ASD icon blue inverse lighter

ASD Staff

Daily Smile

[{"type":"text","text":"He just wants the duck..."}]

Smile 26 3 2

<title>Daily Smile: Monday, March 2, 2026</title>

He just wants the duck...

Daily Smile: Monday, March 2, 2026

AKINA portrait 2

Keliʻi Akina, Ph.D.

Government & Politics

Viewpoints

Hawai‘i’s emergency management law has some critical flaws.

Namely, what constitutes an emergency is up to just one person — the governor — who also has wide latitude to address those declared emergencies by indefinitely suspending whatever laws he or she thinks are getting in the state’s way of responding to them.

The Covid-19 lockdowns highlighted this problem. But it has become even more apparent as we have seen an expanded use of 

 to address issues such as homelessness, housing affordability, even the overpopulation of axis deer in Maui County.

It doesn’t matter whether one agrees with the governor’s orders. The problem is that using emergency proclamations to bypass the legislative process — and being able to renew them indefinitely — undermines the constitutional authority of the Legislature, which is supposed to be the voice of the people. 

Moreover, the Hawai‘i Supreme Court has 

 to denounce this expansive definition of “emergency” because of how the state’s emergency management law is written. 

So, in order to reign in the governor’s power to declare and extend emergencies, the Legislature needs to act.

Fortunately, there are bills still alive this session that propose much-needed reforms. 

 would redefine “emergency” in state law, with an emphasis on situations that can cause immediate danger and require timely action. A similar bill made it through both the House and Senate last year, but the details were never hashed out in conference committee, so it died.

, which would allow the Legislature and county councils to end declared states of emergency by vote. 

Those two bills also would prohibit the governor or any mayor from suspending open records laws during emergencies. 

The latter concern arose in 2020 at the outset of the Covid-19 crisis, when then-Gov. David Ige suspended Hawai‘i’s open-records rules — an extreme action that wasn’t taken by any other state governor.

The state Office of Information Practices, which is responsible for responding to public records requests, hasn’t taken a position on the merits of SB2151 or HB2236, but it did say in written testimony that the two-and-a-half-month suspension of Hawai‘i’s Uniform Information Practices Act in 2020 — and the subsequent, more-than-yearlong partial suspension of response deadlines — led to many parties experiencing “long delays” in receiving responses to their records requests. 

In other words, according to the OIP, the law during that time “did not fulfill its stated purpose of giving the public timely access to government records.”

The bills now being considered by the Legislature to rectify these abuses aren’t perfect, but they would significantly improve the situation by limiting one person’s expansive authority to declare and extend emergencies.

Establishing legislative oversight over those decisions would be a huge benefit for “we the people,” and I hope our 76-member Legislature agrees that such balancing of powers is needed.

Reprinted with permission from the Feb. 28, 2026, "Presidentʻs Corner" of 

For the latest news of Hawai‘i, sign up 

I Stock 1455746827

<title>Community Voices: The hidden problem with emergency powers</title>

Bills currently before the Legislature would put some much needed restrictions on Hawai‘i's emergency powers law, which grant the governor and mayors extraordinary control with little accountability. They would also provide the Legislature with the means to end a declared emergency.

Community Voices: The hidden problem with emergency powers

Christian Shimabuku Headshot

Christian Shimabuku

Sports

MĀNOA — College baseball coaches like to stick to a routine and stay organized, which is why most tend to announce their starting pitching rotations prior to a series. Heading into its most recent series against Ball State, Hawai‘i had penciled in ace 

 on Thursday, Hekili Robello on Friday and Brody Martin-Grudzielanek on Saturday while listing Sunday's starter as TBD. 

For Hawai‘i, TBD turned out to be Liam O'Brien, whose superb start lifted the Rainbow Warriors to a 6-0 victory on Sunday. A week after giving up seven runs (four earned) in 2.1 innings in a loss to Wichita State, O'Brien redeemed himself with eight shutout innings against the Cardinals. He struck out seven, giving up just two hits and no walks in his 89 pitches. 

