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Hawai'i Skies

Today's Hawai'i Skies was captured by Leslie Dickey at Bellows. "Sunrises are always spectacular at Bellows, but this one was so unusual.  It was overcast on shore, and I was delighted to see the rain shower offshore.  I had never seen anything quite like it before."

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HAWAII SKIES LESLIE DICKEY

<title>Hawai'i Skies: An unusual sunrise</title>

Today's Hawai'i Skies was captured by Leslie Dickey at Bellows.

Hawai'i Skies: An unusual sunrise

Today's Hawai'i Skies was captured by Leslie Dickey at Bellows. "Sunrises are always spectacular at Bellows, but this one was so unusual.  It was overcast on shore, and I was delighted to see the rain shower offshore.  I had never seen anything quite like it before." To submit your Hawai'i Skies photo, visit us online or email: general@alohastatedaily.com For the latest news of Hawai‘i, sign up here for our free Daily Edition newsletter.

Square Mike Brestovansky Headshot RGZ3736 Large

Michael Brestovansky

Government & Politics

Business & Tourism

Insurance provider DTRIC will leave the insurance market in Hawai‘i and wind down its operations over the next several years.

On Friday, the Hawai‘i Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs announced that DTRIC — a home and auto insurer founded in 1992 — would transition to a run-off insurance carrier in the state, and will no longer issue new policies or renew old ones. 

A statement by DTRIC claimed that the decision came after the March merger of DTRIC's parent company, Japan's Aioi Nissay Dowa Insurance Company, with the Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance Company, which lead the merged company to focus on "more profitable markets."

"As Hawai‘i is a relatively small market with natural catastrophe exposure and continually rising costs, sustaining long-term growth and profitability has become increasingly challenging," the statement read. "With a view to achieving higher profitability, it was decided to transition DTRIC to a run-off insurance carrier."

DTRIC's statement assured that operations will be maintained for "at least the next several years" in order to continue to honor existing policies. However, the company will also make workforce reductions at the end of 2026 and the end of each subsequent year.

DTRIC did not specify the number of policyholders the company has in Hawai‘i.

DCCA advises policyholders to contact their agents and visit the DCCA 

“Consumers have ample time to find a replacement carrier," said Insurance Commissioner Scott Saiki in a statement. "We advise them to ask family, friends and coworkers for referrals, as well as ensuring they understand their new policy and payment plans before signing anything. Lastly, they should verify that they are working with an authorized and licensed insurance broker."

Scott Saiki Insurance Commissioner 071625

<title>Insurance provider DTRIC to wind down in Hawai‘i</title>

Company will neither issue nor renew policies as it withdraws from Hawai‘i market

Insurance provider DTRIC to wind down in Hawai‘i

AKINA portrait 2

Keliʻi Akina, Ph.D.

Viewpoints

If we want to solve Hawai‘i’s housing shortage, we need to embrace change.

My prime example at the moment is the importance of defending 

 last year with the intent of expanding the use of accessory dwelling units as a way to help ease Hawai‘i’s housing crisis.

 under consideration by the Honolulu City Council calls for its repeal, similar to how the Council officially 

 initial passage of the law in 2024. This is another sign of how hard it can be sometimes to enact historic legislation and make it stick.

More specifically, Act 39 gives Hawai‘i’s counties until the end of next year to let residents build two accessory dwelling units on their properties — a proven way to create more housing options without state funds or new development.

Hawai‘i and Kaua‘i counties have already met or exceeded the law’s requirements, and Maui County has introduced 

 to update its ADU rules to comply. But on O‘ahu, property owners still can build only one ADU and one ‘ohana unit, the latter of which cannot be rented out to anybody except relatives of the homeowner.

To their credit, Honolulu lawmakers have 

 certain fees for ADU construction — specifically wastewater system facility charges and fees for building permits, plan reviews, grading, grubbing and stockpiling. They also have 

 a rule that required property owners to live in either the main house or the ADU.

But the city’s parking minimums and rules about floor area ratios continue to 

 ADU construction. Permitting costs and delays also remain a major hurdle for Honolulu homeowners, and the absence of 

 continues to limit how quickly projects can move forward.

In short, these regulatory barriers are a large part of why so few ADUs have been built on O‘ahu in recent years — and also why state-level housing reforms are so badly needed.

The good news is that Act 39 has a clause that says any county that does not conform to the act by the end of 2026 will be barred from denying “any permit application on the basis of exceeding the maximum number of housing units” — as long as the applicants have met the general infrastructure, design or development standards.

But if the law were to be overturned, that obviously would no longer be the case.

Let’s not let that happen. Erasing progress is not the way to move forward.

Instead of weakening or overturning established housing reforms, our efforts would be better spent making sure these measures are implemented effectively, to deliver the benefits local residents need.

