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Daily Smile

[{"type":"text","text":"Dog showing the mailman who's boss..."}]

Smile 26 5 15

<title>Daily Smile: Friday, May 15, 2026</title>

Dog showing the mailman who's boss...

Daily Smile: Friday, May 15, 2026

 Dog showing the mailman who&#039;s boss...

Christinapic2

Christina O'Connor

Crime & Courts

Columnists

For Atlanta-based airline pilot Matt Alexander, the two weeks stretching from late June through the Fourth of July are always difficult.

It marks the anniversary of when his aunt, 57-year-old Kapaʻa resident Amber Jackson, was murdered on Kaua‘i. Jackson had last been seen on June 23, 2010, and was reported missing when she didn’t show up to work the following day. Her body was found 10 days later in a remote area of Keālia.

“Anniversaries are tough emotionally for the fact that she is gone, and additionally it’s frustrating that her killer is at large,” Alexander said. “Every time we think we are able to move past this and have some peace, the anniversary rolls around and it dredges up [everything]. … It all gets rehashed again every year.”

This year — the 16th anniversary of Jackson’s murder — is no exception. But, on the heels of a recent development, this year also brings renewed hope that the case will be resolved after all this time.

In December 2025, the Kaua‘i Police Department issued an arrest warrant in connection with Jackson’s murder to 57-year-old Gregory Glaser, who had previously been identified as a person of interest in the case. He is wanted for second degree murder, with bail set at $1 million. Kaua‘i police said at the time that the warrant issuance was the result of “new information” in the case.

Despite the warrant, however, arresting Glaser isn’t so easy. Glaser himself is now a missing person. He was reported missing on Hawai‘i Island and was last seen on April 12, 2025, in the Hawaiian Acres subdivision, according to the Hawai‘i Police Department.  

Earlier this week, in conjunction with the anniversary of Jackson going missing, the Amber Jackson Justice Group — a group formed by her family and friends — and KPD issued a renewed call for the public to come forward with any information that could assist in the case, including Glaser’s whereabouts.

“If anyone has any knowledge as to where we can find him, so we can have some closure, that would be amazing,” Alexander said.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Feeling right at home"}]

Jackson was born and raised about an hour outside of Los Angeles, in Riverside, California, and in her 20s moved up north to Marin County, where she lived until relocating to Kauai in 2000. In California, she worked for a stint at a bakery, and later worked for a few different nonprofits, including a substance abuse treatment center and an organization that helps people access legal services.

For Alexander, Jackson was the quintessential cool aunt.

He said there was a big age gap between Jackson and her older brother — Alexander’s father — and the siblings didn’t really grow up together. So Alexander didn’t meet his aunt until a family funeral when he was in his early 20s, but once they did meet, they formed a quick bond.

“I’m very fortunate that I’m an airline pilot, so I could fly back and forth easily to visit her. [I came to Kauai] as much as I could,” he said.

Alexander has fond memories from those trips — he learned to surf with her at Hanalei Bay, and she introduced him to jazz music. She once hosted a group of Alexander’s friends and helped them coordinate a hike along the Kalalau Trail.

“She was very fun, very cool,” Alexander said. “Everybody that met her liked her. She was down to earth.”

While Jackson hadn’t been part of his childhood, Alexander said her warm personality made any distance between them melt away.

“[She] just immediately made you feel right at home and non-self-conscious and relaxed, which is like a superpower,” Alexander said.

Ann Spaulding, a close friend of Jackson’s from California, also describes an immediate connection with Jackson. The women met more than 40 years ago, in their 20s, and Spaulding can still recall the exact moment that Jackson came into her life.

“I was working in a little bakery in Fairfax, California, and she walked in one day and she ordered a cream puff and asked for a job.

She came to work at the bakery, and we just became best friends.

Spaulding describes Jackson as “honest, authentic, fun, nice, and funny.”

She said they bonded over their shared love of the outdoors and “had the kind of friendship where we could bare our souls to each other.”

The pair remained close even after Jackson moved to Kaua‘i in 2000.

From what Spaulding remembers, Jackson decided to move to Kaua‘i after falling in love with the island on vacation.

