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Hawai'i Skies

Today's Hawai‘i Skies was captured in October 2025 by Julie Hammond at the ʻAlekoko Menehune Fishpond near Līhuʻe. "I live in Lake Village, Arkansas. One of my best friends manages radio stations on Kauaʻi (Star 94.3) and Maui (Akamai Broadcasting), and I love visiting him for weeks at a time since I'm a photographer. 

"I loved the way the shadows against the mountain changed by the minute."

To submit your Hawai'i Skies photo, visit us 

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Alekoko Menehune Fishpond near Lihue Kauai by Julie Hammond

<title>Hawaiʻi Skies: Shadows changing by the minute</title>

Today's Hawai‘i Skies was captured by Julie Hammond at the ʻAlekoko Menehune Fishpond near Līhuʻe.

Hawaiʻi Skies: Shadows changing by the minute

Today&#039;s Hawai‘i Skies was captured in October 2025 by Julie Hammond at the ʻAlekoko Menehune Fishpond near Līhuʻe. &quot;I live in Lake Village, Arkansas. One of my best friends manages radio stations on Kauaʻi (Star 94.3) and Maui (Akamai Broadcasting), and I love visiting him for weeks at a time since I&#039;m a photographer.  &quot;I loved the way the shadows against the mountain changed by the minute.&quot; To submit your Hawai&#039;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.

Christian Shimabuku Headshot

Christian Shimabuku

Sports

University of Hawai‘i water polo head coach James Robinson thinks the world of his team. That's because he traversed the globe to assemble it. 

21 players listed on the Rainbow Wahine's roster

, no two players share the same hometown. In total, eight different countries and three U.S. states are represented on the roster. 

, who is currently at his second year at the helm, was the program's associate coach from 2022 to 2024, playing a large role in putting the current team together, a process that involved various recruiting pitches and flights. Seeing his recruits make it to campus and fall in love with the Islands, all while contributing to a winning program, is part of what makes Robinson's job a priceless experience. 

"I love having an international roster. You get to know so much about every single person, different areas of the world, different upbringings, different backgrounds, different water polo styles, where they went to school growing up," Robinson said. "For me, obviously, I get to coach them and teach them certain things, but I get to learn a lot from them, as well. That's a really exciting part of the roster. 

"Finding them is just going out of the way and being a little creative, I guess. We go to a lot of international water polo tournaments, youth and junior world championships and some European championships, as well. And you can't be afraid to be told 'no.' You just gotta see a player that you think is worth reaching out to. You got to give it a shot. Hopefully, they fall in love with the idea of Hawai‘i, and then once they get here, make sure that they feel included and part of the family."

International talent has been the backbone of the program's success in recent years. After 

breezing through Big West regular season play

 unbeaten,  the Rainbow Wahine won their third consecutive conference tournament on April 12 at Long Beach State. 

Hawai‘i also swept all of the Big West's major individual awards, where its diversity was again put on display. Christchurch, New Zealand native Agatha Weston was named the Big West Player of the Year, while Ariadna Temprano Xambo, who hails from Barcelona, Spain, was named the Freshman of the Year. 

"It's awesome," Weston said of the team's diverse roster. "I think it's one of my favorite parts about being here in Hawai‘i. It always takes a little bit to gel with each other, but when it clicks, it's pretty beautiful, and it's an awesome family to be a part of."

For good measure, the rest of UH's All-Big West first team selections hail from international soil in goalkeeper Daisy Logtens (Uden, Netherlands) and attacker Éma Vernoux (Marseille, France). 

"It's amazing having so many people from so many different places," Logtens said. "We learn something new about everyone and every place that we're from like every day. But even though we're so far away from home, Hawai‘i, feels like home at the same time. The people here are amazing, and they really make us feel like home. Even when we're on the road, the support that we get on the road is so incredible, and it's helping us a lot."

On Friday, the Hawai‘i will take on California in the national quarterfinals in La Jolla, Calif., marking the third straight year UH has made the NCAA Tournament. Defeat Cal, and the Rainbow Wahine will be in the NCAA semifinals for the third year in a row. The 'Bows have yet to reach the national championship match, but if they do, chances are they'll be led there by a group of players competing a long way from home. 

"I think we always talk about consistency and being able to show up every day, every week, every month, every season," Robinson said. "Even before I got here, this program has put up a tradition of excellence, and this athletic department knows how to win. And so for us, we just want to continue doing that, year in and year out."

Hawaii water polo 042326

<title>Led by international roster, UH water polo set for another NCAA Tournament run</title>

The Rainbow Wahine, who take on California in Friday's NCAA quarterfinals, feature players from eight different countries and three different states.

