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Kady Pascual

Hawaiʻi Scene on Social

Gotta keep a musubi on deck in case of emergencies!

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<title>Hawai‘i Scene on Social: Always packin’</title>

Today’s social media find comes from @keaukahageneral, always prepared when the snackies come.

Hawai‘i Scene on Social: Always packin’

Gotta keep a musubi on deck in case of emergencies!  Make sure you follow @keaukahageneral on Instagram! For the latest news of Hawai‘i, sign up here for our free Daily Edition newsletter!

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Michael Brestovansky

Government & Politics

After Tuesday’s tsunami alert, reports spread about thousands of airline passengers stranded at state airports, including roughly 2,000 at Daniel K. Inouye International Airport.

 of confusion: travelers left in the dark, unsure if they were safe from potential tsunami waves and no clear communication by airport operators.

In search of answers, Aloha State Daily reached out to the Hawai‘i Department of Transportation and HDOT Director Ed Sniffen with these questions:

On Friday, Hawai‘i Department of Transportation public information officer Shelly Kunishige told Aloha State Daily that the department "provided regular updates via our social media platforms on the status of airport operations," in addition to hourly updates provided by Gov. Josh Green and the state Joint Information Center.

Aside from the Hilo International Airport which suspended commercial operations around 3:15 p.m. to facilitate evacuations from Keaukaha, all other Hawai‘i airports remained in operation and airport staff remained on duty," Kunishige said via email "Individual airlines kept passengers informed of their flight status. At the Kahului Airport, which is in an inundation zone, airport staff instructed and directed travelers and anyone else at the airport to move from the lower level to the second floor."

Meanwhile, food service provider HMSHost kept concessions open for travelers throughout the incident, she said

Baggage screening at Daniel K. Inouye International Airport was temporarily suspended around the projected time of the first wave impact, and resumed at around 10:45 p.m., when flights restarted.

Airport engineers and baseyard staff also worked to move construction equipment from areas in inundation zones. 

All told, approximately 2,000 passengers spent the night at Daniel K. Inouye International Airport, while about 1,500 stayed at Kahului Airport and Kona International Airport each. 

Honolulu Airport i Stock 515521559

<title>How the airports responded to tsunami alert</title>

State responds to reports of confusion amid tsunami emergency

How the airports responded to tsunami alert

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Christian Shimabuku

Sports

From coast to coast, a wide variety of youth baseball and softball teams from across the state of Hawai‘i competed in a bevy of tournaments across the Mainland, some of which are still ongoing. 

Central East Maui Little League, which made it to the United States semifinals in the 2024 Little League World Series, made it all the way to the 2025 Intermediate 50/70 Baseball World Series in Livermore, Calif. The vast majority of its 2024 Little League World Series team is back in 2025, led by star player Evan Tavares. 

Central East Maui is currently 2-0 and will take on Greater New Orleans Little League in the United States championship game on Saturday at 2 p.m. HST. The game will be streamed on ESPN+, with the winner advancing to Sunday's world championship game. 

Meanwhile, 2022 and 2018 Little League World Series champion Honolulu Little League is back competing in the West Regional, with the winner advancing to the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pa. A fundraiser on 

 to support the Honolulu Little Leaguers and their travels has been circulated online.

Golden Hill Little League of Fullerton, Calif. on Saturday. The game will be streamed at 3 p.m. HST on ESPN+. 

Honolulu Little League's Senior League Softball team, which consists of 15 and 16 year olds, is in the Senior League Softball World Series semifinals in Lower Sussex, Del. They will take on host Georgetown Little League of Delaware in the semifinals, which streams on Saturday at 2 p.m. on ESPN+. 

Youth baseball teams from Hawai‘i in the Cal Ripken and Babe Ruth organizations have also seen success at a bevy of levels and tournaments. 