Reprinted with permission from the Oct. 4, 2025 "Presidentʻs Corner" of 

10 19 23 housing 22density22 cartoon 16x9

<title>Community Voices: Erasing progress not the way to move forward</title>

Last year, state lawmakers passed Act 39, a major piece of housing reform — but the state's most populous county is trying to get that legislation overturned.

Community Voices: Erasing progress not the way to move forward

Christian Shimabuku Headshot

Christian Shimabuku

Sports

 threw the first and only touchdown of his NFL career thus far, it was also the first career touchdown for the player on the receiving end in fellow Cleveland Browns rookie Dylan Sampson. 

While some thought the ball would be cut in half, Gabriel wanted to let Sampson have the entire ball. Material possessions are not a priority for Gabriel, who famously drove a minivan in his final year of college in order to be able to drive more teammates around. 

"He's always been that way, and we love that about him," Gabriel's father, Garrett, recently told Aloha State Daily. "He told (Sampson), 'Hey, you deserve it.'"

Come Sunday, Gabriel will get an opportunity to add to his career milestones. On Wednesday, the Browns announced that Gabriel, their rookie quarterback, will make the start in their Week 5 game against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday. 

Gabriel, a Mililani alumnus, is set to make Hawai‘i history in doing so, becoming the first person who graduated from a public high school in Hawai‘i to start an NFL game at quarterback. 

Kamehameha alumnus Joe Francis was the first player from a Hawai‘i high school to start a game a quarterback, doing so for the Green Bay Packers in 1958. Meanwhile, Saint Louis alumnus Marcus Mariota has started 76 games in an NFL career that began in 2015. Fellow former Crusader Tua Tagovailoa has started 66 games and counting behind center from 2020 to 2025. 

"Being from Mililani, my son just totally loves the community. He takes it with pride. He understands he's not only doing this for himself, but there's a lot of people that want him to do well, and he knows who he's representing. We're very touched," Garrett Gabriel said. "We followed Marcus (Mariota), Tua (Tagovailoa), and we understand the legacy of Hawai‘i quarterbacks and what they've done. He just wants to go out there and make the state proud, and the community of Mililani proud."

Dillon Gabriel, a Mililani native, attended Punahou in seventh and eighth grade before ultimately deciding to attend his hometown high school. During college offseasons, Gabriel donated brand new Nike uniforms and equipment to various Mililani teams through NIL. 

"Having experienced that private school thing for about two years and when he back moved over, the family got a lot closer. We did a lot more things together," Garrett Gabriel recalled. "A lot of things would be in passing, dropping off my other son, coming back, going there. When he went to Mililani, it was like the family got settled in, and it became a place where you can grow, a place where you can be yourself and be with people in the community. And so that's why I think he cherishes Mililani so much and is willing to do anything for the community, because it made him who he is today, really."

As a freshman in 2015, Gabriel took over for an injured McKenzie Milton and went on to set the Hawai‘i high school passing yardage record with 9,948 yards, according to Hawaii Prep World. He was surpassed by Campbell's Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele, who finished with 10,653 following his senior season in 2024. 

 is now the starting quarterback at Cal as a true freshman. 

"Just beyond words. Just so proud of him and his family and I hope continued success for him," Mililani head football coach Rod York said. "I'm not gonna be the guy that's like, 'Oh, I knew he was going (to the NFL),' but I knew he was going to do great things. Everything's due to his parents, to his hard work. He's taking all of us, man, the whole 808 is behind him."

Gabriel began his collegiate career at UCF in 2019 before transferring to Oklahoma in 2022. He spent his final year of collegiate football at Oregon in 2024, where he broke the FBS career passing touchdowns record and became a Heisman Trophy finalist. 

In April, Gabriel was selected by the Browns in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft with the 94th overall selection. He has played sparingly for the 1-3 Browns thus far prior to his first start. 

Sunday's game between the Browns and Vikings, which takes place at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, England, will kick off at 3:30 a.m. HST. It will also be televised on NFL Network. 

On Friday, Dillon Gabriel divulged during a press conference that his family wouldn't be able to make the trip because his father doesn't have a passport, which made the rounds on social media. 

"I did have a passport, but we didn't renew it because we were thinking we weren't going to go anywhere outside the states," Garrett Gabriel clarified with a chuckle. "And of course, by the time we decided to renew they said it takes five days, and so we're like, you know what? We'll just watch it from home. And (Dillon) was fine with that."

With Sunday's early kickoff, particularly by Hawai‘i standards, the Gabriel family is already making plans. 

"We'll probably sleep a little earlier than normal," Garrett Gabriel said. "I think we'll be ready to go at 3:30. Doesn't matter what time. Everybody wants to be there for his first start and just enjoy the moment. We'll have some leftovers, some breakfast, but we'll definitely be up for it."

