ASD Staff

Hawaiʻi Scene on Social

[{"text":"Everybody happy dance!","type":"text"}]

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<title>Hawai‘i Scene on Social: "A good day in Hawai‘i"</title>

Kveekz on Instagram is today's social media find, celebrating some pleasant surprises.

Hawai‘i Scene on Social: "A good day in Hawai‘i"

Stephanie Salmons Headshot

Stephanie Salmons

Business & Tourism

A 30-year-old Boston man trying to get a closer glimpse of the ongoing eruption of Kīlauea volcano was rescued by first responders on Wednesday, June 11, after falling 30 feet from a steep cliff in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park.

Park officials said Friday that the man, who suffered minor facial injuries, fell after venturing off Byron Ledge Trail.

"He told search-and-rescue rangers that he wanted a closer look at the Kīlauea volcano eruption and got too close to the sheer cliff edge," an announcement from HVPN noted. The man did not have a headlamp or flashlight. 

The park said that a tree broke the man's fall and kept him from plummeting another 100 feet or so to the caldera floor — a drop that could have killed him.

According to the announcement, park dispatch was alerted to the incident around 9 p.m. that night. Its search-and-rescue team "responded quickly and performed a high-angle rescue 

that involved rappelling down the steep, heavily vegetated cliff face and hoisting the man to safety."

There's been an influx of visitors to HVNP since Kīlauea's current eruption in Halema‘uma‘u crater within Kaluapele, the summit caldera, began Dec. 23, 2024.

Park spokesperson Jessica Ferracane told Aloha State Daily in an email Friday that there have been two eruption-related search and rescues since the start of the current eruption.

, at night, you should bring a head lamp or flashlight — and stay away from cliff edges.

"There are steep and undercut cliff edges with nearly 500-foot drops along the caldera rim," she told ASD in May. "Stay on trail and out of closed areas. There are plenty of safe overlooks along Crater Rim Trail and the caldera rim to safely watch eruptive activity."

[{"type":"text","text":"The park on Friday shared similar warnings about volcanic hazards:"}]

— Stay on marked trails and overlooks, and don't approach cracks in the earth or cliff edges, which are often unstable, undercut or hidden by vegetation or loose rocks.

[{"type":"text","text":"— Don't climb over rock walls, railings or safety barriers."}]

[{"type":"text","text":"— Keep an eye on the people in your group, especially children."}]

— Carry a flashlight or headlamp at night and wear sturdy footwear with good traction while hiking. Learn more about the park's 

The eruption is in a closed area of the park, but is visible from many overlooks along the caldera rim, announcement said.

The U.S. Geological Survey Hawaiian Volcano Observatory 

 that episodes of lava fountaining have occurred about once a week since the eruption started. Episode 25 started around noon and ended around 8:08 p.m. Wednesday. Lava fountains reached more than 1,000 feet high, the park noted.

HVNP rescue1

<title>Visitor rescued after fall in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park</title>

Park officials say the 30-year-old Boston man told search-and-rescue rangers that he wanted a closer look at the Kīlauea eruption.

Visitor rescued after fall in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park

On the hunt for handcrafted spices, jewelry, clothing and swimwear, snacks and more? The companies included in Mana Up's 10th cohort 

 a new batch of Hawai‘i's emerging entrepreneurs 

Mana Up, a business accelerator and venture fund founded by Meli James and Brittany Heyd, introduces Hawai‘i-based companies to global markets. It recently announced its 10th cohort of companies from across the Islands.

These businesses will go through a six-month accelerator program focused on helping them scale their business, "with mentorship in brand development, e-commerce, global market expansion and storytelling," Mana Up said in a recent announcement.