In an all-Hawai‘i final, Hilo's 14U team defeated 

Hawai‘i Kai 4-2 in the Babe Ruth Pacific Southwest Regional final in Orcutt, Calif. on July 26. Hilo will compete in the Babe Ruth 14U World Series in Hot Springs, Ark., beginning on Aug. 7. A 

 has been started to support Hilo's journey to Arkansas. 

Earlier in the summer, All-Star teams from Mānoa clinched state regional championships, punching tickets to various Cal Ripken tournaments. Mānoa's 9U team secured a spot in the 2026 Cal Ripken 10U tournament, while its 2025 10U team will compete in the Cal Ripken 10-year-old World Series in Vincennes, Ind. from Aug. 7-16. 

Additionally, Hawai‘i Kai's Los Animales O‘ahu 12U will take its unblemished mark to the 12U Cal Ripken World Series in Branson, Mo. from Aug. 6-17. 

Did we miss a team? Email me, christian@alohastatedaily.com, and we will include it in the next update!

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Hilo 14 U Babe Ruth

<title>Hawai‘i's youth baseball and softball teams enjoy success in Mainland tournaments</title>

A bevy of youth diamond teams from across the state spent their respective summers playing ball around the country.

Hawai‘i's youth baseball and softball teams enjoy success in Mainland tournaments

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Kelli Shiroma Braiotta

Food & Dining

Late-night dessert shops are rare in central O

's finely shaven icy treats are here to satisfy that late-night craving.

The biz, originally located on Beretania Street, moved to South King Street and — following a three-month hiatus — reopened last August. It’s known for its Taiwanese shave ice, teas and smoothies and soup desserts. The biz opened its second location in May in ʻAiea in the former spot of a camera store.

All frosts come with mochi and fruits (watermelon and cantaloupe). Choose from small- ($7.95-$8.95) and regular-sized ($9.55-$10.50) desserts. Prices vary, depending on the flavor. 

Popular flavors include strawberry, coconut, green tea and cookies and cream. There are also dairy-free options like mango and liliko

Mud pie is a customer favorite. It features a coffee-flavored shave ice topped with Oreo cookie crumbles and a chocolate drizzle. Chocolate might seem like an interesting choice for shave ice, but this version is creamy, smooth and sure to please any chocoholic.

If you can’t choose between flavors, opt for one of the shop’s signature combos (small $10.55, regular $12.50). Popular combos include strawberry and mango, green tea and Thai tea, and lychee and watermelon. We opt for the latter, which is both refreshing and photogenic.

You can even take your shave ice treats to the next level by adding toppings like popping boba ($1.50), fruit jelly ($1.50) or red bean ($1.50).

If you’re craving smoothies (small $6, large $7.50), flavors range from guava and strawberry to mango, lychee and taro. Taro, Thai tea and honeydew are especially popular. Customers can opt for a soymilk alternative and choose their smoothie sweetness level.

As soon as you enter the shop, you’ll notice a claw machine in the corner. If customers follow the biz on social media (

) and take a photo at the store and post it on their own social media, they will receive two game tokens to try and win a prize. Customers must show the post to the Frost City ‘Aiea staff to claim the tokens; one reward per customer per visit.

The biz is also offering a “Back to School” promotion starting Aug. 5. When customers buy any frost dessert, they can get 50% off a milk tea. This promotion will be valid until the end of August.

Open noon to 10 p.m. Tuesdays to Sundays 

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<title>Frost City brings its Taiwanese-style shave ice to ‘Aiea</title>

The dessert shop is home to fluffy snow ice treats, bubble teas, smoothies and more. Plus, starting Aug. 5, customers can take advantage of a “Back to School” discount.

Frost City brings its Taiwanese-style shave ice to ‘Aiea

Former Kahuku head football coach Sterling Carvalho and his attorney, Eric Seitz, took to O‘ahu Circuit Court on Monday for his lawsuit against the state. 

