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James Morioka

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John Pritchett

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Peter S. Adler, PhD

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Malia Hill

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Michael Brestovansky

Government & Politics

Crime & Courts

The trial of Lt. Gov. Sylvia Luke and her alleged associates in a criminal conspiracy won’t be happening anytime soon.

, the corruption trial of Luke and four others — lobbyist Tobi Solidum, former state Rep. Ryan Yamane, state Airports Administrator Ford Fuchigami and former Public Utilities Commission chair Leodoloff Asuncion Jr. — was scheduled to begin on Sept. 28, after four of the five defendants, excluding Solidum, pled not guilty.

But on Friday, that trial was pushed back a year, after attorneys for multiple defendants requested additional time to prepare.

Back on Aug. 6, Yamane’s attorney William Harrison filed a motion to continue the trial on a later date, as the discovery phase — in which both sides prepare witnesses and evidence to be presented at trial — had not yet begun and the breadth of the case made it exceedingly unlikely that the process could be completed on schedule.

Other attorneys, including Fuchigami’s lawyer Eric Seitz and Luke’s lawyer Richard Sing, co-signed Harrison’s motion.

At a hearing Friday, attorneys proposed that the trial be delayed by a year or more, suggesting varying dates between June and October of 2027. Prosecutor and Deputy Attorney General David Van Acker did not protest, although Judge Paul B. K. Wong did not land on a specific date Friday; an exact date will be determined at a scheduling conference next Wednesday.

By Wednesday, Fuchigami will also need to decide whether to keep Seitz as his attorney. Van Acker filed a motion in August arguing that Seitz has a conflict of interest in the case, having previously represented state Department of Health Deputy Director Cathy Ross, who will be a witness for the prosecution in the case.

Van Acker said Friday that Ross is not a minor figure in the case, having been the last person to meet with Solidum before his fateful 2022 

 with Luke and former Hawai‘i Rep. Ty Cullen at Morton’s The Steakhouse in Ala Moana. That meeting saw Solidum and his stepdaughter reportedly offer Luke two $5,000 checks.

Van Acker’s motion states that Seitz represented Ross during the Attorney General’s public corruption investigation earlier this year, and that Ross possessed “text communications that were material to [the] investigation.”

On July 24, the day an O‘ahu grand jury indicted Luke, Fuchigami, and the rest, Seitz reportedly went with Ross into the grand jury room. Later that same day, Van Acker’s motion claims, Fuchigami contacted Seitz for assistance with posting bail.

Van Acker told Judge Wong Friday that the appearance of a conflict of interest will severely compromise Seitz’s ability to represent Fuchigami. While Van Acker said he intends to get convictions for the defendants, he added that the appearance of impropriety during such a high-profile case should be avoided at all costs.

Nonetheless, Fuchigami repeatedly told Wong that he wants to retain Seitz as his attorney, even though Wong noted that Seitz will be obligated to keep Ross’ confidentiality, and may not be able to effectively cross-examine her at trial.

Wong said that legal precedent suggests that Fuchigami can waive his right to a conflict-free lawyer if he chooses. But Fuchigami didn’t choose Friday; Wong allowed him to consider his options and to make his decision on Wednesday.

Lukeco

<title>Luke corruption trial pushed to 2027</title>

Trial of Lt. Gov. Sylvia Luke and her alleged associates blows past previous September date.

Luke corruption trial pushed to 2027

Christian Shimabuku Headshot

Christian Shimabuku

Sports

MĀNOA — Spencer McLachlin estimates he's been inside the Stan Sheriff Center over 500 times since the facility opened in the fall of 1994. 

, both University of Hawai‘i Circle of Honor inductees, Spencer McLachlin would sit in the stands during UH volleyball matches as his father served as TV color commentator alongside Jim Leahey on K5 broadcasts. Wahine volleyball matches were extra special for the McLachlin family, as Beth is still remembered as one of the program's pioneers. A star setter on the 1974 and 1975 teams, Beth McLachlin added the 

With his parents guiding him, Spencer McLachlin went on to become a star athlete himself. While he was a two-time all-state basketball player at Punahou, volleyball was where he truly shined. A 6-foot-7 outside hitter, Spencer McLachlin was a starter in multiple tournaments for the U.S. junior national team. He was one of the sport's top recruits by the time he was set to graduate high school in 2007, and he chose Stanford among his many offers. 

