August 13, 2026 News Read > Hawaii Free Press

Hawaii Daily News Read

Thursday, August 13, 2026

August 13, 2026 News Read
By Andrew Walden @ 8:51 AM :: 152 Views

Hawaii can’t kick oil habit as it sues over climate change

Maui Hysteria Machine: Activists Post Phony BLNR Agenda

Honolulu City Council confirms Krishna Jayaram as Managing Director

Hawaii GOP names Kelly Kitashima to run for SD18

HNN: … The Hawaii Republican Party announced their nominee to represent District 18 after state Sen. Michelle Kidani retired in June.

The party selected Kelly Kitashima to run for the State Senate seat, which represents Mililani, Waipahu, Waikele, and Waipio.

Kitashima formerly ran for city council in 2018 and in the 2020 special election, losing both races.

“We had a selection committee which included our senators and leadership in the house, as well as some of our partner leadership, and we thought that Kelly was exactly the candidate that went to the top,” said Shirline Ostrov, who serves as chair of the Hawaii Republican Party. “We love that she is Oahu born and raised and a mom that brings executive leadership over 24 years, and so we’re excited for this kind of leadership in the Senate.” …

SA: A Green Party official said on Wednesday that they are trying to recruit a well-known and popular Democrat to join the party and be its entry in the special election. (Clue: ‘Fukumoto’)

Read … Hawaii GOP names nominee for vacant State Senate seat | Hawaii News Now

Recounts confirm razor-thin margins in 2 Hawaii GOP legislative races

SA: … Tuesday’s recounts at the state Capitol confirmed that incumbent state Rep. Kanani Souza (R, Kapolei-Makakilo) beat her Republican challenger, Sheila Medeiros, by one vote, 841 to 840, and that former legislator Bob McDermott unseated incumbent state Sen. Kurt Fevella (R, Ewa Beach-Ocean Pointe-Iroquois Point) by seven votes, 1,211 to 1,204.

The results from Saturday’s primary were so close that they triggered the automatic recounts in both races.

The state Office of Elections is expected to release the official final results for all of Saturday’s primary races on Friday evening. By state law, voters who were notified of problems with their mail-in ballots, such as a missing signature, have five business days after Election Day to fix those errors and have their ballots counted.

If the results remain the same for Souza’s District 43 House seat, she will automatically return to the Legislature because she faces no opposition in the Nov. 3 General Election. If McDermott’s recount results hold up for the District 20 Senate seat, he will face Democrat Markus Owens, a former University of Hawaii baseball player….

HNN: Hawaii primaries undecided after recount; invalid ballots could swing results | Hawaii News Now

Read … Recounts confirm razor-thin margins in 2 Hawaii GOP legislative races | Honolulu Star-Advertiser

Ozawa seeks fast Hawaii Supreme Court ruling on Waters’ disqualification

HNN: … Attorneys for Trevor Ozawa filed an emergency request to the Hawaii Supreme Court late Wednesday afternoon, seeking a ruling before mid-September on whether Tommy Waters can overturn his disqualification for another term in office.

Waters was ruled ineligible for another term after the ballots in the Honolulu City Council District IV primary election were printed. The city clerk ruled that he was ineligible and that his votes would only be counted for the purpose of determining whether another candidate had received a majority of the votes.

Ozawa, the leading candidate in the election, said the Supreme Court must affirm or reverse the decision before the printing deadline for general election ballots.

He argued that is the only way to prevent voter confusion and avoid a situation where Waters’ appeal comes too late, which could lead to a special election if Waters is declared eligible after all….

PDF: Ozawa Motion to Supreme Court | PDF | Elections | Appeal

Read … Ozawa seeks fast Hawaii Supreme Court ruling on Waters’ disqualification | Hawaii News Now

Prosecutors Made Mistake: Maoli Singer Is Not A Drug Dealer, Lawyer Says

CB: … Prosecutors blamed a “typographical error.” Maoli’s lawyer says the singer was defamed and is exploring legal options….