Led by international roster, UH water polo set for another NCAA Tournament run

Business & Tourism

HĀLAWA — Aloha Stadium's northwest bowl was demolished on early Thursday afternoon, marking another significant step toward building a new stadium on the same grounds that's expected to be ready in time for the 2029 college football season. 

Dozens of key local figures attended the demolition, all of whom wore neon safety vests as part of the required personal protective equipment. Some of the attendees were inside the old Aloha Stadium during its heyday, including former University of Hawai‘i football coach June Jones. 

"I've been part of talking about it for 25 something years, and so to finally see something actually going on with it is a positive for the university, for sure," Jones told Aloha State Daily following Thursday's demolition. 

When asked about his favorite games at the stadium, Jones lists Hawai‘i's 2003 win over Alabama and 2007 victory over Washington to preserve the team's perfect regular season as his most memorable. 

, is currently the head coach of the Rainbow Warriors. Chang was also present at Thursday's demolition, along with a handful of UH assistant coaches. 

"He's done a great job so far, and hopefully he can just keep continuing it," Jones said of Chang. "And I think he will. He's doing it. He's got good coaches around him, good people, and I think he's doing all the right things."

Aloha Hālawa District Partners, the developers of the future stadium, were able to check another box in its mission to build the new stadium. In the coming weeks, AHDP plans to demolish bowls in the mauka side of the stadium. AHDP managing member Stanford Carr previously mentioned to Aloha State Daily that 

the cast-in-place property structures in the north and south end zones will be preserved, saving $90 million in costs

"It's great," Carr told ASD following Thursday's demolition. "I'm glad all these people came out to witness it. You know, reality sets in. This thing is coming down. There's no turning back. We'll continue to move ahead. We continue to refine the new stadium designs, and soon enough, we'll be rolling it out to the community so they can see what we're planning to build here. It's exciting."

The new Aloha Stadium, which will have at least 31,000 seats with room for as many as 41,000, will also be the new home of the Hawai‘i Sports Hall of Fame. The surrounding entertainment district will have a bevy of dining, shopping and entertainment options. The stadium's flagship tenant, the University of Hawai‘i football team, will play on a natural grass surface. Other sports such as soccer and rugby can also be played on the field. 

Thursday's demolition was a time for attendees to reminisce about the old days. To those same people, the days of making new memories are in sight. 

"It's a little bit of bittersweet, because I've sat in those stands," Aloha Stadium interim manager Michael Yadao said. "It's like seeing an old friend go away. On the flip side of that, it signals momentum and push towards remaining timelines. And we're going to be ready for that 2029 football season, because things like this happen today, right? 

"I think that it shows the people of Hawai‘i, because there's this pessimism about construction, that it'll take 5 million years to build anything because of our isolated geography or whatever. And that's simply not true. In this case, we're going to meet timelines. We're going to build a new stadium. We're built to be able to work with our private sector development partner to do that. We want to show the people of Hawai‘i that this is real and that we don't have to accept that kind of dynamic that we can't build it and it'll take forever. But rather, we can be optimistic and we can believe in ourselves and our ability to perform. That means a lot to me."

Aloha Stadium 042326

<title>Live demolition work continues at Aloha Stadium</title>

The northwest bowl of Aloha Stadium was demolished on early Thursday afternoon.

Live demolition work continues at Aloha Stadium

Stephanie Salmons Headshot

Stephanie Salmons

Hawaiian Airlines and Alaska Airlines have hit the next major milestone in their integration — the move to a shared passenger service system on April 22.

Hawaiian Airlines has transitioned to the same Sabre PSS used by Alaska, the airlines noted Wednesday.

"The combined company’s shared PSS serves as the central reservation technology that connects the digital tools and programs used by guests and employees; from websites, mobile app, Atmos Rewards and Huaka‘i by Hawaiian loyalty programs, to airport kiosks and reservation records," the airlines noted in an 

Alaska Air Group Inc. and Hawaiian Holdings Inc. 

 that Alaska Airlines would acquire Hawaiian Airlines in a deal that was valued at approximately $1.9 billion, including $900 million of Hawaiian’s net debt, according to an announcement at that time. The acquisition was 

There were four major integration milestones, airline spokesperson Alex Da Silva told Aloha State Daily in March: the launch of a single loyalty program, 

 from the Federal Aviation Administration; the single passenger service system; and the joint collective bargaining agreements for the airlines’ various unions.

