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Hawai'i Skies

Today's Hawai‘i Skies was captured by Linda Peters of Diamond Head. "I enjoy watching the sunrise with its vibrant colors. It only last a few minutes but it’s a peaceful, contemplative way to start the day and the new year. May this year bring more aloha and unity and peace to our Islands."

To submit your Hawai'i Skies photo, visit us 

For the latest news of Hawai‘i, sign up 

Linda Peters

<title>Hawai‘i Skies: A few minutes of peace</title>

Today's Hawai‘i Skies was captured by Linda Peters of Diamond Head.

Hawai‘i Skies: A few minutes of peace

Today's Hawai‘i Skies was captured by Linda Peters of Diamond Head. "I enjoy watching the sunrise with its vibrant colors. It only last a few minutes but it’s a peaceful, contemplative way to start the day and the new year. May this year bring more aloha and unity and peace to our Islands." 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.

Lopaka and Tanya Kapanui

Lopaka Kapanui and Tanya Kapanui

Hawaii History

Columnists

 “The spook would grab his victim by the throat, and all but strangle him.”

A 1926 article in the Honolulu Advertiser quotes an officer who claimed that the basement holding cells in the Honolulu Police Station on Merchant Street were haunted.

The officer was quoted as saying that the middle cell was often used for post-mortem examinations, and after a while, that cell became known for being a rendezvous for violent ghosts. Apparently, the ghosts would hover in the cell until someone came along, then launch an attack on the unsuspecting attendant.

“The place would turn as cold as ice,” the officer stated, “The wind would whistle through the bars, and there would be terrible whispers.”

The specter was said to seize its victim by the throat and nearly strangle him. Many nights, the officers claimed, they could hear the howls of these dreadful struggles.

Completed in 1886, the original police station was a two-story brick building. The ground floor housed police offices, the courtroom was on the second floor, and the cell block was in the basement. But after nearly 40 years, it was clear that Honolulu was in need of a larger police headquarters. The original station was demolished in 1930, and the new Honolulu Police Station was built on the same site.

This new three-story building, dubbed the Walter Murray Gibson Building, was praised as one of the city’s most attractive public buildings, featuring notable architectural details, including arches on the upper levels and marble countertops. Architect Louis E. Davis designed it in a Spanish Revival style.

During World War II, the Honolulu Police Station became part of the broader wartime changes taking place across Hawai‘i. In the months after Pearl Harbor, an unknown number of Japanese prisoners were reportedly held at the station before being transferred to the U.S. Immigration Station Administration Building, which was used as a temporary detention center. The police headquarters also housed the office of the Alien Property Custodian. This department oversaw the wartime control and seizure of property classified as “enemy-owned” or “enemy-controlled.” These measures affected many local families and business owners, particularly within Hawai‘i’s Japanese community, and added to the uncertainty felt during those difficult years.

During the war, the U.S. Army military police occupied the basement of the building, later vacating and returning the space to the police department in 1946. There, the department remained until moving to a larger space in the 1960s. But as we know from past experience, although the building’s function changes, the hauntings often remain.

Today, the Walter Murray Gibson Building houses city and county government offices, and in 2017, it served as the Honolulu Police Department in the Marvel series 

. I was fortunate to be cast as a police sergeant in the pilot. While awaiting my part and during downtime on the set, people who worked in the building told me it is still haunted. Items move on their own accord, and people hear whispers when working alone. Sadly, I didn’t have much time to talk in depth about what was happening in the building.

However, a member of my lodge did share an interesting story. My friend’s son, Tom, was part of a two-man team sent to the Walter Murray Gibson Building to replace outdated wiring. For some reason, Tom’s workmate brought his son to work that day, which didn’t seem to be a problem.

As Tom was standing on a ladder tending to a light fixture, his partner was working on some outlets behind him. Every few minutes, the workmate would ask his son to hand him a screwdriver, and Tom could hear the frustration in his partner’s voice because the boy kept handing his father the wrong tool. The two began bickering back and forth until Tom finally became irritated and turned to tell them both to stop. But… no one was there.

An eerie quiet hung in the air as Tom just stood on his ladder, looking around. Then, at the far end of the room, the father and son walked in with coffee and snacks from a nearby 7-Eleven.

He never found out who the disembodied voices belonged to, but he still swears it sounded like his coworker and his kid.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"}],"text":" "}]

[{"type":"hardBreak","text":""},{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"}],"text":" "}]

Merchant St Police Station

<title>Whispers in the holding cells</title>

If trauma and intense emotion can lead to hauntings, it's no surprise that a former police station, once home to holding cells, would harbor lingering echoes of the past.

