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Daily Smile

[{"type":"text","text":"Let the dog in!"}]

Smile 26 1 30

<title>Daily Smile: Friday, January 30, 2026</title>

Let the dog in!

Daily Smile: Friday, January 30, 2026

Christian Shimabuku Headshot

Christian Shimabuku

Sports

MĀNOA — The USC men's volleyball team made quick work of Belmont Abbey in a 25-18, 25-20, 25-21 sweep on Friday night at the Stan Sheriff Center, setting up a national semifinal showdown against the University of Hawai‘i. 

Friday's match between the Trojans and Crusaders was a standalone contest in an 

. Although the Rainbow Warriors did not compete on Friday night, a turnstile crowd of 2,903 still showed up to take in the first NCAA Tournament match to take place on O‘ahu since 2004. 

With the win, the Trojans are set to take on Hawai‘i on Saturday at 4 p.m., with the winner advancing to the Final Four on May 9-11 in Los Angeles. 

"I hadn't even considered (Saturday's) matchup, because we have to earn our way to get into there," USC men's head coach Jeff Nygaard said following the match. "It's a real good confidence builder going into the matchup. We should have played them earlier in the year, but now we get the opportunity to play against Hawai‘i, so we're looking forward to it."

As Nygaard alluded to, Hawai‘i and USC were part of a four-team NIL tournament in February that was 

. The Rainbow Warriors and Trojans last played each other on March 15, 2025, a 

four-set win for the Trojans in the championship match of the Outrigger Invitational

. In that match, USC outside hitter Dillon Klein punished the Rainbow Warriors for 21 kills. A year later, Klein, now a senior, remains the top offensive option for the Trojans. 

"That was last year. I'm looking forward to the (Saturday's) game, though," Klein said when asked about his performance agains the 'Bows in 2025. "It was loud. There was a lot of green everywhere. But other than that, I mean, it's a rectangle with a net and a ball. Looking forward to playing some more volleyball tomorrow.

"The fans here are obviously very electric, and the atmosphere is second to none. ... The fans can be nice, they can be brutal, so I guess we're just gonna have to see."

As of Friday night, 9,723 tickets were sold ahead of Saturday's showdown between the Rainbow Warriors and Trojans. The record for attendance in an NCAA men's tournament match is 9,822 in 1998, back when UCLA and Pepperdine competed against each other in the national championship at the Stan Sheriff Center. 

"It's always fun to play in front of our fans at home, especially a big game like this, hopefully 10,000 strong," said star Hawai‘i setter Tread Rosenthal, who was named the Big West Player of the Year on Monday. 

As the national No. 2 seed, the Rainbow Warriors (27-5) will be rested and have home court advantage against the Trojans (20-7). But in order to advance, the 'Bows know they'll have to contain Klein in order to do so. 

"They're a great team. Dillon Klein is one of the best outsides the country," Hawai‘i outside hitter Louis Sakanoko said. "We have all the pieces to beat them, and then we just need to show and prove that we're a good team."

For the latest news of Hawai‘i, sign up 

UH men's volleyball 050126

<title>Hawai‘i men's volleyball to host USC in national quarterfinals</title>

The Rainbow Warriors will face the Trojans at 4 p.m. on Saturday with a spot in the Final Four up for grabs.

Hawai‘i men's volleyball to host USC in national quarterfinals

Kelsey Kukaua Medeiros Headshot

Kelsey Kukaua Medeiros

Aloha Spirit

Real Estate

It was a warm Saturday in Waimānalo with blue skies hung above the rich green Koʻolau mountain range. The whirring sounds of machinery and clanging of tools filled the air around the subdivision off Kakaʻina Street, where homes awarded to beneficiaries of the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands (DHHL) are still being built.

The Ho Family has walked through the process of homeownership with nonprofit affiliate 

. The multi-generational home with two bedrooms, one bath, will soon be move-in ready, according to the project’s independent contractor, Mike.

He adds that while the severe storms in March set them back, they are close to finishing.

 were on site that day focused on exterior painting and interior finishes. Each home build requires about 250 volunteers overall, with the timeline spanning between three to six months.

Vernon Akina, a carpenter who helps oversee Honolulu Habitat’s critical home repair program and volunteers on home builds, underwent the same process on his family’s home just down the road. He and his mom, who is the DHHL lessee, moved into a four-bedroom house in August of 2024 with mortgage assistance from Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Akina said. The build was completed within three months.

“It’s too expensive to buy a house in Hawai’i,” he told Aloha State Daily. “When we went to Hawaiian Homes in 2019, I had always wanted a house in Waimānalo. And when we got it, I thought we struck gold.”

