Katie Helland Headshot

Katie Helland

Entertainment

Hawaii History

Looking to relax this summer? The Battleship Missouri Memorial is inviting the military community to center themselves through yoga with free classes at the nearby pier.

The sessions are taught by Jen DeForest, a certified yoga instructor and the spouse of a retired combat veteran. Bring a yoga matt and water bottle.

Yoga will be offered at 6 p.m. on Tuesdays from June 10 through Aug. 12. The event is free but donations to the USS Missouri Memorial Association for the vessel’s preservation are encouraged.

Battleship Missouri Memorial

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The USS Missouri served in World War II, the Korean War and Desert Storm. Since opening as a memorial in January of 199, it has attracted more than 10 million visitors from around the world. The vessel was the site of Japan’s formal surrender in Tokyo Bay on Sept. 2, 1945.

<title>Free summer yoga near Battleship Missouri Memorial</title>

The military community can enjoy free yoga on Tuesdays on the pier in front of the Battleship Missouri Memorial this summer. Participants must have base access.

Free summer yoga near Battleship Missouri Memorial

Looking to relax this summer? The Battleship Missouri Memorial is inviting the military community to center themselves through yoga with free classes at the nearby pier. The sessions are taught by Jen DeForest, a certified yoga instructor and the spouse of a retired combat veteran. Bring a yoga matt and water bottle. Yoga will be offered at 6 p.m. on Tuesdays from June 10 through Aug. 12. The event is free but donations to the USS Missouri Memorial Association for the vessel’s preservation are encouraged.  Attendees must have base access. The USS Missouri served in World War II, the Korean War and Desert Storm. Since opening as a memorial in January of 199, it has attracted more than 10 million visitors from around the world. The vessel was the site of Japan’s formal surrender in Tokyo Bay on Sept. 2, 1945. Details.

Stephanie Salmons Headshot

Stephanie Salmons

Government & Politics

After state agriculture inspectors captured a live 

 in a Kaimukī backyard this week, we were curious: what happens to the captured animal? And what happens to other invasive stowaways that might find themselves in Hawai‘i?

Aloha State Daily reached out to the state Department of Agriculture to find out.

HDOA said earlier this week that the slithering serpent — which appeared to be docile while it was captured, likely making it an escaped pet — was being safeguarded at the department's 

, the first line of defense when it comes to keeping pests out of the Islands.

Jonathan Ho, manager of the Plant Quarantine Branch, said in emailed responses provided to ASD by a department spokesperson that illegal animals are held under a security protocol at the PQB to prevent escape.

When a snake, like the one found in Kaimukī, is captured, he says PQB will hold the animal and may use it for outreach and educational purposes. Eventually, though, PQB will "arrange for a shipment of reptiles to a zoo or wildlife refuge on the Mainland."

In 2024 alone, a live nonvenomous gopher snake was found in a container of Christmas trees being unloaded in Hilo, the department 

. Another non-venomous ball python was found in a Waipahu home in 

, and a non-venomous gopher snake was found in a shipping container in Molokai in 

, a venomous yellow-bellied sea snake was found washed ashore at Honoli‘i Beach in Hilo.

Snakes have no natural predators in the Islands and pose a threat to Hawai‘i's environment "because they compete with native animal populations for food and habitat," the department said in a announcement earlier this week about the Kaimukī snake. Species like the ball python also prey on birds and bird eggs which can threaten endangered bird species, while large snakes can pose a threat to humans, pets and other domestic animals, the announcement noted.

The animals are illegal to import or possess in the state. Anyone found with illegal animals may be charged with a class C felony, face fines of up to $200,000 and may face up to five years in prison, the department said.

 or being owned by private individuals include alligators, bearded dragon lizards, ferrets, gerbils, hamsters, hermit crabs, piranhas, snapping turtles, toucans and more.

The DOA also has caught mammals that are not typically found in the Islands.

 that a third opossum had been trapped that year in Honolulu. Another opossum was caught at a big box store in Kona 

. A skunk was captured at Honolulu Harbor in 

Ho says that animals like skunks, opossums and raccoons that can potentially carry 

 are tested for the disease, but that can only be done after they're dead.

"The animal is humanely euthanized and HDOA veterinarians submit samples from the brain to a U.S. Department of Agriculture laboratory on the Mainland," he said. "Without knowing the origin of the animal, testing is required to determine if there has been any exposure by humans or other animals to the rabies virus."

 notes that Hawai‘i is the only state in the country that is free of rabies, and that all cat and dogs entering the Islands must follow rabies quarantine requirements.

Anyone who might have illegal animals can voluntarily surrender them without penalty at any DOA office, local Humane Society or municipal zoos under an amnesty program. Animals turned in under the amnesty program won't be euthanized.