Monday was the date set by O‘ahu Circuit Court Judge Jordon Kimura during a 

 as Kahuku's head football coach on March 31. A letter was sent to Kahuku parents shortly thereafter, though no reason was provided at the time. He served as the head coach for the Red Raiders from 2018 to 2024, going 59-18 with three straight state titles from 2021 to 2023. 

As was stated in both Carvalho's lawsuit and discussed during Monday's hearing, Carvalho's removal stemmed from an incident in the 2023 season involving a player, Tavian "Manoa" Hallums, and his father, Kalani Hallums. Carvalho sued the DOE, superintendent Keith Hayashi, area superintendent Samuel Izumi and both Hallums. 

A social media post from Kalani Hallums criticizing Carvalho in the middle of the 2023 season made the rounds in the Kahuku community and was soon brought to the attention of Carvalho. 

Carvalho's removal and ensuing lawsuit traces back to a one-on-one meeting between him and Manoa Hallums during a practice following Kalani Hallums' posts. Carvalho says he called Manoa Hallums into a private office at Kahuku's weight room and told him other adults saw his father's posts and wanted to "lick" him. Despite that, Carvalho said he wanted to look out for the "social, emotional and mental health" of Manoa Hallums, a phrase also repeated by the defense. 

After Manoa Hallums voluntarily addressed the team during a practice, Carvalho says he and other coaches also addressed the team, telling players not to take any anger directed toward Kalani Hallums out on Manoa Hallums. 

As many as 21 people were present in support of Carvalho during Monday's hearing, which lasted seven hours, albeit with breaks between multiple sessions. Carvalho's wife sat directly behind him the entire day, appearing to tear up on multiple occasions. 

One of Seitz's first appeals for Carvalho was a personal one, praising his character and honesty. Seitz noted that Carvalho's motivation for leading the Red Raiders was purely intrinsic since he made a mere $3,000 annually as Kahuku's head football coach. During the day, Carvalho teaches math at Hawai‘i Technology Academy, a public charter school under the DOE umbrella on O‘ahu's west side. 

The basis behind the Department of Education's defense, led by attorney Bradford Chun, was that Carvalho did not sign a contract to remain Kahuku's head football coach for the 2024 season. 

The first witness called to the stand was former Kahuku High and Intermediate principal Donna Lindsey, who recently retired after 14 years as principal and 35 years in education. She submitted her retirement on March 28, effective July 1, without the knowledge that Carvalho was going to be removed as the school's head football coach three days later. 

Both Lindsey and Kahuku athletic director Gillian Yamagata, when called to the witness stand, acknowledged they were aware of the incident that occurred between Carvalho and the Hallums that was being investigated by the DOE. 

Area superintendent Samuel Izumi, who oversaw Carvalho's firing, was also called to the stand on Monday, where he stated he wanted to meet with Carvalho in person at his office in Kāneʻohe. Izumi said attempts to meet with Carvalho in person in January were unsuccessful, and the two ended up speaking on a Zoom call on Feb. 14. 

Prosecution and defense both mentioned that when Carvalho was asked if he would handle the situation any differently, Carvalho said he wouldn't, other than having another witness present during his one-on-one meeting with Manoa Hallums. 

While Izumi said he did not have knowledge of Carvalho threatening Kalani Hallums, he believed he had "sufficient evidence" that the "social, emotional and mental health" of Manoa Hallums was compromised. 

Izumi also said he felt a lack of "reflection, remorse or consideration" in Carvalho's demeanor throughout the investigation, noting he didn't read the entire investigation report, also noting Carvalho's lack of desire to meet in person immediately in January. 

Dozens of letters in support Carvalho have poured in since April, but Izumi noted they were all "after the fact."

Another witness on Monday was Stewart Carvalho, Sterling's twin brother. Stewart Carvalho was an assistant coach on Sterling's staff, serving as the special teams coordinator and receivers coach. 

Honolulu Fire Department veteran Kalu Wolfe, whose son, Terahiti, played for Sterling Carvalho in 2022, also took the witness stand to vouch for him. 

