ASD icon blue inverse lighter

ASD Staff

Daily Smile

[{"type":"text","text":"This pug was caught in a clover-load of photos..."}]

Smile 26 3 17

<title>Daily Smile: Tuesday, March 17, 2026</title>

This pug was caught in a clover-load of photos...

Daily Smile: Tuesday, March 17, 2026

 This pug was caught in a clover-load of photos...

Stephanie Salmons Headshot

Stephanie Salmons

Government & Politics

After a weekend of severe and stormy weather, more rain could be on the way, according to meteorologists with the National Weather Service.

Patrick Blood, a meteorologist with NWS in Honolulu, however, says, “We are likely not going to experience what we just went through.”

Thursday and Friday will be days “where we could pick up more rain,” he told Aloha State Daily Monday, but “we’re not looking at any wind right now.”

A Kona Low — a powerful seasonal cyclone — moved through the Islands last week, bringing with it heavy rains, high winds, flooding, 

According to Blood, Maui and Hawai‘i Island bore the brunt of that storm

The state received “anywhere from 10 to 20-plus inches statewide,” he told ASD.

“Higher amounts fell over the south-, southwest-facing portions of the Islands,” he says. “Areas that don’t typically get that much rain received copious amounts of rain, which led to flooding. The hardest-hit areas were the island of Maui and Big Island, as far as the impacts.”

Flooding, he says, was the worst around Kīhei and the leeward side of Maui, on the west-facing slopes of Haleakalā, and south of Kailua-Kona on the Big Island, heading toward Captain Cook.

Blood says the weather event spanned Tuesday to Sunday, but 80% of the rainfall occurred from Friday into Saturday morning.

Most saw rainfall of 6 or 7 inches to around 12 inches over that period, he told ASD.

The island of Maui, though, picked up anywhere from 15 to 20-plus inches of rain, with some areas in up country receiving more than 30 inches, he noted. And one gage even reported more than 46 inches, he told ASD.

On the Big Island, Blood says the “dry side of that island got the most rain,” but some areas in the southeast side of the island also picked up 25 to 27 inches.

“probably escaped the worst of it,” Blood says, but the island still received 6 to 9 inches on its south side, he noted.

[{"type":"text","text":"High winds also caused damage at during last week’s storm."}]

The highest wind gust of 135 mph was measured at 4:20 a.m. on Saturday at Kaiāulu Pu‘u Wa‘awa‘a on Hawai‘i Island, at an elevation of around 4,000 feet, Blood says.

[{"type":"text","text":"On O‘ahu, a wind gust of 81 mph was measured at Makapu‘u Beach."}]

Kula, on Maui, also saw a wind gust of 108 mph at an elevation of nearly 10,000 feet.

Blood says 1980 was “the last time we had this kind of rain statewide.”

“But Kona Lows come nearly every year, pretty much. It’s just they all come in different flavors, different sizes, different strengths. Some are slower moving than others. A storm of this magnitude is definitely a generational storm. You only see this storm once every 20, 30 years.”

For the latest news of Hawai‘i, sign up 

Storm

<title>A 'generational storm'</title>

Aloha State Daily spoke with National Weather Service meteorologist Patrick Blood about last week's severe storms and what's next for Hawai‘i's weather.

A 'generational storm'

Square Mike Brestovansky Headshot RGZ3736 Large

Michael Brestovansky

Maui Rep. Elle Cochran has left the Democratic Party and joined the Republicans, she announced Monday.

Cochran, who was elected in 2022 to represent West Maui, announced her “resignation” from the Democrats at a Monday press conference by the House Republican Caucus.

Cochran said that, during her term, she has concluded that her district requires stronger advocacy, particularly following the 2023 Lahaina wildfires.

“I know that Hawai‘i works best when there is balance in government,” Cochran said, adding that she believes the GOP caucus’ leadership has welcomed her with open arms because they value diversity in representatives’ viewpoints.

Addressing her voting constituents, Cochran said she is “still the same Elle Cochran you elected.”

“The only difference is that now I have more knowledge and experience,” Cochran said.

