Hawaii Daily News Read

Wednesday, September 30, 2026

September 30, 2026 News Read

By Andrew Walden @ 5:30 AM :: 167 Views

PEW: Reforms Could Save Hawaii Renters $5,500 Per Year

"TIO to pursue siting TMT at its primary site in Hawaiʻi"

Green Names Appointees to LUC, Teacher Standards Board

Fired HTA executive awarded over $500k in whistleblower lawsuit—Green’s Chief of Staff ‘Personally Liable’

SA: … A First Circuit Court jury on Tuesday found that former Hawai‘i Tourism Authority executive Isaac Choy was subjected to whistleblower retaliation and wrongfully placed on unpaid leave and later terminated from his job, awarding him more than $500,000 in damages, including punitive damages against Gov. Josh Green’s Chief of Staff Brooke Wilson….

The jury awarded Choy $454,011.66 in compensatory damages, including lost wages, benefits, emotional-distress damages and pay lost during his unpaid leave. Jurors also awarded an additional $50,000 in punitive damages against Wilson. Attorney’s fees, which could substantially increase the award, are expected to be determined later.

Jurors found that Wilson violated the Whistleblower Protection Act and wrongfully terminated Choy in violation of public policy. They concluded she acted outside the scope of her authority, making her personally liable for the $454,011.66 in damages, and found she acted with the “aggravated state of mind” required to support a punitive damages award.

Jurors also found that Anderson violated the Whistleblower Protection Act by placing Choy on unpaid leave but determined she was acting within the scope of her duties and without malice, shielding her from personal liability. As a result, she is not responsible for the jury’s award. Wilson could not be reached for an immediate response, and Anderson declined to comment.

The verdict came in the first phase of a bifurcated trial. Jurors issued binding findings on Choy’s claims against Wilson and Anderson, while their findings on whistleblower and wrongful-termination claims against HTA are advisory only. Judge Taryn Tomasa will decide in the second phase whether HTA is liable and, if so, whether it will share responsibility for the $454,011.66 award. Tomasa also will decide whether additional damages should be awarded for violations of the Whistleblower Protection Act.….

HNN: Fired HTA executive awarded over $500k in whistleblower lawsuit | Hawaii News Now

CHOY TERMINATION BACKGROUND:

CNHA/Hawaiian Council BACKGROUND:

read … Jury awards former HTA executive Isaac Choy $500K | Honolulu Star-Advertiser

Another TRO Fail: Revenge motive in fatal shooting of Maui officer by convicted felon whose gun was not confiscated under TRO

HNN: … They showed new police body camera video in court Tuesday afternoon.

The footage shows Maui police officers arriving at Clembert Kaneholani’s (a convicted felon with no right to own a gun) home in Makawao on the night of Aug. 13, 2025, two days before Officer Suzanne O was fatally shot, to serve him with a temporary restraining order….

Officer Ho’opani Yagi testified Kaneholani was cooperative at first but became agitated when officers told him he could not take his son with him.

“He’s on the protective order,” the female officer said….

“I don’t give a ****,” Kaneholani responded. “You guys going ******* kill me for this.”…

“And after his reaction, you guys gonna have to kill him, ******* kill me for this, he eventually settled down, correct?” Raidmae asked.

“After some time, yes, sir,” Officer Yagi answered.

Kaneholani’s friend, Jennifer Jones, testified he visited her that night.

“When you went around the driver’s side and talked to the defendant, tell us what you observed,” said Maui Prosecuting Attorney Andrew Martin.

“I kind of barked at him because he had a gun sitting on his lap,” Jones testified. “He said he wasn’t going back to prison ... he said they’ll have to shoot me. He wanted suicide by cop.”

Two days later, Kaneholani fatally shot Officer Suzanne O ….

Aug 2025: Suspect in Maui officer's death served TRO days before shooting – “She also wrote that Kaneholani has a gun and carries it with him.”

PDF: KANEHOLANI, CLEMBERT E-Crim felony conviction from 2015

read … Prosecutors: Revenge motive in fatal shooting of Maui officer | Hawaii News Now

Gun Control Nuts Plan Agenda for 2027 Legislature

KITV: … “Parents absolutely need to be responsible for making sure that they are not letting firearms into the wrong hands, including and especially their own children,” said Senator Chris Lee, vice chair of the Senate Public Safety Committee.

Lee said lawmakers are expected to consider additional firearm-related measures during the upcoming legislative session, including proposals involving background checks, training and storage.

“You're going to see a number of bills move forward that try to put common sense measures in place to make sure that there are background checks that are meaningful. That there's training for those who are wielding weapons and entrusted to have them in their homes. That there's proper storage and a number of other things that we know can help make a difference,” Lee said.

The problem, however, is not limited to juveniles.

In Kailua, police arrested a 24-year-old woman Monday night in connection with the Sept. 26 fatal shooting of 30-year-old Thomas Malone. She faces an investigation for second-degree murder and firearm offenses….

read … Recent shootings raise questions about keeping guns out of the wrong hands | Crime & Courts | kitv.com

Hawaii Contract Allows 400-camera automated license plate reader network

KHON: … “Basically what happens is when the ALPR readers are is just collecting everyone that passes by. We keep that data for 90 days. If within that 90 day somebody reports a crime, we look into the system and then we go ahead and we track that,” said Hawaii Department of Law Enforcement chief special investigator Mike Lambert….

“Take away all the people that are following the law and not involved, and it’ll just tell us what that vehicle, where it was, you know, and where it went.”