McLachlin started all 105 matches he appeared in for the Cardinal from 2008 to 2011, which included a national championship in 2010. With aspirations of becoming a coach one day, McLachlin helped out with Bay-to-Bay Volleyball Club as he finished up a master's degree with Stanford. 

After a brief professional playing career in Greece, McLachlin returned to Hawai‘i and joined Charlie Wade's UH men's staff as a volunteer assistant in 2014 while he taught at Punahou. He was then elevated to full-time assistant for the Rainbow Warriors in 2015. 

From there, McLachlin was an assistant coach for the Cal women's team from 2016 to 2017, an assistant coach on the UCLA men's staff from 2018 to 2021, the associate head coach for Indiana in 2022, then the associate head coach for USC from 2023 to 2025. His first opportunity to become a head coach was officially announced on Dec. 29, 2025, when UC San Diego named him the new women's head coach. 

On Sunday, the final day of the 2026 OUTRIGGER Invitational, Spencer McLachlin's UC San Diego squad went up against host Hawai‘i to close the tournament. Father Chris was courtside doing color commentary for K5 with Kanoa Leahey, Jim's son, while Beth McLachlin watched intently. As Spencer competed against the University of Hawai‘i for the first time as a head coach, he proved the McLachlin family can still have firsts in its charmed volleyball journey. 

Though the Tritons were just two points away from winning in four sets, the Rainbow Wahine rallied to take Sunday's match 22-25, 25-15, 21-25, 26-24, 15-8. UCSD led as late as 23-22 in the fourth set before UH forced deuce. The 'Bows, who sprinted to a 14-3 lead in the fifth set, went 3-0 over the weekend and improved to 4-2 for the 2026 campaign. The Tritons, meanwhile, fell to 2-4 in McLachlin's debut season and were 0-3 during the weekend. 

"A lot of emotions," Spencer McLachlin told Aloha State Daily following the match, with some of his players seen wiping tears away in the distance. "I feel for my team that fought so hard, but it's life. Learning isn't linear. It's not gonna happen overnight. It's gonna take some really hard lessons, and we had three really hard lessons in the three matches this weekend. I wish it ended up a little bit differently, but that's volleyball. That's why everyone everyone loves it. I'm proud of our girls."

Over a dozen family members were in attendance to support Spencer McLachlin on Sunday. Additionally, a handful of friends from his O‘ahu childhood, including Stanford teammate Kawika Shoji, were there to offer encouragement. 

"I love this place," Spencer McLachlin said of the Stan. "My mom's got her plaque up there in the Circle of Honor. This place means so much to me. It is a top five place to play in the world, and it's because of the fans. It's because of the tradition. ... Just so many great coaches. The volleyball community here is so great. And if I grew up anywhere else, I probably wouldn't have fallen in love with the sport like I did growing up here."

In the heat of the match, Spencer McLachlin admits he gave a quick look to his dad and couldn't help but smile. After the match, Spencer's three young children walked towards the announcer's table. 

"There's Papa," Spencer pointed out to his keiki. 

Chris McLachlin knew that calling Sunday's match came with added responsibility. The school he loves was facing a team coached by his son, and he knew he had to be impartial to both. 

I started out by telling Kanoa if I lapse into nepotism at all, please correct me," Chris McLachlin joked with ASD after the match. "I thought that for the weekend, (Spencer) was really proud of how they performed. They could have won the tournament, you know. They were very close to being 3-0. Instead, they're 0-3. But a lot of good lessons learned, and it's a different kind of proud that he is sharing so much of himself with those girls."

The four years Spencer McLachlin played for Stanford aligned directly with the four seasons current Rainbow Wahine head coach 

 took the floor for the Hawai‘i men's team following a redshirt year. Though McLachlin 

went 8-1 as a player against the 'Bows, Walker never made it easy, leading UH in kills the vast majority of those matchups. 

"Ton of respect for him, just because I know how hard of a worker he is," Walker said following the match. "We knew we were going to get their best shot and they were going to be prepared. That's just who he is and how he operates. I think we both made each other better tonight."