Dillon Gabriel 100325

<title>Mililani’s Dillon Gabriel set to become first from a Hawai’i public high school to start…</title>

Gabriel will be the first graduate of a public high school from the Islands to start an NFL game at quarterback.

Mililani’s Dillon Gabriel set to become first from a Hawai’i public high school to start a game in the NFL at quarterback

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Kady Pascual

Hawaiʻi Scene on Social

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"}],"text":"My cart would probably look the same too!"}]

For the latest news of Hawai‘i, sign up 

Erickonda__

<title>Hawai‘i Scene on Social: When locals become tourists</title>

Today’s social media find comes from @Erickonda__, who definitely needs to buy another check-in bag.

Hawai‘i Scene on Social: When locals become tourists

Stephanie Salmons Headshot

Stephanie Salmons

Hawai‘i Pacific University named Amy Nguyen-Chyung dean of its College of Business late last year.

She came to HPU from the University of California San Diego, where Nguyen-Chyung says she was "focusing a lot on the innovation ecosystem there, really bringing new venture skills to the MBAs I was teaching, but also to the campus — really linking, reaching across campus to help launch ventures, to bring entrepreneurial skills."

Nguyen-Chyung started at HPU last month, but recently told Aloha State Daily that she has been working with university leaders since December.

As she settles into her new role, HPU also is working to support innovation and entrepreneurship across the campus thanks in part to a recent $700,000 gift from philanthropist and entrepreneur John Scarpa.

The new John F. Scarpa Entrepreneurial Pathway, which formally launches this fall, "brings together a suite of interconnected programs to engage HPU students and faculty members," the university said in a July announcement. "Key components include competitive student challenges, faculty innovation grants, an entrepreneurial pathway board and an entrepreneur-in-residence program, all crafted to infuse entrepreneurial thinking across the university community."

Nguyen-Chyung says the university-wide initiative will be led from the College of Business, but essentially will involve "the entire school across disciplines."

The initiative's major programs include a Faculty Change Makers program, which will provide grants to faculty in the university's different colleges "to create courses and programming that will provide hands-on opportunities [for] entrepreneurial thinking, "she explained.

"The idea is to engage faculty from different areas because then they can be the champions across the school to create innovative coursework."

The pathway also calls for an Entrepreneurs in Residence program to provide mentoring, talks and other workshops, she said, while the third component is a series of challenges and competitions that aim to excite and engage students in entrepreneurial education.

Nguyen-Chyung says the $700,000 gift is seed funding, and the idea is that some parts of the program will be able to be self-sustaining while other parts will rely on further sponsorships from community and business partners.

"We see that a lot of parts can continue from the work that we initially start," she explained. "Not all of it is needing funds. A lot of it is building the relationships with community partners that will engage to provide projects for the students, to provide mentorship, internships."

Scarpa, who co-founded the American Cellular Network Corp. and UNITEL, said in the announcement that he's providing this funding with "tremendous enthusiasm and joy."

"It is critical that our educational institutions move forward with vision and opportunity

and innovation so that our youth today are prepared to take on the challenges of tomorrow’s world," he continued. "I am excited to see how transformative this Entrepreneurial Pathway can be for both students and faculty.”

 received an undergraduate degree in East Asian studies from Harvard University, a joint MBA and MPA, or master of public administration, from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and Princeton University's School of Public and International Affairs, and master's degree and doctorate in business administration from UC Berkeley's Haas School.

She's been in academia for 18 years and has about 15 years of industry experience that spans investment banking, international finance and management consulting, "a lot of the areas where business students want to be," as well as some work in the government sector.

"I think a lot of hard problems out there are solved by collaborations across industry and government and education, as well," Nguyen-Chyung says. "I think it's at the intersection of things where we find the best solutions."

Here's some more of what Nguyen-Chyung had to say about her new role, entrepreneurship in Hawai‘i and the new entrepreneurial pathway.

What is your top priority now and your ultimate goal in this role?

It's hard to limit it to one thing because the dean's job is really to lead the entire [College] of Business here and there's a lot of different programs and things that make the school what it is.

Certainly, this [Entrepreneurial Pathway] initiative is a major goal because it reaches beyond the school. But the business school itself, the College of Business, it's in a rebuilding phase. I understand it was actually one of the largest colleges on campus, and now it's one of the smallest, right? So there's a lot of opportunity to strengthen our core. I was just explaining it recently that there's a lot of new initiatives going on. I love that the university is behaving like a 60-year-old start-up.