Hawai‘i took Thursday's opener behind a dazzling performance from Magdaleno in which he struck out 12 in 8.1 innings of work. Robello carried the torch on Friday with seven shutout innings and eight strikeouts. On Saturday, the 'Bows were blanked 1-0 behind a shutout from Ball State starter Brendan Garza, who limited the 'Bows to two hits and two walks with five strikeouts. 

The Rainbow Warriors entered Sunday's game needing to win the game to take the series and were able to do so behind O'Brien's performance. O'Brien says keeping a simple approach is what led to his success. 

"Heading into today, really, it was just breathing, just breath work and stuff like that," O'Brien said. "Making sure I was calm throughout the innings. When I would spike, I would just calm myself down. Whenever I felt like I was losing focus, I would try and breathe a little fast to get my heart rate down so I could stay locked in the game. ... Trying to stay focused, and just from the first inning to the (eighth), I was just kind of the same person."

UH outscored Ball State 24-2 in the series, but the Cardinals were able to exit O‘ahu with a win to their name after Saturday's shutout. With four games each against Gonzaga, Wichita State and Ball State to begin the year, the Rainbow Warriors enter Big West play 8-4. The Rainbow Warriors open conference play against Cal Poly, beginning on Friday. 

"Three really good opponents," Hawai‘i head baseball coach Rich Hill said following Sunday's game. "Ball State's going to be at the top of their conference. They'll probably be playing for the (Mid-American Conference) championship. Wichita State is going to be at the top of their conference, and Gonzaga will be at the top of their conference. It's been a good test for us. 

"If you would have said, 'Hey, this is going to be your record at the end of this,' we all would have taken it. We're not concerned with our record, though. The only time that you really are concerned with your record is at the end of the year. So it's all about the play. There's been some real bright spots and real glaring things that we need to work on. So, I'm glad we got four days to get ready for Cal Poly."

Following a series split with Wichita State, Hill stated that the team's hitting consistency was one of its issues. After the Rainbow Warrior bats were flummoxed on Saturday night, the 'Bows had 10 hits as a team on Sunday afternoon. Ben Zeigler-Namoa belted two home runs for the 'Bows during the series, while Tate Shimao went 2-for-3 with two RBI on Sunday. 

"Our whole team did a good job this whole weekend, and finally being able to come through for my team was so good," Shimao said. 

Shimao, a former ‘Iolani standout, began his collegiate career at Cal Poly before redshirting with the Rainbow Warriors in 2025 due to injury.

"It's a blessing. Being out, you just get a different perspective," Shimao said. "Just grateful every day to be out here, whether good or bad, it's a blessing to be on the field again."

Hawaii baseball 030126

<title>Hawai‘i baseball takes series from Ball State, heading into Big West play with winning…</title>

The Rainbow Warriors outscored the Cardinals 24-2, lifted by a bevy of strong performances at the plate and on the mound.

Hawai‘i baseball takes series from Ball State, heading into Big West play with winning momentum

Stephanie Salmons Headshot

Stephanie Salmons

Business & Tourism

The overhead lights are bright on this Wednesday morning.

In the commercial kitchen at Leeward Community College’s Wahiawā Value-Added Product Development Center, Kenny Tsuru carefully pours a bright green syrup into the creamy base for his ice cream. A melon scent fills the air.

After it’s mixed, he talks as he moves to the ice cream machine, pours it in and presses the buttons to make it go. It would take him 24 hours to make a batch at home, he says. This produces six times as much in less than 10 minutes.

When that step is done, he moves to the table and begins to meticulously scoop his Melono ice cream into individual cups.

“When I started this business, I really wanted to bring in a Melono [flavor], but make it unique,” Tsuru explains. “I really like the taste of Melona shave ice and the mixture of that with condensed milk and ice cream, so I started and I made my own creation, which is ‘Melono’ which is exactly that — all combined into an ice cream with a very creamy texture and really my dream ice cream flavor.”