"This is the biggest and most complex integration project in our combination, one that involved hundreds of Alaska and Hawaiian airlines employees collaborating for over a year," Da Silva told ASD by email Thursday. "We appreciate our guests’ patience during this period as we worked to move to a single PSS, and we look forward to delivering a smoother and more enjoyable travel experience for our guests."

[{"type":"text","text":"Wednesday's transition went well, he says."}]

"There were no material issues and our operations ran smoothly, a credit to teams across Hawaiian and Alaska airlines who have been preparing for our single passenger service system transition for over a year," Da Silva told ASD. "We also deployed dozens of volunteers to Honolulu airport to provide additional guest support. We are confident that as guests become more familiar with our shared, more modern technology, including a single Hawaiian Alaska app and new bag-tag kiosks in our lobbies, they will appreciate having more self-service features to manage their travel and enjoy a smoother experience from booking to boarding when flying with both our brands."

(ICYMI: Read more about some of the changes that were underway before the move to a single PSS 

Passengers of both airlines can now manage their entire trip on a 

, the Alaska Hawaiian app. Da Silva says the airlines have received positive feedback about the app's "improved performance and new self-service features."

On Thursday, Hawaiian Airlines also joined 

, a global airline alliance that will connect the Islands to more than 1,000 destinations in more than 170 countries. Read 

Hawaiian airlines

<title>Hawaiian, Alaska airlines transition to one passenger service system</title>

A spokesperson for the airline says that the move is the "biggest and most complex integration project" in the combination of the two airlines.

Hawaiian, Alaska airlines transition to one passenger service system

Square Mike Brestovansky Headshot RGZ3736 Large

Michael Brestovansky

Government & Politics

State comptroller Keith Regan will serve as acting lieutenant governor after Lt. Gov. Sylvia Luke announced an indefinite leave of absence.

Gov. Josh Green announced that Regan will take office effective immediately, while still serving as comptroller. In a statement, he called Regan a "steady and trusted leader who understands the responsibility that comes with this role."

“I am grateful for the Governor’s trust and mindful of the responsibility that comes with this temporary designation,” Regan said in a statement. “During this period, my focus will be on supporting continuity in state government and working with the Governor’s team to serve the people of Hawaiʻi with care, respect and steadiness.”

The announcement comes hours after Luke announced she will take an indefinite leave of unpaid absence, and three days after announcing 

“After careful consideration, I have decided to take a leave of absence, without pay, for an indefinite period,” Luke’s statement read. “This decision is not made lightly. Serving the people of Hawai‘i has been the honor of my professional life, and I remain deeply committed to the responsibilities entrusted to me. I understand that allegations which have been made against me are concerning. I ask for the public’s understanding and to allow this process to move forward appropriately.”

 that the Department of the Attorney General had sent Luke’s office a target letter indicating that she was being investigated for bribery. Luke had previously admitted her possible involvement in a mysterious cash transaction in 2022, wherein an FBI investigation had observed an unidentified person giving an unnamed “influential lawmaker” a paper bag containing $35,000 at a dinner.

In February, Luke said she had never accepted the $35,000, but admitted that she had accepted $10,000 in checks from lobbyists at the same dinner. She claimed she returned the money after former state Rep. Ty Cullen — an associate of those lobbyists and the FBI informant who observed the transaction — was charged with bribery.

 For the latest news of Hawai‘i, sign up 

I Hi 20221130 2087 scaled 16x9

<title>State comptroller to be acting Lt. Governor</title>

Keith Regan will fill in for Sylvia Luke after the Lt. Gov. announced she will take an indefinite leave of absence.

State comptroller to be acting Lt. Governor

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta Headshot

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta

Food & Dining

 is known for its nightlife and scenic views of the Waikīkī skyline. The eatery just launched a new dinner menu that’s centered on steak and seafood.

Customers will still find raw bar favorites like seafood platters ($120) — which are designed to serve three to four people — sashimi ($43-$68), Japanese-style oysters ($8 each), smoked ‘ahi dip ($18) and spicy ‘ahi poke ($19). The crab meat cocktail ($39.95), which features jumbo lump crab and housemade cocktail sauce, is one of our favorite selections from the raw bar. The raw bar selection hasn’t changed, according to restaurant general manager Manny Cournede.

The menu has expanded to offer specialty sushi rolls — including the Kilauea lava shrimp roll ($26) and hell-fire spicy scallop hand roll ($32) — new appetizers, signature side dishes and a butcher’s cut section.

The hell-fire spicy scallop hand roll features a DIY format; customers can create their own hand rolls using Hokkaido scallops, tobiko, spicy aioli, green onions, pickled soy jalapenos and hell-fire soy sauce.

