Acting lieutenant governor pulls double duty, tourism leader Hannemann retiring, Honolulu drafts goats for wildfire prevention while Kona tries to get rid of them, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Hawaii’s acting lieutenant governor outlines priorities stepping into new role. Acting Lt. Gov. Keith Regan splits his nearly 11-hour work days starting at 6 a.m. at his full-time jobs as state comptroller and head of the vast state Department of Accounting and General Services. Then walks across Punchbowl Street to spend his afternoons on the fifth floor of the state Capitol, where he is filling in as lieutenant governor. Star-Advertiser. KITV4.

Beyond The Bench: Mark Recktenwald Is Still Helping The Legal Profession. The recently retired Hawaiʻi Supreme Court chief justice is working with national legal advocacy groups, publishing articles and teaching a law class at UH Mānoa. Civil Beat.

Mufi Hannemann to retire after leading HLTA in tough times. Mufi Hannemann, a former Honolulu mayor and longtime leader in Hawaii’s visitor industry, announced Saturday that he will retire as president and CEO of the Hawai‘i Lodging and Tourism Association after more than a decade at the helm. Star-Advertiser. KHON2. 

Hawaii farmers hit by storm face long road to recovery. Farmers from the four major counties self-reported damages of more than $38.8 million, including more than $25 million in lost crops, with more than 4,600 acres impacted. Star-Advertiser.

Taxpayer funding to pay state legal claims tops $20M. The state is preparing to pay $20.4 million this year to settle legal claims that include a $1.2 million reimbursement of federal funding spent on COVID-19 rental assistance for undeserving households. Star-Advertiser.

University of Hawaii secures $33.5M to combat invasive species. University of Hawaii secures $33.5M to combat invasive species. Researchers at the University of Hawaii are leading nearly 100 projects backed by more than $33.5 million in funding to combat invasive species across the islands, underscoring the growing urgency to protect Hawai‘i’s fragile ecosystems, agriculture and public health. Star-Advertiser. Big Island Now. 

Oahu

Honolulu budget battle over potential cuts. A debate is unfolding at Honolulu Hale as city leaders weigh in on a proposed operating budget that’s drawing criticism over a controversial $41.5 million provision and deep cuts to a key economic agency. KHON2.

Honolulu Forced To Rehire Fired Paramedics After Botched Investigation. The paramedics, who were removed from their posts in August 2023 and brought back per an arbitrator’s order in 2025, are owed two years of backpay each. Civil Beat.

On-duty police officer indicted for sexual assault. Christopher John A. Oallesma, a 26-year-old Honolulu police officer has been indicted on multiple counts in the alleged sexual assault of a woman while he was on duty April 6 and 7. Star-Advertiser.

Murder Charges, Then Freedom: Teens’ Pretrial Release Questioned. The cases raise questions about leniency shown to young arrestees and the effectiveness of ankle monitors. Civil Beat.

Public access to Lake Wilson in Wahiawa is shut down. State officials said the closure is tied to ongoing concerns about low water levels and upcoming repairs to the Wahiawa Dam. KHON2.

Honolulu braces for rising costs as storm damage exceeds $100 million. Early estimates on the impacts of the back-to-back storms on city-owned properties and operations exceed $100 million, according to officials. But city leaders also say the final price tag could shift as assessments continue and as city agencies seek federal reimbursement. Star-Advertiser. Civil Beat. 

Goats and sheep deployed in East Honolulu to fight wildfire risk. Some 100 goats and sheep are busy munching away at the thick vegetation, including hardy koa haole trees, tall invasive California grasses, guinea grasses and other thorny brush along 3.3 acres of Laukahi Slopes Mini Park in the East Honolulu enclave. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii Island

Hilo Driver License Office To Relocate on May 11. The Hilo Driver License Office located at the police station will relocated to 120 Pauahi Street. This is the same space as the former Bank of Hawaiʻi branch, located on the first floor of the building. Big Island Video News.

Kona Man Dies In Waters Off Hōkūlia Shoreline. John Kauhaihao of Kealakekua, 64, was last seen picking ʻopihi. Big Island Video News. Big Island Now. Hawaii News Now. 

Ungulates unchecked: What to do about West Hawaii’s goat, sheep problem? Even as roadkill carcasses of wild sheep and goats pile up along West Hawaii highways, budget constraints for the Department of Land and Natural Resources continue to hamstring efforts to address the problem. Tribune-Herald.

DLNR: Nene killed in Keaukaha. The Department of Land and Natural Resources said the Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement received a call from the Hawaii Police Department regarding an injured nene, the state bird, along Kalanianaole Street in Hilo in the vicinity of Leleiwi Beach Park. Tribune-Herald.

