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May 15, 2026 News Read
By Andrew Walden @ 10:46 AM :: 196 Views

AG: Feds Investigated our Medicaid Fraud Prosecutions in April

Green Signs 'Corporate Personhood' Bill into Law

Green: "A Vision for Hawaii's Future"

Hawaiʻi outlook darkens amid oil surge, rising costs

EBT users spend only $339K at Farmers Markets

Lawsuit: Medicaid Fraud Prosecutor Forced Out by Connors

HNN: … In 2022, the fraud unit was under scrutiny for generating almost no prosecutions from hundreds of complaints. The director at the time blamed challenges from the pandemic but promised improvement.

“The fraud is out there, we just want to make sure we are doing everything we can to identify and hold people accountable for it,” director Landon Murata said. “We have a lot in the pipe, I can assure you of that.”

The unit also faced problems revealed in a lawsuit from former director Dawn Shigezawa, who prosecuted several cases until she claims she was forced out by then-Attorney General Clare Connors. Shigezawa’s attorney, Eric Strong, said Connors wanted to use fraud unit resources for other purposes and Shigezawa resisted.

“That generated a backlash because they simply wanted to push back and not follow these rules because they wanted the money and they wanted the resources for whatever they wanted to do,” attorney Strong said.

Connors denied the allegation. The state is still fighting the lawsuit.

Medicaid fraud can be difficult to prosecute criminally because prosecutors must prove a doctor or care home operator knew they were stealing. The state has pursued some providers for improper payment, but those collections also fall below those of other states….

2021: Big Win for Mafia: Biden Appoints AG Connors US Attorney

Read … State defends Medicaid fraud unit after vice president’s criticism | Hawaii News Now

Why Lahaina will not be rebuilt by 2033

SFG: … The process, she explained, could involve about 14 different permits, four public hearings and several committee meetings. “I’ve been told it could look like up to half a million dollars or more just to get through the permitting process,” Jones said, adding that there’s no guarantee of approval….

Freeland said he fully intends to rebuild the 1901 landmark and keep it in his family for generations. “We have not considered selling, and nobody has approached us about selling, and our focus is completely on rebuilding,” he said. “We’re literally starting the process today.”

He said the bigger hurdles he’s seen have been with getting all the approving authorities, like the state, county and federal government, on the same page. “Every property owner has its own path,” he said. There’s no blanket process or checklist, according to him.

Maui County Deputy Managing Director Erin Wade told SFGATE that priority has been given to residential rebuilding over commercial and that the construction of commercial properties is more complex.

“Permit requirements, zoning restrictions, infrastructure rules and coastal laws are layered in Lahaina’s historic district, where many commercial properties are located,” Wade said. “Further, in Lahaina and other older communities across the state, buildings do not meet modern zoning codes.” However, Wade added that “several businesses have building permits on Front Street and are preparing for construction.”

Architect Glenn Mason, who is working on four commercial projects in Lahaina, explained simply that setbacks in the rebuilding process are due to contradictory requirements, which have been forcing officials to revisit or rewrite certain laws or regulations.

His firm filed for a building permit for one property in June 2025 and received a response in April 2026 explaining that it needs an archaeological inventory survey. “There’s a lot of opacity about the process,” he said. He suspects that his other properties will need a survey done as well, but he’s still waiting for those letters.

“I am beyond frustrated by all of this, okay, but to be fair to the county ... it’s just much more complicated than anybody ever visualized,” he said. “I think the county is trying to grapple with these things, but it’s just, bureaucracies are balkanized.”

He said he would not be surprised if rebuilding all of Front Street costs in the range of $300 million, and he believes that rebuilding Lahaina as a whole will happen on a much longer timeline than some people think.

“I think it will take 10 years [from 2023] for Lahaina to start to look like it used to look,” he said. “I mean, honestly, I think anybody who predicts anything faster than that is being unrealistic.”…

Aug 2023: Do Lahaina Property Owners Have the Right to Rebuild?

Oct 2023 Right to Rebuild? No Building Permits Issued Since Lahaina Fire

Read … Why Lahaina remains largely untouched nearly 3 years after the fire

Mafia News: ILWU Endorses Drug Dealer’s Son for Legislature

MN: … The (hotel union) endorsement cites Kiakona’s work on SB 2919 (Act 17), legislation that granted counties the authority to ~~regulate or phase out~~ (crush competing) short-term rentals (STRs) to expand long-term housing….

REALITY: Meet the Meth Gang Behind ‘Lahaina Strong’

Read … ILWU Local 142 endorses Green Party Candidate Pāʻele Kiakona for state House : Maui Now

Hawaii 2025 drug overdose deaths: More Meth, Less Fentanyl

HNN: … Fentanyl-related fatalities dropped, but meth-related deaths climbed …

Read … Hawaii sees mixed results in report on 2025 drug overdose deaths | Hawaii News Now

Maui Council Races Could Reshape Power Balance

CB: … With Council Chair Alice Lee stepping down and council member Yuki Lei Sugimura running for mayor, voters could redefine the power dynamic at the polls Nov. 3. The current five-member, conservative-leaning faction also includes Kauanoe Batangan, who was appointed in December to fill the late Tasha Kama’s seat; Nohelani U‘u-Hodgins; and Tom Cook, who is facing a rematch against Kelly King. All nine seats are up for election.

“That group is in some jeopardy,” said Colin Moore, a political analyst at the University of Hawai‘i Mānoa. “There are some real opportunities for the progressives to pick up some seats.” ….

No one had filed to run yet against any of the council’s four more progressive members — Tamara Paltin of West Maui, Keani Rawlins-Fernandez of Molokaʻi, Gabe Johnson of Lānaʻi or Shane Sinenci of East Maui — as of Monday. One person had pulled papers to run against Sinenci. The filing deadline is June 2. …

Read … Maui Council Races Could Reshape Power Balance - Honolulu Civil Beat

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