On Kaua‘i, she worked at the Hawai‘i State Teachers Association as a field operations secretary (HSTA officials declined an interview for this story), and bought a home in Kapaʻa, which Spaulding said she adorned with her “eclectic, whimsical and classy sense of décor,” and where she transformed the overgrown yard into a bountiful garden.

“She really did that place up, and she loved it — she loved her garden, she loved her two dogs, and she had a really nice lifestyle,” Spaulding said. “She was very caring for people — she was active in the community, and she was dedicated to the work she did and to her friends.”

Alexander said Jackson formed close friendships on Kaua‘i and had a tight-knit circle of friends that he remembers as all “very genuine, warm and welcoming” people.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"The search for answers"}]

Alexander vividly remembers the moment on that day in June 2010 that he found out Jackson was missing. It was his day off, and he was at the pool, sitting in a lounge chair when his phone rang. It was the Kaua‘i police.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"}],"text":"He was on a flight to Kaua‘i that night."}]

Though foul play was suspected, Alexander was holding out hope that maybe Jackson had just gone hiking — something she did often — and was injured or lost on a trail somewhere. While investigators searched, Alexander launched into his own search efforts — he rented a plane and flew around the island, hoping to catch sight of Jackson along one of her favorite hiking trails. He called newspapers. He put up flyers.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"}],"text":"Nearly two weeks went by with no answers."}]

Then, on July 3, 2010, pig hunters discovered Jackson’s body in a ravine. An autopsy revealed that Jackson suffered blunt force trauma to her head, along with other injuries consistent with assault.

Police identified Glaser as a person of interest early on. He was Jackson’s tenant; he lived in a yurt on her property. KPD pursued leads, but the investigation didn’t turn up sufficient evidence tying Glaser — or anyone else — to the murder.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"}],"text":"The case went cold for 15 years."}]

“Over the years, successive generations of KPD detectives built on prior investigative efforts, re-interviewing witnesses, reviewing evidence, coordinating with other law enforcement agencies, and traveling both interisland and out of state to follow up on leads,” the department said in a December release in announcing Glaser’s arrest warrant. “These ongoing efforts eventually uncovered new information, culminating in an arrest warrant for Glaser for Murder in the Second Degree.”

KPD declined to be interviewed for this story, as the investigation remains ongoing, and said that it cannot share details about what new information led to the arrest warrant.

Public Information Officer Tiana Victorino shared this statement via email:

“The Kauaʻi Police Department continues to pursue all available leads and remains dedicated to seeking justice for Amber Jackson. The passage of time does not diminish our commitment to this case, and we remain focused on holding those responsible accountable and providing answers to her family and loved ones.”

In response to questions from Aloha State Daily about KPD’s general process of looking into cold cases, Victorino said cold cases fall under the department’s Criminal Investigations Division, which is staffed by 13 detectives.

“Cold cases are assigned to an investigator within the Criminal Investigations Division, who is responsible for reviewing and following up on them as part of their caseload,” Victorino said. “Cold cases may receive renewed attention whenever new information becomes available, such as credible tips, witness updates, or advancements in forensic technology that allow previously collected evidence to be reexamined.”

In addition to Jackson, there are 12 other cold cases currently listed on KPD’s website, dating back to 1979.

Spaulding calls Jackson her best friend, but she also notes that Jackson held that title for many people.

“Amber was a wonderful person, and I loved her so much,” Spaulding said. “And she had a lot of people who called her their best friend, not just me. She was dear to many.”

Some of those “best friends” comprise the Amber Jackson Justice Group. Spaulding, Alexander and a friend of Jackson’s on Kaua‘i who did not wish to be identified or interviewed comprise the core group, alongside several others who are involved.

Spaulding said they formed the group shortly after Jackson’s murder, as a way to handle media requests. Through the years, the core group has regularly met with the Kaua‘i police and the Office of the Prosecuting Attorney to provide potential leads and discuss case updates. The group also conducts outreach efforts to the media and the public in an effort to raise awareness and to keep Jackson’s case top of mind.

For Spaulding, the work has been a way to deal with the loss of Jackson. Especially during the anniversary weeks of Jackson’s disappearance and her body being found, she said it feels like “there is this darkness that happens.”