Just 10 businesses were selected from a record 201 applicants this year. They are:

 from Hanapēpē. Owned and operated by Keiko Napier, the company creates artisan spice blends, rubs gourmet sea salts. 

 from the North Shore. Owned by artist Arlie Pemberton, the company creates handcrafted glass flowers and lei inspired by Hawaiian flora.

 from Kāne‘ohe. Founded and owned by mixed martial arts fighter Pierre Daguzan, the artisan charcuterie company uses locally sourced ingredients and traditional French recipes.

 from Kapa‘a. Founded by Billy Carter, the artisan snack offers kettle-roasted macadamias, almonds and pecans in local flavors, using locally sourced ingredients.

, a Maui-based lifestyle brand founded by Keani Le‘a Barnes known for its ocean- and nature-inspired designs.

 from ‘Aiea. Owned by Leilani Sills, the company offers children’s clothing celebrating Hawaiian language and island culture through its designs.

 from O‘ahu, is a sustainable swimwear brand co-owned by Julia Muniz Robinson and Cayla Moore that creates eco-conscious swimwear.

 from Hilo. Owned by Tim Johnson, the company offers cold brew and loose-leaf teas made with locally grown ingredients like mamaki.

 from Kailua-Kona. Founded by licensed esthetician Amanda Richards, the company offers all-natural bath and body products handcrafted with local ingredients.

 from O‘ahu, a locally rooted golf and lifestyle brand founded Ian Pantorilla and Branden Agbunag, offers golf apparel for men, women and keiki.

"We love strong entrepreneurs that show execution, coachability, and positivity — an excitement for scaling their companies," James told Aloha State Daily in an email, when asked how the 10 businesses were selected from the 200-plus applicants and what makes an application stand out. "Every year, different factors come into play, whether they’re global trends, consumer behavior, agricultural components, cultural components.

"There’s no perfect answer, and it’s always shifting," she continued. "But we’ve been so impressed with the number of applicants and how we’ve been able to grow — not only the product offerings, but also the different islands and types of entrepreneurs we work with."

[{"type":"text","text":"James said Mana Up received 80 applications in 2018 for its first cohort."}]

"This upward trend underscores Mana Up's expanding impact in fostering local entrepreneurship and promoting Hawai‘i-made products on a global stage," she said.

Since its inception, Mana Up has worked with 105 businesses. According to the organization, alumni of the program generated more than $105 million in revenue last year alone, and have created more than 1,035 jobs across the state since joining the program.

The program culminates later this year with the Mana Up Showcase Broadcast and Global Livestream on Oct. 26, followed by an in-person Showcase Marketplace Nov. 6.

To learn more about the accelerator program, visit 

, and to shop products from the company’s entrepreneurs, visit 

Mana Up Cohort 10

<title>Mana Up announces newest cohort</title>

These 10 businesses will go through a six-month accelerator program focused on helping them scale their business.

Mana Up announces newest cohort

Square Mike Brestovansky Headshot RGZ3736 Large

Michael Brestovansky

Government & Politics

Prison reform advocates have urged Gov. Josh Green to reconsider a $30 million investment into a “superjail” to replace the O‘ahu Community Correctional Center.

 currently on Green’s desk includes an item dedicating $30 million for plans, land acquisition, design and construction for a new OCCC to replace the current aging and dilapidated jail.

The full replacement jail is estimated to cost upwards of $900 million and would have more than 1,300 beds, compared to OCCC’s 950.

But a coalition of reform groups gathered at Green’s office Wednesday urging him to strike that item from the budget.

“Hawai’i is at a crossroads,” said Liam Chinn, coordinator of the Reimagining Public Safety in Hawai‘i Coalition, a group of organizations and residents that promotes “decarceration” policies. “We can either spend a billion dollars on a superjail or pursue more cost-effective solutions.”

Chinn said that increasing the total number of beds at the jail will only incentivize law enforcement agencies to fill them, which will inevitably lead to the same overcrowding and understaffing issues that already plague OCCC.

[{"type":"text","text":"“This means more kanaka maoli will be put in cages,” Chinn said."}]

Chinn said that about 60% of Hawai‘i's jail population are merely being held pre-trial for minor crimes, and needn’t be imprisoned at all if they could just afford bail.