In Ewa Beach, Navy veteran John Stewart had concerns when he saw three of these cameras go up along Papipi Road in August.

“Where was our vote,” he said. “Where was our conversation regarding this camera technology?”

Two of the three ALPR units have been removed from Papipi Road. The Department of Law Enforcement works with the Department of Transportation to mount the units statewide and has a contract that allows for up to 400 cameras to be put up.

Honolulu police currently have City Council approval to use the cameras in Chinatown and Waikiki….

“The goal is really to expand the program all throughout the island. But I want to be very clear. I mean, the why behind it is, is for public safety,” said Honolulu police chief David Lazar….

read … Hawaii expands automated license plate reader network

Lahaina’s Front Street, Where Businesses Will Never Return

HB: … More than three years after a raging wildfire swept through Lahaina and turned most of the town to ashes, the main business artery, Front Street that runs parallel to the ocean, remains vacant. Not a single business has returned to the once vibrant and historic thoroughfare.

Understandably, the county directed efforts in the early recovery years to rebuilding homes so those who took cover in shelters, temporary housing or had fled the island could start their lives anew. So far, around 600 homes have been built or have received permits to begin construction in the devastated area.

But the commercial district has been neglected, some business owners say, as they deal with the county’s new vision for a street that discourages reconstruction on the ocean side of the road, as well as rising costs and administrative delays for building permits.

“When they say Lahaina is open, it doesn’t mean Lahaina is open. It means Front Street is open, and yes, there’s nothing on it,” Zach Laidlaw, co-founder, executive chef, lead farmer and vice president of experiences at Hua Momona Farms told Hawaii Business Magazine in August. “You might see a food truck here and there, but there’s really no businesses.

“We lost 22 huge restaurants in Lahaina; that was 60% of our sales,” he adds.

Once home to more than 800 business establishments, today Lahaina is a troubling reminder of one of the most devastating and deadly wildfires in American history, which killed more than 100 people and impacted more than 2,000 structures ….

read … Uncertain Future for Lahaina’s Front Street, Where Businesses Have Yet to Return - Hawaii Business Magazine

Half Of Keiki Are Chronically Absent At Some Schools. See How Yours Compares

CB: … At some Hawaiʻi public schools, more than 50% of students regularly skip school, state data shows….

Five Worst Complexes:

Oʻahu Nānākuli 53%
Big Island Kaʻū 52%
Oʻahu Waiʻanae 46%
Big Island Pāhoa 41%
Big Island Keaʻau 38%

LINK: Strive HI Report 2025-26

read … Half Of Keiki Are Chronically Absent At Some Schools. See How Yours Compares - Honolulu Civil Beat

HECO Knows What's Behind Outages. It Just Won't Tell You

CB: … The state’s consumer advocate wants the utility to provide more information about storm outages. Residents say they also deserve clearer answers about frequent outages that don’t seem tied to weather….

Shaun Peck wants to know why he keeps losing power when the weather’s fine, why the lights across Hawaiʻi Kai Marina are on while his house is dark, or why, say, his mother’s lights go out in Portlock while he’s fine just a few miles away in Kuliʻouʻou.

None of it makes sense to Peck, the co-owner of Paradise Ciders, whose training in food safety makes him all too aware of the dangers of losing power to his refrigerator. If it’s above 40 degrees for more than a couple of hours, the food needs to be thrown out.

He figures he’s lost thousands of dollars in wasted food thanks to Hawaiʻian Electric Co. Inc., which, piling on to his frustration, is hoping to raise the price he pays for power, which now amounts to about $500 a month.

“They should be giving me a refund,” he said….

HTH: HECO customers weigh in on proposed rate increase “Stop stealing my money!” Kekina wrote. “NO! NO! NO to your proposed rate increase!!!”

READ … HECO Knows What's Behind Outages. It Just Won't Tell You - Honolulu Civil Beat

HPD chief details plans to address staffing, modernization

SA: … “Thankfully, we have some really good trajectory right now that predates me,” Lazar said. “And credit goes to my predecessor who was able to get 66 recruits into the police academy a couple of months ago, which was a 12-year record of having such a large class.

“A couple of weeks after that we graduated 37 recruits, which was a seven-year record,” he added. “And then we’re on track (in October) to hire around the same amount of officers as we work to close the gap of 400” vacancies.

Lazar said that if those who have “already been in the police academy right now or field training” are included, the gap is really 275 positions.

“That’s 275 away from 2,177 full-strength officers within our city and within our department,” he said. “So we are working towards that.”

HPD, he added, is pursuing strategies to hire officers in 90 days, “which would be a record for hiring people.” And he noted HPD has staffed up those working on background checks and recruitment for potential police officers….

read … HPD chief details plans to address staffing, modernization | Honolulu Star-Advertiser

County seeks dismissal of ‘Sammy’ lawsuit alleging officer was negligent in death of teen

HTH: … Kanaka‘ole-Ioane, then an 18-year department veteran, is still an officer on regular duty.

According to Moszkowicz, Mwarey, who was skateboarding, had a blood-alcohol content of 0.19%, almost 2 1/2 times the legal threshold for intoxication, plus cannabinoids in his system, an indication he had ingested marijuana or a cannabis concentrate sometime prior to the collision.

Police say the roadway was poorly lit, and Mwarey was not in a pedestrian crosswalk and wearing dark clothing on a rainy night when he was struck….

read … County seeks dismissal of ‘Sammy’ lawsuit alleging officer was negligent in death of teen - Hawaii Tribune-Herald

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