“I can’t describe it, except to say it feels like a pit,” she said. “But the way that I've been able to deal with the grief, really, is to continue to get the meetings with [law enforcement],

write the press releases, get press releases out,

and keep her case in the eyes of the public.”

Now, after 16 years, the Amber Jackson Justice Group might be closer to justice than ever.

In their latest plea to the public issued earlier this week, the group asks people to “come forward with any information about Glaser’s whereabouts, network, or timeline, past or present.”

“No detail is too small or insignificant,” the group said in the release.

“There are people that have information about Greg Glaser. We know it,” Spaulding said.

Alexander said, at this point, the best-case scenario is that Glaser will be put on trial for Jackson’s murder and found guilty. Unless that happens, Alexander admits he will feel a little “shortchanged” that Glaser may never have to face what he is accused of. But even if that is not possible, Alexander still hopes Glaser will be located.

“We just want to know for sure [where Glaser is] so we can stop looking for him.

Because otherwise, we'll never know — he might still be out there, maybe doing something like this again to somebody else,” Alexander said.

If Jackson were still alive today, she’d be in her early 70s. 

Spaulding imagines that Jackson would be spending her golden years volunteering with nonprofits for causes she is passionate about, and spending time in nature.

Alexander likes to think that Jackson’s life today would be much the same as it was the last time he saw her.

“[She’d be] hanging out with her besties on Kaua‘i and doing her thing,” he said. “Life seemed not too bad at the time, so I’d imagine it’d be much the same as before — and I could go visit.”

KPD and the Amber Jackson Justice Group ask anyone with information on Glaser’s whereabouts or any other details relevant to the case to contact Sergeant Brian Silva at (808) 241-1908 or KPD Dispatch at (808) 241-1711. Anonymous tips can be sent to Crime Stoppers Kaua‘i at (808) 246-8300, on 

, or via the P3 Tips mobile app. Glaser is described as a white male, 57, approximately 5-foot 8-inches tall and 160 pounds, with long brownish gray hair.

For the latest news of Hawai‘i, sign up 

Amber Jackson 16x9

<title>Family, friends continue to seek justice for Amber Jackson 16 years after Kaua‘i murder</title>

For 16 years, the murder of Amber Jackson on Kauai has gone unsolved, but in December 2025, the Kaua‘i Police Department issued an arrest warrant for Gregory Glaser, wanted for second degree murder in connection with the case. ASD crime writer Christina O'Connor spoke with Amber Jackson's family and friends to learn about Jackson's life and their tireless pursuit of justice for her.

Family, friends continue to seek justice for Amber Jackson 16 years after Kaua‘i murder

Christian Shimabuku Headshot

Christian Shimabuku

Sports

Aloha Spirit

As a gold medalist at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Heather Olson knows what it's like to experience the pinnacle of artistic swimming.

Olson was a member of the U.S. team that brought home gold, back when the sport was known as 

synchronized swimming. Olson has stayed close to the sport, coaching the Walnut Creek Aquanuts, a club team in her native California. 

For years, Olson has wanted to bring an international competition to Hawai‘i with hopes that the event could attract teams from Asia. From June 17-19, Olson's vision came to fruition with the inaugural Aloha Cup at the University of Hawai‘i's 

Duke Kahanamoku Aquatic Complex. Teams from the Mainland, hailing from both the East Coast and West Coast, were a part of the field. Internationally, the event pulled teams from as far away as Greece. 

"It's been amazing," Olson told Aloha State Daily during the final day of competition. "A lot of the times we're competing at very stressful events that are indoor pools. Just having that spirit of aloha and a little slower pace and a more relaxed invitational instead of the pressure of a national championship or a junior Olympics has been a nice change and refreshing for all of us as coaches and athletes. Still, a very high level competition, but you see the other teams that have come here, and they're having a wonderful time here."

Reaching the highest levels of the sport for Olson required years of work involving about 30 hours of practice per week. Though perhaps not as rigorous, she sees a high level of work ethic in members of her club. Putting on the invitational in the Islands during the summer has provided her swimmers and their families a chance to enjoy the fruits of their labor. The same has applied to other clubs in the invitational. 

