Traffic A 33-year-old male pedestrian was killed and a 32-year-old woman was injured following a hit-and-run collision in Kaneohe early this morning that led to a chain-reaction crash involving two other vehicles the man was walking northbound on Kahekili Highway when an unknown motorist struck him while traveling northbound The motorist fled the scene without rendering aid The man was lying in the roadway when a motorist — a 52-year-old woman and her 19-year-old passenger — traveling northbound on the highway pulled over to assist A 55-year-old woman who was driving another vehicle approached the stopped vehicle and attempted to avoid a collision when she was rear-ended by another vehicle driven by a 40-year-old man with a 32-year-old female passenger Police reported the 40-year-old man’s vehicle collided with the 52-year-old woman’s parked vehicle and struck the man who was lying on the roadway The 32-year-old woman was taken to the area hospital in serious condition Police reported it was unknown whether speed drugs or alcohol were contributing factors in the collision at this time This marked the 24th traffic fatality on Oahu this year compared to 10 at the same time last year Any witnesses are asked to contact the Honolulu Police Department’s Traffic Division at 808-723-3413 Get the best experience and stay connected to your community with our Spectrum News app. Learn More Windward Oahu got its first off-leash dog park at the island’s newest City park: Kahua O Waikalua Neighborhood Park in Kaneohe.  Located at the makai-end of Kulauli Street the 3-acre park sits between Bay View Golf Course and the Kaneohe Pre-Treatment Facility.  The new park contains an off-leash dog park with separate areas for large and small dogs with the dog park closed on Thursdays from 7 a.m The dog park was made possible by the work of the Windward Dog Park Hui the area’s City Councilmember Esther Kia‘āina and several City and County of Honolulu agencies including the Department of Environmental Services who transferred the land to the Department of Parks and Recreation “Kahua O Waikalua Dog Park is Windward Oahu’s very first off-leash dog park and a long-awaited addition to our community,” said City Councilmember Esther Kia‘āina in a statement while giving pet owners a place to connect and foster a stronger sense of community.”  advocated for years for the new City park and its off-leash dog park Bay View Golf Course supported the creation of the park by realigning their adjacent 7th hole to minimize errant golf balls and providing public access into the park via their course Kia‘āina appropriated $250,000 from the City budget for the park DPR staff made improvements to the park by putting up fencing installing irrigation and pruning the trees.  This is the Honolulu Department of Parks and Recreation’s 10th off-leash dog park Honolulu Ocean Safety lifeguards and a good Samaritan boater today rescued three teenagers who got into trouble in bad weather while kayaking near Kipapa Island in Kaneohe Bay a 911 caller reported the three kayakers in distressed and were able to locate one at about 3:15 p.m The boy was brought safely to shore at Heeia Kea Pier and Ocean Safety officials were told that a good Samaritan boater had brought the other two boys safely to shore The three teens were not injured and did not require medical attention “Ocean Safety strongly advises the public to always check the weather conditions before going out onto the water,” the spokesperson said “Lifeguards also emphasize the use of wearing life jackets and carrying a cell phone when on an ocean watercraft including kayaks and boats.” A flash flood warning was in effect on Oahu for much of the afternoon as a storm system passed through the isles Share on FacebookShare on X (formerly Twitter)Share on PinterestShare on LinkedInHONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - A brand-new building at the Hawaii State Hospital in Kaneohe already needs nearly $40 million in repairs State officials faced outraged lawmakers Wednesday who want to know why the construction company isn’t being sued over multiple hidden defects Many of the same problems have been reported at Hale Hoola before what started as a relatively minor punch list of small defects has turned into a gut punch for taxpayers and questions from lawmakers about whether the state is being tough enough on Hensel Phelps the Colorado company that designed and built it Scot Matayoshi said he was “pissed” because he had defended the project to his Kaneohe constituents “I don’t know why the state is not going full force on these guys,” Matayoshi said “because they are costing us $40 million.” houses 144 of the most acutely mentally ill and dangerous patients safe and secure when it was finished in 2021 but problems like unsafe door handles and improperly installed shower drains delayed the opening state Public Works administrator Gordon Wood said problems like corroding metals and pipes filled with grout “Those are defects you can’t find until you start to tear things apart,” he said The state is asking lawmakers for $8 million for emergency repairs for safety and health and $28.8 million for long-term fixes “You have to remember that we are continuing to investigate and with latent defects we may find even more,” he said deputy health director for behavioral health said Hensel Phelps had failed to fix some of the issues and the problem comes back and then you fix it again and the problem is still there,” Tsuji said “If that’s the case we should be litigating right now.” Kim also said they are trying to work with the company without litigation “If we to get into it then they become defensive unfortunately and then it might become a more longer process,” he said Ikaika Olds acknowledged that the hospital is an essential resource but spending $40 million on a new building would outrage taxpayers “I am going to have a really hard time going back to my constituents and telling them we had to drop $40 million that we may or may not get back because we don’t want to go through litigation to make this company upset,‘” Olds said Lisa Marten pointed out that the $40 million would take away from other worthy projects then we would want it reimbursed so that we can use it for other important state projects,” she said “I just want to make sure that we are not giving Hensel Phelps a free ride.” said the state should have sued already to protect its rights and the evidence “I feel like we are really tiptoeing around,” Matayoshi said including health committee chair Gregg Takayama were also suspicious that that state construction inspectors and consultants also failed “There should have been some kind of proactive action before we accepted the building,” he said Hawaii News Now reached out via phone and email to Hensel Phelps and did not get a response The public works administrator said the company is still eligible to bid on state construction projects 00:07 Winds blow shingles on roof in Kaneohe HI Strong winds blow shingles on roof in Kaneohe This was part of a storm that brought heavy rain and wind across the islands The right lane and shoulder of H-3 freeway on Saturday will be closed for the filming of the movie “The Wrecking Crew,” according to the Hawaii Department of Transportation from near the quarry to the turnaround point outside Harano Tunnel The first traffic cone will be placed at 8 a.m Kaneohe-bound traffic may be held for 15 minutes on the Halawa side of the closure,” transportation officials said in a news release “The 15-minute holds will not be permitted more than four times during the 8 a.m DOT officials said they are allowing the closure to support the local film industry and that the production will be allocating funds toward equipment used in the maintenance of the Harano Tunnel facility “The Wrecking Crew” is a movie starring Jason Momoaand Dave Bautista Crime in Hawaii Honolulu police have arrested a 34-year-old man for second-degree assault after he allegedly punched an older man trying to separate their dogs from a fight on Monday in Kaneohe Police said in a bulletin that at about 5:50 a.m reported walking his dog at a park when it was attacked by the suspect’s dogs the suspect allegedly punched him in the face identified and arrested without incident and that he is in custody A 23-year-old man died and his two passengers were seriously injured in a high-speed crash in Kaneohe Tuesday night the driver lost control while heading northbound on Hui Kelu Street according to the Honolulu Police Department colliding with two unoccupied parked vehicles before slamming into a rock wall Paramedics transported the driver in critical condition to The Queen’s Medical Center where he later succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead were taken to a nearby hospital in serious condition Police said that none of the vehicle’s occupants were wearing seatbelts and excessive speed appears to have played a role in the crash alcohol and drugs are not believed to be factors Hawaii — Lanes on Kaneohe Bay Drive between the H-3 Freeway and Mokapu Boulevard will be partially closed for needed pavement repairs starting Monday according to the city’s Department of Facility Maintenance with an estimated completion date of Friday Motorists and pedestrians are asked to avoid the area and use alternate routes if possible abide by posted traffic signs and allow for extra travel time Special duty Honolulu Police Department officers will assist with traffic control Construction may restrict access to driveways to properties while work is being done but emergency access will be accommodated as needed Contact the company with any questions are concerns at 808-679-7167 This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page By Kevin Knodell Editors' Picks Four of the Blue Angels aircraft make a parade flyover in tight formation as part of a Kaneohe Bay Air Show at Marine Corps Base Hawaii The finale of a Blue Angels performance at a Kaneohe Bay Air Show in 2022 Already a Honolulu Star-Advertiser subscriber? Log in now to continue reading Two members of the Navy’s iconic Blue Angels were in town recently for a planning meeting in preparation for their participation in the Kaneohe Bay Air Show in August Hawaii will be just one of 32 air shows the squadron is