Hawaii Daily News Read

Thursday, October 8, 2026

October 8, 2026 News Read

By Andrew Walden @ 11:25 AM :: 111 Views

Kauhale Audit finds "$13.7 million in unauthorized, unsupported, or questionable payments"

Insiders Behind HomeAid Scheme Get Defensive

Crooked Kauhale: Green Blames the Messenger

UHERO: The Income Older Adults Need to Meet Basic Needs in Hawaiʻi

Supreme Court review goes beyond military waste disposal for Guam residents

Kauai Mayoral Race: Carvalho Favors Rules to Make Homes More Expensive to Build – Rapozo Opposes

CB: … Some council members were concerned about how much Bill 2998’s proposed measures could increase home construction costs and how it might affect the county’s financially strained water department, whose board over the summer approved a fee waiver for homes that meet the bill’s specifications.

The bill had already been deferred in September at the suggestion of council member Felicia Cowden, in part to give the community more time to provide input. Among the concerns raised in September was an estimate by the Contractor’s Association of Kauaʻi suggesting the proposal would significantly increase costs. Council chair Mel Rapozo had requested the estimate.

Cowden and council member Bernard Carvalho, who is running against Rapozo for mayor, voted Wednesday in favor of moving the bill forward for its second reading by the full council, but were outvoted. …

PRIMARY: Kauai Mayor: Rapozo 40% v Carvalho 32% (goes to General)

Oct 6, 2026: How Much Will this bill increase the cost of Housing Construction? $106K

Read … Kauaʻi Punts On Rules To Make Homes Safer From Fires — Again - Honolulu Civil Beat

Next Scandal: Hawaii County Bill extends homeless fund another two years advances quick before audit

HTH: … The fund, established as a pilot program in 2022, allocates a minimum of $9 million yearly from property tax revenue to local nonprofits to address the problem of homelessness. Bill 192 would extend the program, which is set to expire in June 2027, an additional two years, to June 2029.

(TRANSLATION: They know the audit is going to be bad and they want to get this approved before it hits.)

The council earlier this year called for an audit of the Homeless and Housing Fund, which has awarded more than $33.5 million in grants to nonprofits. That audit is still pending.

Both Onishi and Kaneali‘i-Kleinfelder have said they want to see the audit report prior to an affirmative vote to extend the program….

“Hours for service that are used to address these issues and having additional resources available, or proper resources available to address these issues, would be something that is very helpful.”

Shopay said it’s difficult to track calls involving homeless — which can include “disturbances, someone needing assistance, there’s a wide variety.”

“Usually, there’s an underlying mental health issue … it’s a challenge for police, because we’re not experts in that area. Very loosely, looking at this current year, there have been over 2,000 calls for service” involving homeless individuals islandwide, he said.

“It is a considerable draw on our budget and our resources where we should be fully addressing crimes, but we cannot turn down a call for service from the public, because we are the first line of defense.”

Shopay estimated that work-hours spent by officers to respond to calls involving homeless individuals cost taxpayers “probably close to half-a-million dollars.”

Under questioning by Kaneali‘i-Kleinfelder, Shopay said the department is seeing “a year-to-year increase” in such calls….

“You’ve seen the increase in chronic homelessness. What’s been challenging … and I’ve only been in this position for two years is … we’ve shifted from we need more housing to we also need more mental and behavioral health services….

Behavioral Health: Audit: Kauhale Director Billed Taxpayers for Bondage Sex Toys TWICE

read … Bill to extend the county’s homeless fund another two years advances - Hawaii Tribune-Herald

Maui police chief placed on paid leave during commission investigation

HNN: … Maui Police Chief John Pelletier was placed on paid administrative leave Wednesday as the Maui Police Commission investigates his oversight of the department’s Criminal Intelligence Unit.

(CLUE: Bissen and SHOPO want the outsider Pelletier gone. No local chief would so easily be suspended because of corruption in their PD.)

The commission voted 6-0 to place Pelletier on leave in connection with its independent investigation into the now-dissolved unit, which answered directly to the chief.

The action comes after Lt. Michael Vaituulala, who led the unit, was charged by criminal complaint with conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud.

The FBI arrested Vaituulala in August. According to the complaint, Vaituulala allegedly accepted regular cash payments from drug traffickers, illegal chicken fighters, and illegal fireworks distributors.

Pelletier was not at Wednesday’s meeting. According to Deputy Chief Wade Maeda, Pelletier was presenting at an FBI conference in New Jersey and in the process of flying back to Maui.

Maeda — who is now serving as acting chief following a subsequent, and also unanimous, commission vote — defended Pelletier.

“He has not been accused of any crime. He has not been accused of any ... violation of any administrative rules,” Maeda told the commission….