Whispers in the holding cells

Square Mike Brestovansky Headshot RGZ3736 Large

Michael Brestovansky

Government & Politics

Crime & Courts

Gov. Josh Green joined several state legislators on Tuesday to call for measures to limit the power of Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Green, Lt. Gov. Sylvia Luke, House Speaker Nadine Nakamura and several other lawmakers attended a vigil Tuesday commemorating Alex Pretti, the man shot and killed by U.S. Border Patrol agents in Minneapolis on Saturday.

During the vigil — hosted by the ACLU of Hawai‘i, the Legal Clinic of Hawai‘i and the Hawai‘i Coalition for Immigrant Rights — Green said ICE’s actions have eroded public trust in the rule of law, and that those responsible for Pretti’s death must be held accountable.

“We’ve all seen the videos, anyone can see that ICE was wrong,” Green said. “It’s absurd to call [Pretti and other ICE victims] domestic terrorists.”

Green’s appearance at the vigil came only a day after saying that 

 alternate immigration enforcement policies to the federal government, such as offering a probationary period during which illegal immigrants could be exempt from ICE actions so long as they commit no violent crimes.

The governor did not mention specific policies at Tuesday’s vigil, but he finished his speech by promising that he will use “every tool at [his] disposal” to ensure that people’s rights remain protected in Hawai‘i.

Nor did Nakamura make specific policy proposals on Tuesday. However, she said she and other legislators will work this year to develop legislation that will “build in accountability,” guarantee due process for ICE detainees and limit potential overreaches by immigration enforcement.

Nakamura said changes in immigration policy might be “painful,” warning that growing calls to defund ICE and the Department of Homeland Security might well lead to another government shutdown.

Several lawmakers who attended Tuesday’s vigil — including reps. David Tarnas, Mattias Kusch and Terez Amato, and senators Jarret Keohokalole and Joy San Buenaventura — also co-introduced a raft of immigration-related bills on Monday.

[{"type":"text","text":"Those measures included:"}]

All of those measures have been referred to their chamber’s respective judiciary committees. Both chairs of those committees — Tarnas and Rep. Karl Rhoads — attended Tuesday’s vigil.

20260127 101533 16x9

<title>Green, legislators promise anti-ICE bills</title>

Lawmakers promise legislative response to Minneapolis shootings

Green, legislators promise anti-ICE bills

IMG 1445

Rick Hamada

Protesters on O‘ahu rallied against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on this past Sunday over two shooting deaths in Minnesota that happened just weeks apart.

Organizers called the demonstration at the intersection of Atkinson Drive and Ala Moana Boulevard an “emergency protest,” and demanded justice for 

Alex Pretti, 37, a U.S. citizen who was shot and killed by ICE agents in Minneapolis

 agents tried to disarm him, and he resisted, and an officer fired defensive shots out of fear for his life and the safety of other agents.

It is the most incendiary news cycle since the nation was roused by the death George Floyd and the Black Lives Matter movement. With the passing of time and developments in this story, there was so much that emerged that revealed more truth. We are witnessing a variation on a theme in Minnesota but what is a common thread is the sweeping emotional narrative leading to a greater division in our country.

[{"type":"text","text":"First things first."}]

There is no joy surrounding the Pretti or Good stories. I lament the loss of life, the impact to their families and friends and the continuing divisions plaguing our country. We have been treated to personalized stories of each including backgrounds, families, occupations and more. 

I am not decrying the access to media those close to Pretti and Good have used to share their messages. As anyone of us who has experienced such grievous loss can attest that it is a painful and regretful experience. And to lose a loved one at the hands of law enforcement is not something I can relate to because that has never happened to me. But empathetically speaking, I can imagine their losses were exacerbated learning their deaths were at the hands of ICE agents.

[{"type":"text","text":"The as of now, unsolved questions are how and why. "}]

But there are so very many who have reached their own conclusions and this is on both sides. I am of the mind to opine on what we do know and hold accusations and assumptions until there is a verifiable explanation and conclusion by verifiable sources.

However I do maintain there is voluminous reporting and social media posts that present one side to the overall story of ICE. I hope to provide another side to what is for so many the accepted overall narrative regarding ICE, its operations and news coverage. 

[{"type":"text","text":"Some key points."}]

[{"type":"text","text":"\"ICE agents are untrained.\""}]

"The basic training for an ICE agent - ICE-D is a 13-week Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) integrated basic training program that consists of both FLETC and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) training. FLETC training includes three written examinations. You are required to obtain a 70% or better on all FLETC written examinations. ICE training includes four written examinations. You are required to obtain a 70% or better on all ICE written examinations," per the 

. There are requirements for speaking Spanish, physical conditioning and more. 