Cochran previously served as a Maui County Council member between 2011 and 2018 and unsuccessfully ran for Maui County Mayor in 2018.

Minority Floor Leader Diamond Garcia — who represents portions of ‘Ewa and Kapolei — said Monday is a historic day for the Legislature, as it marks the first time the state’s Republican contingent has reached double digits since Republican Linda Lingle was state governor more than two decades ago.

Furthermore, Garcia said, Cochran changing sides means the House GOP is now multi-county — all other Republican representatives are O‘ahu-based.

Garcia said Cochran’s move reflects a growing movement from people across the state calling for greater balance and transparency from the state government.

Cochran’s term ends this year, but she has not yet filed for reelection. However, one Democrat is running for her seat: Ashley Olson, president of the Hawai‘i State Teachers Association’s Maui chapter, who declared her candidacy in February. Cochran’s party swap ends the possibility of a primary challenge should she choose to run again.

Two other candidates from the Green Party — Jackie Keefe and Pa‘ele Kiakona — are also running for Cochran’s seat.

During Monday’s press conference, Cochran was questioned about missing 

 of all House floor sessions during the 2025 Legislative session. She said she was “advocating for the people,” during 2025 and that her presence on Maui during that time was needed. She added that she didn’t cash four per diem checks paid to her office to cover off-island living expenses during that time.

Aloha State Daily reached out to House Majority Caucus leadership for comment.

 For the latest news of Hawai‘i, sign up 

PXL 20260316 230433360 TS 000 16x9

<title>Switching sides: Maui Rep. Elle Cochran quits Dems, joins GOP</title>

Cochran says Republicans will help bring stronger leadership to West Maui.

Switching sides: Maui Rep. Elle Cochran quits Dems, joins GOP

Christian Shimabuku Headshot

Christian Shimabuku

Sports

For the first time in 10 years, the University of Hawai‘i men's basketball team is NCAA Tournament bound. 

During Sunday's NCAA selection show, it was revealed that the Rainbow Warriors will be the 13 seed in the 16-team West Region. The 'Bows will face SEC champion Arkansas on Thursday in Portland. Tipoff time is set for 10:25 a.m. HST on TBS.

Hawai‘i clinched its NCAA Tournament ticket with a thrilling 71-64 victory over UC Irvine in the Big West tournament championship game on Saturday night in Henderson, Nev., punctuated by a two-handed Dre Bullock windmill dunk in the closing seconds. 

Just a week prior, Hawai‘i had a chance to clinch the share of the Big West regular season title in its home finale against Long Beach State, which finished ninth in the conference standings at 6-14. The Rainbow Warriors squandered that opportunity with a 

. UH finished second in the conference standings, allowing UC Irvine to win the regular season title outright. 

The Rainbow Warriors entered conference tournament week with full knowledge that winning it would provide the ultimate prize — the program's first NCAA Tournament bid since 2016. 

With a double bye straight to the conference semifinals, Hawai‘i clinched its spot in the championship game by handling Cal State Fullerton 78-63 on Friday. 

On championship Saturday, the 'Bows leaned on their experience to get their most consequential win in a decade. UH features six seniors in its eight-man rotation, which was reduced to such after season-ending injuries to points guards Tanner Cuff and Aaron Hunkin-Claytor, as well as a midseason departure from forward Jalen Myers. Harry Rouhliadeff, the team captain and lone player on the roster who spent his entire career with the Rainbow Warriors, had a double-double with 15 points and 12 rebounds. Meanwhile, 

 was named the tournament MVP after posting 22 points and seven rebounds. Bullock added 15 points, seven rebounds and four steals. 

As three Hawai‘i seniors in Rouhliadeff, Johnson and Bullock sat on the press conference podium following their championship victory over UC Irvine, they all acknowledged how the disappointing Long Beach loss allowed them to refocus. They lost a championship that night, but wouldn't have won this one without it. 

