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ASD Staff

Hawai'i Skies

Today's Hawai‘i Skies was captured by Sally Moe on Kauaʻi. "

Here’s a photo with the rainbow over Sleeping Giant on Kaua‘i!!  Love all the rainbows here!!"

To submit your Hawai'i Skies photo, visit us 

For the latest news of Hawai‘i, sign up 

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<title>Hawai‘i Skies: Rainbow love</title>

Today's Hawai‘i Skies was captured by Sally Moe on Kauaʻi.

Hawai‘i Skies: Rainbow love

Today's Hawai‘i Skies was captured by Sally Moe on Kauaʻi. "Here’s a photo with the rainbow over Sleeping Giant on Kaua‘i!!  Love all the rainbows here!!" 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.

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Michael Brestovansky

Crime & Courts

A Waimānalo volleyball coach and firefighter arrested last year producing child pornography of a student has been charged in federal court.

Ken Sorenson, U.S. Attorney for the District of Hawai‘i, announced Friday afternoon that Elias David, a Waimānalo 37-year-old reportedly arrested in July 2024 for second-degree sexual assault, has been charged in U.S. District Court with producing child pornography.

According to a criminal complaint, the Honolulu Police Department was informed in July 2024 that the family of a then-17-year-old girl had discovered a sexual relationship between the girl and David, her volleyball coach.

The victim told an FBI special agent that David had been her coach since she was 13, and he had begun a sexual relationship with her when she was 16. She said the two would meet at the fire station where David worked and a warehouse next to the fire station.

HPD later found pictures in David’s work locker that appeared to be screenshots of a video of him and the victim having sex. That video, and about 30 others, were taken at David’s encouragement on her cell phone, the victim said — although she added that David had recorded some videos on his phone, but David’s wife had discovered them in 2023.

David told the special agent following his 2024 arrest that he and the victim had “fallen in love” while he had coached her, and that he had not made sexual advances on other minor students.

While state law places the age of consent at 16, federal law states that any sexually explicit photo or video of a person under the age of 18 is considered child pornography.

The charge carries a maximum possible sentence of 30 years in prison, and a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years.

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<title>Waimānalo volleyball coach charged with producing child porn</title>

Elias David charged in U.S. District Court for producing videos of him having sex with a 17-year-old student.

Waimānalo volleyball coach charged with producing child porn

Government & Politics

Gov. Josh Green announced Monday a new state finance director less than a month after the previous director stepped down.

Barely three months after starting work as chief state economist, Seth Colby is set to take over as director of the State Department of Budget and Finance, Green announced.

Colby started his current position at the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism in August and will take over the finance director position starting December 8.

“Seth brings a wealth of expertise in tax policy, economic research and fiscal management,” said Governor Green in a statement. “His leadership will be invaluable as we continue to strengthen Hawai

Colby received a Ph.D. in political economy from Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies and has worked for the World Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank on “economic and social development initiatives across Latin America, the Caribbean and Africa,” Green’s announcement stated.

After moving to the state in 2016, Colby worked as the state Department of Taxation’s tax research and planning officer before being appointed chief state economist. When 

Aloha State Daily interviewed him after his appointment in August

, he said the state is at a crossroads and that "

in the longer-term, we have to make some pretty big decisions about how we want organize ourselves."

Colby takes over a position previously held by Luis Salaveria for three years. Salaveria 

 on Halloween, with Deputy Finance Director Sabrina Nasir serving as acting director ever since.

Green’s announcement emphasized the need for a firm hand on the state’s finances going into the new year.

“In light of the fiscal uncertainty stemming from the federal government, further exacerbated by the recent government shutdown, the department is prioritizing prudent fiscal guidance and support, particularly as the 2026 legislative session approaches,” Green’s statement read.

“I appreciate the opportunity to serve in this role and will work to support Hawai‘i’s budget and policy needs,” Colby said in a statement.

Meanwhile, the state will begin a process to appoint a new state economist over the next few months.

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<title>Green appoints new finance director</title>

Hawai‘i's state economist becomes new finance director after only three months.

Green appoints new finance director

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta Headshot

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta

Food & Dining

s looking to save money and get the most bang for their buck. This series will show you where you can save while still savoring a good meal.

 is offering an all-you-can-eat lunch special for $19.99.