slated to participate in over the course of 2025 beginning March 15 with the Naval Air Facility El Centro Festival of Flight in California The Blue Angels last performed at the Kaneohe Bay Air Show in 2022 and the squadron was the subject of a 2024 documentary aired on Amazon’s streaming service centering on the team’s 2022 tour Scott Laux — two pilots with the squadron — are making the rounds across the country to plan as well as gin up publicity for the upcoming shows “We’ve already visited all of the locations on the East Coast kind of everything east of the Rockies,” Montana told reporters at Marine Corps Base Hawaii “And now with the team in El Centro for winter training we get to go visit all of our West Coast shows to kind of lay the foundation for the team’s arrival this August.” The Blue Angels — formally known as the U.S Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron — were established by Adm Shortly after his promotion from commander of the Pacific Fleet in Hawaii to chief of naval operations at the Pentagon Nimitz tasked a group of aviators to “showcase the teamwork and professionalism of the United States Navy and Marine Corps by inspiring a culture of excellence and service to country through flight demonstrations and community outreach.” They’re known for their blue-and-gold aircraft and stunt flying and are the second-oldest formal aerial acrobatics team in the world after France’s Patrouille de France In 2024 the Blue Angels were the subject of a documentary on Amazon’s streaming service “Our aircraft are painted blue and gold We want the public to know what the Navy and the Marine Corps are doing for the country.” Part of that includes engagements with schools and youth organizations that Montana said are in part aimed at getting youngsters interested in technology and science service to country looks different to every single individual It’s not necessarily military service but it’s something that’s very important Montana said an event like the Kaneohe Bay Air Show requires tons of logistics from planning flight schedules with other participants But she said that as the Angels return to Oahu they have plans for “a couple surprises but folks that come to K-Bay and come to the air show twirling at high speeds pushes the pilots and their planes to their limits Since the founding of the Blue Angels after World War II 26 members of the group have died during practice flights or performances that it’s very important that all the pilots are operating on the same cadence as the flight leader,” Laux said “So if the flight leader is going to turn the formation left there’s not enough room between the jets to have everyone not do it at the exact same time.” The squadron operates on a budget of roughly $37 million a year the military grounded both the Blue Angels and the Air Force’s similar Thunderbirds amid annual budget shortfalls the Navy said that it was one of “many steps the Navy is taking to ensure resources are in place to support forces operating forward now and those training to relieve them.” But the Blue Angels returned to the skies the following year When asked what he would tell people who questioned whether the team’s operations were worth the money Laux pointed to the stated public outreach mission and said “I would challenge anyone who asked that question to find a better resource than the Blue Angels to execute that mission and I think that we have the right type of organization to execute it.” In Hawaii the Navy has been working to repair its image since a 2021 jet fuel leak from the service’s underground Red Hill facility entered its water system The military has since removed fuel from the underground tanks but is still working to fully clean up remediate and shut down the site — which sits just 100 feet above an aquifer that most of Honolulu relies on for drinking water Some critics have charged that the Angels’ flight acrobatics unnecessarily burn fuel emit pollution and subject communities to loud noise In a column for the Seattle Times in August regarding the Angels’ participation in the annual Seafair festival in Puget Sound “It’s time to salute and say goodbye to the Blue Angels at Seafair Although we need skilled fighter pilots to defend our nation and our allies from enemies these airshows cause significant health harm.” the Kane­ohe Bay Air Show is one of the biggest events on Oahu bringing in thousands of enthusiastic island residents annually to watch It’s also one of the few events where members of the general public are able to go on base and interact with service members there Laux said the Angels play an important role as a symbol for people to inspire them to push themselves to be their best at any endeavor whether to protect the nation or protect the environment “As long as we are inspiring people to that culture of excellence be excellent at whatever you do,” Laux said if you’re an adult with a job or anything in between be excellent at whatever you do and find a way to give back to your country The 2025 Kaneohe Bay Air Show is set to take place Aug. 9-10 and is free for all ages. Preferred seating will be available for purchase