Despite growing up an athletic prodigy of sorts, the coaches in Spencer McLachlin's life are the reason why he set his heart early on becoming one himself one day. 

 was his club coach when he was 10, and Spencer McLachlin remembers how the legendary former Wahine volleyball coach taught him how to pass, one of the underrated skills in the sport. McLachlin joked that with a career record of 2-4 thus far in his debut season, he has 1,200 to go to catch Shoji's career mark of 1202-204-1. 

But if there's one coach who truly made his mark on Spencer, it's his father, who led Punahou to 11 state titles in boys volleyball and three in boys basketball. 

"He's my biggest mentor," Spencer McLachlin says of Chris McLachlin. "Him caring for the athletes and the trust that you build by getting to know them, he has incredible relationships with all of his former athletes and if I could be a 10th of the coach that he is, then I'll have a great career. I think he's a wizard, and I'm so blessed to have him be my mentor." 

Following a brief chat after the match, Chris and Spencer McLachlin went their separate ways, Spencer eager to build on the career he's wanted for as long as he can remember, knowing dad is always a phone call away. 

"He was always asking questions about coaching strategies, so I thought maybe he's gonna be a coach someday," Chris McLachlin says. "He always seemed to glean the most from all the coaches he had when he played in the junior national team. He just always seemed to be gleaning little pearls of wisdom about coaching. And I think when he was very young, he followed me for my basketball and volleyball career, and it always seemed to be not just a kid at the gym, but more like a kid learning at the gym. He was always picking up something and asking questions. He wants to be a good coach in the worst way, and just the art of coaching means a lot to him."

Spencer McLachlin 090626

<title>Punahou alum Spencer McLachlin returns home for emotional weekend as new UCSD coach</title>

Both of McLachlin's parents are in the UH Circle of Honor. He estimates he's been inside the Stan Sheriff Center over 500 times. On Sunday, for the first time as a head coach, he went up against his childhood team.

Punahou alum Spencer McLachlin returns home for emotional weekend as new UCSD coach

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Haley Lehman

Aloha Spirit

Mike Shiroma’s neighborhood in the Pālolo Valley sounds different than it did when he was a kid, all because of the invasive coqui frog.

The quarter-sized tree frog native to Puerto Rico calls from dusk to dawn. They are one of the loudest frogs in the world, with calls reaching up to 100 decibels, similar to a lawnmower or motorcycle. They hitchhiked to Hawaiʻi Island in 1988 and have since set up colonies on Oʻahu in Pālolo Valley, Waimānalo and the Kuliʻouʻou summit.

Shiroma said he’s witnessed the number of frogs grow from a handful to dozens to thousands, and now estimates that there are 15,000-20,000 coqui frogs in Pālolo Valley.

Shiroma described the coqui frog noise as a “permanent, audio graffiti.”

“They're changing the environment forever,” he said.

Sidney Lynch called the noise deafening. She noticed the occassional frog washing down the Waiʻōmaʻo Stream and would call the Department of Agriculture to catch it. She offered to help after she noticed more and more frogs washing down the stream in 2025.

She co-founded Pālolo Coqui, a group of volunteers that meets multiple times a week to catch and kill coqui in the Pālolo Valley. Volunteers have caught 6,085 since they started in March.

“Even though it’s only concentrated in a five street area, it’s getting much noisier and they can spread,” Lynch said. “At this point, if there’s the chance to eradicate them, we may as well try.”

When volunteers came to Shiroma’s door with a flyer earlier this year, they joined forces to fight the invasion, going from what Shiroma called an “army of one” to a team. Shiroma has been hunting coqui frogs for years, and said he’s getting burned out and discouraged.

Volunteers wear long-sleeve neon shirts, long pants, headlamps and sturdy shoes, and carry plastic tubes, UV flashlights, citric acid solution and radios, and head out into the protected state land bordering the neighborhood to search for frogs.

Here’s how it works: Volunteers listen for the distinct “ko-KEE” call, approach the frog and place a long plastic tube on the frog. The frog jumps up and into the tube, and volunteers put the frog into a small bottle full of a citric acid solution where it is killed.

