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We often talk about what Civil Beat can bring to the community that no one else is offering.

One of those things is Chad Blair.

When we found Chad in 2010, he had grown fond of drinking martinis with business execs in Waikiki and flying around the islands in corporate jets. And yet, somehow, we pried him away from his gig at Pacific Business News.

Over the past three years, he’s traded executive boardrooms for political back rooms, becoming one of Hawaii’s most savvy and sought-after political scribes. He’s a frequent panelist, a veteran debate moderator and a regular TV and radio contributor.

And now he’s a columnist. This week Chad began a new chapter by bringing his unique Chad chatter to politics and island culture in his new column, Hawaii’s Hanging Chad. (I liked Little Grass Hack but was outvoted.)

Chad’s such a perfect political columnist that we wonder why we didn’t throw him into that particular assignment before now. He’s been a writer, editor and teacher for more than 20 years, with a Ph.D. in American studies from the University of Hawaii Manoa. (Yes, that’s his mom who proudly — and frequently — applauds “Dr. Blair” in the comments that follow his stories on our site.)

His dissertation, “Democracy in Hawaii: Class, Race and Gender in Local Politics” (1996), was published as “Money, Color and Sex in Hawaii Politics” (Mutual Publishing; 1998). Even now, he has a deep interest in how Hawaii’s fascinating mix of culture affects politics and policy here. He is intrigued by island life (possibly because he grew up on an island in the South Pacific).

That’s where he learned to play the guitar, too. And if you’re a real Chad groupie you can hear his band, Jeff Said No, on many Saturday nights at the On Stage Drinks & Grinds on Kapahulu.

Chad is just one of the unique voices you’ll find only in Civil Beat. He joins longtime Hawaii investigative reporter and blogger Ian Lind (Hawaii Monitor), veteran international and military affairs reporter and editor Richard Halloran (The Rising East) and our education commentator Michael Wooten (Hawaii Teacher), a U.S. Army veteran turned high school teacher.

We’ve also added longtime political cartoonist John Pritchett to our weekly lineup of people who have something provocative — and we hope important — to say about Hawaii.

Civil Beat has always been about engaging and encouraging community debate. As we continue to grow, we hope to add more local voices to our lineup who will give you more to talk about.

Meanwhile, there is still plenty of news to cover. And, as much as we would have liked The Royal Baby to have been the only big event of the week, Hawaii was overflowing with news that caught our attention. Here are 10 more stories in case you missed them:

• Who’s Backing Who for Hawaii’s U.S. Senate Seat?

• NSA Says It Can’t Search Its Own Emails

• Did Honolulu Commit $10 Million in Mistakes on Ala Wai Pipe Fix?

• UH Profs: Same-Sex Marriage Good For Hawaii

• The Breakfast Club That Poor Children in Hawaii Just Won’t Join

• What Should Hawaii Do For Micronesians?

• Despite Honolulu’s Own Investigation, Questions Remain About ORI

• FACT CHECK — Hanabusa: ‘I Voted Against the Sequester.’

• Homeless in Hawaii? State Will Fly You Back to Family on Mainland

• Bankrupt Company’s Fobs Shortcircuit Electric Car-Charging System