DHS Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a written statement that ICE officer candidates receive extensive training over eight weeks in courses that include conflict management and de-escalation. She said many of the candidates are military veterans, and about 85% have previous law enforcement experience. “All ICE candidates are subject to months of rigorous training and selection at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center, where they are trained in everything from de-escalation tactics to firearms to driving training. Homeland Security Investigations candidates receive more than 100 days of specialized training," she 

I understand there will be those who take exception to the aforementioned retort to ICE officers "are not trained." There are counter arguments from those in various spaces that will denounce the quality of training. As I mentioned before, I would rather base my opinion on what is verifiable. With the two pieces of official data from the DHS, the statements can be vetted for accuracy. I have not seen any discrediting of this training protocol except news reports citing politicians and academia for their opinions.  

[{"type":"text","text":"\"ICE should be eliminated.\""}]

More Americans now support abolishing ICE than keeping it.

found that 46% want to eliminate ICE, compared to 43% who support preserving it.

Polling data is some of the most easily manipulated information anywhere. It's the pool of those polled, it's the phrasing of the question, and both are areas where it's controllable to reach a specific conclusion. Case in point; political polling during an election year. Candidates will often cite their own "internal" polling for a specific result. It's literally a selfie in a snapshot of time where emotions will supersede a true preponderance of questions posed. As an example, where is the margin of error in the above cited poll numbers where there is only a 3% difference? Exactly.

 "ICE is targeting minorities and even children in separating families."

The mission of ICE is to protect America from cross-border crime and illegal immigration that threaten national security and public safety through 

criminal investigations and enforcing immigration laws, combating threats like terrorism, trafficking, and illicit movement of people and goods, and upholding immigration integrity.

ICE accomplishes this by enforcing over 400 federal statutes, with key functions including immigration enforcement, investigations and removals, focusing on criminals, national security threats and maintaining lawful immigration.

[{"type":"text","text":"\"ICE is too rough with enforcement.\""}]

I would counter that agitators among genuine protesters are too rough with ICE agents/officers.

Now, before you start rolling your eyes and yelling at your screen, simply consider the following.

I began this column referring to local protests being staged on Ala Moana Boulevard near the harbor. According to reports, hundreds attended, and you know what happened? 

No confrontations, no traffic snarling or blockages, no illegal and classless behavior to law enforcement.

[{"type":"text","text":"But you know what else happened? "}]

Those who have grievances regarding the Minnesota stories and who oppose ICE and DHS successfully protested. Their peaceful congregation, respect for motorists, bikers and pedestrians, and law enforcement countered the actions in other parts of the Mainland. And their message was delivered and received via local news coverage and more.

Side note: Kudos to Hawai‘i News Now's A‘ali‘i Dukolow for his well chronicled and well balanced story pertaining to a controversial and multi-layered story.

I know there are those that are saddened to being outraged at what is taking place in our country. You have every right to believe what you believe, to speak out on what you believe and even proselytize others to believe what you believe. But we don't have the right to escalate, to assault, to berate and spew hatred to ICE or any other law enforcement officers.

[{"type":"text","text":"Commit crimes, no."}]

[{"type":"text","text":"Final thought regarding protesting and not inflaming."}]

When you are taking to the streets either here or there ask yourself one question.

[{"type":"text","text":"Am I making my kids proud? "}]

[{"type":"text","text":"This is a rule of thumb all sides should embrace."}]

For the latest news of Hawai‘i, sign up 

Protest i Stock 2230731637

<title>Hamada: Something important happened at Honolulu's anti-ICE protest</title>

No violence at all. What we see happening on the Mainland isn't the way things need to be.

Hamada: Something important happened at Honolulu's anti-ICE protest

Kam Napier Headshot

A. Kam Napier

Among the many bills being introduced this legislative session is one that seeks to make stores responsible for their shopping carts getting stolen, then abandoned. 

That's the shortest summary I can give of 

Scot Matayoshi (D), Greggor Iligan (D), Darius Kila (D), Lisa Marten (D), Ikaika Olds (D) and Sean Quinlan (D). A public hearing on the bill is scheduled for 10 a.m. this Friday, Jan. 30, and people can submit testimony at that link.

Why shopping carts? The problem at hand is that shopping carts are among the detritus found by people who clean up our roadsides, streams and waterways. The solution, according to this bill, is to punish the stores, essentially making them victims twice.