The male frogs like to hang out on logs and smooth leaves, such as monstera, pothos and heliconia. The “ko” of the coqui’s call asserts their territory and the “kee” calls for females.

Shiroma read scientific papers that said certain amphibians floresce under UV light. He tried it out, and found that certain UV light makes the coqui appear black and their eyes glow, allowing volunteers to look for frogs with UV flashlights when they are not calling.

“To me, this is the game changer. There’s no better discovery than this,” Shiroma said.

The coqui frog is one of 15 high priority pests that the 

 is monitoring. OISC is a project under the University of Hawaiʻi Pacific Cooperative Studies Unit that coordinates between communities, the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity and the Department of Land and Natural Resources. OISC first got involved with coqui frogs in Pālolo Valley in September 2024.

Robbie Snyder, a community engagement liaison with OISC, detailed the negative impacts coqui frogs can have on Hawaiʻi.

Coqui frogs have no natural predators on Hawaiʻi, so they get more dense than they would in their home country. Snyder said that one acre of land on Oʻahu can be home to 36,000 coqui.

The noise changes the soundscape of Oʻahu’s forests, Snyder said. Lynch said that the noise impacts resident’s quality of life.

Homeowners are required to disclose if there’s a coqui frog infestation on or near their property, which can drive down home prices.

Coqui frogs eat invertebrates, which damages Oʻahu’s native plants and can harm native plants when those plants aren’t being pollinated.

“Those insects also play vital pollinating services to our native plants, so when the frogs eat the native insects, we then lose things that can pollinate our native plants, and that has a cascading affect through the ecosystem,” Snyder said.

If snakes were introduced in Hawaiʻi, coqui frogs would provide a “massive food source” and aid their spread.

According to Snyder, the current goal is to contain coqui frogs until the state has the resources or better tools to eradicate them.

“With the resources we have right now, site level eradication of coqui is not possible,” Snyder said. “There isn’t enough funding, there’s not enough people, there’s not enough resources, and that’s even with the incredible community volunteers that we have, but we need more and we need a years-long commitment to funding.”

Snyder said that hand capture alone isn’t enough at this point to eradicate an infestation.

“There are small enough local populations that they haven’t become widespread. Hope is not lost with coqui frogs,” Snyder said.

OISC and state agencies spray a liquid combination of citric acid and water in an attempt to contain coqui frogs. Citric acid, which is found in citrus, some soft drinks and some candies, poses little risk to people and the environment, but is lethal to amphibians because they respirate through their skin.

OISC has been spraying 400 gallons of citric acid month in the Pālolo Valley for about two years and increased to spray twice monthly starting in August.

When coqui frogs infested Wahiawā in 2003, the Hawaiʻi Department of Agriculture and Biodiversity, the Oʻahu Army Natural Resources Program, the Department of Land and Natural Resources and OISC teamed up and eradicated the coqui infestation with a mix of citric spray and hand captures by 2007.

The volunteers in Pālolo have mixed opinions about the use of citric acid spray. Lynch believes citric acid spray is an effective tool and Shiroma believes it’s not as effective as hand capturing the frogs.

Shiroma called it an “agency failure” that the Department of Agriculture hasn’t dedicated more resources to preventing the spread of coqui.

“You guys are using the same broken playbook that’s not working and hasn’t worked for decades. This is not a new problem.” Shiroma. He advocated for the Department of Agriculture to make a dedicated team that works at night.

While the coqui frogs keep calling, Pālolo Valley neighbors will continue donning neon shirts and heading into the forest to stop them.

Coqui in Pālolo

<title>Volunteers battle coqui frog infestation in Pālolo Valley</title>

The Pālolo Coqui volunteer group is working alongside the Oʻahu Invasive Species Committee and state agencies to contain a coqui frog infestation in their neighborhood.

Volunteers battle coqui frog infestation in Pālolo Valley

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta Headshot

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta

Food & Dining

, known for its affordable bentos, just opened its third location on Young Street. This store is in the former space of J-Shop.

U-Kitchen offers a variety of musubi, bentos, bowls and curry. The menu is the same here as its downtown Honolulu store, according to business owner Yudai Fukuda.