"Part of our goal was to have a flexible schedule so teams would have free time," Olson said. "They were all smiles. It's that kind of joy, and that aloha spirit that we really came here for, and so we wanted to pad that time in, so that teams from Greece could come and enjoy Hawai‘i, not just compete in Hawai‘i."

After a successful first event, Olson is hoping to bring it back in the near future. 

"We're so honored to have been welcomed into this facility, and they've really taken good care of us and helped us sort of navigate running a competition from afar," Olson said."We had to set everything up from California which was challenging, but I think it's turned out really well. We hope we can do this again in the future — every other year is sort of our goal."

Artistic swimming 062626

<title>Northern California club brings artistic swimming to Hawai‘i</title>

Walnut Creek Aquanuts, an artistic swimming club from Northern California, recently held an international event at the Duke Kahanamoku Aquatic Complex.

Northern California club brings artistic swimming to Hawai‘i

Lopaka and Tanya Kapanui

Lopaka Kapanui and Tanya Kapanui

Hawai‘i History

As we walk swiftly across the soft, burning sand of Polihale Beach, a wave crashes on the shore, and the ocean rolls up to meet us. I bend to pick up a seashell that made a brief appearance, but it’s quickly covered again by the ebb tide, and I miss my chance. Our granddaughter squeals with delight as the cold water runs up to her knees, and she takes the opportunity to splash the ocean water on her grandparents, too.

Located on the west side of Kaua‘i, it’s the longest stretch of beach in Hawai‘i and holds deep cultural significance to Hawaiians. As a state park, Polihale is a favorite spot for locals who grew up swimming, fishing, and camping there, and due to its increasing popularity, it’s a growing favorite for visitors as well.

However, it’s not an easy place to get to. The 5-mile-long, former cane-haul road to Polihale is full of ruts and potholes. It’s a dirt road, so if it rains, the road turns to mud, making it nearly impassable unless one has a 4-wheel-drive vehicle. Most rental car companies strictly prohibit their users from driving to the remote beach.

Swimming there can be deadly, as rip currents can quickly pull you away from shore, and large tiger sharks are frequently seen in the area. There is no cell service, which can mean disaster for the unprepared, but if you do make it out there, you’re met with incredible natural beauty.

For generations, Hawaiians have called Polihale their home. Aside from its visual splendor, Polihale is a place of ancient history and culture. The sand dunes hold the burials of our ancestors in sacred embrace, while the mountain peaks that butt up against the sand, jutting out into the ocean, serve as a leaping place for souls into the afterlife.

Like every place in Hawai‘i, Polihale has its own legends. As we sat basking in the sun, we were fortunate to share a bit of history and legend with our granddaughter, and now we share it with you.

There was a special type of limu called pahapaha, sometimes known as sea lettuce, that grew off the shores of Polihale. In our mo‘olelo, it was Nāmakaokaha‘i, goddess of the ocean and Pele’s sister, who gave the limu its special quality. It was said that a lei pahapaha, a garland made of this special seaweed, can fade and dry out over time, but when soaked in water, it will revive to its original freshness. Only the limu pahapaha of Polihale did this. Visitors who made the long trek to Polihale made lei pahapaha and wore them home to prove that they had, indeed, been there. Sadly, this legendary limu can no longer be found off the shores of Polihale.

Lei kauna‘oa was used when praying to Kapoʻulakinaʻu, another sister of Pele and the goddess of sorcery and dark arts. Kāhuna would offer a lei made of kaunaʻoa from the dunes of Polihale to ask for help in defeating their enemies. While the parasitic plant is often found growing on pōhuehue vines along beaches and sand dunes across every island, it is said that Kapo first discovered the yellow-orange plant at Polihale.

At the far end of the beach, just below the cliffs, there is an ancient heiau dedicated to Laka, which also serves an important purpose in the spiritual afterlife. The spirits of the dead come to the west side of Kaua‘i from all over the island. They gather at Kāʻana at the edge of Waimea Canyon and follow the Hikimoe Stream down to the heiau at Polihale. Then, they climb to the top of the 300-foot cliff and leap into the ocean to sink into Pō, the everlasting night. Any spirits that lost their way to the leina a ka ‘uhane, the leaping place of souls, or any spirits that were not accepted into Pō, were left to haunt the ridges of Waimea Canyon and the shores of Polihale. It was said that the people in the area never built their hale pili, their grass houses, with the entrance facing east, so the spirits traveling to Polihale would not enter their home and become trapped.

