Hawaii Daily News Read

Thursday, October 29, 2026

October 29, 2026 News Read

By Andrew Walden @ 12:38 PM :: 153 Views

Maui County must explain the long-term costs of its spending

Maui Woman Pleads Guilty in $9M Romance Fraud Scam

Hawaii taxes federally approved education accounts

Navy dodges liability in Pearl Harbor Clean Water Act suit

Hawaii federal agents, attorneys receive prestigious award for dismantling Miske enterprise

HNN: … Ten federal employees from Hawaii received the Director’s Award from the Department of Justice on Wednesday for their work dismantling the criminal organization led by Mike Miske.

Those recognized include attorneys and agents from the FBI, IRS, Homeland Security and the EPA. All were part of the prosecution of crime boss Miske and his associates.

The ceremony was held in Washington, D.C.

Tom Simon, a retired FBI agent, said the award carries national weight.

“This is a big deal. The Director’s Award is not a participation trophy. It’s a national recognition for exceptional work and you’re being singled out from law enforcement professionals across the country for this honor,” Simon said. “For an agent sitting in Honolulu to be brought to Washington, D.C. and recognized at this level tells you something about the quality and significance of the Miske investigation.” …

The federal government is pursuing a multimillion-dollar civil forfeiture case, according to court documents, seeking to seize Miske’s homes, boats, artwork and cash, which prosecutors say are proceeds of the criminal enterprise.

Miske family members and financial institutions also have filed claims.

A settlement conference in the forfeiture case is set for May 2027. If all sides cannot come to terms, a jury trial is scheduled to begin in September 2027….

2024 the part we didn’t get: Kelii Paleka was juror no. 1 in the trial that accused former Honolulu Prosecutor Keith Kaneshiro

Read … Hawaii federal agents, attorneys receive prestigious award for dismantling Miske enterprise | Hawaii News Now

Ex-U.S. Army official pleads guilty in $1.25 million bribery scheme

SA: … A 49-year-old ex-U.S. Army official pleaded guilty Wednesday to his role in a conspiracy to collect $1.25 million in bribes over five years to award contracts and subcontracts to a company from the military’s Hawaii-Pacific Innovation Campus.

Carlos Duque was charged Opens in a new tab with conspiracy, receipt of bribery by a public official, and fraud. He entered into a plea agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice Wednesday before Chief U.S. District Judge Derrick K. Watson.

Duque was a civilian intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities officer employed by U.S. Army Pacific from 2016 to 2022 and was the federal government’s primary representative for the innovation center. He received about $55,000 in bribes from co-conspirators, and the U.S. Army paid over $3 million to a company controlled by the co-conspirators….

According to a May 14 indictment handed down by a federal grand jury, from January 2021 to October 2022 Pick and Kent allegedly conspired to bribe Duque with about $1.25 million and fraudulently inflated government contracting costs illegal payments to Duque.

From September 2020 to October 2022, Kent allegedly inflated government contract costs to include about $680,000 in payments intended for and sent to Kent’s personal consulting business, according to federal court records.

Kent and Pick allegedly preyed on the U.S. Army Pacific Command’s funding of the Hawaii-Pacific Innovation Campus, which the Department of Defense funded with more than $100 million….

USDOJ: Antitrust Division | U.S. v. Carlos Duque | United States Department of Justice

May 2026: Feds Bust Two Defense Contractors in PACOM Bribery Scheme

Read … Ex-U.S. Army official pleads guilty in $1.25 million bribery scheme | Honolulu Star-Advertiser

Only 22% of Ballots Returned So Far

CB: … Less than a week before Election Day, Hawaiʻi’s voter turnout – once again – lags behind its historical count.

As of Wednesday, roughly 165,000 ballots have been returned. By comparison, about 195,000 ballots had been returned statewide this far out from Election Day during the last midterm four years ago.

(Clue: Corruption scandals suppress Democrat turnout.)

“This is not the first year we’ve had a set of contests that didn’t capture the public’s imagination,” Honolulu Elections Administrator Rex Quidilla said, noting a significant drop in the number of ballots submitted using the postal system.