The entrepreneur — and Pearl City High School senior — is the namesake and driver behind Kenny Boy Ice Cream. He produces out of the WVAPDC commercial kitchen and sells his ice cream online and at the center’s monthly market.

He’s also a member of ‘Āina to Mākeke’s newest cohort, and the youngest participant in the program’s history. The day we meet him — Feb. 18 — was his 18th birthday.

‘Āina to Mākeke is a 12-week program is offered by the LCC’s Office of Workforce Development and the Wahiawā Value-Added Product Development Center in collaboration with the Hawai‘i Ag and Culinary Alliance. It aims to help local makers turn home recipes into market-ready products.

Aloha State Daily caught up with Tsuru to learn more about his business and participation in the program.

Tsuru started Kenny Boy Ice Cream after dealing with some health problems.

He was an active teenager, working two jobs, participating in sports and used to work out daily, but with his health condition, he could no longer do that. It even got to a point he says he couldn’t walk, couldn’t go to school and had to stop working.

“I wanted a way to put a smile on my face,” he told ASD. “I went out and bought a Ninja CREAMi ice cream maker for Black Friday [in 2024], and I just started making ice cream for myself and my friends and my family. I really got into it.”

His sweets-loving family was supportive and encouraged his work, and Tsuru began selling to friends, family, neighbors and people around him.

He “really got official” last summer. Tsuru says he started to feel better and his health problems began to go away.

“I decided that this wasn’t just going to be a passion project. This was going to be my business. This was the first thing I ever found in my life that I really enjoyed, and I felt this is my purpose. I felt this was a calling. This was really the career I wanted to go into,” he says. “And I know as a high school teenager, not a lot of people say that, and it is early on, but I really found that this made me happy. This helped me during that hard time in my health, and I really felt that this is what I wanted to do, so I went all-in in July.”

He came up with the name — Kenny Boy Ice Cream — and borrowed the slogan from an uncle: “It’s ono ono brah!”

From there, Tsuru says he started selling 32-ounce family-size tubs of the sweet treat, began networking and attended business entrepreneurship opportunities.

Tsuru also is in the management cohort program of the 

International Business and Design Academy

 at Pearl City High School, where he can earn early college credits and a certificate of achievement. His mentor at school suggested he check out the WVAPDC and he went to the showcase for the ‘Āina to Mākeke cohort six.

“I got to see what the ‘Āina to Mākeke program was and I was so amazed,” Tsuru says. “I wanted to make it happen for me. I wanted to be a part of that, so I really made it my goal to figure out what it was going to take for me to be a part of the cohort. As a young entrepreneur —  at the time under 18 — I didn’t know if it was possible.”

He kept talking with employees of the center, participated in workshops and went to events the center hosted to get in the door. When applications for the new to ‘Āina to Mākeke cohort opened, he jumped at the chance to apply.

"I said no matter what, no matter my age, I want to do it, so I signed up."

Tsuru says, too, that he was working to become a WVAPDC kitchen user at the same time he was applying for ‘Āina to Mākeke.

Using the center has allowed Tsuru to scale his production, commercialize his product and made the process much faster.

 — Melono, a melon cream flavor; Strawono, a strawberry flavor made with fresh fruit; and a cookies and cream flavor — as well as rotating flavors. He sells them in 32-ounce tubs but you can find 6-ounce cups at pop-up events and for his newly launched catering component.

When he started his business, Tsuru says he not only wanted to support himself financially and save for college, he also wanted to dedicate a portion of his profits to helping local organizations. This year, he’ll donate 10% of all profits to Make-A-Wish Hawai‘i.

Tsuru is one of 15 food entrepreneurs from O‘ahu and Kaua‘i that’s part of the seventh ‘Āina to Mākeke cohort, which ranges from early-stage makers to established local chefs.

When asked why he wanted to participate in the program, Tsuru say he saw the opportunities it provided when he attended the showcase for cohort six.