Originally from Hālawa Valley on Molokaʻi, Vernon says he volunteers because “I’m retired and need something to do.”

He adds: “Through my own house build, the challenging part was not to work too quickly. I met good people. Honolulu Habitat really helped with the paperwork, funding, permits and inspection.”

Neighbors Mokihana and Ben supplied lunch to the crew.

Former director of operations Nerine Asbel was also on-site volunteering.

“It feels good to give back to where I served before,” she said. “I still believe in the mission. … Not everybody has the time, tools or resources to build and own a home in Hawaiʻi, but this program provides guidance and gives first-time homebuyers a safe place to call home.”

Executive Director Melissa Bruhl started in the role on Feb. 11.

Born in Rhode Island, Bruhl and her husband moved to Oʻahu in 2003 and live in Kailua.  She earned her bachelor's degree in finance from Boston College and spent more than two decades in global infrastructure and telecommunications. Prior to joining Honolulu Habitat, she served as chief commercial officer of RTI Cables responsible for the company’s strategic growth and partnerships.

“I love the intimacy of the nonprofit sector,” said Bruhl, who was first introduced to Honolulu Habitat as a volunteer. “I think everyone’s really invested versus just coming to work. The team [of four office employees in total] is fantastic, and I’m getting to know them, see their strengths and see them shine. We’re small but we’re mighty.”

Bruhl noted that amid the transition, she’s been “doing a lot of listening.”

“I really want to learn and observe. I told the team I’m not coming in to make a bunch of changes, but what I do hope to bring is more efficiency and effectiveness. As a leader, I want to help them do their jobs better, and I want them to feel valued.”

When asked what the nonprofit’s biggest needs are right now, she said, financial and in-kind donations in addition to volunteers both for workdays and its board of directors.

“We’re looking for key volunteer board members with legal backgrounds and/or fundraising, grant writing and development skills,” she said. “On the home build side, we’re also looking to hire specialized trades workers and supervisors to complete more projects in a year.”

Funds donated to Honolulu Habitat will contribute to more affordable housing projects on Oʻahu, apart from the area served by 

. There are other Habitat for Humanity affiliates that serve on 

Honolulu Habitat said DHHL’s federal NAHASDA funds — specifically the Native Hawaiian Housing Block Grant — helped aid the two ongoing builds in Waimānalo. It reported 

$7.52 million in total assets for fiscal year 2024, 

Since 1988, Honolulu Habitat has served more than 450 individuals across Oʻahu through new home construction and critical home repairs.

In FY2025, more than 20 million people "gained the potential to improve their housing conditions" via Habitat for Humanity International Inc.," 

Honolulu Habitat Melissa Bruhl

Work is underway at the Keliinui ‘ohana's future home, where the multi-generational family will get to move into by the end of August. Aloha State Daily lent a hand over the weekend with Honolulu Habitat for Humanity. We share more about the nonprofit's mission for more affordable housing, as well as the many hands involved to pull this off.

Honolulu Habitat 001

Volunteers add final touches to family home in Waimānalo

<title>Honolulu Habitat for Humanity builds affordable homes in Waimānalo</title>

Meet the nonprofit affiliate’s new Executive Director Melissa Bruhl, who has lived on Oʻahu for more than two decades holding various leadership roles in the private sector, along with her team comprised of staff, contractors and volunteers.

Honolulu Habitat for Humanity builds affordable homes in Waimānalo

Stephanie Salmons Headshot

Stephanie Salmons

Construction on a new affordable housing project in Central O‘ahu is complete and tenant applications are now being accepted.

Koa Vista is a new two-phase development located within Koa Ridge, Castle & Cooke Hawai‘i's 576-acre 

 situated between Mililani and Waipi‘o, that will offer a total of 192 affordable senior and family rentals in two mid-rise buildings. The project was developed by the nonprofit Homes Hawai‘i Inc. in partnership with GSF LLC.

Applications are now being accepted for the project's second phase. 

Koa Vista II has 97 one-bedroom apartment units for families with incomes at or below 80% of the area median income. Income limits vary by household size. For a household of two that's a limit of $97,280, and for a family of four it's $121,600. Find 

Rents, based on income levels, will range from $1,800 to $2,280, an announcement Thursday noted.

According to that announcement, each unit includes a refrigerator and range/oven, cable and high-speed internet access, window coverings and VCT flooring. Meanwhile, common areas include a multi-purpose room, laundry and office space, a victory garden and open park. There also will be about 110 parking stalls available for residents and guests.

