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John Pritchett

Government & Politics

Cartoons

Basket of onions

<title>Pritchett Cartoon: Ballot overload</title>

Pritchett Cartoon: Ballot overload

WEB square crop Hayley Lehman Headshot RGZ1636

Haley Lehman

The Hawaiʻi Fire Commission voted 5-1 on Thursday to select Daniel Volpe to lead the Hawaiʻi Fire Department. Volpe will succeed Fire Chief Kazuo Todd, 45, who died in 

Volpe joined Hawaiʻi Fire Department in 2005 and has served as a firefighter, fire medical specialist, battalion chief and deputy fire chief before becoming the interim fire chief in January, according to the 

. HFD is responsible for fire protection and suppression, emergency medical services, hazardous materials response, land and sea search and rescue and public education in Hawaiʻi County.

He attended the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, before moving to Hawaiʻi Island in 2003.

The fire chief earns $201,204 per year, according to an 

 in the Hawaiʻi Tribune-Herald in March. The fire chief must be a citizen of the United States, a resident of Hawaiʻi for more than one year, have a minimum of five years of training and experience in fire control, including three years of experience in an administrative role, a Hawaiʻi driver’s license and a bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience. 

Volpe must pass a medical examination and drug screening, and provide proof of a valid Hawaiʻi driver’s license, before he is formally appointed by the fire commission on Nov. 12.

The Hawaiʻi Fire Commission interviewed 

 for the position on Wednesday. Candidates fielded questions about the fire service’s strengths and challenges, their operational and administrative experience, their experience working with unions and developing budgets and their plan to build relationships with the commission.

“I owe a debt to this island, it’s a debt of service,” Volpe said during his interview. “This fire department has given me a place, a position, a profession, a place to raise my children, a place to build a home, and the community has taken me under its wing. It’s made me a part of this community and for that I owe a debt of service.”

Volpe said that the mission of the fire service on the island is to safeguard life and property, safeguard the community and serve the public with aloha, adding that the department is a reflection of the community it serves.

“This badge doesn’t represent power, it represents purpose,” he said, adding that he asks himself daily “are we doing everything in our power today to do our mission?” and “what are we doing so we can set ourselves up tomorrow?”

He outlined challenges facing the department in the coming years. The department will face a wave of retirements between 2028-2034, rising costs have decreased the department’s purchasing power, and frequent hurricanes, wildfires and flooding remain challenge across the western states, according to Volpe.

When asked about his operational and administrative experiences, Volpe told commissioners that his background has primarily been in operations. As an administrator, he said his focus is to ensure the department staff has the training, equipment, Personal Protective Equipment, apparatus and facilities they need to do the job.

[{"type":"text","text":"Volpe said he sees himself as a steward of Hawaiʻi Fire Department."}]

“My job is not to tie the knot,” he said. "My job is to make sure there’s rope in the warehouse.”

Volpe is the president of the Big Island Wildfire Coordinating Group and serves on the Big Island Junior Golf Association board.

Volpe, HFD Battalion Chief of Operations Melanie Keolanui and Retired HFD Captain Garrett Kim were the top three rated candidates with 347 points, 341 points and 295 points respectively after oral interviews and written assessments.

Commissioners said Thursday morning that the choice for fire chief was difficult decision. The commission voted 5-1 to select Volpe, with Commissioner Carlene Wolf voting for Keolanui.

Fire Commission Chair Gerald Kosaki, who previously worked at HFD for 29 years, said during Thursday's meeting that he looked for a candidate that had knowledge, experience and could take the department in a positive direction, and saw that Volpe was rapidly gaining administrative experience.

Commissioner Brian Cushnie said that he was very torn, but ultimately decided to vote for Volpe for his “in-depth knowledge.”

Hawaiʻi County Mayor Kimo Alameda stated in a 

 Thursday, “Selecting our next Fire Chief is an important responsibility, and I want to thank the commissioners for following an open and transparent process. I wish to congratulate Daniel Volpe on his selection, and I look forward to continuing to work in collaboration with our public safety partners to support our firefighters, strengthen emergency response, and keep our communities safe.”

Daniel Volpe

<title>Daniel Volpe selected as next Hawaiʻi Fire Department chief</title>

Daniel Volpe has lived on Hawaiʻi Island for 23 years and has served in the department for 21 years, most recently as the interim fire chief.

Daniel Volpe selected as next Hawaiʻi Fire Department chief

Christian Shimabuku Headshot

Christian Shimabuku

Sports

During one of the first official practices for the University of Hawai‘i men's basketball team ahead of the upcoming 2026-2027 season, a staffer was seen lobbing a silky, perfectly placed alley-oop to a Rainbow Warrior forward. Who was this mystery man with the assist, and what's his hoops background? 