Maui

Mayor Bissen says former chief of staff’s lawsuit is politically motivated as he seeks reelection.  Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen is preparing to defend his seat and his first term against a slate of challengers and a lawsuit filed last week by his former chief of staff alleging retaliation for reporting suspected fraud. Maui Now.

Old Pioneer Mill site with smokestack sells for nearly $20M, future plans remain mystery. A group of local buyers has purchased 21 acres in Lahaina that include the historic 225-foot-tall Pioneer Mill Co. smokestack for $19.9 million, but the plans for the industrial property in the heart of the burn zone have not been made public. Maui Now.

County announces closures of Ukumehame Firing Range, Wahikuli Terrace Park. The Ukumehame Firing Range in West Maui remains closed following damage from March kona low storms, with no reopening date set. Maui News.

Teen Surfers Make Hawaiʻi History In First-Ever State Championship. For the first time in Hawaiʻi’s history, high school surfers had the opportunity to compete with the best of the best and vie for a state championship title across two days of competition. Nearly 180 students participated in Hawaiʻi’s first surfing state championship Friday and Saturday. Civil Beat. Star-Advertiser. Maui Now. Maui News. 

Tour company calls accusations against driver on Road to Hana ‘lies’.  Maui police opened a disorderly conduct and criminal property damage investigation over a heated encounter on the Road to Hana that left several visitors rattled. Hawaii News Now.

Kauai

Nearly a thousand make 47th Visitor Industry Charity Walk a success. The course for the 47th Visitor Industry Charity Walk held on Saturday was abbreviated due to the Vidinha Stadium and the Kauai Police Activities League building construction. Garden Island.

End of an era at Kōloa Rum Co. as longtime president, chief executive officer Bob Gunter steps down. The man who helmed Hawai‘i’s award-winning producer of premium, small-batch Hawaiian rum stepped down as the company’s chief executive officer and president after nearly two decades. Kauai Now.

'Legislator X' lampooned, Recktenwald honored in annual Torch of Light, Lava Tube awards

 

There are a whole lot of anti-media movements running riot on the national scene, but one group – the Big Island Press Club – continues focusing on matters closer to home. As it's done for the past 28 years, the 59-year-old nonprofit press club this week released the 2025 Torch of Light and Lava Tube awards. 

 

Here’s the press release:

    The Big Island Press Club is awarding its annual meritorious Torch of Light Award to Mark Recktenwald, who served as Hawaii’s chief justice from 2010 to 2025. 
    In addition, BIPC is awarding its Lava Tube dishonor to “Legislator X,” the elected official caught on tape accepting a paper bag containing $35,000, according to federal court records. 
    The Torch of Light award is given to an individual or entity for illuminating the public’s right to know, while the Lava Tube dishonor is given for a lack of communication and keeping the public in the dark. 
    As it has for past 28 years, the 59-year-old press club announces the awards yearly on March 16, Freedom of Information Day. The date marks the birthday of James Madison, widely regarded as the father of the U.S. Constitution and the leading advocate for openness in government among our founders.

 Torch of Light Honor

 
    Recktenwald leaves an enduring legacy of public service that transformed the Judiciary, bringing the court to the people. 
    Under his watch, Hawaii state courts rolled out electronic filing and implemented remote proceedings statewide. More cameras came into the courtroom and access to court documents was simplified. 
    Recktenwald, a former UPI reporter stationed in Honolulu, understands the importance of a free press and its role in democracy. He addressed BIPC scholarship winners in a Zoom session during the pandemic, stressing the importance of their work in maintaining a free society. 

 

Since his mandatory retirement at age 70, Rectenwald has joined the Alliance of Former Chief Justices, a nonpartisan initiative launched in December 2025 by Keep Our Republic to defend judicial independence, the rule of law and the constitutional balance. The group engages in public education, working with legal, media, and community organizations to support a fair, impartial judiciary. 
    The iconic torch award will be presented to Recktenwald at BIPC’s annual meeting later this year. 