The Koa Vista II building is complete and has passed all inspections, a representative for the developer told Aloha State Daily. The developer hopes the first qualified tenants can move in this summer, after a certificate of occupancy is issued, they said.

Property manager Hawai‘i Affordable Properties Inc. is handling the application process. Starting Friday, May 1, you'll be able to find and submit applications online at 

. Applications can also be picked up at and dropped off or mailed to the adjacent Koa Vista I at 94-1230 Hulukupuna St.

May 21 is the deadline to submit an application, which must be postmarked on or before that date to be accepted.

A blessing and dedication ceremony for the first phase of the project and a groundbreaking ceremony for the second phase 

. The general contractor for the $28 million second phase is 

, which opened to qualified seniors in the spring of 2025, is a $39 million, seven-story, 95-unit rental apartment building available to seniors who make between 30% and 60% of the annual median income, ASD previously reported.

 after two decades of planning and development, and welcomed its 

, its website notes. Approximately 3,500 new residential homes are planned for the development, along with shops and retailers, restaurants, parks and more, 

For more information on the application process, contact Jeanette Orrantia at 808-677-0309 or 

Koa Vista II apartment building 1

<title>Applications opening for new affordable rental project in Central O‘ahu</title>

The second phase of Koa Vista, a new two-phase development located within Castle & Cooke's Koa Ridge, has 97 one-bedroom apartment units for families with incomes at or below 80% of the area median income.

Applications opening for new affordable rental project in Central O‘ahu

Higa headshot white shirt square

Sterling Higa

Government & Politics

Columnists

 last week. In that suit, the former chief of staff to Maui Mayor Richard Bissen alleges that in March 2024 he found a $45,532.32 invoice in the County’s Office of Economic Development.

The invoice was dated August 16, 2023 — about one week after the Maui fires.

The company on the invoice was RTFEX Depot. The address listed was in Scottsdale, Arizona. Caires called the number on the invoice. An answering machine picked up. It did not say the company’s name. He called the Arizona Corporation Commission. It had no record of the company.

Caires was a former commercial banker. He suspected fraud. He asked Maui’s Corporation Counsel for advice, and they recommended a formal investigation.

During the investigation, Caires says he found that one of Bissen’s executive assistants was part of the deal. The assistant was Mayson “Pono” Asano. Asano said he picked up the equipment in the parking lot of the Kahului Target. He said he would deliver it to the grantee on Moloka‘i. But when Caires asked for receipts and bank records, Asano had none.

Caires also spoke with Cynthia Lallo. She supervised the mayor’s executive assistants at the time. Lallo said Asano had acted as an agent on other grants. That work had nothing to do with his job.

Caires believed Asano was breaking the terms of the grants. He believed it was fraud. A mayor’s office employee was defrauding the County of Maui.

When Caires gave the mayor an update, Bissen told him to back off. Bissen also told him to turn the investigation into an audit.

When Caires kept going, he was cut out of meetings, then demoted and finally fired. Lallo replaced him as chief of staff.

This is not the first time Bissen’s team has been in the news for alleged misuse of funds.

 marketing contract with the County. Both Lallos had worked on Bissen’s campaign, with Rachael building Bissen’s website and designing logos, lawn signs and digital ads. In 

, Rachael listed Bissen’s campaign chair, Charlene Schulenburg, as a reference. That contract was later 

Luana Mahi was the director of Maui’s Office of Economic Development. She was placed on paid leave after nonprofits tied to her family 

in county grants. Mahi’s former business associate also 

In February 2026, the County of Maui released a 

. The County Auditor had ordered it. Spire Hawai‘i LLP wrote it. The assessment found that the County’s controls against fraud are “not adequate to mitigate likely fraud risks.”

Spire surveyed the people who run the County. Ninety-five percent of department heads rated their own department’s fraud risk as low. None said it was high. The elected officials — the mayor and councilmembers — answered the other way. Eighty-six percent rated the County’s fraud risk as medium. Fourteen percent rated it high. None rated it low. The people closest to where fraud would happen were the most convinced it could not happen.

According to Caires’ complaint, he reported what he had found up the chain. The mayor first sent him to the OED director. When Caires pressed on, the mayor told him to stop the investigation and turn it into an audit. Corporation Counsel attorneys did not agree.

The Office of Economic Development is where Caires says he found the invoice. But the Office of Economic Development is not its own department. It is a program inside the Office of the Mayor.

The Spire report does not assess fraud risk in the Mayor’s office, though it ranks the risk for 20 other departments.

