WILDFIRE DAMAGE in Lahaina (FEMA photo).

Criticized for not sounding emergency sirens during the deadly wildfires in the Hawaiian island of Maui, the head of the island’s emergency management agency resigned his post on Thursday.

The Associated Press is reporting that Herman Andayas submitted his resignation. The sirens were part of the island’s disaster response plan urging people to evacuate.

Critics of the government response to the tragedy – at least 111 people have died – also include water shortages and clogged highways that made escape difficult.

Andaya said he didn’t sound the sirens out of fear residents would have gone inland toward the flames.

Threats vs. grand jury investigated

INVESTIGATIONS are underway (Shutterstock).

Online threats against members of the Fulton County Grand Jury that indicted former president Donald Trump and 18 others for allegedly trying to overturn Georgia’s 2020 election outcome are being investigated by local, state and federal officials.

An unknown person or persons posted the names, addresses and images of the jurors, suggesting they should be “harassed.”

According to The New York Times, in Georgia the names of grand jury members are public record. 

Survey: Half of Americans have tried pot

HALF of American adults have tried “weed,” according to a survey (Shutterstock).

A survey by the Gallup survey firm indicted that 50 percent of adult Americans say they have used marijuana at some time.

Seventeen percent said they were current users.

According to USA Today, the number of people they used cannabis at one time increased slightly from 49 percent last year, while current users up from 7 percent in 2013.

The survey indicated that college graduates were half as likely to “smoke weed” than non-graduates.

Dodgers win 11th straight game

Austin Barnes hit a home run to left field in the bottom of the eighth inning to give the Los Angeles Dodgers a 1-0 win over the Milwaukee Brewers Thursday night, their 11th victory in a row.

Lance Lynn pitched seven strong innings, giving up four hits and no runs. He struck out three batters and walked none.  Caleb Ferguson (7-3) got the win in relief.

The Dodgers only had four hits, two of them by Mookie Betts; Barnes had the other two.

With the win and sweep of the series, the Blue Crew is now 74-46 and leads the National League West by a margin of 10.5 games over the San Francisco Giants.

For Milwaukee, Corbin Burnes pitched as well as Lynn, working seven innings and yielding just two hits, striking out nine and walking two.

The Dodgers continue their home stand on Friday, opening a series with the Miami Marlins. Tony Gonsolin (8-4) will get the start.

Weather: Watch out for Hilary

Keep your umbrella handy. As Hurricane Hilary moves down the Pacific Coast, its remnants may dump some serious water on Southern California, including our West Orange County. Friday should be partly cloudy with a daytime high of 86 and an overnight low of 65. Saturday is forecast to be mostly cloudy with a high of 83 (72). The rain is likely to hit on Sunday with a 76 percent chance of precipitation. The high should be 81 (70). Sunday should be rainy, too with a high of 72 (65).