“It’s like an interactive option,” explains Cournede. “It comes with nori, rice and six scallops with the sauces, so you make it yourself.

“The Toyosu market (in Japan) is where we source all of our fish from,” he adds.

New appetizers include Diamond Head ‘ahi rice cakes ($16) and the heirloom tomato and burrata cheese salad ($18). If the ‘ahi rice cakes — crispy sushi rice cakes topped with ‘ahi tuna tartare and zesty wasabi tobiko — look familiar, it’s because SKY Waikīkī’s new raw bar chef came from now-closed Robata Jinya.

Some of the dishes from the eatery’s previous menu — including the Caesar salad and lobster bisque — are still on the new menu, but feature a different presentation.

The steaks feature Black Angus beef premium choice from Nebraska, according to Cournede. He explains that they’re cooked in the restaurant’s Montague state-of-the-art broiler.

“Our steak quality is really high,” he says. “It’s dry-aged for 28 days. I brought in broilers from Chicago, the same ones they use at Peter Luger’s (Steak House).

“It allows us to cook them at the perfect temperature and still get the char,” he says.

The selection includes the steak for two, which is a 32-ounce Porterhouse ($130), 22-ounce bone-in New York strip ($85), 22-ounce premium choice bone-in rib-eye ($90), and 8-ounce center cut filet ($55). Steak sauce, Calabrian chile compound butter and wasabi soy sauce and truffle butter (additional $5) are also available.

“It’s tough to get people to go out and eat now; everyone’s watching their wallet,” Cournede says. “I think value is a big thing. Large quantities for an affordable price, shared style, that’s kind of what SKY is aiming for.”

Choose from signature side dishes like Parmesan truffle fries ($18), brussels sprouts ($15), creamed corn ($16), garlic whipped red potatoes ($12), marsala cremini mushrooms ($15), creamed spinach ($17) and SKY mac and cheese ($16).

The potatoes — which are whipped in rich garlic butter — and buttery creamed spinach are crowd favorites so far.

We’re partial to the SKY mac and cheese ($16), which features a gooey concoction of elbow macaroni baked in a velvety blend of white cheddar, fontina, gruyere and aged Parmesan.

Want something other than steak? Opt for seafood entrees like Big Glory Bay king salmon misoyaki ($38) and potato and mac nut crusted chutoro ($32). The latter is a new dish that features rich ‘ahi belly finished with a delicate potato-mac nut crust. It’s served over creamy lobster whipped potatoes and sauteed spinach.

Meanwhile, the salmon is glazed in a sweet-and-savory misoyaki sauce, and is served with choy sum, shiitake mushrooms and Japanese pickled vegetables.

SKY Waikīkī offers validated parking for three hours at the Waikīkī Shopping Plaza.

SKY Waikiki steak and sides 040926

<title>SKY Waikīkī has a new steak and seafood menu</title>

The eatery now offers a variety of 28-day dry-aged Black Angus beef premium choice steaks, along with elevated sushi rolls and seafood entrées.

SKY Waikīkī has a new steak and seafood menu

MĀNOA — After conducting a national search for the next University of Hawai‘i women's basketball head coach, athletics director Matt Elliott realized the answer was in Mānoa the whole time. 

Khalilah Mitchell was introduced as the ninth head coach in program history during a press conference at the Stan Sheriff Center's Ed Wong Hospitality Room on Wednesday morning, emerging as Elliott's top choice. 

The process began with the surprise retirement of former UH head coach Laura Beeman, who 

on March 30. Mitchell was an assistant coach under Beeman at UH for seven seasons across two different stints — the first was from 2018 to 2022, while the second began in 2023 and ended upon her recently accepting her first career head coaching gig. 

Two thoughts crossed Mitchell's mind when Beeman broke the news to the team: the first was melancholy towards Beeman's departure from the program. Her second thought was that she wanted Beeman's job, a manifestation that came to fruition in recent days. 

"I was in a meeting where she talked to us as a staff, and (Beeman) told us her reasons why, and we were all sad, right? Like, it's like our leader, our chief. We're sad, but we're happy for her, because she's doing something that's best for her," Mitchell recalled to Aloha State Daily following her introductory press conference. "Same meeting, 'Coach B, I'm applying for your job.' Same meeting. Both things are true for me. I can be sad and I am still sad about it, happy for her and her next journey, but also I want to make sure that I'm prepared for the opportunity, and I wanted everybody to know I'm committed to this, and that's what I did."

Over 60 current college coaches applied for the job. The crop consisted of a mix of assistant coaches, some coming from the Power 4, as well as active head coaches at the mid-major level. Elliott hosted the three final candidates on campus on Monday. 