Lava Tube Dubious Honor
The identity of “Legislator X” is still unknown to the public. This person was allegedly recorded by a wired FBI informant accepting $35,000 in a paper bag from an also unnamed person. Nor, four years later, have the two investigative agencies — federal and state — been forthcoming about the details of this investigation. 
The statute of limitations on a bribery case expires in 2027. 
    What we do know, from media reports and the rare unredacted federal court records that have been unsealed is this: Ty Cullen, former legislator and vice chairman of the powerful House Finance Committee, pleaded guilty and agreed to be a government informant in a bribery case that sent him and another sitting legislator, former Sen. J. Kalani English, to federal prison. 
Both have already served their sentences and been released. 
    Cullen’s recorded actions kept investigators investigating. And they still are. In the midst of it, Lt. Gov. Sylvia Luke disclosed that she had taken campaign checks — but not in a paper bag — from an associate of Cullen’s during a dinner with Cullen and the contributor. Luke, who was House Finance Committee chairwoman at the time and running for higher office, recently disclosed the checks that weren’t on her 2022 campaign finance report until the lapse was pointed out by Civil Beat, with its coverage providing most of the few details we know. 
    “Ethical — and perhaps legal — breaches aren’t usually a subject of the Big Island Press Club’s Lava Tube award. But a lack of transparency is. Thus Legislator X, who we still can’t identify, is the winner of this year’s Lava Tube award,” said BIPC board member Nancy Cook Lauer.

Previous Torch of Light Honorees 
2024 Julia Neal, founder and publisher of Ka’u Calendar (posthumously)
2023 Daniel Foley, retired Intermediate Court of Appeals judge
2022 Cindy Reves, Hawaii state director for the Journalism Education Association
2021 State Sen. Dru Mamo Kanuha
2020 James Hustace and the Waimea Community Association
2019 W.H. Shipman Ltd. President Margaret “Peggy” Farias
2018 Sue Lee Loy, Hawaii County Councilwoman
2017 Brian Black of the Civil Beat Law Center
2016 West Hawaii Today reporter Nancy Cook Lauer
2015 State Sen. Lorraine Inouye
2014 USGS HVO Scientists
2013 Hawaii County Mayor Billy Kenoi 
2012 County Councilwoman and State Rep. Helene Hale (posthumously) 
2011 State Judicial Selection Commission 
2010 Hawaii County Civil Defense and other departments 
2009 Legislature, Hawaii Gov. Linda Lingle 
2008 Les Kondo, Office of Information Practices 
2007 West Hawaii Today 
2006 Lillian Koller, State Department of Human Services 
2005 Retired Circuit Judge Paul de Silva 
2004 UH Manoa Journalism Professor Beverly Keever 
2003 U.S. Rep. Patsy Mink (posthumously) 
2002 Hawaii County Mayor Harry Kim 
2001 Hawaii County Clerk Al Konishi 
2000 Hawaii Gov. Ben Cayetano 
1999 Jerry Rothstein and Judith Graham 
1998 Environment Hawaii and Common Cause 
1997 Society of Professional Journalists, Hawaii Chapter 

Previous Lava Tube Dishonorees 
2024 Hawaii Emergency Management Agency (HI-EMA)
2023 HI-EMA Administrator James Barros
2022 Hawaii Gov. David Ige
2021 Group of 10 senators, led by Sen. Kalani English
2020 Hawaii Gov. David Ige
2019 Pohakuloa Training Area Public Affairs Officer Michael Donnelly
2018 Hawaii County Civil Defense
2017 Hawaii Office of Information Practices
2016 Former Hawaii County Mayor Billy Kenoi
2015 State Land Board Chairwoman Suzanne Case
2014 State Chief Elections Officer Scott Nago
2013 Democratic Party House District 5 Council 
2012 State Sen. Clayton Hee 
2011 Hawaii Gov. Neil Abercrombie 
2010 Hawaii County Council 
2009 Noelani Whittington, County Department of Public Works 
2008 Mayor Harry Kim and Hawaii County Council 
2007 State Board of Education 
2006 Honolulu, Kauai, and Hawaii County Councils 
2005 District Judge Matthew S.K. Pyun 
2004 State Land Board Chairman Peter Young 
2003 State Sen. Cal Kawamoto 
2002 University of Hawaii Board of Regents 
2001 University of Hawaii Board of Regents 
2000 State Rep. Eric Hamakawa and Hawaii County Councilman James Arakaki 
1999 Hawaii County Council 
1998 Hawaii Gov. Ben Cayetano 
1997 Hawaii County Councilman Elroy Osorio 

Recktenwald joins Justice Department resistance, Honolulu tackles Waikiki squalor spots, thousands commemorate overthrow anniversary, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Retired chief justice joins resistance to Trump’s Justice Department. Former Hawaii chief justice Mark Recktenwald is helping bring together about 40 other former chief justices to defend their colleagues and judicial institutions from President Trump’s criticism of judges and control of the Justice Department. Hawaii News Now.

Deputy Sheriffs Are Beefing Up Hawaiʻi Traffic Enforcement. After a 20% surge in highway deaths last year, deputies will help crack down on speeding in school zones on weekdays and drunken driving on weekends.State sheriff’s deputies traditionally do not focus on traffic enforcement, but state Transportation Director Ed Sniffen told Civil Beat his department has committed $2 million in federal highway safety funding to pay overtime for deputies to work on the traffic crackdown. Civil Beat.