“The whole thing about ‘Āina to Mākeke is you take a value-added food product — ice cream is my product — and you get it to market,” he says. “That’s something I wanted to do. I wanted to share my ice cream in the market, and I wanted to someday live out that childhood dream of having a product that I can go to the store and say ‘That is mine. I’m proud of that.’”

He also wants to grow his business and help more people.

In addition to Kenny Boy Ice Cream, other cohort 7 entrepreneurs include Hawaiʻi’s Only; Honolulu Mochi; Kahawai Farms; Kauaʻi Fresh Fish; Mālama Protein Bar; Myna Trading Co.; Nā Kālai Waʻa; Nourish Your Soul; ReBran; rōmu; SAVA Provisions; Shaka Butter; Shaka Mex and Sol Food Kitchen.

Now, more than 100 entrepreneurs have participated in the ‘Āina to Mākeke program since its launch in the spring of 2023.

“It’s incredible. It’s surreal, in a relatively compact period of time,” Chris Bailey, manager of the WVAPDC told ASD of hitting the milestone. “I think it demonstrates the need and the interest from local entrepreneurs to figure out how to take all the parts and put it together and continue to build that mindset for actually taking an idea and really having a strong and stable business that they can grow and take to the next level.”

For the latest news of Hawai‘i, sign up 

Kenny tsuru 021826 1

<title>The scoop on Kenny Boy Ice Cream</title>

Entrepreneur — and Pearl City High School senior — Kenny Tsuru began making ice cream after going through a challenging period with his health. He is a member of the newest cohort for ‘Āina to Mākeke, a food business program from Leeward Community College's Office of Workforce Development in partnership with the Hawai‘i Ag and Culinary Alliance, and at 18, he's the youngest participant in the program’s history.

The scoop on Kenny Boy Ice Cream

Square Mike Brestovansky Headshot RGZ3736 Large

Michael Brestovansky

A 2019 state law requiring boaters to cover the salvage costs if their boat runs aground has been almost entirely ineffective, according to a state audit.

Seven years ago, then-Gov. David Ige signed into law 

, a measure requiring owners of boats operating in state waters to maintain insurance policies that would cover the removal and salvage of their vessels if they ran aground or sank.

The bill was introduced after the state Department of Land and Natural Resources’ Division of Boating and Ocean Recreation warned the state Legislature that it was spending too much money covering the costs of vessel removal and salvage itself. In 2019, DLNR reported that it had spent $2.2 million since 2002 to deal with 91 grounded vessels.

But HB 1033 hasn’t meaningfully reduced DOBOR’s salvage expenses. The State Office of the Auditor released a 

 this week concluding that DOBOR may not be capable of enforcing HB 1033’s insurance requirements and may not have ever been clear about what those requirements actually are.

“We could not determine whether the insurance requirement has ‘greatly reduced,’ as DLNR represented it would — or has even reduced — the department’s costs to remove and salvage grounded vessels,” the audit reads. “We could not determine whether the requirement has helped to ensure that vessel owners are held responsible for the costs.”

According to the audit, DOBOR informed vessel owners of the new insurance requirements in 2020 before the law took effect in March of that year. By 2021 or 2022, however, the audit discovered that DOBOR had stopped requiring proof of insurance because boaters kept telling the division that such coverage was effectively unobtainable.

Boaters reportedly told DOBOR that no insurer would issue a $100,000 salvage coverage policy for a boat worth less than that — in fact, a boat would need to be worth $1 million to receive such coverage. The audit reported that a former DOBOR administrator — who went unidentified in the report, but, as the report described him as leaving the position in 2024 after 17 years, is most likely Ed Underwood — estimated that about 80% of registered vessels in the state are “junk.”

Meanwhile, the audit also cast doubt on the $2.2 million figure DOBOR had used to justify HB 1033. According to the audit, DOBOR could not provide clear records of how much money it had spent salvaging grounded vessels or how much it may have collected from vessel owners as reimbursement for such expenses.