There is no single process in Maui County for reporting, investigating, or responding to fraud. Nine separate offices receive fraud reports. Each applies its own standards. They are the Department of Finance, the Department of Management, the Mayor, the Department of Personnel Services, Corporation Counsel, the Police, the Prosecuting Attorney, individual department heads, and the Ethics Commission.

The American founders separated powers and set up checks and balances. They were realists about human nature. Madison’s line about men not being angels was not rhetoric. Man is sinful. Executives asked to investigate themselves do not investigate themselves. A system that routes fraud reports through the people accused of fraud is not an oversight system.

Accountability happens in Hawaiʻi, sometimes. Earlier this month, Lieutenant Governor Sylvia Luke 

. She had received a target letter from the state attorney general’s office. Campaign finance questions remained. Last week, the state auditor took a rare step. He 

 problems with $40 million of emergency contracts to HomeAid Hawaiʻi. Both show a system that can check itself.

After Caires made his claims, Bissen issued a statement. “As Mayor,” he said, “I have a fiduciary responsibility to ensure our team delivers for the people of Maui County.”

Bissen should start with the recommendations in the Spire report.

This is not a progressive agenda or a conservative agenda. It is the limited-government agenda. Government power must be limited and held to account because government is made of fallen men and women.

The invoice was for $45,532.32. The county has 

 in legal fees to defend itself against Caires. The cost of a trial or settlement will likely run much higher. The people of Maui will foot the bill.

Maui seal 16x9

<title>"Fraud can't happen here"</title>

ASD opinion columnist Sterling Higa sees a pattern on Maui, where Mayor Bissen's former chief of staff has filed a whistleblower lawsuit over how he was allegedly treated after reporting what he considered fraud in county government and where a recent fraud risk assessment commissioned by the county found that controls were inadequate to prevent fraud.

"Fraud can't happen here"

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta Headshot

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta

Food & Dining

 was because of the business’s gorgeous sushi cakes. The fresh sashimi roses, high-quality fish and perfectly textured sushi rice had me hooked.

The catering business still offers its signature catering menus — which feature dishes ranging from smoked marlin poke and Ora king salmon poke to spicy ‘ahi on sushi rice and poke nachos — but just opened its new brick and mortar space. If the address sounds familiar, that’s because it was the former home of 

 (now on Sand Island Access Road) in Māpunapuna.

Business owner Ryan Souza says he’s been doing seafood catering for about seven years. He started out by doing sashimi platters, but started offering sushi cakes a few years ago when the trend started.

“I always wanted to have my own place; it’s always been my dream,” he says.

The business’s new daily menu features an assortment of sashimi donburi, specialty donburi, poke bowls/nachos and other specials.

Donburi include white rice, sushi rice or tossed salad, shoyu, ginger, wasabi and takuan, along with two featured sides.

“Each plate comes with two sides that we feel matches the dish,” Souza says.  

The Fish House chirashi ($35) is one of the signature dishes. It features a colorful assortment of akami, chutoro, otoro, king salmon, hamachi, ikura and Hokkaido uni.

The Souza Special ($27) is another popular favorite. It’s similar to the Fish House chirashi, but doesn’t include Hokkaido uni. Also popular is the trio ($22), which comes with akami, chutoro, king salmon, zuke ikura and hamachi from Japan.

“We either source local or we get them (our fish) from Japan or New Zealand,” Souza says. “Salmon comes from New Zealand; the bluefin and hamachi come from Japan.

“They (customers) like the Souza Special, but if you like uni, the Fish House chirashi is where it’s at,” he adds. “I made the menu where you can have all bluefin, you can have some bluefin with some salmon, or you can have more variety.”

Customers will also notice a display case featuring a selection of poke for the day. Choose from options like spicy ‘ahi, shoyu ‘ahi, spicy salmon, hurricane ‘ahi and limu-style ‘ahi. Hurricane ‘ahi features spicy ‘ahi with imitation crab. While the most popular flavor depends on the day, Souza says limu-style ʻahi is a customer favorite.

[{"type":"text","text":"Stay tuned — the business will soon offer hot foods as well."}]

“People like to eat cooked foods, so I’m going to incorporate that,” he says. “Local foods like smoked meat and kalbi, stuff like that."

Souzas Fish House Ryan Souza 081125

<title>New poke and sushi shop now open in Māpunapuna</title>

Souza’s Fish House, which started as a seafood catering company, is now open in the former Kau Kau Grill restaurant space. Its new daily menu features sashimi donburi and poke — and local-style plates are coming soon.

Daily Smile: Friday, January 30, 2026

ASD Staff

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Daily Smile: Friday, January 30, 2026

Authors

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