November and people need to schedule an appointment by calling 808-278-4077 Wear a Lei was the theme of this year’s annual Kauai Museum Lei.. Congratulations to Veronica Bonnie Nagahisa and her mom By Victoria Budiono A Quonset hut at the end of Waianae Valley Road known as the “Silva dome” is used for events and parties who lost three members in their neighbor’s violent rampage along Waianae Valley Road on Saturday night had pleaded with state officials in 2021 to address their concerns about illegal and dangerous activity associated with the man’s nearby who owned and rented out a Quonset hut known as the “Silva dome,” shot five people at the Keamo property Saturday before being fatally shot by 42-year-old Rishard Kanaka Keamo-Carnate Honolulu police and witnesses said Silva went on the rampage after members of the Keamo household complained about cars speeding on the small lane going to and from a large party at the Silva dome It was not the first time that the Keamos raised their concerns In a March 2021 email shared Thursday with the Honolulu Star-Advertiser expressed safety concerns and extreme frustration about the Silva dome after a vehicle crash It described how the Keamos were involved in a car crash with a vehicle coming from Silva’s property where a party was taking place “The collision resulted in the driver attempting to flee a fight breaking out as a result of that second accident hundreds of cars lined up revving their engines at a dead stop with no way out because of the accidents on our one-way lane,” she wrote The email thread revealed a back-and-forth conversation between Alison Keamo-­Carnate and Shimabukuro who then included the Honolulu Department of Planning and Permitting in the thread and suggested that Keamo-Carnate file a formal complaint with the DPP A city spokesperson told the Star-Advertiser that the DPP had not received any complaints about illegal operations or activities at the dome addressed the illegality of the tent structure without a permit On the day of the gathering at the Silva dome in March 2021 an estimated 500 attendees arrived for a party featuring a performance by rapper Swae Lee The event occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic when social gatherings were capped at 10 people Alison Keamo-Carnate also wrote in the email you will find evidence of the event that was held at Hiram Silva’s Dome … This is illegal and against COVID restrictions It is not right and it is shameful that people ‘above’ have turned a blind eye at least 3 or 4 or 5 times before We do not want these events in our community these people do not care because this is not their home She further indicated that the “neighbor-on-neighbor” tension already had existed during the time of the March 2021 party incident: “We attempted to make peace with our neighbors but they declined to come to our home and discuss what happened after over 20 plus years of being neighbors.” Community members have voiced concerns that officials have not taken adequate steps to prevent such problems a Nanakuli resident and former Waianae Neighborhood Board chair noted that when the board frequently requested the DPP to inspect structures due to community concerns — though not specifically the Silva dome — the department often replied that it lacked enough inspectors to do so “There’s no consistent follow-up,” Kahanamoku-Teruya said City Council member Tyler Dos Santos-Tam also noted that there aren’t enough inspectors to monitor every property continuously investigations are based on complaints since inspectors lack the capacity to make rounds to all neighborhoods and determine which structures are legal and which are not Kahanamoku-Teruya criticized the DPP for failing to ensure that all structures are properly permitted and legitimate While unpermitted structures do not necessarily lead to aggression they are linked to community safety and quality-of-life issues On Wednesday city officials released a statement “We are deeply saddened by the events that happened on Waianae Valley Road on Saturday and our thoughts and prayers are with those who have been affected by this horrific event The extreme violence that occurred that evening is beyond comprehension and the City does not believe it is appropriate to fault an organization for the criminal behavior of an individual The Department of Planning and Permitting (DPP) has only received one community complaint related to the 85-1383C Waianae Valley Road property since 2021 and the subsequent investigation of that complaint resulted in the issuance of a Notice of Violation and the City does not believe there is any correlation between DPP’s permitting authority and the extreme acts for which Mr DPP still holds significant responsibility and accountability for addressing the broader implications of unpermitted structures and their impact on the community The property has raised additional concern because it is located on agricultural land and the owners have faced numerous investigations due to official complaints related to grading stockpiling and operating an illegal commercial trucking business With at least 20 com­- plaints dating back to 2001 the city should have taken more decisive action or conducted more thorough