Upon further inspection, it turned out the pass came from Brett Sheward, the team's new graduate manager. Sheward certainly knows a thing or two about dishing assists to high-flyers, though most of his expertise in that regard came from the volleyball court. 

Sheward, a Southern California native, was a member of the University of Hawai‘i men's volleyball team from 2019 to 2023. In the team's COVID-shortened 2020 season, he started eight of the team's 16 matches at setter. After backing up eventual AVCA Player of the Year Jakob Thelle in 2021, Sheward was the team's primary libero in 2022 and 2023, a crucial cog for a program that won national titles in 2021 and 2022 before losing in the 2023 NCAA championship match. 

Ahead of his final collegiate season in 2024, Sheward transferred to UC Irvine, where he went back to being a setter and helped the Anteaters reach the NCAA semifinals. 

With his playing career behind him, Sheward is back at UH-Mānoa pursuing a graduate degree in finance with eyes on a potential career in basketball. 

"I was always trying to get into basketball eventually," Sheward told Aloha State Daily. "I've always loved it and thought about it for the past four or five years, just trying to think about what's available in the basketball space, sort of the behind-the-scenes work, not the coaching side. Studying finance, trying to mix sports and the finance world, and just thought of ways I can get experience in that space. 

"That was the feedback I got from people I talked to in the industry: get a graduate degree, then move on to jobs further than that. It's a good experience to start as a GA, and honestly, it's been great because it's all new to me, right? I get to do a little bit of everything and be visible and learn everything about how a basketball team is run and operates."

Sheward grew up loving basketball and playing on various teams but chose to focus on volleyball midway through high school when it became clear the latter would be his sport at the college level. The new gig has allowed him to reconnect with basketball and as he's already shown, he doesn't mind getting in on the action from time to time. 

"I absolutely love [basketball]. I think it's an awesome game. It's another true team sport where everyone has to be connected. That part of it is awesome," Sheward says. "But I'm by no means a good basketball player. I just love it. ... I still love playing. We get to play usually on Tuesdays and Thursdays with the staff, so that part has been fun, and hopping in every once in a while in practice."

How would Sheward describe his game during pickup runs? 

"Definitely a pass-first, effort, defense guy," he says. "I'll hit an open 3 if it's a slow set shot, but definitely more of a defensive guy. I think defensive in every sport, honestly, if I really think about it, like trying to anticipate what the offensive guy is trying to do, and then just the effort part. So defense first for sure, and let the other guys on the team score."

Sheward describes the opportunity with the men's basketball team as "killing two birds with one stone." On top of the experience he's set to accumulate, he'll graduate with his master's in finance in the spring. Between now and then, he's ready to pay his dues on the hardwood. 

"You're starting at the bottom. You got to work your way up, and you have to be ready for anything. You're on call, and your goal is to try and make everyone's lives easier. Coaches, players, and trying to make it run smoothly. If there's something that you're asked to do, no matter how small the task, you got to be willing to do it, and you got to come at it with a lot of humility and no ego. It's been great," Sheward said. "The coaches have been awesome in terms of the relationship piece and just building trust with each other."

Though Sheward is still new to the gig and vice versa, count UH men's head coach Eran Ganot as one of those impressed by his presence in the early going. 

"His love for Hawai‘i, his love for UH, his love for the athletic department, his work ethic, his character, and he wanted to get into this side," Ganot said when asked how the Sheward hire came about from his perspective. "He's already made a big impact for us. Obviously, everybody knows about his leadership values, his understanding of winning, but he's just been a breath of fresh air. 

"He's a hard worker and has a bright future. He has a basketball background, and now he's getting thrown in the fire. But just such a great attitude every day, and it's really been helpful for us."

Brett Sheward 102326

<title>Former Hawai‘i men's volleyball standout Brett Sheward joins men's basketball program as…</title>

With his sights set on a potential career in basketball, Sheward is ready to pay his dues on Eran Ganot's staff.

Former Hawai‘i men's volleyball standout Brett Sheward joins men's basketball program as graduate manager

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ASD Staff

Hawai'i Skies

Today's Hawai‘i Skies was captured by Gail Fujimoto on Oʻahu. "Sunset as the waves come crashing on the rocks for a magnificent shot!"

To submit your Hawai'i Skies photo, visit us 

Gail Fujimoto 2

<title>Hawaiʻi Skies: Crashing waves</title>

Today's Hawai‘i Skies was captured by Gail Fujimoto on Oʻahu.

Hawaiʻi Skies: Crashing waves

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Michael Brestovansky

Business & Tourism

Vendors and businesses that work with the state are advised to be cautious about emails that seem to be from state employees.