Chinn acknowledged that OCCC’s current conditions are unacceptable, but added that any new jail facility will take five years or more to actually be usable. Decarceration policies, he said, are quicker.

The state should therefore invest in a smaller facility to improve conditions at OCCC and a “historic expansion” of social programs and crisis centers to divert offenders from prisons and toward rehabilitative services, Chinn said.

Nikos Leverenz of the Drug Policy Forum of Hawai‘i said it costs about $200 a day to keep someone incarcerated in the state, but, according to the National Center for Drug Abuse Statistics, Hawai‘i is the third cheapest state in the nation for outpatient drug rehabilitation services.

“Not many things are cheap in this state,” Leverenz said. “But treatment is.”

Carrie Ann Shirota, ALCU of Hawai‘i's policy director, said municipalities in states such as New Jersey and Indiana have introduced programs that have decreased incarceration rates and also crime rates. For example, bail reform policies in Indiana’s Cass County reduced the county’s pre-trial jail population by 80%, through a series of reforms that allowed people who couldn’t afford bail for minor offenses recourse.

The coalition presented a series of budget recommendations to Green’s office, which urged the governor to pause planning for the jail and instead invest $250 million into “diversion infrastructure” — policies aimed at connecting offenders to support and treatment services.

Those recommendations noted that 40% of Hawai‘i's jail population are homeless, which, along with poor reentry programs to help ease former inmates back into society, results in high recidivism rates. The state should instead into permanent supportive housing programs, the coalition recommended.

While that investment would be high — the coalition recommended a minimum of $150 per year — Chinn said such programs cost an average of $30,000 per person per year, compared to the $112,000 per person per year it costs to incarcerate someone.

Other recommended investments included $80 million in workforce training programs, $200 million in mental health and substance abuse treatment, and $75 million in youth development programs.

Green was not present to receive the coalition’s recommendations, however.

[{"type":"text","text":"The deadline for Green to announce what he intends to veto is June 24."}]

IMG 5964 16x9

<title>Prison reform coalition urges Gov. Green to halt OCCC "superjail"</title>

Advocates asked Green to veto $30 million in state budget to design a 1,300-bed replacement for OCCC.

Prison reform coalition urges Gov. Green to halt OCCC "superjail"

Lopaka and Tanya Kapanui

Lopaka Kapanui and Tanya Kapanui

Hawaii History

Columnists

Imagine wandering through Nu‘uanu Valley in the late 1700s; no framed houses or churches, no golf club, no paved roads. Try to picture what it must have looked like: a lush rainforest that gives way to sweeping lo‘i kalo, the irrigated terraces where Hawaiians farmed taro, and kauhale, groups of traditional Hawaiian homes. Cool streams teeming with ‘o‘opu (goby fish) and ‘ōpae (freshwater shrimp) wove through the land. Before any paved road connected Honolulu to the Windward side of O‘ahu, footpaths traversed the valley and beyond.

In 1795, the valley saw one of the greatest battles in Hawai‘i history, Kaleleaka‘anae, the Battle of Nu‘uanu, when O‘ahu chief Kalanikupule and his 9,000 warriors attempted to defend their reign against Kamehameha and his invading army of 12,000 warriors from Hawai‘i Island. From the beaches of Waikīkī toward the top of the valley, the violent clash of armies fought desperately to conquer the opposing side. This single, bloody battle was the defining moment in Kamehameha’s attempt at bringing the Hawaiian Islands under one rule.

After the fighting was done and the bodies were buried, after the lo‘i were repaired and replanted, life returned to normal for most people. But the imprint of violence, desperation, and death remained on the land, with much of it culminating on this quiet stretch of road.

Nu‘uanu Pali Drive is the site of numerous tragedies, including the infamous murder of Therese Wilder by a pair of escaped convicts in 1948. But that’s not all.