On Wednesday, John Isbell, an attorney for Awong, released a statement:

“We are pleased that the government now has publicly acknowledged that a typographical error in a prior legal filing may have been interpreted to imply that Glenn Awong — professionally known as Maoli — may have been involved in drug dealing. Prosecutors in Hawaii have now corrected the record in a subsequent public filing, making clear that Glenn was not involved in or suspected of drug dealing or any other criminal activity. Glenn is not ‘Person 3,'” Isbell said.

“While Glenn appreciates the fulsome apology he has received from authorities, he remains troubled by the way some amateur online ‘sleuths’ have misrepresented the facts of this case to menace Glenn, his wife and their children. That dangerous behavior must stop immediately – and we are exploring all legal options to hold to account those who have defamed our client and threatened the safety of the entire Awong family.”

Awong can’t sue the U.S. Attorney’s Office because court filings are protected by immunity, said Paul Alston, a Honolulu attorney who works in First Amendment law. He also can’t sue those who spoke publicly about the allegations if they were citing the court document before it was corrected….

SA: Federal prosecutors apologize to entertainer for meth accusation | Honolulu Star-Advertiser

PDF: NoticeToCourtVaituulala | DocumentCloud

Read … Prosecutors Made Mistake: Maoli Singer Is Not A Drug Dealer, Lawyer Says - Honolulu Civil Beat

MPD provides more details in Lt. Vaituulala investigation

KHON: … “Lt. Vaituulala was a trusted member, having been a task force officer for the Federal Bureau of Investigation up until October 2025. That means he was fully vetted by the FBI. Over the two-year period of the allegations, there were no changes in behavior, no increase in expense purchases or flashing of money by Lt. Michael Vaituulala. The administration as well as the rest of the MPD staff were shocked by the allegations.”

Pelletier said once the department learned of the federal investigation, it launched its own administrative investigation.

Waituulala was placed on administrative leave, his police credentials and firearm were taken away, and the criminal Intelligence Unit he commanded has since been disbanded.

He said after an internal investigation, he plans to have Hawaii County Police Chief Ried Mahuna do an external review to ensure there are any areas to improve upon.

Deputy Chief Wade Maeda said there are currently no other officers they were aware of that are involved in this investigation.

The chief said if these allegations are proven true, there will be accountability….

HNN: Maui Police Department addresses federal bribery case involving high-ranking lieutenant | Hawaii News Now

Read … MPD provide more details in Lt. Vaituulala investigation

Crooked 8a News: Dawson/Laukoa in Scrum for $699M USACE Contract

PBN: … Laukoa’s (Dawson’s) $699 million indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity contract calls for design and construction work under the Army Corps of Engineers’ Petroleum, Oil, and Lubricants Mandatory Center of Expertise in Nebraska.

Laukoa is competing for pieces of that contract with six other firms. One of those firms is the Bering Straits Native Corp., a Native Alaskan company that oversees dozens of 8(a) businesses. Bering Straits recently acquired nine more 8(a) companies based in Hawaii from the Native Hawaiian organization the Alakaina Foundation Family of Cos. Bering Straits, which is now tied to Native Hawaiian organizations but headquartered in Alaska, joint-ventured with Pennsylvania-based Weston Solutions for the contract.

A Laukoa spokesperson confirmed the firm has already completed some of the work on the contract, adding to over 15 other similar projects it’s worked on in the past.

“Our fuels construction team has been performing design-build and design-bid-build projects supporting petroleum, oil, and lubricants facilities and infrastructure for more than a decade,” the spokesperson said in an email. “This project, like many others we’ve worked on, includes construction, maintenance, repair, and demolition of fuel systems, storage tanks, and other related petroleum infrastructure.”

The $309.65 million contract that went to Hensel Phelps for work on the Red Hill Water Treatment Facility marks the second-largest contract going to a Hawaii team this month.

Unlike Laukoa’s IDIQ contract, Hensel Phelps is the sole contractor assigned to the work and the entire amount is guaranteed. The Colorado-headquartered firm, which has a large Hawaii presence, is guaranteed to get an initial $109.32 million, with the rest coming in increments….