At night, the air is cool, and the sand loses the heat it soaked up during the day. The sound of crashing waves seems louder, broken occasionally by the music and laughter of shoreline campers. There are no streetlights here, so when the sun goes down, the darkness can feel quite intimidating, and for good reason.

In addition to the procession of the dead, people have witnessed the night marchers walking to and from the ancient heiau. There are numerous stories of people who set up camp on the beach, throw out their fishing lines, and sit back to wait for a bite, only to pull up their lines and leave quickly before anything got a chance to nibble at their bait.

One man described his experience with that exact scenario, saying that everyone in his camp heard the rhythmic beating of the drums.

The wind died, and the air was suddenly hot, when someone in the group shouted, “Night marchers!”

They all lay flat on their stomachs, covering their faces. The drums grew louder, and at one point, they seemed to be right next to the frightened campers. After the sound was gone and they could feel the wind again, the group immediately decided to break camp, believing that there was no way they’d catch any fish that night.

Another woman describes driving out to Polihale late one night to meet her family. With only the headlights from her car to see ahead, Amy drove slower than she would during the day. In the passenger seat, her sister Michelle was talking about her day, filling the silence left by the radio after they lost the signal.

They were almost at the last camp area, where their family was waiting, when Michelle shouted, “Did you see that?”

[{"type":"text","text":"She turned to Amy and said, “You did see it, didn’t you!”"}]

Though she didn’t admit it to her sister right away, Amy saw exactly what Michelle saw. Without saying a word, she pressed the gas a little harder and told Michelle to be quiet as she tried to focus on the road.

Amy told us that as they made their way through the darkness, they saw a person standing in the middle of the dirt road. The person was far enough away for Amy to gradually slow down, and as they got closer, they could see it was a woman wearing a long dress, walking in the same direction they were headed. But just as Amy started to move to the side and slow down even more, the woman vanished.

“She didn’t move or jump out of the way, and she didn’t run off anywhere. She just totally disappeared!” Amy said.

Polihale is far more than just a scenic beach. It is a wahi pana, a celebrated and storied place, that is culturally sensitive to the Hawaiian people. Park users can help protect this sacred area by leaving no trace of their presence. Be considerate by packing out all trash, and avoid moving rocks or boulders that may be part of the natural or cultural landscape. Resist the urge to drive on the sand beyond designated access routes and stay off the sensitive sand dunes. By treating Polihale with care and respect, we can all help preserve this special place for future generations.

Polihale Beach

<title>Legends and Spirits of Polihale</title>

At the end of an unpaved, 5-mile road on Kaua‘i's west side is Polihale Beach. It is many things — a treasured local hangout, a visitor attraction that's gaining popularity, and, in ancient Hawaiian tradition, it is a jumping-off place for souls seeking the afterlife. Eerie stories abound about it.

Legends and Spirits of Polihale

Higa headshot white shirt square

Sterling Higa

A multi-billion-dollar corporation has been stalled by an insect the size of a grain of rice.

The company is Host Hotels, based in Maryland. It wants to build a 375-room resort on the North Shore of Oʻahu, at Turtle Bay. The insect is the Hawaiian yellow-faced bee. On July 2, a court takes up whether an out-of-date environmental impact study forces the developer to start over. That process can take one to three years.

 was fitted to this coastline long before any of us arrived. It forages the native shoreline plants and asks nothing of anyone. It has held on in the few pockets of habitat we left it. There is a quiet dignity in a creature so suited to its place.

But the bee is not really the point of the lawsuit. The people bringing it would mostly agree. The point is to stall the development, and their lever is 

a 13-year-old environmental impact statement

 they say is out of date. The city’s own attorneys contend that nothing is being built where the bees actually live. The bee is the sympathetic face on a procedural fight, and the fight is about delay.