The state Office of Enterprise Technology Services announced that several vendors that contract with the state government have received scam emails from addresses spoofing government employee emails and claiming to request payments on behalf of the state.

Keith Regan, director of the Department of Accounting and General Services and Acting Lieutenant Governor, told Aloha State Daily the scam emails use the names of specific employees who vendors may have working relationships with, but without the standard “@

” domain. He added that it’s unclear if the scammers are sophisticated enough to specifically use government employee identities with prior histories with a targeted vendor.

’ or something like that, but someone could be deceived by it,” Regan said. “So if someone, a vendor has been dealing with one of those individuals and they think they get an email from that person, they may think that this is legitimate.”

In some cases, the false emails requested a $400 deposit that would supposedly allow the vendor to access a verification system, which Regan said doesn’t correlate with any state business practices, but might seem innocuous enough for some to accept it.

So far, Regan said no vendor has reported that they have actually been scammed by these emails, but only four or five scams have been reported to the Office of Enterprise Technology Services.

“A number of these folks reached out and said, ‘hey, is this legitimate?’” Regan said, adding that vendors should reach out to ETS to confirm suspicious emails.

Among other things, vendors should confirm with the state Procurement Office before responding to any unfamiliar request, and confirm with a state agency directly before making any requested payment.

However, Regan emphasized that the incidents likely do not represent a cybersecurity failure on the state’s end.

“Our names are out there on our website,” Regan said. “The state procurement office, as an example, has a website that posts procurement information electronically, and so there are people’s names included in that, and I’m sure that’s how they’re picking up all this information.

“The way that the world is changing so quickly with AI, these bad actors are finding all kinds of ways to get through even some of the most sophisticated email systems,” Regan continued. “There’s not much we can do except just make sure that our people and our vendors and anyone that’s interacting with us at some level … are taking steps and making sure that any communications that appear to be coming from the government are in fact coming from the government.”

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<title>State warns vendors of fraudulent emails</title>

Multiple vendors have reported receiving requests for payment from emails posing as specific government employees.

State warns vendors of fraudulent emails

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Rick Hamada

Columnists

[{"type":"text","text":"Cost of Living."}]

Everybody talks about the high cost of living in Hawai‘i. But what does it really mean?

We could look at the academic and economic textbook definition and debate and discuss the words, definitions, and interpretations.

[{"type":"text","text":"Or we can just cut to the proverbial chase."}]

[{"type":"text","text":"It's too damn expensive to live, work, play, visit and more in Hawai‘i."}]

[{"type":"text","text":"I know. Simplistic."}]

[{"type":"text","text":"But sometimes you have to keep it simple, stupid. Just K.I.S.S."}]

The iconic Readers Digest was produced to never exceed the 8

 grade reading level. Why? So, readers didn't have to work to read the Digest. It was easy. It was simple.

[{"type":"text","text":"And remains one of the most beloved publications in media history."}]

[{"type":"text","text":"Another example."}]

In Jacobellis v. Ohio (1964), a theater manager was convicted for showing the French film Les Amants (The Lovers). The Supreme Court reversed the conviction by ruling the film was not obscene and was protected under the First Amendment. Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart wrote that state censorship of obscenity should be limited strictly to "hard-core pornography." He famously stated: "I shall not today attempt further to define the kinds of material I understand to be embraced within that shorthand description... 

 and the motion picture involved in this case is not that."

Now I'm not stating that the high cost of living is equal to pornography, but there is a connection because both are profane. (mic drop)

What I am saying is that you don't need reams of paperwork, calculations and analysis to define the high cost of living.

[{"type":"text","text":"You know it when you see it."}]

Politicians tout their absolute dedication to reducing the cost of living in Hawaii. Election Day 2026 is minutes away with ballots in hands of registered voters. Virtually all messaging intended to win your support has the reducing the high cost of living as a central theme. Ironically, the very same politicians who have held several seats of legislative or executive office lorded over a political system that  created and perpetuated the devastatingly high cost to live here. And those who are seeking to reject the status quo and effect actual change are immediately categorized as "not supporting working men and women" or "anti-local values" or a myriad of other unsubstantiated allegations.

[{"type":"text","text":"At least we can lay claim that \"We're Number One!\" at something."}]

There's a reason that outmigration is taking place in Hawai‘i and has been underway for several years. Despite the pleas from elected officials for locals to stay (despite a lack of actual and substantive cost of living reductions) individuals and families are fleeing. Escaping. Leaving their home in search of relief. It's a statement that all the generational promises to make Hawai‘i a less expensive place live has been and continues to be an abject failure.

And no, this has nothing to do with Trump tariffs or the war with Iran. This has been a part of our history and continues to be our destiny.

