Navatek CEO arrested, charged with $12.8M PPP scheme, test kit shortage keeps interisland travel closed, state offers $500 restaurant cards to jobless, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Navatek Robotx awards 2019 publicity photo

Honolulu CEO charged in a $12.8 million PPP scheme. Martin Kao, 47, the chief executive officer of Martin Defense Group, previously known as Navatek LLC, was charged with two counts of bank fraud and one count of money laundering. Star-Advertiser.

Prominent Hawaii Defense Contractor Arrested For CARES Act Fraud. Martin Kao is a prolific political donor whose company, Navatek LLC, has received millions of dollars in federal contracts. Civil Beat.

Businessman accused of trying to scam banks out of millions in federal stimulus funds. A prominent Hawaii businessman has been arrested in connection with an alleged scheme to defraud banks of more than $12.8 million in federal Paycheck Protection Program funds, money that was supposed to be used to help buoy struggling businesses. Hawaii News Now.

CARES Act fraud allegations: Navatek CEO arrested. Martin Kao was arrested Wednesday for allegedly defrauding the federal government of $12.8 million in CARES Act funding. KITV4.

Navatek CEO arrested on federal bank fraud and money laundering charges. Martin Kao, CEO of Honolulu-based defense contractor Navatek LLC, (renamed Martin Defense Group in July) was arrested Wednesday on bank fraud and money laundering charges, in connection with an alleged scheme to defraud banks of more than $12.8 million in CARES Act Paycheck Protection Program funds. Pacific Business News.

Hawaii CEO accused of $12.8M in fraud virus assistance loans. The CEO of a company that was one of Hawaii’s largest recipients of the Paycheck Protection Program defrauded banks of more than $12.8 million in money meant to assist businesses affected by the coronavirus pandemic, federal authorities said Wednesday. Associated Press.

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Ige: Shortage of tests means testing program for inter-island travel a ‘challenge’. The governor said Wednesday he has no plans to lift the inter-island traveler quarantine, and acknowledged a shortage of tests locally means the pre-travel testing program for trans-Pacific visitors will likely not be extended at first to include local island hoppers. Hawaii News Now.

Interisland Travel Won’t Return Any Time Soon. The mandatory, 14-day interisland travel quarantine will remain in effect for the foreseeable future. Big Island Now.

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$500 restaurant card, call center to aid isles’ jobless. As many as 100,000 residents receiving unemployment benefits are expected to receive $500 in pre-loaded, debit-type cards to be spent at local restaurants, while the state on Wednesday brought on board the first of 200 more agents to handle unemployment claims, including the most difficult cases where people continue to challenge their denials of eligibility. Star-Advertiser.

Unemployed Workers Will Get Cards Worth $500 To Spend In Local Restaurants. Chamber of Commerce Hawaii cites data showing the $75 million restaurant card program will save 1,000 jobs. Civil Beat.

$500 restaurant card coming to Hawaii’s unemployed. If you’re unemployed, the state’s newest economic plan is looking to keep money in your bank account, and food in your stomach. KHON2.

‘Restaurant cards’ slated for the unemployed: Program will provide $500 that only can be spent at eateries. Hawaii residents who are receiving unemployment insurance benefits will receive $500 to be spent at Hawaii restaurants before mid-December. Tribune-Herald.

Pre-Paid $500 Restaurant Card Program to Help Struggling Hawai‘i Workers and Business. A new Restaurant Card Program was announced today during a news briefing hosted by Governor David Ige, that will provide pre-paid $500 cards to people who have qualified for unemployment insurance, for use at any Hawai‘i restaurant. Maui Now.

Unemployment Call Center Among CARES Act Initiatives. The most immediate initiative involves $5 million the state unemployment (UI) office will use to staff a new 200-person call center, which began operations Wednesday. Big Island Now.

300 workers hired for call center to help with Hawaii unemployment insurance. A new virtual call center for Hawaii unemployment insurance claims launched on Wednesday. Hawaii News Now.

State opens unemployment insurance call center. Gov. David Ige announced the state’s new unemployment insurance call center yesterday. Garden Island.

State Launches Virtual Call Center for Unemployment Insurance Claims. The state of Hawaiʻi today launched a virtual call center to help claimants obtain information relating to their unemployment insurance claim, Gov. David Ige announced in a news release. Maui Now.

Petition filed against Department of Labor and Industrial Relations. Some of Hawaii's jobless have yet to see an unemployment check, and now they're taking their frustration to court. KITV4.