Old Hawai‘i newspapers show that between 1949 and 1957, there were nearly 200 accidents on this two-mile stretch of pavement, with dozens of injuries and several deaths. Although this treacherous drive was known for its sharp, nearly 90-degree turns, speeders weren’t deterred and were soon caught in the clutches of the “death curve” and Morgan’s Corner.

After the Department of Transportation smoothed out the sharpest bends and built the Pali Highway, car crashes became less frequent, but the weight in the air never lifted. Morgan’s Corner and Judd Trail, both tucked along Nu‘uanu Pali Drive, soon gained a reputation for being haunted. A homicide in the 1980s and a suicide in the 1990s only deepened the sense of unease, feeding the legends that still cling to that area. To this day, thrill seekers flock to that lonely road in search of those chicken skin moments and perhaps hoping to glimpse a ghost.

Aside from the hauntings and eerie feelings along the Nu‘uanu Pali Drive, there are other things, more ancient and more spiritual.

A few years ago, I met author and paranormal enthusiast David Weatherly. David has a breadth of knowledge and a calm, cool energy about him, which makes conversations fun and enlightening. While showing him around the island, I shared some history of Hawai‘i and stories about haunted locations. I drove up Nu‘uanu Pali Drive and parked on the wrong side of the road in front of the Board of Water Supply building. There, I began to explain the Battle of Nu‘uanu and the history of the night marchers. As if on cue, a strange mist appeared before us in the middle of the road. Really strange.

It hovered in front of us like a large, floating sphere. Its lower tendrils drifted upward, then curled inward, folding back into its center as if breathing in itself.

[{"type":"text","text":"“That’s an interesting kind of fog,” David mused."}]

[{"type":"text","text":"“I don’t think that’s fog,” I replied."}]

As it approached us, the mist became thicker, almost more solid-looking. Instinctively, we sat still and said nothing. The ghostly sphere seemed to move with intent as it slowly passed us, constantly churning in a slow, unnatural loop. We watched through the car mirrors as it glided into the forest and then back out again, continuing along the roadway, never dissipating, still in the shape of an odd, floating ball. We wouldn’t talk about it for the rest of the drive until we got to Zippy’s.

Then, all David had to say while nodding and chewing on his food was, “Night marchers. Had to be.”

Another witness to strange things on that lonely road is a now-retired Honolulu Police Officer and respected friend.

On a rainy November night in 2019, I received a phone call a little after midnight. It was my friend, the police officer I’ll call “M.” There was a bit of hesitation in his voice as he asked me if I could come out and bless his car.

[{"type":"text","text":"“Tonight?” I asked."}]

[{"type":"text","text":"He replied, “Yeah, right now, if can.”"}]

Without pause, I told M that I’d be right there. Since we were both up, my wife came with me, and we met him at the top of Nu‘uanu Pali Drive, where he was parked. M was supervising traffic while a construction crew worked on repaving the Pali Highway. When we arrived, M was waiting outside his car. We shook hands, and he immediately began to explain that just before calling me, he was sitting in his car and was amazed to see an army of pueo (Hawaiian short-eared owls) fly by, heading ma kai (toward the ocean) on Nu‘uanu Pali Drive. Shortly after, night marchers quietly followed the path set by the pueo.

M said he was so stunned by what he saw that he hadn’t immediately noticed the lone pueo flying around in his car, which he said was impossible since his windows were rolled up. That’s when he jumped out of his car and called me.

Though the road has changed, its history continues to linger. From ancient legends to modern tragedies, Nuʻuanu Pali Drive still carries the weight of its past as the stories of hauntings pass from one generation to the next, reminders that some places remember.

Nuuanu Pali Drive Mauka 2

<title>Beware Nu‘uanu Pali Drive</title>

Lush and beautiful as it may be, Nu‘uanu Valley also has a dark side as the site of the battle that defined King Kamehameha's Hawai‘i and as the home to infamously haunted Morgan's Corner.

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Authors

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