, but let's dig into the highlights, there's a lot to unpack.

It begins with, "The legislature finds that increasing incidents of shopping carts being removed from the premises of local businesses have generated community concern regarding the accumulation of abandoned shopping carts in public spaces."

Stolen. The word they're look for is stolen, not "removed." Shopping carts are 

, anywhere from $250 each and up, plus more costs if a store spends on anti-theft technology. When someone "removes" the cart, they've stolen it. We once referred to such people as thieves, but note the passive language of this sentence, which doesn't refer to the cart nappers at all. No actor is named in "shopping carts being removed," because the bill doesn't want us to see that person, it wants us to see only the store. 

The legislature further finds that while existing law prohibits the unauthorized removal of shopping carts from the premises of local businesses ..."

Look at how many words are spent here to avoid saying more directly that stealing shopping carts is a crime, something government should be in the business of preventing. Government clearly hasn't succeeded at that, because the carts keep getting stolen and so we get a lot of blather. And again, the passive "removal of shopping carts" wording appears. Who's removing them? The bill doesn't want to know. Who's dumping them? Doesn't matter, as far as the bill's authors are concerned.

" ... there is no mechanism for counties to recover cleanup costs or incentivize local businesses to retrieve their property."

Incentivize local businesses to retrieve their property? You mean, their property that was stolen from them and later disposed of, who knows where or when, by the thief? Really? How ever could we "incentivize" businesses to clean up after their own victimization!

Also, why is "counties" in this sentence all of a sudden? This is a House Bill in the Hawai‘i state Legislature. If the counties have a problem, the counties have their own representatives, their own ordinances. As for "recover cleanup costs," the place for the counties to invest is deterring the criminals who steal the carts, before those carts become unsightly rubbish. 

The legislature believes that the implementation of appropriate security measures by businesses that provide shopping carts can reduce the incidence of shopping cart abandonment and the associated impacts on communities."

I don't know why anyone thinks Hawai‘i is anti-business. We only blame businesses for being crime victims and scold them for where their stolen property ends up. Hey, you selfish businesses, stop having nice things! Also, if you're victimized, it's your fault. You made it too easy. How dare you store owners not recognize that we've constructed a low-trust society!

"Accordingly, the purpose of this Act is to: (1) Require every business establishment that provides a shopping cart to mark each cart with identifying information; ..."

[{"type":"text","text":"Adding expense to the cost of doing business."}]

"(2) Authorize a county to impound and dispose of a shopping cart and assess impound fees, storage fees, and disposal fees under certain circumstances; ..."

There's the beating heart of this entire bill, everything else is merely justification. In addition to blaming the stores for their own victimization, this bill grows government: Impound the carts where, at what cost? How many cart wranglers need to be employed? How many fine assessors and collectors? And how does the cost of all this enforcement compare to simply disposing of the carts when found, along with all the other bulky items cleanup crews recover? 

What next, fines for mattress and furniture stores? Luggage companies and barbecue makers? (I live by the Ala Wai, I've seen things in the water that defy explanation.) 

"[A]nd (3) Authorize the counties to return a shopping cart, in lieu of impoundment, to the business establishment, subject to certain fines."

Again, with the fines. This bill acts like the stores themselves are dumping their own carts into the streams in the dead of night and need to be stopped. 

It's not a little fine, either. It's $500. Per cart. That was 

. That's money the stores need to replace their stolen carts, because those carts aren't coming back in usable condition. How would the stores, which run on pretty thin profit margins, get the money to replace the cart and pay the fine? By raising prices. And then 

Except for cart thieves and cart dumpers, the actual, real cause of the problem. Nothing happens to them. 

Imagine a boxer at a fight. The bell rings. The boxer leaps out of the ring and starts punching everyone in the face except his opponent. That's this bill.

A. Kam Napier is editor in chief of Aloha State Daily. His opinions in Pipikaula Corner are his own and not reflective of the ASD team.

Shopping cart i Stock 91720915

<title>Pipikaula Corner: Legislature to clamp down on ... shopping carts!?</title>

House Bill 1636 wants businesses to pay $500 fines when their shopping carts are stolen and dumped. There's an entire mindset at work behind the idea that the way to solve a problem — abandoned carts — is to rob the store a second time with a fine.

Pipikaula Corner: Legislature to clamp down on ... shopping carts!?

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta Headshot

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta

Food & Dining

In Tokyo, Japan, Tsukiji Outer Market is a popular tourist attraction where customers can find a variety of street food, restaurants and specialty vendors.