The audit does include a figure from DOBOR claiming that the division has spent another $1.7 million removing grounded vessels since 2014. But it also notes that DOBOR’s efforts to collect salvage costs from boat owners — as required by HB 1033 — amounted to a single demand letter that almost always went unanswered.

“We found DOBOR’s efforts more akin to an honor system than a collections process,” the audit reads, estimating that boaters didn’t respond to the demand letter “95 to 99% of the time.”

The audit does not include information about how many salvage operations DOBOR has conducted since 2019. But each salvage operation was estimated to cost between roughly $12,000 and $50,000, most of which would inevitably be paid for by DOBOR.

The aforementioned former administrator also told the Auditor’s Office that HB 1033 wasn’t initially intended to reduce DOBOR’s salvage expenses at all. Instead, he reportedly said that it was intended to cover occasional liability issues involving “trailered” boats that launch via state boat ramps.

“Things happen in the launch ramp areas, people banging into each other’s cars, they knock the light poles down, things like that,” the former administrator told auditors.

The audit states that DOBOR leadership seemingly and erroneously assumed that the salvage coverage required by HB 1033 would also cover general liability for vessels using boat ramps.

DLNR Acting Chair Ryan Kanaka‘ole responded to a draft of the audit in January, providing additional context for some of the report’s findings. He claimed, for instance, that HB 1033 was hampered by unforeseeable “constraints in the marine insurance market” that rendered it less effected than intended.

Furthermore, Kanaka‘ole wrote that DOBOR does make greater efforts to recover salvage costs from boaters, but added that DOBOR also has a responsibility to protect natural resources. Because a prolonged shipwreck will have negative impacts on the environment, DOBOR prioritizes removing a grounded vessel — at cost — over securing payments from vessel owners.

The final conclusion of the audit makes several recommendations for DOBOR, including but not limited to developing more comprehensive documentation processes for money owed to the division and determining exactly what types of insurance, if any, will actually reduce DOBOR salvage expenses.

 For the latest news of Hawai‘i, sign up 

IMG 1367 16x9

<title>Unsalvageable: 2019 boat insurance law doesn't work, audit finds</title>

A 2019 law required boaters to have insurance to cover salvage costs in case of a grounding or shipwreck. That law was effectively unenforceable, a state audit has determined.

Unsalvageable: 2019 boat insurance law doesn't work, audit finds

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta Headshot

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta

Food & Dining

There’s a new, affordable sushi lunch omakase in Kaka

 recently launched a new lunch omakase. It’s available daily between 12 and 1 p.m. (reservations are accepted within the hour) and costs $80 per person. There is a maximum of eight seats at the sushi counter.

The sports bar still offers a dinner omakase ($110 per person), which is available at 7 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays. The dinner omakase includes 12 courses plus dessert (13 courses total).

The lunch omakase includes 12 courses (10 sushi, an appetizer and dessert). The fish will alternate, depending on what’s in the market.

The lunch omakase is also served by three rotating chefs; while the courses might be similar, each has their own style.

Our omakase started with Kona kampachi with tomato ponzu and chili pepper water. The sashimi was a refreshing start to the meal.

The following nigiri featured Madai (red sea bream) from Japan, which was cured in konbu, and bluefin tuna from Spain, which was marinated in smoked shoyu. The result is a deeply umami, savory flavor.

Next came ika topped with uni; Hokkaido scallop with blood orange kosho; and hamachi seasoned with ceviche salt and lime.

Ika can sometimes be rubbery, but this version boasted a melt-in-your-mouth texture. The silky uni topping took it to the next level.

The tender Hokkaido scallop was complemented nicely by the refreshing blood orange kosho, a condiment that can be used in place of yuzu citrus.

These were followed by Scottish salmon with onion, and local octopus topped with house chimichurri. Both courses were torched, resulting in a smoky flavor. The salmon was especially buttery.

The following dish was probably my favorite course — a petite bowl of uni and king crab, topped with melted caviar compound butter and served with rice and nori. Customers are encouraged to mix the components to make mini handrolls.