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Federal Communications Commission lodges $50M fine against isle telecom firm. The FCC imposed a $49.6 million fine against Sandwich Isles Communications along with parent company Waimana Enterprises and former sole shareholder Hee for what the agency contends was $27 million in undue payments received from the federal Universal Service Fund to establish and maintain high-cost communications network operations serving about 3,600 Department of Hawaiian Home Lands customers. Star-Advertiser.

FCC fines Sandwich Isles nearly $50M. The Federal Communications Commission on Wednesday fined Sandwich Isles Communications, its parent company and the owner of both entities nearly $50 million for violations that resulted in millions of dollars in improper payments. West Hawaii Today.

Sandwich Isles Communications founder fined $49 million by FCC. Sandwich Isles Communications and founder Albert Hee are being fined more than $49 million by the Federal Communications Commission. KHON2.

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Teachers union disputes DOH’s reopening metrics. The Hawaii State Teachers Association is urging all schools statewide to only allow distance learning through the second quarter after claiming that the state’s metrics for reopening schools are far less strict than those recommended by federal health authorities. Tribune-Herald.

HSTA calls on DOE to iron out standards to bring students back to campus. The chair of the state Board of Education says public schools won’t be ready to welcome some students back to campus when the 2nd quarter begins Oct. 12. Hawaii News Now.

Ethnicities of Public School Teachers and Students Don’t Match. Nearly 180,000 students attended Hawai‘i public schools in 2017-18. Almost 25% of those students were Native Hawaiians, the largest group. Filipinos and Whites were second and third at 22.5% and 18.7%, respectively. Hawaii Business magazine.

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HI-EMA ships first round of free PPE to qualified local businesses. The Hawaii Emergency Management Agency (HI-EMA) is already shipping the first round of free personal protective equipment (PPE) to local businesses, but it is not too late to apply for the program. Orders will be accepted until Nov. 15, 2020. KHON2.

VIRUS TRACKER — Sept. 30: 121 New COVID-19 Cases In Hawaii. There are currently 140 people hospitalized with COVID-19 in the state, including 47 people in intensive care. The state’s intensive care beds are at 70% capacity. Civil Beat.

Oahu

Over 1K Oahu residents sign up for free job training classes. The goal of the Oahu Back to Work is to provide 2,000 trainings for qualified applicants, who must be adults on Oahu whose employment was disrupted by the COVID-19 outbreak. Star-Advertiser.

What’s Stalling The Effort To Update Honolulu’s Parking Policies? Local developers are pushing back against an ambitious bill aimed to make Honolulu’s urban design more walkable. Civil Beat.

Honolulu Is Seeing A Boom In Military-Backed Mortgages. Changes to borrowing limits and a drop in housing prices are driving a big increase in home loans. Civil Beat.

Hawaii Island

Beach parks reopen today. All beach parks on Hawaii Island reopen at 7 a.m. today following a nearly monthlong closure to prevent the spread of COVID-19. West Hawaii Today.

New Hawaiʻi Island COVID Rule: Beach Parks Reopen, Quarantine Clarified. Nightclubs and large venues must remain closed, and all persons must abide by face covering, physical distancing, and gathering requirements of no more than 10 persons. Big Island Video News.

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Family sues over father’s death at Hilo veterans home. A wrongful death lawsuit against the operator of the Yukio Okutsu State Veterans Home in Hilo has been filed by the sons of Chris Drayer, a decorated Vietnam War veteran who died after contracting COVID-19 in Hawaii’s largest coronavirus nursing home outbreak. Star-Advertiser.

Lawsuit filed against Avalon in vets home COVID-19 death. The family of a veteran who died from COVID-19 at Yukio Okutsu State Veterans Home has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the facility’s management, Avalon Health Care Group. Tribune-Herald.

COVID cases double at Life Care Center. COVID-19 cases have doubled at Life Care Center of Hilo, and one resident has been hospitalized at Hilo Medical Center, where that person is undergoing a new coronavirus treatment protocol. Tribune-Herald.

Big Island Mayoral Race Pits Prosecutor Against Businessman. On Hawaii Island, what began as a crowded race among some 16 mayoral hopefuls is now a head-to-head battle to the finish line for local entrepreneur Ikaika Marzo and county prosecutor Mitch Roth. Hawaii Public Radio.

Maui

Why Is This New Super PAC Spending Big Bucks On Maui Council Races? Little is known about Hui O Maui Citizens For Change but the group is backing conservative-leaning members. Civil Beat.