March 2025: Crackpot Lawsuit is all it takes--Maui Mayor and SHOPO make Complete Fools of Themselves Trying to get rid of Chief Pelletier

Dec, 2025: "I am the mayor. I apologize to no one."

August, 2026: Maui Police Department Lieutenant Charged with Taking Bribes from Criminals to Protect Chicken Fighting and Drug Operations on Maui

MN: Maui Police Chief John Pelletier placed on paid administrative leave amid commission investigation : Maui Now

KHON: Maui Police Chief John Pelletier placed on paid administrative leave

CB: Maui Police Chief Put On Paid Leave Amid Corruption Probe - Honolulu Civil Beat

read … Maui police chief placed on paid leave during commission investigation | Hawaii News Now

Taxpayers To Pay $1.8M After HPD Stopped, Beat Up Guys Who Were Following Nine-Hour Chase—why is Civil Beat lying?

CB: … On New Year’s Day 2024, the Honolulu Police Department engaged in a nine-hour islandwide manhunt. The suspect they were chasing, Sidney Tafokitau, was armed with a rifle and fled over 100 miles as more than 60 police officers spread across dozens of vehicles pursued him, according to a lawsuit.

When officers finally thought they’d found their guy, (this is a Civil Beat lie—the officers knew these TWO were not the ONE being chased) they crashed a police van into him and beat him up, the lawsuit said, punching and stomping on him and causing serious injuries. But it was a case of mistaken identity (this is the same lie, repeated). Tevitatonga Cadiente and his father, Vaokehekehe Mataele, had nothing to do with Tafokitau’s alleged crimes. (A lie of omission: They did know Tafokitau and, according to their own complaint, were actively trying to phone him during the chase.) Both men were handcuffed on the ground…..

(QUESTION: Why is Civil Beat lying?)

FLASHBACK TO REALITY—ACCORDING TO THE COMPLAINT AGAINST HPD

FLASHBACK Star-Adv May 3, 2024 "Attorney blasts HPD’s investigation of alleged Jan. 1 beating": On Jan. 1 at 4:11 p.m., Mataele and Cadiente, residents of a condominium near Varsity Place and University Avenue, heard officers pursuing Sidney Tafokitau, 44, and went outside to watch. Tafokitau was shot and killed by police after he opened fire with an assault rifle and seriously wounded two officers on University Avenue. “Mataele and Cadiente, who are Tongan like Tafokitau and knew him from church, jogged up University Avenue at about 4:14 p.m. Jan. 1 after hearing gunshots, to try to prevent further bloodshed, according to the complaint. Cadiente tried to call Tafokitau twice, within the same minute, “to encourage Mr. Tafokitau to safely surrender,” according to the complaint….

read … Taxpayers To Pay $1.8M After HPD Stopped, Beat Up The Wrong Man - Honolulu Civil Beat

Rate Hikes? Residents weigh in on storm power outages

ASD: … decisions on whether to approve a HECO proposal to raise its rates by an estimated $11 to $15 per month.

Consequently, the few Kailua-area residents who did speak at Monday’s meeting urged the PUC to review HECO’s processes before approving any future rate increases. Kailua resident Aria Castillo said the canoe manufacturing business she works for in the Kapa‘a Quarry Industrial Park “regularly experiences power outages,” which directly impacts her own income….

Matayoshi said. “A lot of people in my district were very deeply affected by the power outages. They lost a lot of food, the food banks in my district lost all of everything in their freezers and refrigerators, all the meat, everything.”

Another attendee, Cori Terayama, said that, whenever HECO service is lost in ‘Āhuimanu, all cell service is cut off as well, which has serious safety implications in the case of potentially hazardous weather events. Terayama asked HECO develop redundant power systems for cell towers in such vulnerable areas….

BACKGROUND: PUC Hearings Set: HECO Pushing 5.3% Rate Hike

read … Residents weigh in on storm power outages

Maui homeowner assistance program closes after distributing $19M COVID Money

MN: … The Maui Homeowner Assistance Fund Program has closed after providing more than $19 million in assistance to 500 homeowner households in Maui County, the Maui County Department of Housing announced Tuesday.

($19M/500= $38K per household)

The program, which launched in May 2024 and concluded Sept. 30, provided assistance with eligible mortgage payments, utility expenses and homeowners association payments for homeowners experiencing financial hardship related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The one-time program was funded by the U.S. Department of the Treasury. The state provided the funding to Maui County, which selected Catholic Charities Hawaii to administer the program….

read … Maui homeowner assistance program closes after distributing $19 million - Maui News

ELECTION NEWS:

QUICK HITS:

Comments