[{"type":"text","text":"Just how expensive is Hawai‘i?"}]

, Hawai‘i has the Highest Cost of Living Index in the nation at 185.0. This national average index is 100.0. Therefore, Hawai‘i's Cost of Living Index is 85% higher than the national average. In comparison, Oklahoma has the Lowest Cost of Living Index in the nation at 86.0. Oklahoma's Cost of Living Index is 14% less than the national average.

[{"type":"text","text":"The states with the Highest Cost of Living Index are:"}]

[{"type":"text","text":"The states with the Lowest Cost of Living Index are:"}]

[{"type":"text","text":"Is there a common denominator shared among these states?"}]

The states with the Highest Cost of Living Indexes are Blue or Democrat controlled.

The states with the Lowest Cost of Living Indexes are Red or Republican controlled.

[{"type":"text","text":"The conclusion?"}]

[{"type":"text","text":"K.I.S.S (mic drop)."}]

Cost of living 16x9

<title>Hamada: What Hawai‘i is best at</title>

Hawai‘i has the highest cost of living in the nation but it's far from the only expensive state, writes ASD opinion columnist Rick Hamada. Guess what the priciest states all have in common!

Hamada: What Hawai‘i is best at

De Soto 2025

DeSoto Brown

Hawai‘i History

What happened to Waikīkī? Specifically, what happened to Waikīkī during its greatest period of change that began in the 1950s? Let’s look at these “then & now” comparisons of Waikīkī views to see very clearly how different things look today.

Why did Waikīkī change so much in the last 70 years? The growth of tourism, of course, was responsible. Speaking economically, it’s extremely fortunate that tourism did increase so dramatically during this period as it served to fill in the gap created as large-scale agriculture (sugar and pineapple) either contracted dramatically, or died altogether. These had been the foundation of the economy of the Hawaiian Islands but were outcompeted by other tropical countries, where workers were paid considerably less and thus their agricultural products were cheaper as well. This has been, and continues to be, the reason for the loss of domestic production in the United States and indeed worldwide.

When did Waikīkī's major changes begin? This is easy to pinpoint: it was the year 1955. That was when four new 10-story buildings were completed here; the Waikīkī Biltmore Hotel, the Princess Ka‘iulani Hotel, the Reef Hotel, and the Rosalei apartments. As insignificant as this would seem today, it marked a shift away from downtown as the focus of new construction, as well as starting Honolulu on its vertical growth.

We can also single out the shift in transportation for Waikīkī's increase in density, which was the replacement of cruise ships by airplanes for increasing numbers of tourists after World War II. While air travel grew significantly during the 1950s it was really the introduction of jets that kicked off the explosion. The first jets arrived in Hawai‘i in 1959, cutting hours from the trip from the west coast, carrying far more passengers on each flight compared to propeller planes and — most significantly — reducing air fares. Waikīkī couldn’t help but grow to accommodate all these new people. A major milestone was unexpectedly realized in late 1967 when the one-millionth tourist arrived for that year, ahead of what economists had predicted. There would be no looking back.

A change you might notice in these various pairs of Waikīkī views is the great increase in growing green vegetation today. This has been true in many parts of Honolulu and because trees increase so slowly in size, we don’t notice how large they’ve become until we see an older photo to be able to spot the difference. Kalākaua Avenue has benefitted from more than one improvement project since the 1960s, to where today’s sidewalks are paved with hand-set stones, many with inscriptions in Hawaiian. Shady shower trees along with grass and various shrubs greatly enhance the district’s appearance, and maintenance workers are on the job each day to sweep and clean. Waikīkī creates the biggest part of the income from tourism and its importance in keeping this income steady was recognized years ago — so this necessary work goes on.

By the late 1970s much of Waikīkī looked as it does today, because while more towers have certainly been constructed since then, much of what we know now was in place. Although Waikīkī has been a crowded and densely urbanized district for decades, and has been criticized for that, it must be said that a great many visitors enjoy this vitality and the over-abundance of things to see and do. And even while Waikīkī is undeniably a city of itself, it is still located on the magnificently blue Pacific Ocean, with the Ko‘olau Mountains as one backdrop and Diamond Head as another, with the trade winds often blowing through it. And love it or hate it, we owe our economy to it, and had therefore better make sure it continues to function as smoothly as possible.

1 Kuhio Ave 64 16x9

<title>What happened to Waikīkī?</title>

Back in the Statehood era, you could see Punchbowl from Kalākaua Avenue and Diamond Head from Kūhiō Avenue. ASD history columnist DeSoto Brown pairs then-and-now photos to show the dramatic changes from a low-rise Waikīkī to today's bustling mini-metropolis.

Pritchett Cartoon: Ballot overload

John Pritchett

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Pritchett Cartoon: Ballot overload

Authors

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