Hawaiʻi AG To Supreme Court: Gun Control Is Hawaiian Tradition. A case questioning whether Hawaiʻi gun owners need explicit permission to carry their weapons onto private property will be argued before the U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday. Civil Beat.

Allies try to adapt to shifting U.S. priorities. Last week in Waikiki, senior military leaders, diplomats and defense contractors from around the world met in Waikiki for the now annual Honolulu Defense Forum to talk about how they can cooperate in the Pacific as many of them see increasing challenges from China, Russia and North Korea. Star-Advertiser.

Thousands join ‘Onipa‘a march to remember illegal overthrow of Hawaiian Kingdom. About 6,000 people on Friday marched from Mauna‘ala to ‘Iolani Palace for the annual ‘Onipa‘a Peace March, commemorating 133 years since the illegal overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom. Hawaii Public Radio.

Oahu

Council members who nixed pay raises are now collecting 6-figure salaries. Three Honolulu City Council members who rejected a contentious 64% pay increase for the nine- member panel nearly three years ago now annually draw six-figure, city-funded salaries, city pay documents state. Star-Advertiser.

City Has Few Options To Address Pockets Of Squalor In Waikīkī. Owners of blighted properties won’t say what they’re planning to do with vacant lots and deteriorating buildings in Waikīkī, and there’s little that public officials can do about it. Civil Beat.

Beach Boys return to prime Waikiki concession spot. The Pacific Island Beach Boys has returned to its prime concession spot on Kūhiō Beach after an eight-year absence. The nonprofit was awarded a five-year city lease for board rentals, surfing lessons and canoe rides. Hawaii News Now.

Flashing Crosswalk Broken For Months On A Busy Road. Pedestrians need to be extra careful in this popular Mōʻiliʻili crosswalk. City says an upgrade is in the works. Civil Beat.

Hawaii Island

Tetairoa McMillan, other pro athletes invest in Hilo-based beverage company. The Waimānalo-raised NFL rookie, a wide receiver for the Carolina Panthers, Devin Williams, a pitcher for the New York Mets; and Jerami Grant, a veteran NBA forward for the Portland Trail Blazers, has joined Hilo-based Waiākea Hawaiian Volcanic Beverages as athlete investors and impact partners. Aloha State Daily.

Hundreds rally in Hilo to honor Martin Luther King, protest Trump administration. An estimated 250 protesters lined the makai side of Kamehameha Avenue along the Hilo Bayfront on Monday for a Martin Luther King Jr. Day demonstration, undeterred by an overcast, intermittently rainy morning. Tribune-Herald. Big Island Video News. 

Maui

Maui County Council committee to review real property tax exemption reforms. The Maui County Council’s Special Committee on Real Property Tax Reform will meet at 9 a.m. Tuesday in the Council Chambers to consider legislation aimed at easing the tax burden for residents and streamlining exemption deadlines. Maui Now.

Maui Planning Commission to weigh zoning changes for new Haʻikū Fire Station. The Maui Planning Commission is scheduled to consider land use changes and zoning amendments for a new Haʻikū Fire Station during its meeting Jan. 27. Maui Now.

Maui fire survivors face housing uncertainty as FEMA assistance nears expiration.  Nearly 1,000 families who survived the 2023 fires are facing uncertainty as their FEMA housing assistance is set to expire next month. Hawaii News Now.

Free Medical Flights Start For Some Neighbor Island Residents. State pilot program to help connect people with services on Oʻahu expected to begin later this month for Molokaʻi and in February for Lānaʻi. Civil Beat.

Family responds to road rage allegations on Hana Highway. This much is clear: the road rage incident that happened on the popular Road to Hana last Friday ended with a shattered windshield and a few minor injuries. But as to how it all unfolded? Depends who you ask. Hawaii News Now.

Kauai

Lydgate Beach Parkʻs Bynum Bridge to close temporarily for structural improvements. Bynum Bridge at Lydgate Beach Park in Līhuʻe will be closed for scheduled maintenance from Jan. 26 to Jan. 29, the Kauai Department of Parks and Recreation announced. Officials said the work is necessary to improve the bridge’s structural support. Kauai Now.

InterFaith Roundtable of Kauai leads Martin Luther King Jr. Day in Hanapepe. Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Kauai was a time for people to engage in many facets of the national, state and county holiday, thanks to efforts by the Interfaith Roundtable of Kauai, in partnership with the Kauai Soto Zen Temple in Hanapepe. Garden Island.