investigations given the volume of concerns related to the property “If DPP or any city enforcement had stepped in to shut it down completely demolish it or put gates around it to prevent access we wouldn’t be here talking about this,” she said A DPP spokesperson said in an email on Friday that the department received a complaint from Kahanamoku-Teruya in March 2021 pertaining to the illegal structure of the “Silva dome” which became a Request for Investigation that was logged into its system “The building inspector investigated and issued a Notice of Violation for the unpermitted structure and called Kahanamoku-Teruya who was satisfied with the outcome The inspector received a complaint from Senator Maile Shimabukuro and provided the same findings to her,” the email said DPP reported that it was “notified by email from Shimabukuro on March 25 of the event on the Silva property and has no records in our POSSE system of her email but ‘illegal operations’ still falls under the illegal structure complaint and the complaint likely went directly to the same inspector The DPP spokesperson also wrote: “Not all of these types of complaints are logged into our Posse system Because we received the complaint after the fact we could not cite the owner for the activity because we did not witness it the inspector was in contact with the complainant and made 8 drive-bys and stopped three times to attempt inspections The owner did not respond and did not accept the (notice of violation.) There were no additional complaints provided to DPP about upcoming or ongoing events at the ‘dome.’ For temporary we are best able to cite a violation if we are aware of it prior to it happening so we can warn the landowner that it is illegal and can witness the event if it occurs.” DPP Director Dawn Takeuchi-­Apuna told the Star-­Advertiser on Wednesday that an unpermitted structure like the Silva dome leaves the property owner with two options: either apply for a permit or tear down the structure themselves Takeuchi-Apuna said the department lacks the authority to step in and demolish the structure; it can only issue fines for the violation While the property has accumulated over $587,200 in fines related to illegal grading she could not confirm the exact amount of fines specifically tied to the Silva dome Silva could have avoided violations if he had adhered to permitting rules and used the Quonset hut solely for agricultural purposes the Quonset hut had no permit for either the structure or its operations and it was often used for large gatherings such as weddings who is the Hono­lulu City Council Zoning Committee vice chair explained that while property owners on agricultural land can engage in activities related to agriculture they still must obtain permits and adhere to regulations He noted that the Silva dome isn’t the only unpermitted structure in the state While the dome may be one of the larger examples Santos-­Tam said he has received community complaints about other residential areas being used for large gatherings including events with large sound systems or as makeshift churches or religious venues He said that while gatherings are acceptable issues arise when they disrupt neighbors or the community and fail to adhere to codes such as the installation of large sound systems or stages a current Waianae Neighborhood Board member and Kahanamoku-Teruya said Waianae must be taken as seriously as other districts Landford said when Waianae community members voice their concerns and needs especially in light of recent high-profile crimes in the area This story has been updated to include a response Friday from a DPP spokesperson By Dan Nakaso Editors' PicksHomeless in Hawaii with a sign that reads “Peace on Earth,” at Valoha Giving Movement’s first Aloha Christmas event at Pupuole Mini Park on Dec Christina Bush helped out Santa by handing out presents to Destiny Borce Bush is a licensed mental health counselor and the founder of Valoha Giving Movement which helps homeless people via Facebook and Instagram donations This is the group’s first Aloha Christmas event to give out toys — they collected over 2,000 — and meals and toiletries to the homeless and disadvantaged In just two years Christina Bush has solicited donations through Facebook and Instagram that have generated thousands of dollars’ worth of new and used donations for hundreds of homeless and low-income children and families across Oahu while building a small but loyal group of volunteers “Her heart is just full of gold,” said Jullie Passos of Waikele who joined Bush’s Valoha Giving Movement soon after it began “She would do anything to help people.” $7,000 worth of donations through the Valoha Giving Movement provided turkey dinner toys and toiletries for 700 children and adults at Waipahu’s Pupuole Park “Some of them were homeless,” Bush said “The majority came from low-income housing nearby Every child got a toy and a stuffed animal Bush led volunteers into a homeless encampment in Nanakuli where a volunteer Santa passed out backpacks full of socks and toiletries and toys and stuffed animals for 28 families Bush and volunteers handed out 1,500 donated toys to two low-income housing projects on the Leeward Coast Bush estimates that the last