Popular bentos include butterfish ($13.99), mochiko chicken ($10.99) and chicken katsu ($10.99). The musubi selection ranges from salmon ($2.99) and spicy tuna ($3.19) to unagi ($4.79) and mentai mayo ($3.29).

U-Kitchen’s original location is in Kalihi; its downtown Honolulu store, which is in Topa Financial Center, is currently closed due a power outage in the building, according to Fukuda. He says the downtown Honolulu store — 

“Our peak time (at that location) was from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.,” he says, nothing the shop’s popularity with the downtown Honolulu lunch crowd.

He says that Topa Financial Center was supposed to reopen on Aug. 24, but says the re-opening was delayed further after Hurricane Lala.

U-Kitchen’s Young Street store is open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Mondays to Saturdays. Customer parking is available in the shop's lot.  

Open 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Mondays to Saturdays, closed Sundays

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<title>U-Kitchen opens a new bento and musubi cafe</title>

The business, whose original location is in Kalihi, just opened a third location on Young Street in the former J-Shop space. The business’s Downtown Honolulu store has been temporarily closed since July 23, according to U-Kitchen owner Yudai Fukuda.

U-Kitchen opens a new bento and musubi cafe

Katie Helland Headshot

Katie Helland

Arts & Entertainment

, morning starts with coffee and admiring the outdoors. On Sunday, Feb. 2, Peʻa won the Grammy for 

Peʻa grew up in Hilo, Hawaiʻi and started singing at just two or three years old. But the singer songwriter, who now lives on Maui, was already 

, the artist shared in an acceptance speech for the award earlier this month.

“I’m so honored to be one of the vessels, the waʻa … in this Pacific,  leading the way in Hawaiian music and perpetuating Hawaiian language and music and hula in this capacity,” Peʻa told Aloha State Daily. “I'm so grateful to showcase my artistry through music composition and being able to write about people and places I love and more so honor the matrilineal powers of the universe: our mothers, your grandmothers, and our aliʻi, our monarchy. It's so amazing to win my fourth Grammy on my fourth Hawaiian album. I am so honored.”

The singer and songwriter spoke with ASD while getting ready to start a Midwest and West Coast tour.

 My typical day is I wake up and I thank God and the gods for giving me the life of being who I am — this authentic Native Hawaiian married gay man who lives life to the fullest and is happily married to my manager of 16 years, my kāne, the love of my life. I just wake up, and I make the best coffee the world. .... It is called 

 [from Lappert’s Hawaiʻi]. It's my favorite coffee in the world. And it’s in a purple bag because purple is my favorite color in the world. ... I look at my lānai out of the house that I own and I look at the mountains and I look at what God and the gods have given me —  this beautiful life here on Maui where my ancestors and forefathers have roamed for [generations]. ... I sit with my coffee every morning and I think to myself: ʻShould I start composing a song? How can I create a poem of how beautiful Hawaiʻi is to me and why Hawaiʻi defines who I am.’ 

What are some of your biggest musical influences?

 First, my mother and my father. They're both very musically inclined. My family really values family traditions and cultural practices and my family values music. Music is perpetuated in my household on both sides, but mostly my dad's side. But my mom is my huge influence. She's like those dance moms. She put me in all the talent shows, karaoke competitions. I did all the state competitions. ... She knew I had the talent, and I'm so glad that we have moms and dads who are the biggest fans.  

Tell us about your new album, “Kuini.” What is your favorite song?

, and I'm honoring the women who have shaped who I am today, whether it's my mother or my grandmothers or your family, your mother or grandmothers. I also stated in my acceptance speech that I honor Queen Emma, the wife of King Kamehameha IV. She established Queen’s hospital for the Native Hawaiian people so that [medical care] is free and accessible during the kingdom of Hawaiʻi, which medical should be free. And I honor and acknowledge Kihawahine, the protector of Lahaina, the goddess of Lahaina. Because we live here on Maui and I have family members who lost everything in the wildfires,  I wanted to honor the people of Lahaina. My favorite track is actually “Kuini” ... I wrote this song for my childhood friend, 

. She has been my childhood for 30 plus years. She's a single mother. She is a kumu hula, an educator. She's a hula practitioner, a beacon of light for the Hawaiians that are living in diaspora in the continent USA. She gifted me these shell necklaces called Niʻihau. They're like gold. They're like diamonds to us. ... I cried when she laid it on me. And I talk about my favorite lei, which is the maile lei, which I wore the 

 that was done for me from Maui Diver's Jewelry [to the awards ceremony for the Grammy]. ... And I honor my love for my people, for lāhui. I honor the love that I have for Leialoha, who is my kuini, and I honor the people who have been part of my life.