Delay is a strong tool here because we have built such a fine machine for making it. Before anyone pours a foundation near the water, a project must clear a Special Management Area permit, satisfy the Coastal Zone Management law, honor shoreline setbacks, pass historic and archaeological review, and complete an environmental impact statement. Once a species is listed as endangered, the federal government joins the table too.

Each of these has its acronym, and each acronym feeds a profession. We have raised up a whole guild of planners, engineers, archaeologists, and cultural consultants. They each demand a fee from the developer. He trusts them to navigate the thicket of regulations.

The thicket is built to slow development. A single environmental study can run from a quarter-million to two million dollars and add years to a project. And time is the one thing a developer cannot buy back. He has taken money from investors or bought the land on credit. He loses money every day the work does not start.

A developer who must survive years of delay needs enough margin to justify the risk. The modest project cannot carry those costs. The luxury project can. So a system meant to restrain development does not stop the mansions — it selects for them. It clears the field of everyone else.

A few miles down the coast from Turtle Bay, another developer is already building homes that start at $5.9 million each. That project is not affected by the lawsuit. The activist fighting the resort and the seller of the luxury home are working the same machine from opposite ends, and it rewards them both.

The same pattern is visible from the stalled rebuilding of Lahaina to the Neighbor Islands. There, the only people still willing to build are the ones who can afford to wait. It is the same machinery that strangles the affordable housing everyone claims to want, though that is an argument for another day.

The bee’s fit to its coast was authored. It is a small instance of a world that was made, and made well. The thicket answers to no such wisdom. It was authored by no one in particular and is accountable to no one at all. It is a heap of law upon court ruling upon administrative rule, each layer added in good conscience. But it is always added to, never refined. One of these is design. The other is accumulation.

None of this argues for tearing the rules down. Development without restraint would be a sin of its own. The ground was given to us to keep, not to strip. The coast and its creatures are real goods, not obstacles in the way of profit. The man who treats untouched nature as the highest thing and the man who treats his return on capital as the highest thing have made the same error pointed in opposite directions. Both have set something small in the place of God.

We cannot redesign the bee, and we have no business trying. The thicket is the one thing here we did make — and what we have made, we can unmake.

Hawaiian bee

<title>Turtle Bay Resort vs. a bee: Why the rules keep choosing luxury</title>

An endangered bee could stall a Turtle Bay resort, writes ASD columnist Sterling Higa. A few miles down the coast, homes that start at $5.9 million are going up untouched.

Turtle Bay Resort vs. a bee: Why the rules keep choosing luxury

Katie Helland Headshot

Katie Helland

Arts & Entertainment

Government & Politics

 are on display at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in Washington D.C. this week as part of a new exhibit called “From These Lands: Sharing Our Natural and Cultural Heritage,” which opened on June 18.

On July 4, the U.S. will turn 250 years old, which marks the nation’s semiquincentennial. In celebration of that milestone, the exhibit, which will be on display through December 2029, includes more than 600 specimens and cultural objects from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and five U.S. territories.

“This exhibit is part of what the National Museum of Natural History is doing in celebration of the 250th anniversary of the U.S.,” 

, co-curator of the exhibit and curator of North American archeology told Aloha State Daily. “The Smithsonian — and all of our various museums and centers — are each doing something that's contemplative, and then also reflective on the nature of what that anniversary means.”

Not planning to go to Washington D.C. any time soon? 

, where a map connects more than 170 items with their place of origin.

The National Museum of Natural History has more than 

, according to the Smithsonian website. It is part of the Smithsonian Institution, which is the largest museum, education and research complex in the world and consists of 

more than 20 museums — many of which are in the Washington D.C. area — as well as the National Zoo

. Admission to all of these museums, except Cooper Hewitt in New York City, is 

To create this exhibit, its curators, including Rick, asked members of the museum community to submit ideas. The process started about three years ago, he added.

“We try to create as democratic a process as possible, and so we had a call that went out to the entire museum community to pitch items that they thought should go in this exhibit,” Rick said. “We hosted a workshop, and then a series of workshops after that, where people could present on this and debate and discuss. We whittled down to about 1,000 or so and then put those up on a wall, and our core team — the six of us, the co-curators and our exhibit designers and writers — debated those and then went back and forth with different scientific departments, and visitors, and volunteers, and thought: 

What are the best things to tell the stories that represent the breadth of our natural history and cultural heritage?’ And then through a lot of contemplation — a lot of discussion — we came down to the over 600 objects that we have in there.”