"If not getting a ring that night meant getting a ring tonight, I'll take it 100 times out of 100," Johnson said on Saturday. "We use that as fuel, and then we locked in this week. I think during practices, we got a little bit of our swag back. We joked around and we're happy, and got the mood back up, but we were locked in, which I think was the most important part. ... I think that game exposed us a little bit and showed us what we needed to fix."

Added Rouhliadeff: "That was probably was the best thing that could have happened to us. Just probably kept us grounded. Going into this tournament, we knew it was going to be hard. There's no doubt about that. This is such a competitive league, and I'm just so proud of the guys right now. I'm really lost for words at the moment, but I'm just so proud of our effort and our defensive toughness."

Said Bullock: "Probably the best thing that happened for us. We were kind of feeling ourselves a little bit during that run, but we learned from it. Watch film, grow from it. We brought our energy to Vegas and shifted gears quickly."

While the 2025-2026 Rainbow Warriors showed how much can change in a week, head coach Eran Ganot proved how much can change in a year. In the 2024-2025 season, the 'Bows went 15-16 overall and 7-13 in Big West play, missing the conference tournament entirely. Interim athletics director Lois Manin announced she would let 

 coach out the final year of his contract without an extension. In turn, Ganot retooled his roster. Of the eight players who saw the floor on Saturday, only two were returnees from the previous season in Rouhliadeff and 

Per Ganot's contract, he would have earned a $25,000 bonus had the team clinched a share of the conference regular season title. As costly as the Long Beach State loss proved to be, the conference tournament win netted him a $15,000 bonus. 

It was Ganot's first season at the helm in 2015-2016 that the Rainbow Warriors last went to the NCAA Tournament and earned the program's first-ever win at The Big Dance, a 77-66 upset victory over California. The 2025-2026 Rainbow Warriors face a steep challenge in Arkansas, led by talented freshman guard Darius Acuff Jr., who is averaging 22.7 points and 6.4 assists per game. 

Ganot, who displayed a stoic demeanor in the final seconds of Saturday's Big West championship victory, was all smiles when the dust settled. 

"Just wow. A lot of emotions go through you," Ganot said following the game. "I tell our guys all the time, the journey is all that floods through your mind, what these guys have been through this year and over the years. 

"Knew it was going to be a battle. Could have gone either way. It's very humbling, but it's also a special moment when you do what you do with this group of kids, and do it against that type of competition. ... There's nothing like sitting on the bench or taking it all in watching these kids smile. That's undefeated. Nothing can ever pass that."

Hawaii basketball 031526

<title>Hawai‘i men's basketball punches ticket to NCAA Tournament for first time since 2016</title>

In their final Big West game, the Rainbow Warriors defeated UC Irvine in the conference tournament on Saturday night in Henderson, Nev.

Hawai‘i men's basketball punches ticket to NCAA Tournament for first time since 2016

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta Headshot

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta

Food & Dining

Whether you’re celebrating St. Patrick’s Day by indulging in corned beef or simply want to toast with green beer, scroll below for fun ways to enjoy March 17.

59th annual Waikīkī St. Patrick’s Day parade

 will start at noon on March 17. The parade route includes Saratoga Avenue, Kalākaua Avenue and continues to the Honolulu Zoo.

There will also be a St. Patrick’s Day celebration (free admission) from 4 to 10 p.m. on March 17 between King and Hotel streets. Attendees are encouraged to wear their greenest gear, and can look forward to live performances and Celtic pipes and drums.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Aloha Beer Co."}]

: Customers can make any pint a green beer ($1 more) on St. Patrick's Day.

[{"type":"text","text":"Menu specials include:"}]

: Aloha Beer Co.’s St. Patrick's Day beer garden party is from 5 to 10 p.m. Friday, March 13 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Big City Diner"}]

Family meal deal packs to-go are designed to serve four to five people and are available with a 24-hour notice. 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Black Shamrock Tavern"}]

: The eatery will offer corned beef and cabbage sandwiches; cheese and pepperoni pizza slices; fish ‘n chips and cups ‘o fries. It will also have a corned beef and cabbage pizza, which features Guinness braised corned beef with housemade cabbage slaw and a drizzle of tangy Guinness mustard sauce. 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Da Burger Wing Hub"}]

: This Wahiawa restaurant’s St. Patrick's-themed monthly specials include shepherd’s pie ($30); fish ‘n chips ($30); reuben sandwich ($22); corned beef, cabbage and potatoes ($35); and matcha float. 

