HPR had the opportunity to speak with acting Lt. Gov. Keith Regan about his new role as lieutenant governor and how he balances his duties with his current role as the state comptroller for the state Department of Accounting and General Services, or DAGS.
Now, DAGS is embarking on an effort to survey and restore eight of Hawaiʻi’s cemeteries. The newly created Cemetery Office will be using drones to capture aerial images of the cemeteries to survey their current state.
HPR spoke with Regan and Central Services Division Administrator James Kurata about the state of Hawaiʻi’s cemeteries, how they’ve fallen into disrepair, and how DAGS plans to carry out the long overdue task of restoring them.
“So current state, it hasn't been maintained like a very active cemetery,” Kurata said, describing the condition of cemeteries across Hawaiʻi. “Headstones have become undulated. The terrain has sunk in. We're trying to keep it as presentable as possible.”
Drone surveys are underway to capture images of eight cemeteries on Oʻahu, Kauaʻi, and Hawaiʻi Island. The Cemetery Office and has been allocated $2.3 million to begin its work.
“We've got the permanent funding to be able to move forward, which is really exciting for me, because now we can do things like fix the fences and maintain the grounds better,” Regan said.
Referring to the headstones, he continued, “perhaps even repairing some of those so that we can show the kind of respect that is due to these individuals that are in our cemeteries that we're responsible for.”
This story aired on The Conversation on May 6, 2026. The Conversation airs weekdays at 11 a.m.