Ho said the amnesty program was first established in 1990 but has undergone additional changes since then. It's unclear how many animals have been surrendered through the program.

"We don't keep track of animals turned in under the program because animals that can be legally possessed are routinely also surrendered," he said. "We estimate an average of two to three dozen animals are surrendered annually."

Agriculture inspectors are the first line of defense in preventing invasive species from entering the Islands, as inspections are primarily done at the first port of entry, Ho says.

"By intercepting pests or illegal animals, there is little to no chance of them becoming established in the state," he explained. "As such, the initial investments in preventative measures, such as funding for the inspectors, are paltry in comparison to the exponentially higher costs to perpetually control a pest once it becomes established. The control costs compound should more pests become established."

Fully staffed, Ho said there are 78 inspector positions statewide and their duties vary depending on the role and location.

"Estimates on the number of inspectors needed vary depending on the regulatory needs or programmatic comparisons, with conservative estimates being about 130 inspectors," Ho said. "The biggest challenge is that comparative work in the federal government pays upwards of 20% to 30% more for similar work, which in previous years had resulted in staff leaving the HDOA for federal employment."

Kaimuki snake2 6 1 25

<title>What happens when illegal animals, invasive stowaways are found in Hawai‘i</title>

State agricultural inspectors recently found a ball python in a Kaimukī back yard. That got us wondering, what happens next?

What happens when illegal animals, invasive stowaways are found in Hawai‘i

Kam Napier Headshot

A. Kam Napier

history of this mysterious Waiʻanae cave

 a couple weeks back. Since then, people have been sharing their own stories on 

  added info on the photo: Candles were put there by members of the Wai’anae Civic Club as they all gathered for stories of Nanaue and his father Kāmohoaliʻi.

 A few years ago, I wanted to try to hike up to the cave, but some point partway up the trail I got hit with a strong feeling I shouldn’t be there, though I didn’t know exactly why. I just knew that there was strong mana and I felt it. Listened to my gut and only recently learned of this story! I was always told to listen to the ‘aīna and it will tell you what you need to know. Haven’t tried to go back since.

Mākua right? My daughter was drawn to the cave... she kept on about going to it so I finally took her there. I took picture facing in and standing at the back facing out. Then I could see all the elementals in the cave and then the other realm. This was all day time too. My daugh felt comfortable there.🤷‍♀️

 My dad is a Makaha boy he always called it Makua cave and always talked about the menehune in there and a story about a Boy Scout troop. The cave is really chicken skin we aren’t allowed to go in there

 Yes many times going there felt like i was being watched. I pūle before going inside and ask for permission with all respect.🙏🏾🤙🏾

 My son can’t enter the cave… he feels something wrong there.

 The cave has this weird physical feeling, almost like if you were standing in a room of magnets pulling on the iron in your blood. Ended up there unintentionally before I realized it was 

 cave. I left offerings for the ancestors with my daughters then decided to move it along.

 had a crazy experience in that cave.. walk in the cave really late at night and started to hear wat sounded like an “old Hawaiian man” groaning like he was in pain or something.. after we heard it the first time we instantly got frozen and silent.. n then it got louder n the sounds moved towards us spooking us out of our minds and running out of the cave.. upon getting back into the truck frantically, we didn’t take notice our truck had bin turned around a full 180 degrees and was facing the cave wen we drove off so quickly. It was only wen we were passing waikomo beach is wen we noticed our truck was facing the opposite direction wen we go back in the truck than wen we first parked.. we parked with the truck facing the beach…. Never went back ever since.

 My Kane’s tutu wahine was born with a sharks mouth on the back of her neck as well. We are truly blessed to still have our connect to our ancients.

 I remember when I was about 10-11 years old my aunty took us to makaha beach to just listened to the waves but of course the gates were closed it was around midnight and when we left to go home we just was coming up to Makua cave and from a distance we seen a haole couple walking out of the cave and the head lights of they’re car was shining into the cave my aunty told my uncle who was driving to pull over to see if they were ok when we pulled over the couple looked like they were talking to each other the guys back was facing us and the women was facing towards us my aunty asked if they were ok but they didn’t say anything the man turned to look at us but he had a blank look she asked again still no word but the man started walking towards the van (our vehicle) and said nothing just a blank look on his face and as he got closer my aunty could sense something wasn’t right so we immediately took off it gives me chicken skin till this day.

Free summer yoga near Battleship Missouri Memorial

Katie Helland

Arts, Culture & Entertainment Reporter

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Free summer yoga near Battleship Missouri Memorial

Authors

Katie Helland

Arts, Culture & Entertainment Reporter

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