Read ... Hawaii firms land $1.02B in Army, Navy contracts - Pacific Business News

State Budget in Two Charts

CB: …The main image shows nearly every dollar flowing into and out of the state’s operating budget. The money comes in four big buckets….

The right side shows where the money gets spent. About 40% of all spending goes to just two categories, 1) Medicaid and social services, and 2) ‘our’ public schools ….

Read ... Olin Lagon: State Budget Is Not Hard To Understand. We Just Explain It Badly - Honolulu Civil Beat

City Council advances vehicle weight tax cut

SA: … Under Bill 47, the vehicle weight tax rate for passenger vehicles — including buses, ambulances and hearses — would decrease from 6 cents per pound of net weight to 5.5 cents per pound.

The same reduction would apply to trucks and noncommercial motor vehicles weighing 6,500 pounds or less that are not operated for compensation or commercial purposes. Those rates would drop from 7 cents per pound to 5.5 cents per pound.

Commercial trucks and other vehicles designed to carry property would see rates decrease from 7.5 cents per pound to 7 cents per pound.

The measure would partially reverse a tax increase adopted in 2019 as part of a broader effort to increase city revenues. It would not change the city’s $12 minimum annual vehicle weight tax or vehicle registration procedures.

A vehicle weighing 3,320 pounds currently costs about $364 to register in Honolulu, according to the city Department of Customer Services. An estimated 895,140 vehicles are registered on Oahu….

Read … City Council advances vehicle weight tax cut | Honolulu Star-Advertiser

Hope? Banyan Drive Switches from DLNR to HCDA

CB: … The state has most of the say when it comes to the future of Banyan Drive. The land under the hotels is ceded land, owned and managed by the Department of Land and Natural Resources.

But DLNR’s conservation mission is in direct contrast to economic development, legislators have long said. That tension has made conversations about redevelopment difficult and stalled progress.

Lawmakers hope that with a new agency, the state can finally begin breathing life back into the peninsula. In July, Gov. Josh Green signed Senate Bill 2001 into law, now known as Act 206. That created the Banyan Drive-Makaokū community development district and agency under the Hawai‘i Community Development Authority….

Read … Hope For Revitalizing Banyan Drive Pinned On New State Agency - Honolulu Civil Beat

Honolulu joins counties to urge BLNR to ban aquarium fishing

SA: … The Council passed the two resolutions Wednesday, with Council member Andria Tupola objecting and both Council members Val Aquino Okimoto and Augie Tulba voting yes with reservations. Similar resolutions were passed earlier this year in Hawaii, Maui and, most recently, Kauai counties.

DLNR is expected to make a decision on whether the trade should restart soon as it is in the midst of reviewing fishery rules and regulations. The Board of Land and Natural Resources is expected to make a decision on whether the trade should reopen soon….

(CLUE: The tourism industry is trying to squash all non-tourism industries.)

Read … Honolulu joins counties to urge BLNR to ban aquarium fishing | Honolulu Star-Advertiser

Hawaiʻi's Intoxicating ‘Hemp’ Market Has Gone Up In Vapor

CB: … It happens all the time now at Oʻahu Dispensary and Provisions in Waikīkī: A prospective customer like Blake Birdwell comes looking for a pre-rolled ‘hemp’ cigarette or ‘hemp’-based edible, only to find the kiosk’s shelves are empty of such goods — by recent order of the Hawaiʻi Department of Health.

“It’s really shitty,” Birdwell said on a recent afternoon after making the rounds at other shops like Natural Mystic, Vape Hawaiʻi and Hawaiʻi’s Cheapest. “They’re all telling me, ‘No.’”

It’s a new reality for people like Birdwell who until recently were able to purchase a range of THC products without a medical marijuana card at dozens of shops across the state — often at a lower price than the products for sale at Hawaiʻi’s officially licensed medical marijuana dispensaries. …

Read … Hawaiʻi's Intoxicating Hemp Market Has Gone Up In Smoke - Honolulu Civil Beat

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