The caviar compound butter — which was torched atop the uni and king crab — enhanced the dish’s umami flavor, making it even more luxurious.

The final sushi course featured a tuna taku hand roll, comprising chopped otoro and akami bluefin tuna with housemade takuan. The fresh fish shines and the hand roll itself is a generous size.

Dessert was a delicate monaka, which typically features a crisp wafer shell. This version came with vanilla ice cream, mochi balls, kinako and a caramel drizzle. Its contrasting textures — the crunchy shell, creamy ice cream and chewy mochi — resulted in the perfect finish.

[{"type":"text","text":"Reservations for the eatery’s omakase are accepted online."}]

Lunch omakase available daily between 12 and 1 p.m.

Pitch Sports Bar chef Curtis 022426

<title>Pitch Sports Bar launches a new lunch sushi omakase</title>

This Kakaʻako sports bar’s omakase is a hidden gem. Its new lunch offering costs $80 per person, features 12 courses, and is available daily between 12 and 1 p.m.

Pitch Sports Bar launches a new lunch sushi omakase

Katie Helland Headshot

Katie Helland

Arts & Entertainment

Tripadvisor named its top 10 beaches across the nation in its 

2026 Travelers’ Choice Awards Best of the Best Beaches

 list, and four are located in Hawaiʻi. Other states with beaches that made the list include California and Florida.

The travel guidance platform compiles the list using reviews from the Tripadvisor community over a 12-month period. Out of 8 million listings, less than 1% are recognized on Tripadvisor’s lists. Descriptions of beaches were based on reviews and summarized by artificial intelligence, according to Tripadvisor’s website.

Poʻipū Beach Park on Kauaʻi was the first location in the state to make the nationwide 

 Beach Park,” shares Tripadvisor’s website. “Strap on a snorkel and check out the lava rocks and their colorful fish inhabitants. Or, stick to the shore to catch Hawaiian monk seals lazily lounging by day and sea turtles making their way onto the beach by sunset.”

Next on the list is Waikīkī Beach on Oʻahu, which takes the No. 4 spot.

“Waikīkī Beach is known for its lively atmosphere, beautiful sunsets and stunning views,” shares the Tripadvisor website. “It's clear waters are perfect for swimming, surfing and water sports.”

With its aqua waters and silky sand, Lanikai Beach took the No. 5 spot on the list.

“Lanikai Beach is a calm and relaxing spot that rarely gets too crowded,” shared the Tripadvisor website. “It's clear waters are perfect for swimming, snorkeling and kayaking. It's easy to spend the entire day there, and you'll definitely want to get there early — the sunrise views are next level.”

The final Hawaiʻi-based beach on the list, which took the No. 7 spot, was Punaluʻu Black Sand Beach on Hawaiʻi Island. 

"With its volcanic sand and coconut palm-lined shores, Punalu'u Black Sand Beach is all about postcard-worthy views," shared Tripadvisor.

. One beach also made Tripadvisor’s worldwide 

 list. Poʻipū Beach Park on Kauaʻi took the No. 21 spot on that list. 

Lanikai Beach

<title>Four Hawaiʻi beaches make Tripadvisor’s best U.S. beaches list for 2026</title>

Tripadvisor’s list of best beaches in the nation includes one location on Kauaʻi, another on Hawaiʻi Island and two on Oʻahu. Make your guesses for which beaches made the list ... 

Daily Smile: Monday, March 2, 2026

ASD Staff

More in Daily Smile

Daily Smile: Sunday, March 1, 2026

Daily Smile: Saturday, February 28, 2026

Daily Smile: Friday, February 27, 2026

Daily Smile: Thursday, February 26, 2026

Most read

Daily Smile: Monday, March 2, 2026

Authors

ASD Staff

More in Daily Smile

Daily Smile: Sunday, March 1, 2026

Daily Smile: Saturday, February 28, 2026

Daily Smile: Friday, February 27, 2026

Daily Smile: Thursday, February 26, 2026

Most read