closer to the event itself. For more information and updates, visit kaneohebayairshow.com Hawaii — Work to repair surface erosion at the base of Kaneohe Dam’s embankment will begin Aug announced the City and County of Honolulu’s Department of Design and Construction The work project includes clearing vegetation and installing permanent erosion control matting on eroded areas of the slope The goal is to stabilize the embankment and prevent debris from entering the access road to the park resulting in structural integrity and erosion control and safety Pending weather and other unknown conditions The project is estimated to be completed by next fall Hoʻomaluhia Botanical Garden will remain open but the project area will be closed to visitors who are asked to avoid this section of the garden is a nod to tradition and offers a taste of what’s next The Honolulu Fire Department’s Air 1 rescue helicopter was called into action Saturday in two incidents involving hikers who ran into trouble on Oahu trails reporting an injured hiker on the Mount Kaala Trail in Waianae and responded with six units staffed with 16 personnel The first unit arrived on scene at 4:52 p.m. and secured a landing zone for air operations were hiking when one of member of the group was injured and unable to descend the trail on his ow Air 1 dropped rescue personnel on the trail where they made their way on foot to the hiker’s location at 5:31 p.m The hiking party was escorted to the pickup point where Air 1 safely transported the injured hiker to the landing zone where his care was transferred to Emergency Medical Services at 6:16 p.m The remaining hikers were taken to the landing zone reporting a stranded hiker above the Likeke Trail in Kaneohe Four units staffed with 12 personnel responded at the Nuuanu Reservoir to establish a command HFD said a man in his 40s was hiking when he became stranded near the ridge and was unable to descend the trail on his own Rescue personnel were dropped at the hiker’s location and he was transported by Air 1 to a landing zone at 5:45 p.m. By Pat Gee COURTESY KANEOHE HIGASHI HONGWANJI MISSION became resident minister of the Kaneohe temple in 1952 Higashi members and volunteers built a new temple in 1963 which still stands today on Kea’ahala Road in the heart of Kaneohe A Japanese immigrant women’s group assembled at the original cottage that was used as the Kaneohe Higashi Hongwanji Mission in 1924 when a Buddhist group was recognized as an affiliate by Higashi Hongwanji headquarters in Kyoto Mary Matsuda and June Weled — the late Rev Nobuo Matsumoto — was the first resident minister at Kaneohe Higashi Hongwanji As the Kaneohe Higashi Hongwanji Mission celebrates its 100th anniversary this month who grew up at the temple while her father was minister reflected on the large role Buddhist temples played in supporting Japanese members struggling with their American identities in the wake of World War II “The temple was in its own way a microcommunity where you had all these families going through transitional times and were able to find social emotional and psychological comfort by being with like people,” Matsuda said “It would be wonderful to bring that sense of community back being kind to each other,” an integral part of the temple’s legacy who has been involved in Higashi’s leadership most of her life The anniversary was celebrated with an Oct 5 bon dance at Windward Mall and a special service and luncheon Saturday at the temple Joining Matsuda and sister Joyce Matsumoto in preparing for the celebration were two other sisters: June Weled of Tacoma As youngsters they helped their parents with all the programs offered — among them Sunday school cooking and language classes — and cleaned the temple every Saturday “Everybody has really fond memories of growing up in Kaneohe when it really was a rural town” in a farming community They especially remember the Japanese language classes held after regular school a program that also offered sports and other activities Weled said she wasn’t a devout Buddhist when she married and moved to the mainland as a young woman But with age and experience has come some wisdom Weled said her return visits to the temple for special occasions are to honor her parents and how hard they worked Hatakeyama said she admired her father for drawing everyone together in 1963 to raise funds and build the temple She remembers her mother cooking lunch and dinner to feed the volunteer workers “Everybody worked hard in their own way,” she said “It was a real labor of love to build a new temple.” The members contributed their construction skills and general labor It was true dedication for the volunteers to give up their weekends were held in Japanese internment camps on the mainland As the temple’s first resident minister in 1952 which had been taken over by the military to be used as a medical headquarters/infirmary during the war Hawaii had been under martial law because there were so many Japanese residents whose loyalty to the U.S the whole Japanese community in general was reeling from an identity crisis with the language barriers to Americanization (and) the challenge