"My mind was really open to hiring the best person, the absolute best person, during the process," Elliott recalled to ASD. "We had met with every candidate and all the finalists, then we went into kind of those really deep conversations about what is the right choice."

Mitchell was sitting on her bench in her bedroom when Elliott called her on Monday night to offer her the job, which starts off with a three-year contract.  

"I'm sitting on my bench, and honestly, I just started moving my feet really fast, like, 'Yes, yes, yes. I'll take it. Yes.' I was just so excited about the opportunity to represent the state and still be able to lead these girls," Mitchell said. "So, that was my reaction: just pure excitement and joy." 

The more Elliott got to know Mitchell during the interview process, the more he was convinced she was the right choice. Elliott says each time they communicated, Mitchell was thoroughly prepared. He also said they were able to relate to each other in terms of wanting to 

 in Hawai‘i. Mitchell lives on O‘ahu with her wife, Kim, and their daughter, Nola. 

"I think I had a sense Khalilah was ready from the moment that we started this process," Elliott said. "How she demonstrated it over the course of a couple weeks, in every element, in every moment of taking it to the next level. What is your plan? How did you prepare? Show that, document it. I just kept getting more and more impressed.

"All of our candidates that we really vetted thoroughly, we wanted somebody who we believed this was the destination. That's how I feel myself, personally, about my job. So many of the great head coaches we have on our staff want to be here, and Khalilah wants to be in this place, so that was really critical."

Mitchell, a native of New Orleans, played collegiately for LSU from 2004 to 2008, reaching the Final Four each year she was on campus. She began her coaching career as a graduate assistant at UCF from 2009 to 2011, then was the staff as a full-time assistant coach from 2011 to 2014. After moving to Mānoa in 2018, she's spent each season with the Rainbow Wahine since then, excluding the 2022-2023 season, when she was the top assistant at San Jose State. 

A bevy of UH players and coaches were present to support Mitchell at her introductory press conference. It is there that she laid out her vision for what the product will look like on and off the court. 

"Excellence here will not be accidental," she said. "It will be intentional, systemic and persistent. Rainbow Wahine basketball is going to be up-tempo, free-flowing and relentless, and it is going to be built on the foundation of aloha. That means we play for each other, we prepare like champions, and we represent the state with everything we have every single night. The foundation has been set. We're paying homage to that.

"Everything that was built before us, every standard that was established, every young woman who gave everything she had to wear this uniform, that matters. We honor it. We don't walk away from it. We will keep what got us here: the culture of hard work, the expectation of excellence, the pride in representing this university and the state. ... We will elevate our preparation, elevate our recruiting, elevate our game. We will be relentless in the pursuit of being better today than we were yesterday. That is not a criticism of the past, that is a commitment to the future."

Beeman sat alongside UH president Wendy Hensel during Mitchell's introduction, nodding along with pride at each point Mitchell was making. From standout freshman guard Bailey Flavell to veteran Jovi Lefotu, nobody voiced their approval for Mitchell louder than the players on the Rainbow Wahine roster on Wednesday. 

"We were very happy. We were in the locker room yesterday, and when they brought her out, we were all cheering and excited, and we were really hoping it was her," Lefotu said. "She's really a player development coach. The relationship she builds with each and every one of us is unique, and she really cares about us as people and not just as athletes." 

When the 2026-2027 season arrives in November, Mitchell will be the new head coach that leads the Rainbow Wahine through the transition of joining the Mountain West Conference. Her immediate future involves a 30-day plan in which she hopes hits the ground running. Among her top priorities is finalizing the team's roster via the NCAA transfer portal. Though players had until Monday to enter, the Rainbow Wahine already lost promising freshman guard Keiara Curtis to future conference opponent New Mexico. 

"My job, literally, is to get to the transfer portal," Mitchell said. "I absolutely want to make sure that I get the right people here, then most importantly, getting to the community as much as I can and get with our boosters and donors."

Mitchell said she spent her Tuesday night responding to over 150 congratulatory text messages. The role of college head coach, especially in her first days of being one, promises to be hectic. But it's a life she wouldn't trade for anything. 

"It means everything. It is a dream come true. To be a parent and a coach, I think, is super awesome. And the other thing is the community here," Mitchell said. "It's a place that I want to raise my daughter. It's a place where we feel safe, it's a place where we feel welcome, it's a place where people are supporting you, the community, and everybody's rooting for you, and those things are super important to me. This is a place now that I call home, and so to be able to do this is really special, which is why I just couldn't hold my excitement."

Hawaiʻi Skies: Shadows changing by the minute

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Authors

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