Each item on display in this exhibit was already part of a permanent collection.

[{"type":"text","text":"“Most of them had never been on display before,” he added."}]

The exhibit features items from different states grouped together by 

anthropology, botany, entomology and more

. Since the exhibit is organized to showcase connections between the states, it can feel like a scavenger hunt for visitors, who can explore the space to find items from the state where they live or places they like to visit, Rick said.

Each state has at least four to six specimens to represent it, the co-curator added. For Hawai

ʻi, there are 13 items. California has the highest number of things to represent it with about 40 objects, he added.

“We created an exhibit where we wanted people to come in and more than see what's from a particular state, we wanted them to see the connections between the states,” he said. “And to see that really natural history knows no borders — the rivers, the streams, the birds that fly — they all cross over those political boundaries.”

For the latest news of Hawai‘i, sign up 

Pāhoehoe

<title>Hawaiʻi showcased at Smithsonian exhibit</title>

In July, the U.S. will celebrate the 250th anniversary of its existence as a nation. In honor of the event, the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History has launched an exhibit that includes items from all 50 states, including its youngest one: Hawaiʻi.

Hawaiʻi showcased at Smithsonian exhibit

Kelsey Kukaua Medeiros Headshot

Kelsey Kukaua Medeiros

With more than 20 years of experience in nonprofit work, 

 made the move from Bishop Museum to president and CEO of 

ʻi Foodbank in May 2021, after a concerted effort to keep all of the museum’s staff on payroll during the Covid-19 pandemic.

“When I took a step back and saw everything that was happening in our community, the thousands of families who were affected, I knew I wanted to do something with more direct impact on helping people in my day job. So, when this opportunity became available, I was really interested,” Miller recently told Aloha State Daily.

usiness of food banking is extremely complex, and I didn

shipping, logistics, inventory and the whole distribution model. Especially because most of the time we’re working with donated products that really needs to move fast, right?” she continued. “Just understanding how it all worked was a steep learning curve, but also really exciting for to learn something new.”

She noted that prior to her onboarding, the organization, which is a member 

, was transitioning internal systems to be “more data driven.” 

“Right before the pandemic, the foodbank had switched to a sophisticated ERP [or Enterprise Resource Planning] system to manage all our finances, distribution, agency relationships, etc.” Miller said. “We can now track every pound of food from where it’s purchased to when it gets here, is stored and moved, which helps us understand where people are falling between the gaps. That’s been a big push.

’re in a very different space now, so we are 

leveraging the information to make good decisions for our internal efficiencies and to better serve the people in our community that need assistance.”

Food insecurity is high across the Islands, with Hawai

ʻi Island and Maui experiencing it the most. Overall, 32% 

were food insecure in 2024-2025, per the latest 

The State of Food Insecurity Executive Summary report

. Additionally, 11% of households went a whole day without food at least once during the year.

“Ending hunger is more than meeting a basic need 

 it is a catalyst for healthier communities and a more equitable Hawai

ʻi,” the report reads. “By ensuring consistent access to nutritious food for all our communities, we can improve health outcomes, reduce health care costs and strengthen overall well-being across generations."

distributed 22.5 million pounds of food. We are on track to distribute more than 25 million pounds of food this year, and by next year, we expect a 15% increase."

The nonprofit's president and CEO shares more about the operations and ongoing partnerships at the food bank with warehouses, staff and support on both Oʻahu and Kauaʻi. Her top priority is to expand the organization’s mission of nourishing ʻohana and ending hunger.

Daily Smile: Friday, May 15, 2026

ASD Staff

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Daily Smile: Friday, May 15, 2026

Authors

ASD Staff

Reporter

More in Daily Smile

Daily Smile: Monday, June 29, 2026

Daily Smile: Sunday, June 28, 2026

Daily Smile: Saturday, June 27, 2026

Daily Smile: Friday, June 26, 2026

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