Committee debates Olowalu workforce housing project. The County Council Affordable Housing Committee wrestled Tuesday with more than two dozen conditions proposed for a workforce and market-rate project with 59 lots on about 30 acres of West Maui land. Maui News.

Four Finalists Named in Search to Fill Maui Liquor Control Director Vacancy. The finalists are Peter Hanano, Thomas P. Higgins, Timothy R. Poindexter and Layne N. Silva. They will be interviewed at a special meeting of the Liquor Control Commission beginning at 9 a.m. Oct. 14, 2020. Maui Now.

‘Overwhelming’ Need Continues for 30 Emergency Food Distribution Sites in Maui County. Since mid-March, when the Covid-19 pandemic led to an abrupt shutdown of Maui’s tourism economy, emergency food distribution sites have sprung up at more than 30 locations around the island, and on Molokaʻi and Lanai. Maui Now.

Non-Hawaii residents to pay parking fee at Ahihi-Kinau. Starting on Oct. 1, out-of-state visitors to the Ahihi-Kinau Natural Area Reserve on Maui will be charged a $5 parking fee. KHON2.

Kauai

Kawakami asks Ige to approve post-travel program. Kauai County inched closer on Wednesday to a two-test system to detect COVID-19 infections once the state opens further to tourism on Oct. 15 as Mayor Derek S.K. Kawakami formally asked the governor’s office to approve a program to require a second test after visitors arrive on the island. Garden Island.

Meet the candidates: Jade Wai‘ale‘ale Battad. Wai‘ale‘ale Battad is part Hawaiian, Portuguese, French and Irish, and is a proud alumna of Kapa‘a High School with three daughters: Tara, Tori and Tyli. Garden Island.

Hawaii PPP recipients include Trump hotel, hospitals, newspapers; police reform bill passes Legislature; Ige warns of financial crisis, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Trump hotel in Waikiki ©2020 All Hawaii News

Trump Hotel In Waikiki Received Millions From Small Business Bailout. While President Donald Trump doesn’t own the property, he does license his name to the California company that does. Civil Beat.

Over 3,000 Hawaii PPP loan recipients named in transparency effort. A jewelry store chain, two hospitals and a private school are among the biggest Paycheck Protection Program loan recipients in Hawaii, according to data released Monday. A condominium-hotel tower in Waikiki affiliated with President Donald Trump also has benefited from the program, the data shows. Star-Advertiser.

These Hawaii Businesses Got Federal Loans During The Pandemic. The U.S. government finally released the names of companies participating in federal coronavirus relief programs after months of obfuscation. Civil Beat.

Federal loans helped keep thousands of Hawaii businesses afloat during pandemic. More than 24,000 Hawaii-based businesses and non-profit organizations applied for federal loans to help keep employees paid during the coronavirus pandemic, according to data released by the U.S. Department of the Treasury on Monday. Hawaii News Now.


Explore the SBA data on businesses that received PPP loans. Washington Post.

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Does Hawaii Have A Grip On COVID-19? Health officials are expressing concern over a recent spike in cases, but say Hawaii has the capacity it needs to scale back the travel quarantine. Civil Beat.

Surge in cases elsewhere forcing state leaders to reassess reopening plan set for Aug. 1. Hawaii is still planning on allowing tourists without a mandatory quarantine on August 1, provided they get a COVID-19 test within 72 hours of landing and that test is negative. But Governor David Ige admitted in a press conference Monday afternoon that the surge in cases from other states is concerning. Hawaii News Now.

Ige outlines features of new financial plan to cope with COVID-19 pandemic. In light of the looming financial challenges, Ige said the state is seeking a loan from the U.S. Department of the Treasury, implemented a hiring freeze, is working with state agencies on possible reductions and wants to stop non-personnel expenditures. Tribune-Herald.

Hawaii’s state government is facing a ‘financial crisis’. Hawaii’s state government is facing a $2.3 billion loss in revenue over the next two fiscal years as it prepares to invite trans-Pacific travelers back to the islands Aug. 1. Star-Advertiser.

State facing $2.3B in lost tax revenue due to coronavirus pandemic. The financial impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Hawaii is beginning to come into focus, Gov. David Ige said Monday ― and the picture isn’t pretty. Hawaii News Now.

State facing massive projected budget shortfalls, increasing to $6.4 billion in 2026.  Governor David Ige warned the state of Hawaii Monday that there is a budget shortfall of $2.3 billion looming in the fiscal year 2021, but projections forward are more daunting. KHON2.