four projects planned for 2017 alone generated at least $10,000 in donations “We make sure everybody gets something,” she said “A lot of them don’t have food A lot of times their kids don’t have clothes to wear to school Sometimes they don’t even have 99-cent slippers We’re changing a lot of lives.” “My mom was always one paycheck from being homeless,” Bush said but we sure had our share of empty Christmases.” She served in the Army in Germany and got out as a specialist and eventually made her way to Oahu where she was laid off from her job at the University of Phoenix helping military veterans Bush found a new purpose trying to help homeless people at Ewa Beach’s Hau Bush park get work by helping them with their resumes “These are the people I grew up with,” Bush said Bush said she helped 52 homeless people get jobs by working on their resumes and honing their interview skills “They started getting jobs,” Bush said “They started getting off the street That’s when I found that maybe I had a purpose to keep going.” She started by soliciting donations for $5 gift cards from McDonald’s and Taco Bell to motivate the homeless at Hau Bush to clean up the beach park “One day somebody stopped us and said That’s not even something the state can do.’” “We wanted to put together ‘value’ and ‘love,’” Bush said “‘V’ is for value.” The Valoha Giving Movement Facebook page now has more than 7,000 members lives in Ewa Beach and works as a licensed mental health counselor for military families at Aliamanu Middle School in Salt Lake But she’s constantly working on the next Valoha Giving Movement project to help needy families makes it a Christmas tradition for her 19-year-old son and 14-year-old daughter to donate “clothes and make a hot breakfast and bless a few families before we open our presents.” The Passoses never have to look hard to find a family in need on Christmas Day “We just literally drive around,” she said Then she saw a Facebook post from Bush asking for donations to replace items that were stolen from her car “She was doing exactly what I wanted to do,” Passos said “So I started following her that day The group has grown so big so fast that it’s hard to keep up sometimes.” Passos’ passion to help people during Christmas last year spread to her best friend Passos was busy putting together Valoha Giving Movement donations a year ago when Carnate realized “they didn’t have much for teens So I made at least 20 gift bags for teen boys and girls — hats for boys She joined Passos at Hau Bush and then onto Pupuole Park “There were at least a couple hundred people along with the other Valoha Giving Movement volunteers continues to use her own money to buy things such as diapers and food “You quickly realize that everyone has a story,” Carnate said Her own father died homeless and on the street near the old Iwilei Kmart in October 2016 “He died of a heart attack — and from years of drug use,” Carnate said Now Carnate hopes her work with the Valoha Giving Movement will give her two children — ages 5 and 9 — more appreciation for what they have — and for the needs of so many across Oahu “I don’t want them to just realize that people have less,” Carnate said “I want them to know that there’s something you can do about it.” And she credits Bush for helping to spread that message on a much bigger scale “is a big inspiration for everyone.” LIHU‘E — Doors to the Miss Kaua‘i Filipina Scholarship Pageant open at 6 p.m Saturday at the Kaua‘i War Memorial Convention Hall hosted by the Kaua‘i Filipino Community Council with five young girls vying for the title of Miss Kaua‘i Filipina The winner will advance to the state Miss Hawai‘i Filipina pageant this summer Contestants completed their judges’ interview Sunday at the Courtyard by Marriott at Coconut Beach This year’s field includes Kayla Dela Cruz-Cadavona who recently graduated from Kaua‘i Community College and studied business technology plans on pursuing architecture at Honolulu Community College with a goal of starting her own business in home design and interior design as an architectural engineer The daughter of Roland Cadavona and Betty Dela Cruz the Waimea High School graduate works at the concierge desk the resort activities desk and at the Honu Bar at the Marriott’s Waiohai Beach Club the daughter of Rey Carnate and Precy Danao graduated from KCC as a certified nurses aide She plans to pursue a career as a registered nurse the daughter of Roland Manibog and Murielyn Raza celebrated graduation Friday night at Kaua‘i High School The 2012 Queen of Charity plans to pursue a career as a pharmacist She plans to attend the University of Hawai‘i at Hilo the daughter of Michael Rich and Angeline Fayloga and the late Bobby Ortega also celebrated graduation at Kapa‘a High School Her aspiration is to graduate college with a degree in chemical or computer engineering the daughter of Francisco Bancud and Grace Tangonan also graduated from Kapa‘a High School Friday Her goal is to pursue pediatric nursing at the Kapiolani Community College and eventually earn a doctorate degree specializing in pediatrics Children occupying a seat will be charged the admission fee Members of the Waimea High School girls football team arrived home on Sunday from the 2025..