Nearly 630 of the plaintiffs affected by Navy water contamination in Central Oʻahu will receive a combined payment of $17 million in the latest batch of Red Hill court settlements announced by the U.S. Department of Justice on Wednesday.

DOJ leaders touted the move as a good-faith step toward resolving the matter, in which scores of military personnel, their families and civilian workers were sickened by tens of thousands of gallons of jet fuel spilled in 2021. Some victims, however, called the deals “a slap in the face” that don’t go nearly far enough to compensate all the damage done.

The settlements apply to family members who were sickened — not the service members themselves — and they stem from two lawsuits brought against the Navy in recent years over Red Hill contamination under the Federal Tort Claims Act, or FTCA.

Together, those suits — Feindt v. United States and Hughes v. United States — represent more than 6,500 claims.

Ever been out for a walk, a jog or a casual bike ride only to be startled by an e-bike, battery-powered scooter or some other personal electric vehicle flying past you at high speed? If so, you probably know how urgent it is for lawmakers to bring in regulations to respond to this growing phenomenon.

Winnipeg is facing a transportation challenge that barely existed a few years ago. Battery-powered bikes, scooters, electric unicycles and other similar vehicles have become common sights on city streets, cycling routes and multi-use pathways.

Their popularity is growing faster than the rules governing them. And that should be a concern for city hall.

There’s no question personal electric vehicles offer people significant advantages. They’re cheaper to operate than cars, produce no direct emissions, reduce traffic congestion and provide people with another option for getting around the city.