Governor Warns Of Future Financial Challenges. Hawaiʻi revenues are expected to drop by $2.3 billion in fiscal years 2020-21, says the Council of Revenues, forcing the State to consider potential cuts. Big Island Video News.

‘Looming Financial Crisis’ Ahead for Hawai‘i as Tax Revenues Plummet. The Council on Revenues predicts Hawai‘i will lose out on $2.3 billion in tax revenues over the next 12 to 15 months. Big Island Now.

Gov. Ige Outlines How COVID-19 Has Impacted the State’s Finances. During the pandemic more than 200,000 residents lost their jobs and filed for unemployment. Maui Now.

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Police reform bill passes; law would require county departments to disclose identity of an officer upon suspension. The Legislature passed a police reform bill Monday that would make public the identities of police officers who have been suspended or discharged, putting them on equal footing with other public agency employees. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii Legislature Removes Police Exemption For Misconduct Cases. The bill now goes to Gov. David Ige who can approve it, veto it or let it become law without his signature. Civil Beat.

Police accountability bill headed to Ige’s desk. A bill that would identify fired or suspended county police officers is headed to Gov. David Ige’s desk. West Hawaii Today.

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Hawaii Senate committee rejects Gov. Ige’s pick for state director of finance. The Senate Ways and Means Committee this morning voted to reject the appointment of state Director of Finance Craig Hirai, the second time in a week that one of Gov. David Ige’s cabinet appointments has been jeopardized by Senate push-back. Star-Advertiser.

Senate committee recommends rejection of Ige’s BLNR nominee. A state Senate committee voted Monday to recommend against confirming Gov. David Ige’s nominee to represent Hawaii Island on the state Board of Land and Natural Resources. Tribune-Herald.

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Substitute teachers’ unemployment benefits in limbo in Hawaii. When public schools shut down in Hawaii in March, substitute teachers were able to file for unemployment insurance, but that money stopped flowing in June. Star-Advertiser.

Advocates: Lack Of Interpreter Services At Unemployment Office Is Illegal. Immigrants and people who don’t speak English have had a hard time accessing unemployment benefits. Civil Beat.

COVID-19 clusters form after people skip masks, distance. State health officials said Monday that recent clusters of the coronavirus detected in Hawaii have been associated with people not wearing masks and not social distancing. Tribune-Herald.

Hawaii Updates: 7 New COVID-19 Cases; Mayor Says Spike In Oahu Cases 'Concerning'. The state's total case count now stands at 1,030 with 19 deaths. Hawaii Public Radio.

Hawaiʻi COVID-19 Updates For Monday, July 6. One new case of COVID-19 was reported on Hawaiʻi Island at noon on Monday, part of the 7 new cases reported statewide. Big Island Video News.

Oahu

Warnings, citations given on Oahu for face mask violations.  On Oahu, Honolulu Police tells us from July 3-5 it has issued 108 warnings and 2 citations for face mask violations. KHON2.

Local security companies say they're being asked to help enforce COVID-19 guidelines. Star Protection Agency and Securitas tell KITV4 that they're being asked to help make sure customers wear face masks and follow other guidelines issued by Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell. KITV4.

Gyms battle germs as officials consider rollbacks of high-risk businesses. There’s a cluster of 9 coronavirus cases that has been linked to an unnamed but temporarily closed Oahu gym, and Governor Ige said Monday that gyms may be the type of business that could shut down down again if positive tests continue to rise. Hawaii News Now.

Judge blocks auction of Abigail Kawananakoa’s belongings. An auction of 94-year-old Campbell Estate heiress Abigail Kawananakoa’s belongings can’t go forward until a conservator is named to handle her finances, a judge ruled Monday. Associated Press.

Punahou School prepares to welcome back students on-campus in August. Due to COVID-19, instruction went online back in March and it has remained that way during the summer. KITV4.

Hawaii Island

Plea deal still on table in alleged child starvation. A plea deal is still in the works for a 52-year-old Hilo man accused of starving his 9-year-old daughter to death more than four years ago. Tribune-Herald.

Maui

Dairy milks any business it can get. As sales decline during pandemic, Surfing Goat Dairy fights to stay afloat. Maui News.

Kanaha Hotel opening pushed back a year. Public meeting to be held on formerly named Windward Hotel. Maui News.

Kauai

Newest cases travel related. Two new positive cases of COVID-19 were announced by the Kaua‘i District Health Office on Monday, bringing the cumulative total to 42 cases, with the number. Garden Island.

New life for Alekoko Fishpond. For the first time in over half a century, The Alekoko Fishpond is clear of adult mangrove. Garden Island.