One of the market vendors is popular for its larger-than-life shrimp crackers — which has a whole shrimp pressed inside — and the treat has gone viral on social media in recent years.

, you now don’t have to go to Japan to enjoy a similar treat.

Ebi senbei is the main attraction at Yamitsuki Gyotaku Senbei, according to business owner Shingo Katsura. Katsura, who is from Japan, thought it would be a good idea to bring popular Japanese street foods to Hawai

“The ebi senbei is a popular one — it’s all over Japan,” he says. “We’re using Kaua

Customers can currently find the new business at the FarmLovers Kaka

ako market every Saturday from 8 a.m. to noon, and at the Ono Grindz and Makeke market at Wai Kai (in ʻEwa Beach) from 4 to 8 p.m.

Katsura says the business is starting with senbei, but will eventually expand its menu.

“‘Yamitsuki’ means ‘addicting’ (in Japanese); this is just the beginning with the senbi,” he says. “Eventually, I want to have multiple Japanese street foods, like in those night markets (in Japan).”

Senbei are made to order; each takes about 6 minutes to cook, according to Katsura. Customers can choose from Kaua

i shrimp ($12) or octopus ($12) senbei, or opt for a combo to include both seafood. So far, he says the shrimp senbei has been slightly more popular.

[{"type":"text","text":"“I like doing one shrimp and one octopus as a combo,” he says."}]

[{"type":"text","text":"Creating the senbei batter was a result of a lot of trial and error."}]

“Whenever we’re at the house, there’s flour everywhere,” Katsura says. “It’s super crispy, but it’s a balance of different types of flour, plus the temperature.”

Katsura recently added smoked ‘ahi dip to the menu, which can be enjoyed with the senbei ($3) or a la carte ($12 for an 8-ounce container).

“It’s like our little play on chips and dip,” he says. “I teamed up with a local fisherman; I make the smoked ‘ahi and the ‘ahi dip.”

Customers can look forward to more senbei flavors — including some dessert options, according to Katsura.

“It could be ube or Kona coffee with a dark chocolate drizzle on it,” he says. “We’re just getting started. Sometimes we get backed up (when making the senbei), so when that happens, please be patient with us.”

While the senbei is designed to be enjoyed immediately, the business can also wrap senbei to-go. We took ours home, and we were pleased to discover that even the next day, it retained its ultra-crispy, crunchy texture. 

Yamatsuki Gyotaku Senbei owner 012226

<title>Where to find Japan-style shrimp crackers on Oʻahu</title>

Owner Shingo Katsura recently opened Yamitsuki Gyotaku Senbei, which can be found at various markets around Oʻahu. The business — whose name means “addictive” in Japanese — specializes in crispy senbei, but plans to expand its menu to include other popular street foods.

Where to find Japan-style shrimp crackers on Oʻahu

Daniel Farr 02

Daniel Farr

Eight candidates vying to become Hawaiʻi Police Department’s next chief will be interviewed later this week on topics ranging from immigration enforcement and homelessness to drug policy and public trust.

The Hawaiʻi County Police Commission will conduct the interviews Thursday and Friday at the West Hawaiʻi Civic Center in Kailua-Kona. Sessions begin at 9 a.m. each day in the County Council Chambers and will be open to the public. Residents may provide written or oral testimony during the meetings or observe online via Zoom.

The 19 written questions, provided to Aloha State Daily by Police and Fire Commissions Secretary Charisse Correa, asked applicants the following:

Correa said the commission is reviewing candidate materials and finalizing interview logistics, noting that some aspects of the selection process have not yet been finalized and may be discussed during meetings held ahead of the interviews.

“Following the interviews, the Commission plans to discuss and determine which candidate is the best fit for the Police Chief position,” Correa told ASD.

The commission plans to make its decision once the selection process wraps up on Jan. 30. Any chosen candidate would receive a provisional appointment, pending the successful completion of required screening procedures such as a background check, psychological assessment and polygraph test.

The search began after the commission voted in July to accept the emailed resignation of former Chief Ben Moszkowicz. Although Moszkowicz later sought to rescind his resignation, the commission voted not to overturn its original decision.

Once interviews are complete, Correa said deliberations will likely consider the leadership qualities outlined in the job posting, the candidates’ written submissions and their interview responses. She told ASD that the commission has not discussed how public testimony will factor into the final decision.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"}],"text":"The eight candidates are:"}]

Public testimony is generally taken at the start of the meeting or when the agenda item is called, at the chair’s discretion. Testifiers are limited to five minutes.

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