The lunch special includes a choice of wagyu beef bone broth, 90 minutes of unlimited wagyu eye-round and pork belly, and a side of veggies (won bok and bok choy).

Broths include spicy, sukiyaki, miso and more. The beefy marina and beefy wild are the most popular broths. Beefy marina is like a light shoyu beef broth; beefy wild features a creamy bone broth and is a local favorite.

[{"type":"text","text":"No starch is included in the lunch special, but you can always add it on."}]

The eatery will eventually be changing its lunch special to include more veggies and a starch, but we’re told the price will remain similar.

Kamitoku Japanese Hot Pot also has a newer Japanese-style hamburger steak lunch special for $8.08 (regular price is $12).

The restaurant is open for lunch from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Mondays to Saturdays, and from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sundays.

Open for lunch 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Mondays-Saturdays, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Sundays

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<title>Budget Bites: Kamitoku Japanese Hot Pot’s $19.99 AYCE lunch deal</title>

This all-you-can-eat lunch special includes a choice of wagyu beef bone broth, a side of veggies, and 90 minutes of unlimited wagyu eye-round and pork belly.

Budget Bites: Kamitoku Japanese Hot Pot’s $19.99 AYCE lunch deal

Three of Hawai‘i's four national congresspeople are attempting to rally Congress to protect the Mauna Loa Observatory on Hawai‘i Island.

Earlier this year, the Donald Trump Administration announced — amid a wide range of budget cuts — plans to cancel the leases for several facilities of the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration.

One of those leases on the chopping block was that of a Hilo office of the Global Monitoring Laboratory, which supports the Mauna Loa Observatory, a facility that has monitored atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations since the 1950s. The Hilo office’s lease is set to expire Sunday, Aug. 31.

According to the Department of Government Efficiency’s 

, the 4,638-square-foot office is leased at a cost of $164,391 annually.

The Observatory itself is not currently targeted for closure, but the staff of eight who operate and maintain the Observatory work out of the Hilo office being targeted for closure. From there, they remotely operate equipment at MLO, which is currently inaccessible save by helicopter, after lava from the 2022 Mauna Loa eruption cut off the facility’s sole access road.

Hawai‘i Senator Mazie Hirono and representatives Jill Tokuda and Ed Case are worried that shutting down the lab office will compromise the Observatory’s ability to function.

On Thursday, the three lawmakers introduced a resolution commemorating the decades of research at MLO and reaffirming congressional support for continuing operations, including for its support sites on Hawai‘i Island.

“The historic research conducted at the Mauna Loa Observatory has been monumental in contributing to the world’s understanding of climate change and our country’s leadership in atmospheric research,” Hirono said in a statement. “Trump has already frozen scientific research funding and undermined the Environmental Protection Agency — cancelling this lease is yet another attack on science.”

“Any effort to undercut the work of the observatory will cripple not only our generational leadership in atmospheric science, but our worldwide efforts to specifically identify and address the threat of our age,” Case said in his own statement.

The Trump Administration also plans to close three NOAA atmospheric observatories in Alaska, American Samoa and the South Pole, leaving MLO as the sole remaining observatory in the Global Monitoring Laboratory network.

[{"type":"text","text":"No action has yet been taken on the resolution."}]

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<title>CONGRESS WATCH: Hawai‘i lawmakers commemorate Mauna Loa Observatory as lease expiration…</title>

NOAA lease for MLO support office will expire Sunday, while Hawai‘i delegation introduces resolution pledging continued support for the facility.

CONGRESS WATCH: Hawai‘i lawmakers commemorate Mauna Loa Observatory as lease expiration looms

Hawai‘i County residents believe a new county law regulating cell phone towers doesn’t go far enough.

Last week, the Hawai‘i County Council passed a bill that has been in development since February, which sets certain standards for how telecommunications antennas are installed throughout the island.

Among other things, Bill 24 removes the requirement for cell towers to receive a use permit from the county Planning Department, allowing them to be built at the Planning Director’s approval without going through a lengthy public hearing process. It also allows towers to be built in all zoning districts on the island.

In exchange, the bill establishes a series of requirements determining where and how cell towers can be sited within each zoning district. For example, it requires minimum setbacks from all property lines equal to at least 120% of the tower’s height, and at least 600 feet from any residence or school.

These requirements are more stringent than those on O‘ahu, where freestanding antenna towers only have a required setback of at least one-fifth the tower’s height, or, in the case of towers supported by guy wires, equal to its height.