: The bakery’s Irish soda bread ($10.25) will be baked every Tuesday and Saturday during March. It’s made with whole wheat and white flour, along with raisins, honey and buttermilk. 

: Irish soda bread will also be available on March 16 and 17

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Kona Brewing Co."}]

: The pub’s locations in both Kona and Hawaiʻi Kai will celebrate with food and drink specials. Guests wearing Kona Brewing Co. merch will enjoy happy hour pricing all day.

At the Kona Brewers Festival on March 14 at the Kona pub, the biz will be offering a special pairing menu to celebrate the limited release of Miss Bee-Havin’, a honey hefeweizen brewed with local honey in support of Pink Boots Society

. The nonprofit organization empowers women and non-binary professionals in the beef industry through education and scholarships. 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Murphy’s Bar & Grill"}]

Takeout will not be available on St. Patrick’s Day. 

: Bar/restaurant is open from 11 a.m. on March 17

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Olive Branch Hawaiʻi"}]

: The online business is offering a St. Patrick's Day sweets box ($15) and assorted sweet set ($3), which includes any two dipped pretzels, Oreos or Rice Krispies. 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Piko (Hawai‘i Island)"}]

: This special Irish-themed prix fixe menu ($60 per person) includes a hearty Guinness stew in a bread bowl with beef tip, bacon and seasonal root vegetables; corned beef and cabbage with roasted cabbage, mashed potatoes, roasted brussels sprouts, fried leeks and a Guinness-mustard sauce; and Grandma’s Irish soda bread with POG butter and lilikoʻi coulis. 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Plumeria Beach House"}]

kahalaresort.com/dining/plumeria-beach-house/

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Sippin’ Pretty"}]

: The matcha and coffee pop-up business’s March specials ($12 each) are St. Patrick’s Day themed. Enjoy the End of the Rainbow (iced matcha latte with organic mango puree, coconut cream top and rainbow sourbelt), Charmed & Lucky (iced cereal milk latte with toasted marshmallow cream top and Lucky Charms marshmallows) and double matcha (iced matcha latte with matcha cream top). 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Sweet Revenge Honolulu"}]

: Customers can enjoy festive specials like:

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"The Boardroom Kailua"}]

: On St. Patrick’s Day, The Boardroom Kailua will feature green beers, Irish Car bombs, Jameson Irish whiskey specials, live music, and Irish food specials and flatbread pizzas.

During the week of St. Patrick’s Day, guests can look forward to signature green cocktails (emerald sour and shamrock martini),

For all of March, the eatery will feature Irish whiskey flights (Proper No. 12 Irish whiskey, The Whistler PX I Love You, and Boann Marsala Cask), fresh green cocktails and mocktails, and Guinness Stout and cold pints. 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"The Pig & The Lady"}]

: Enjoy specials like corned beef pho, charred cabbage with egg nuoc chan and pickled mustard seeds; and an exclusive St. Patrick’s Day cocktail. The cocktail will feature Viet-Irish coffee, robusta beans, Jameson and pandan whipped cream. 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Zippy’s Restaurants"}]

: Zippy’s is bringing back its corned beef cabbage plate ($20.95 in Honolulu), which includes cabbage, hearty pieces of corned beef, two scoops of rice and mac salad. Other festive specials include the Pot o’ Gold soup ($5.50 in Honolulu) — a creamy soup with chopped cabbage, heavy cream and bits of cooked corn beef with onions and potatoes — and a decorated St. Patrick’s Day donut ($2.99 in Honolulu). 

: March 17 starting at 10:30 a.m., while supplies last

St Patricks Day 2026 Aloha Beer Co 030426

<title>Where to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day 2026</title>

Get ready to (sham) rock and roll with green beers, corned beef and these limited-time specials.