of getting their children to become Americans,” said Matsuda over 300 children would go to the Higashi temple for Japanese language classes so they could still communicate with their grandparents and parents a way to finding our own identity” as Americans “The temple offered normalcy and encouragement a safe haven for the children to be confident in their own identity because in English school we were not comfortable with our identity because we didn’t speak well or we didn’t understand a lot of things that American children did,” Matsuda said “I was the meek nobody in English school,” she added but she flourished as a person at the temple emphasizing the importance of university educations for his daughters She has immense gratitude for their upbringing and the example set by her parents which is not a religion but a philosophy of life.” As children they learned to emulate their parents’ values “There are millions who struggle to understand life and seek release from suffering (citing) Buddha’s Four Noble Truths is to offer a place to help people find their way comfort and find the meaning of the Buddha’s immeasurable light and wisdom,” Matsuda said Only a handful of members keep the temple running on a voluntary basis largely with the help of Matsuda’s co-chairman of the board who also acts as treasurer and a lay minister Nakamoto conducts chanting at the weekly service and informal dharma discussions Guest ministers and staff from the main Higashi temple in Liliha help fill the gaps The temple is experiencing dwindling membership and has been without a regular minister since May and the majority are in their 70s — about 60 to 65 people total She said COVID-19 significantly reduced attendance said we’re going to do our best to keep the temple open,” Nakamoto said “We were one of the only temples that stayed open (with safety protocols in place) let’s keep it open because people are so isolated at home … I was really pushing for that because to lose even the core group it’s going to be so difficult to get anybody back.” Nakamoto envisions the temple offering a variety of activities and classes to draw the community a converted Quonset hut built by the military during the war that could be utilized for fitness activities for older adults Adjoining classrooms could hold Japanese language lauhala weaving and other cultural classes “It’s going to take a lot of energy and support,” said Nakamoto who hopes the 100th anniversary celebration will “ignite awareness and be the start of a brighter future.” By Dan Nakaso Editors' PicksElection 2024 5 against a fellow Native Hawaiian who’s a generation older to represent a vast and diverse district that runs from the northern end of Kaneohe up the Windward side and across the North Shore to Mokuleia Kaneohe-Laie- Mokuleia) insists he’s not campaigning won’t post a single yard sign or take donations but wants to continue to serve his community where he grew up wrestling for the Kahuku High School Red Raiders He’s running for reelection by “doing it for nothing,” Awa said “We’re going to do it the way it should be done.” Awa used his background as a television news anchor coupled with his video skills and Instagram following to report on a water well leak of 1 million gallons a month in Mokuleia that persisted for at least 10 years Army leases the state land and Awa said an Army general saw his video and prompted the state Department of Transportation to have the leak fixed within two weeks saving both water and money on an island where residents have been asked to use water cautiously “I have also used my ability to communicate I just tell people the facts and let them form their own opinions.” who traces his Hawaiian ancestry back centuries in and around Kahana Bay where he lives Shafer works as a technician for the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees and represented his union on the Hawaii’s union umbrella He opposed expansion of the Turtle Bay Resort and has the backing of powerful unions and former elected officials some of whom served in office a generation ago Shafer supports term limits for state legislators who make up the only elected body in Hawaii that does not face a timetable to leave office He also wants public campaign financing for all Hawaii politicians which proponents argue will help reduce their dependence on donors and the risk of political corruption and bribery Shafer wants to look at best practices around the world to gird Windward Oahu and the North Shore against climate change sea level rise and other damage that continues to batter the only road in and out of the coastal region and sometimes leads beachfront homes collapsing onto the sand along the North Shore He’s particularly interested in the possibility of building up Hawaii’s reefs to better protect against pounding waves “We need to supersize our resources,” Shafer said “All of the islands need to have reef protection so waves won’t be beating up the shoreline and eroding the land All we need is one big storm and all the areas that are susceptible will be beaten up.” The general election will test the will of voters in a district that more socially and religiously conservative Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders farther up the Windward side — especially around Laie — and a mix of progressives and conservatives on the North Shore “It’s obviously going to be a close race,” said Colin Moore who teaches public policy at the University of Hawaii and serves as associate professor at the University of Hawaii Economic Research Organization It’s a purple district and we don’t have a lot of those in Hawaii.” 