Do you have any favorite bands or artists you want to give a call out to that are also inspiring?

 Well, my husband and I have seen Beyonce 12 times live in concert. I was able to touch her in the front row before I became a professional Grammy award-winning artist. When I was a teacher, I bought a ticket. It was nearly $800. We were in Los Angeles, and I was able to grab her sweaty palms, and I was able to touch her and say, ʻI touched Beyonce.’ So I'm a fan of Beyonce, and I love her very much. She's one of the greatest entertainers alive. 

 Watching kids or watching adults or teenagers just be comfortable in your own skin. Never allow anyone to define who you are. ... I'm a modern, innovative Hawaiian and our ancestors and forefathers were very innovative and modern. We were all about building relationships with people all over the world. King David Kalākaua got on that steam boat and built relationships with emperors and presidents. He traveled the world. He brought in the first light bulb and running toilet and 

electricity in ʻIolani Palace before the White House

. We had one of the first color-printed newspapers in the Hawaiian language before any of the big newspapers today that we hear of. And so my kupuna, my ancestors, are all about innovation and all about developing a great collaborating effort with people around the world. I'm all about: Be yourself, be true to yourself. 

Kalani Pe'a

<title>Grammy winner Kalani Peʻa shares daily routine and inspiration</title>

This four-time Grammy winner and singer and songwriter shares how music starts with coffee and an appreciation of the place Peʻa calls home.

Grammy winner Kalani Peʻa shares daily routine and inspiration

Ed Rampell

“A Marble in the Jar” debuts on 10 screens across the Mainland this Friday. The doc includes eye-popping, jaw-dropping camerawork above the pounders and underwater, as Weston-Webb rides the waves from Hawai‘i to French Polynesia to Australia to Bali to Mexico to France to Portugal to California and beyond on the pro-surfer circuit, in search of championships and the ideal tube.

A Marble inthe Jar Still01 1920x1080 Body Glove Brent Bielmann23

Pro-Surfer Tatiana Weston-Webb rides the wild surf in new doc shot at Kaua‘i, O‘ahu, Tahiti and Beyond

Michelle Manu presides over new exhibition paying tribute to female protectors, defenders and combatants at world’s only museum honoring international self-defense disciplines, including ancient Hawai‘i’s lua. She resides in California but returns to the Islands next month to lead a women's retreat on Hawai‘i Island.

Aloha State Daily Manuwithherbooksin Warrior Women Exhibit 16x9 Large

Hawaiian martial arts master inaugurates “Warrior Women” exhibit at L.A. Museum

Written by and starring Colby Haines, crime story "Kāhala Sunset" was filmed entirely in the Islands with a cast and crew featuring 
"NCIS: Hawai‘i," "Five-O" and "Magnum P.I." alums.

Kahala Sunset Red Carpet Irene Colby Kurt Ian 16x9 Large

The latest made-in-Hawai‘i movie world premieres at L.A. Film Festival, Native Hawaiian actress wins award  

Ed Rampell is a Hollywood-based film historian who has lived in Hawai‘i, Tahiti, Samoa, and Micronesia for many years and has co-authored four movie books about Hawai‘i, most recently "On Location in Hawai‘i, A Guide to Where Your Favorite Movies & TV Shows Were Filmed from Jurassic to Eternity."

Ed Rampell

Latest from Ed Rampell

Pro-Surfer Tatiana Weston-Webb rides the wild surf in new doc shot at Kaua‘i, O‘ahu, Tahiti and Beyond

Hawaiian martial arts master inaugurates “Warrior Women” exhibit at L.A. Museum

The latest made-in-Hawai‘i movie world premieres at L.A. Film Festival, Native Hawaiian actress wins award

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