Where to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day 2026

[{"type":"text","text":"The real reason we have security cams..."}]

Smile 26 3 4

<title>Daily Smile: Wednesday, March 4, 2026</title>

The real reason we have security cams...

Daily Smile: Wednesday, March 4, 2026

Business & Tourism

It's the end of an era for Hawaiian Airlines.

 that Alaska Airlines would acquire Hawaiian Airlines — and just over a year after 

 — the last Hawaiian Airlines flight to the use the HA call signal arrived in Honolulu early this morning from American Samoa.

The move comes after Alaska Airlines on Wednesday received a single operating certificate, or SOC, from the Federal Aviation Administration. It’s a major milestone in the continued efforts to integrate the operations of the two airlines.

The distinct Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines brands remain, but this means the airlines are now operating under a single call sign, AS, which pilots and dispatchers use to communicate with air traffic control, Alaska Airlines explained in an 

According to that announcement, this is an FAA regulatory requirement that “marks the successful integration of training, policies, procedures and manuals across both airlines.”

Alex Da Silva, regional communications director — Hawai‘i for Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines

, told Aloha State Daily it was a smooth transition, and that there are no material changes for guests.

“The most notable change is that we are assigning new HA flight numbers to avoid duplication with AS flight numbers, but the HA code preceding the flight numbers will remain in place until we reach a single passenger service system in late April.”

Once the airlines transition to a single passenger service system — the main technology guests use to plan trips, book tickets and on the day of travel — all flights will use an AS code, the announcement notes, but adds that travelers can still view and book Hawaiian Airline flights, which will be branded across its digital channels with an image of the Pualani aircraft tails.

The adoption of a single passenger service system next spring is the next big milestone in the merger and integration process, Da Silva says, noting that’ll be followed by the combination of collective bargaining agreements with the airlines’ unionized teams in about 12 to 18 months.

Another key milestone, however, was marked at the start of the month with the transition from HawaiianMiles to a joint loyalty program offered by both Hawaiian and Alaska airlines, 

“We're very pleased with the transition of HawaiianMiles to Atmos Rewards and excited for our members to experience the full benefits of the program,” Da Silva told ASD. “At the same time, we recognize there is a learning curve as our members familiarize themselves with the features of the new program. We remain engaged with our members and always appreciate their feedback, and we are honoring several legacy HawaiianMiles benefits through the end of the year.”

Additionally, with the single operating certificate secured, Wednesday also marked the changing of the guards, so to speak, at Hawaiian Airlines, with several Honolulu-based leadership roles formally taking effect.

Diana Birkett Rakow, formerly the executive vice president of public affairs and sustainability at Alaska Airlines, became CEO of Hawaiian Airlines Wednesday. The first woman to hold that position, she succeeds 

, who has held the position since the acquisition was completed in 

Jim Landers, Hawaiian Airlines senior vice president for technical operations, is now head of Hawai‘i operations and Shelly Parker, Horizon Air’s vice president of station operations and inflight is now head of Hawai‘i guest operations, Wednesday's announcement noted. Read more about the 

For the latest news of Hawai‘i, sign up 

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

Alaska Hawaiian Airlines 1920

<title>Alaska, Hawaiian airlines reach merger milestone</title>

Alaska Airlines on Wednesday received a single operating certificate from the Federal Aviation Administration, allowing it to operate alongside Hawaiian Airlines as two separate brands.

Daily Smile: Tuesday, March 17, 2026

ASD Staff

More in Daily Smile

Daily Smile: Monday, March 16, 2026

Daily Smile: Sunday, March 15, 2026

Daily Smile: Saturday, March 14, 2026

Daily Smile: Friday, March 13, 2026

Most read

Daily Smile: Tuesday, March 17, 2026

Authors

ASD Staff

More in Daily Smile

Daily Smile: Monday, March 16, 2026

Daily Smile: Sunday, March 15, 2026

Daily Smile: Saturday, March 14, 2026

Daily Smile: Friday, March 13, 2026

Most read