Nonetheless, many Big Islanders felt the new restrictions don’t go far enough. Throughout the bill’s development, testifiers urged the council to approve a version that mandated a 1,200-foot minimum setback.

“Why bring cell towers closer and closer?” said Hāmākua resident Kevin Hill at the council’s June 18 meeting. “Why do we need more and more wireless internet? We don’t need it, not for the benefit of our kids practically, and we don’t need it because of proximity and damage to their bodies. Get it farther away, farther than 600 [feet], farther than 1,200 [feet], put it farther away.”

Cell towers on Hawai‘i Island have been a notoriously prickly subject for years, with new planned constructions almost always generating hours of negative testimony from residents concerned about potential health impacts associated with electromagnetic radiation emitted by the towers.

Currently, no reputable health organization has identified any positive correlation between radiofrequency waves emitted by cell towers and higher cancer risks.

In any case, federal law makes moot such concerns: the Telecommunications Act of 1996 doesn’t allow municipalities to reject applications for cellular infrastructure over radiofrequency health concerns, so long as the infrastructure meets Federal Communications Commission guidelines.

Representatives of multiple telecommunications companies reminded the Hawai‘i County Council of that fact. Both Verizon and AT&T submitted letters to the council expressing concerns about the 600-foot setback requirement, with the Verizon letter arguing that the restrictions are excessive, unnecessary, and limit the ability to develop wireless facilities near where people work and live, “where the demand for reliable wireless service is the greatest.”

The Verizon letter suggested that the 600-foot setback be waived “where no other viable solution is feasible” so that it doesn’t become a de facto prohibition, which would be a violation of federal law.

However, the council voted unanimously to pass on final reading a version of the bill that does not include that waiver.

Celltower 16x9

<title>Hawai‘i County sets cell tower regulations, despite outcry</title>

Residents say minimum setbacks are too small, while telecom companies say they're too large.

Hawai‘i County sets cell tower regulations, despite outcry

Everyone’s looking to save money and get the most bang for their buck. This series will show you where you can save while still savoring a good meal.

’s happy hour is designed to meet every budget. Happy hour is available daily from 2 to 6 p.m.

The food menu is categorized by $4, $8, $10 and $12 price points. Happy hour also includes $4 and $8 drink specials, along with various flights.

Dishes in the $4 category include Oishi edamame, ume cucumber pickled salad, wafu French fries, avocado hand roll, chips and salsa, popcorn and salted nuts. The Oishi edamame — the edamame is soaked in the eatery’s signature Oishi ramen broth — and wafu fries, topped with a seaweed salt powder, are especially addictive.

For $8, you can get a char siu plate, cheese plate or Japanese omelet. The char siu plate is one of the most popular orders; it comprises thinly cut pieces of char siu served on a bed of bean sprouts. Meanwhile, the Japanese omelet is one of my favorite dishes. The fluffy, two-piece sweet egg omelet is topped with avocado and mentaiko, and will remind you of tamagoyaki that’s popular in Japan.

Kamukura’s gyoza is a signature dish and the most popular option in the $10 category. One order comes with five pieces of the pork and chives dumplings, which are freshly made and wrapped daily. If you want something hearty, opt for the Japanese-style chicken karaage or half order of the signature Oishi ramen. The latter is one of the best deals on the menu, since the ramen is filling.

Poke tacos (fresh salmon and ‘ahi) and the Philadelphia roll are $12 each. The latter includes freshly caught salmon, cream cheese, cucumber, rice and nori.

Drink specials include $4 beers and mini cocktails, including the popular pineapple upside down martini.

The eatery’s beer flights ($10) are one of the best drink deals on the menu. Flights include 5-ounce pours of Asahi, Hanalei IPA, Big Wave and Long Board.

Sake flights ($16), meanwhile, feature 1.5 ounces of four different sakes. Kampai!

Validated parking at Līlia Waikīkī; $8 for up to four hours

Kamukura Surf and Dine happy hour spread 061725

<title>Budget Bites: KAMUKURA Surf + Dine’s tiered happy hour</title>

For $8, you can get a char siu plate, cheese plate or Japanese omelet. The char siu plate is one of the most popular orders; it comprises thinly cut pieces of char siu served on a bed of bean sprouts.

Hawai‘i Skies: Rainbow love

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Authors

ASD Staff

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