10 party primaries resulted in a dismal turnout of 32.3% of registered voters bothering to cast ballots Awa won his Republican primary with 2,314 votes Shafer won his Democratic primary with 3,359 votes But low turnout among both Republicans and Democrats could rebound in November when former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris square off in a race in which polling shows a statistical draw And higher turnout could translate into more votes for Democratic and Republican candidates in Hawaii races further down the ballot Senate District 23 represents “a race where the presidential election could play a role in driving turnout,” Moore said “It’s a place where both Democrats and Republicans draw support.” Voters have a choice between a more traditional Democrat in Shafer and a nontraditional “The two candidates are so different in their approach to politics and campaigning,” Moore said deeply rooted in the community and known for his opposition to the Turtle Bay expansion He’s a union member with a traditional door-to-door campaign Moore called the incumbent a different kind of Hawaii legislator who fights for populist causes over mainland-style “culture wars,” such as Awa’s unsuccessful bill that would have barred foreign purchases of island homes to discourage vacation rentals and make more homes available for local families The bill cleared the Senate but failed to get a hearing in the House Awa said he plans to introduce it again in the upcoming legislative session he told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser that opponents argue the commerce clause of the U.S Constitution bars individual states from creating similar laws which needs an estimated 50,000 more affordable homes across the islands to pass a law and defend it in the court system Moore called Awa “charismatic” and “tremendously good at social media With his background as a news anchor and professional- looking Instagram page he’s one of the most talented guys in the Legislature for earned media Awa and Shafer “both have a strong group of core supporters,” Moore said Shafer unsuccessfully ran for the Honolulu City Council 10 years ago on a campaign of “Keep the Country Country.” He came in third but insisted that his main goal was to keep the issue in the spotlight “It was about making sure that message is loud and clear.” Before Hee entered the Democratic Party primary Shafer said he only ran for the Senate this year to make sure the race was competitive which he believes is healthy for the state and Hawaii politics “There should be opposition in every race,” he said He declined to criticize either Hee or Awa “I don’t want anything negative said about three Hawaiians,” Shafer said One of Awa’s first efforts after taking office in 2022 was to help renegotiate approximately 90 state land leases in Waiahole where farmers and home renters faced increases of 550% when their state leases expired We helped get them a rate that everyone agreed to after they realized we’re not going to lose our homes.’ We prevented Waiahole residents from losing their homes right off the bat.” He unsuccessfully introduced a bill requiring “food trees” be planted on state lands Awa worked with DOT Director Ed Sniffen to allow two community planting projects on opposite ends of his district that brought families out to help replace trees damaged by the invasive coconut rhinoceros beetle and learn about trees that Awa called not necessarily indigenous but “canoe crops” brought by the original sea voyagers from Tahiti Another of Awa’s Instagram videos generated donations to pay for trees machinery and labor for ulu and mountain apple trees on state land in Kahaluu and dwarf coconut trees on state land in Haleiwa Awa was on the Senate committee that recommend to the full Senate that Sniffen be confirmed as DOT director He insisted he did not “leverage” his vote for Sniffen to clear the way for community projects on state land Their relationship goes back to when Awa covered Sniffen as a journalist and “we have a bruddah to bruddah relationship,” Awa said We went back to the media days where relationships form when you’re not a Republican Awa said he frequently crosses the political aisle to work with Democrats on projects that benefit their communities to help Marine Corps Base Hawaii upgrade its water- recycling plant so it can recycle water for landscaping rather use drinkable water Keohokalole chairs the Senate Native Hawaiian Caucus and co-chairs the Legislative Native Hawaiian Caucus When it comes to addressing community needs With Jarrett we’re not a typical Democrat or Republican Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page.