... In some ways, though — I tell this to the startups,  that if you try to do everything, you can't do everything well. You've got to pick and choose. When we have lean resources, I would like to, first and foremost, strengthen our core program, the MBA and the undergraduate program, and I also want to understand the communities that we serve. [I]want to make sure that we are meeting the needs of that community.

My first few weeks have been to really try to reach out and understand these communities, one by one.

Can you talk a little bit about the role of young entrepreneurship and business startups in Hawai‘i? What role do college students in these programs play in the state's overall economy?

There are not a lot of major headquarters of industry that we see here, so there's a great big opportunity to innovate, to start new things. There are a lot of small businesses and they're very entrepreneurial. There [are] also opportunities to introduce students to higher-growth entrepreneurship opportunities, which can help propel industries. I, myself, am an entrepreneurship scholar, and really being aware of the literature and the research, it's the new businesses that drive jobs. It's not necessarily big companies or even small businesses, it's new businesses. It's startups that drive jobs. If we can generate more of those, I think that would be great.

What is the next step in the Entrepreneurial Pathway program?

One of the big targets is to catch the students early on, when they start. So I've been meeting with many of the campus leaders to build pilots for the first-year class and inserting an entrepreneurial education component into some of the existing orientations and new student courses that we have.

 course, we have sessions introducing students to 'aloha,' 'pono,' and 'kuleana,' and so we're hoping to use that session to introduce the students to a community problem, either social [or] environmental, and engage a community organization, and have the students start problem-solving in teams, but in the process to give them some of the tools [to] kind of whet their appetite with some of these entrepreneurial tools.

We have a few other pilots planned and really, it's using the entrepreneurial process to implement the program. ... We've already identified several dozen metrics that we want to track and make sure that we're having the impact that we hope and we then scale up across all the students.

What is your biggest hope for the new entrepreneurial pathway?

My biggest hope is that we impact and benefit not just the students but also the community, so that we prepare the students well for the future, and also by doing so, and in the process of doing so, benefit our neighborhood, but also across the Islands.

Amy Nguyen Chyung Hawaii Pacific University

<title>Entrepreneurship and Hawai‘i Pacific University</title>

As Amy Nguyen-Chyung settles into her new job as dean of Hawai‘i Pacific University's College of Business, HPU also is working to support innovation and entrepreneurship across its campus thanks in part to a recent gift from philanthropist and entrepreneur John Scarpa. Aloha State Daily recently spoke with Nguyen-Chyung about her new role, entrepreneurship in Hawai‘i and the new entrepreneurial pathway.

Entrepreneurship and Hawai‘i Pacific University

Real Estate

[{"type":"text","text":"Looking for some oceanfront acreage? A home with a Hollywood heritage? "}]

An oceanfront estate on Kaua‘i's North Shore has hit the market with a $29.5 million price tag, listed by Hawaii Life's Neal Norman. A recent article from 

 notes that Oscar-winning actress Julia Roberts and her husband, cinematographer Danny Moder, owned the property from 2009 to 2020.

Located at 5-8192 Kūhiō Highway, Limahuli Ocean Estate sits on 8.29 acres at "the end of the road" in Hā‘ena.

The property has a total of four bedrooms and four bathrooms. There's a 3,123-square-foot main home with lānai and floor-to-ceiling windows, as well as a one-bedroom, one-bathroom caretaker's cottage and a 490-square-foot pool, 

Norman told Aloha State Daily in an email that 360-degree views that include the beach, the ocean, mountains and waterfalls, are part of what make the property, which also has more than 400 linear feet of beachfront, special.

"The view is unimaginably beautiful — I cannot exaggerate enough how gorgeous it is."

Norman said the home, which was built in 1970, was "masterfully remodeled" in 2011 by San Francisco architecture firm 

"The pool, the grounds, the stream and the ability to build more structures and homes is unequaled in perhaps the whole state for a location as magnificent as this," he told ASD. "The home has also been meticulously maintained and updated with solar and Tesla systems and other state-of-the-art mechanical systems."

[{"type":"text","text":"The property is 20 minutes from Hanalei town."}]

"It nearly joins the Nāpali Coast trail, which is known as one of the most wild, rugged and beautiful parts of Kaua‘i," Norman said, adding that the property sits quite literally at "the end of the road," just on the edge of Hā‘ena State Park and, past that, Nāpali Coast State Wilderness Park.

"The proximity to these parks makes some of the island's most incredible beaches, hiking and waterfalls part of the lifestyle of residing in this area."

Norman says the ideal buyer is one who appreciates "privacy, legacy, amazing architecture and enjoys the amazing water sports that the ocean in this area has to offer."

"This is as rare as it gets," he said of the property. "Once every 10 years something like this might become available. It is the combination of the majestic location, architectural significant, level of privacy, 360-degree views, and ability to improve the land further with other homes or structures that make this so exceedingly rare."

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