Stewart Carvalho, a Lāʻie resident, noted that Manoa Hallums, who transferred in from Mililani in 2022, was a frequent visitor to his home. "He would always come over, sleepovers or food, dinner," Stewart Carvalho said. 

Manoa Hallums would continue to visit Stewart Carvalho's home following a brief break Manoa Hallums took from the team in 2023 after his one-on-one meeting with Sterling Carvalho. Stewart Carvalho said during those visits, Manoa Hallums did not indicate there were any problems or that trauma was being caused. 

The witness who spent the longest time on the stand was Sterling Carvalho, who was asked a bevy of questions about his contractual status with Kahuku by the defense. Sterling Carvalho's contract for the 2024-2025 season was set to expire on June 30 before his March 31 removal. 

Because he was a casual hire, he was never given a contract beyond one year. 

Sterling Carvalho noted that the Red Raiders had a captain for each position, and that Manoa Hallums was voted the receivers captain for 2023. Each captain came together to form the captain council. Carvalho says he didn't know until after the fact that the council voted to remove Manoa Hallums as a captain after a road trip to California in 2023 in which he allegedly had an altercation with a teammate in a hotel room. 

Sterling Carvalho also mentioned how Manoa Hallums' access to the team's Hudl (a film sharing platform) was revoked after he publicly shared plays from team practices, breaking a team rule. 

The defense pointed out Carvalho signed contracts to coach the team for the 2022 and 2023 seasons but not 2024.  

In hopes of getting Hayashi on the witness stand, Seitz said his team subpoenaed Hayashi during the lunch break, which lasted about one hour through 12:45 p.m. However, Seitz said Hayashi was not present at his office, noting he's "never subpoenaed a party" in his life. 

Kahuku athletics director Gillian Yamagata was called to the stand by the defense and acknowledged Sterling Carvalho did not complete his paperwork for the 2024 season. Seitz responded by saying even though Sterling Carvalho did not sign the contract, he still performed it and was paid for it. 

After both sides gave their closing arguments, Kimura requested both parties turn in any additional evidence by 4 p.m. on Wednesday. 

"I'd like to thank my lawyer, Eric Seitz, in doing a phenomenal job today, and at this point in time, we just have to trust the process and let the court decide," Sterling Carvalho briefly told the media afterwards. 

Carvalho is still hoping to be reinstated by the start of Kahuku's 2025 season, which begins on Aug. 9 against defending state champion Saint Louis. 

"I do not," Sterling Carvalho said when asked if he knows when he'll get an answer. "I have never been in this situation."

[{"type":"text","text":"Seitz said afterwards that the timeline for a resolution varies widely. "}]

"(After additional materials are submitted) by the close of business Wednesday, then the judge will decide whether he's going to issue an injunction. Irrespective of that, the case will then be formed by trial track, but they're now setting trials for 2027.

"My hope is that somebody in the DOE will come to their senses. I don't have a lot of hope for that, because I don't understand how they took this action in the first place. How can you possibly fire such a highly respected coach based upon the statements of a kid and his father who wrote the kind of atrocious things he did? I mean, I don't understand. 

"The DOE in Hawai‘i is not very well respected, and the leadership is because that's why it is. I have a son who's a teacher and a daughter in law who's a teacher, and we've been involved with public education all our lives. But my God, these people who run public education, they do outrageous things. And I think that the public needs to be aware of what these people are doing in their names, and decent people like Sterling are being victimized as a consequence on all of the kids that such decent people serve. And that's just too bad."

Although Manoa and Kalani Hallums did not come to the status hearing on July 18 or Monday's hearing, Manoa Hallums made his side of the story public on his personal Instagram account in April. 

Hawai‘i Scene on Social: Always packin’

Kady Pascual

Social Media Editor

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Hawai‘i Scene on Social: Always packin’

Authors

Kady Pascual

Social Media Editor

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Hawai‘i Scene on Social: South side action

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