At 22% of registered voters, the Hawaiʻi numbers paint a stark contrast with voter enthusiasm nationwide….

read … If Tuesday's Election Is Exciting Hawaiʻi Voters, They Aren't Showing It - Honolulu Civil Beat

Maunakea oversight authority seeks new executive director to prepare failure of 2028 transition

HNN: … The Mauna Kea Stewardship and Oversight Authority is looking for a new executive director as it prepares to take over management of Maunakea.

The authority is currently working toward transferring management responsibilities from the University of Hawaiʻi and the Department of Land and Natural Resources by July 1, 2028…. Applications are due Nov. 13, 2026.

(CLUE: MKSOA will fail to establish a management plan and authority will revert back to UH.)

read … Maunakea oversight authority seeks new executive director ahead of 2028 transition | Hawaii News Now

Alaska Expands Pacific Network, Bypassing Hawaii Again

BH: … Alaska Airlines is building a new international gateway in Anchorage, using Boeing 737s to connect Tokyo with Alaska and mainland cities. At the same time, Hawaiian Airlines is assigning A330 widebodies to new international routes from Seattle that never touch Honolulu. The two developments came just days after Alaska acknowledged that Hawaii continues to weigh on its financial performance, raising questions about where the airline intends to put its aircraft and future growth ….

Read … Alaska Expands Pacific Network, Bypassing Hawaii Again

Money To Fight Opioids Poured Into Hawaiʻi. The Real Problem Was Meth

CB: … Among the states, Hawaiʻi is unique: Meth causes far more deaths than opioids, and accounts for many more admissions to drug treatment.

That didn’t stop the state from shifting its focus to conform with the national priority and make plans for what to do with its share of federal money designated for opioids.

Ige says his administration “just wanted to make sure we weren’t being discriminated against in terms of receiving federal funds,” which he felt “would benefit the community more broadly.” …

(CLUE: ‘The medium is the message.’ In this case, as so many others, the ‘medium’ is money.)

Read … Money To Fight Opioids Poured Into Hawaiʻi. The Real Problem Was Meth - Honolulu Civil Beat

Shopping-cart bill draws criticism over impact on homelessness industry profits

SA: … A battle over shopping carts has rolled into Honolulu Hale as proponents of Bill 53 cite public safety concerns over abandoned carts, while opponents argue the measure unfairly targets (their efforts to keep) Oahu’s homeless population(, homeless, thus maintaining a ready supply of taxpayer-funded bondage toys).

Introduced in July by Council Chair Tommy Waters, the measure seeks to address shopping carts abandoned or used in ways that obstruct sidewalks, bus stops, parks and waterways.

The City Council’s Public Safety and Economy Committee last week voted 3-1, with Council member Esther Kia‘aina dissenting, to recommend the full Council approve the measure on its second of three readings….

Read … Shopping-cart bill draws criticism over impact on homeless | Honolulu Star-Advertiser

Two Months After Lowell, Kauaʻi's Low-Income Tenants Await Repairs from HPHA

CB: ... Nearly two months after Hurricane Lowell sideswiped Kaua‘i and Ni‘ihau, tenants in a Kekaha low-income housing complex are still waiting for their landlord — the Hawai‘i Public Housing Authority — to fix the damage and clean up the debris.

Residents say they’ve dealt with leaky roofs and worry that the next round of heavy rain will exacerbate the problem. One tenant says his landlord didn’t respond to his request for a nonprofit to come and temporarily tarp his roof to prevent further damage….

Read … Two Months After Lowell, Kauaʻi's Low-Income Tenants Await Repairs - Honolulu Civil Beat

Another DoE Fail: ‘Water Safety’ Courses without any actual water

CB: … Hawaiʻi won’t require schools to offer swim classes unless they have access to a pool or calm stretch of ocean. For most island schools, that’s not a guarantee.

Only six Hawaiʻi schools have pools. Four of them are located in Honolulu. Maui County schools have none. While some campuses are within walking distance to community pools, others may face high transportation costs or other logistical challenges to getting kids to the water. The Westside of Oʻahu has no public pools, although discussions are in progress to build one in Kahuku.

Water safety advocates still say the new standards can play a key role in preventing youth drownings, which is the leading cause of death for kids ages 1 to 15 in Hawaiʻi. A 2019 report estimated that only half of Hawaiʻi kids know how to swim.

Read … Water Safety Lessons Coming To Hawaiʻi Schools. Swimming Isn't Required - Honolulu Civil Beat

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