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ASD Staff

Daily Smile

[{"type":"text","text":"This ain't gonna fly....."}]

Smile 26 7 17

<title>Daily Smile: Friday, July 17, 2026</title>

This ain't gonna fly.....

Daily Smile: Friday, July 17, 2026

Christian Shimabuku Headshot

Christian Shimabuku

Sports

Joshua Walker's Hawai‘i homecoming was only supposed to be for a few days. He'd coach three matches with Baylor in the Stan Sheriff Center, then head back to Texas for the rest of the season. 

In April, Baylor announced its schedule for the 2026 season. The headliner as far as Island volleyball fans were concerned was the Hawaiian Airlines Wahine Volleyball Classic, set to feature host Hawai‘i, San Diego, Georgia Southern and Baylor, where Walker, who was then the associate head coach for the Bears, would coach at the Stan Sheriff Center for the first time since he was part of the UH men's staff in 2023. 

 resigned, leading the school down a lengthy search for her successor. It took UH athletics director Matt Elliott over a month to land on 

, who was announced as the head coach of his alma mater on June 5. 

On Friday night, Walker coached his first official match as the new head coach for the Rainbow Wahine, leading the 'Bows to a 25-18, 25-20, 17-25, 25-18 victory over Georgia Southern. 

Then on Saturday night, Walker was tasked with coaching against Baylor, the same team he was a vital part of mere months before. The Bears, who entered the tournament ranked No. 21 in the AVCA-Taraflex Division I preseason poll, were the presumptive favorites of the tournament as the only ranked team in the field. 

A game plan put together by Walker and assistant coach Will McDonald, who followed Walker from Baylor to Hawai‘i, nearly led an early signature win for both Walker and the Rainbow Wahine. The 'Bows took the Bears to five sets, but Baylor ultimately leaned on its experience and talent for a 25-17, 14-25, 25-22, 23-25, 15-9 victory. After the match, Walker was seen joking and hugging his former players as both sides wished each other the best of luck moving forward. 

"We didn't have to spend as much time with the scout, especially with Will, because we know that team well, and we know kind of where their strengths are and what they're still trying to get better at," Walker said following the Baylor match. "I love this job. You get to work with very intelligent young women across across the country, and there's a lot of teams, but it's really a small world. The relationships that you build last forever, and yeah, love that group, love that team. Expect them to do very well. We need them to do well for sure now (for RPI purposes), and we got to make sure we do our part and make sure we're we're taking care of business the rest of the way ourselves."

While a return to his alma mater and his wife Tehane's home state is what brought Walker back to the Islands, it was fate that led Walker to leave the UH men's team in favor of Waco, Texas in 2023. 

Ryan McGuyre was named the AVCA National Coach of the Year after leading the Bears to a 29-2 record and Final Four appearance. That same year, Walker was named the AVCA Assistant Coach of the Year as an assistant on Charlie Wade's staff. That year, the Rainbow Warriors went 28-3, finishing as national runners-up. 

McGuyre's acceptance speech, in which he talked about God, family and volleyball as his order of priorities, resonated with Walker, the young father of a growing family. Walker felt compelled to email McGuyre words of admiration and encouragement, and McGuyre found there were many ways in which the two could relate. McGuyre, a star club volleyball player at Biola, coached both men's and women's teams at California Baptist before making the permanent move to the women's side as an assistant coach at Maryland in 2012. Coincidentally, McGuyre is married to former UH women's volleyball player 

"Just high-level volleyball, that IQ. I try to hire people smarter than me, and feel like God's the head coach as well. I think he was really faithful because Hawai‘i tried really hard to keep him on the men's side," McGuyre recalled to Aloha State Daily. "Because he did it, he has a great feel for the women's game, and that's what opened the door here, and so it worked out the way it was meant to be.

"He's not just a great coach, but a great man, great husband, great father. His emotional IQ is strong. His wisdom is strong. He's a really good relational coach, which allows him to be an intense and intentional coach in the right way that's well received by players. I know he's the right guy for the right job here. I think they're gonna see some great things."

Hawai‘i's match against Baylor surpassed three hours, and the Rainbow Wahine had to turn around and face San Diego at 5 p.m. on Sunday. With tired legs, the 'Bows were swept 25-16, 25-17, 25-18 to end the weekend after hitting .078 as a team. 

Though its Saturday five-setter against Baylor showed the potential that exists among the group, Sunday's match proved to the 'Bows there's also plenty of room for improvement. 

"I don't really think we were thinking of the rankings, but we know Baylor has always been a top-notch program," said junior libero and defensive specialist Victoria Leyva, one of three captains on the team. "Just seeing us go to five and competing out there really showed what we can do as a team, and I think (Sunday) we saw what we really, really need to improve on. 

"So, we were able to see both sides of the spectrum of how great our team can be and how much improvement our team needs. I think that's a great thing to go back to on the drawing board, go back into practice, and see what we really need to focus on."

Next up for the Rainbow Wahine is the Outrigger Invitational. The 'Bows will host Utah Tech on Thursday at 7 p.m., Loyola Marymount on Friday at 7 p.m., and UC San Diego on Sunday at 5 p.m. 

While Baylor loaded up its Polynesian Tours bus and made its way back to Waco after a 3-0 opening weekend, Walker is staying in Mānoa for the long haul with the 1-2 Rainbow Wahine. 

"Once again, just blessed to be here, blessed to have the moments that we have. Even the losses are a blessing because it's an opportunity for us to learn. Now we got to use it," Walker said. "We got to make sure we capitalize off of what's going on. Baylor's going to do what Baylor's going to do, and for us, we got to make sure that we represent this tournament well and everybody who chose to compete against us and make sure we take care of the other games throughout the rest of the season.

"To me, this is just the beginning of the season. If we're saying 'OK, the season's ending now,' probably not too happy. We got a long way to go, so we're going to use every day that we can and make sure we get better to make sure that next weekend is better than this past weekend."

Joshua Walker 083026

<title>Hawai‘i women's volleyball shows room for growth in opening weekend for new head coach…</title>

The Rainbow Wahine went 1-2 in the Hawaiian Airlines Rainbow Wahine Volleyball Classic, the first official weekend of the Walker era.

Hawai‘i women's volleyball shows room for growth in opening weekend for new head coach Joshua Walker

WEB square crop Hayley Lehman Headshot RGZ1636

Haley Lehman

Government & Politics

Business & Tourism

The County of Hawaiʻi’s lease for Punaluʻu Black Sand Beach Park will end Saturday after negotiations between the county and landowner ended without an agreement.

Hawaiʻi County has leased the 6.8-acre site since at least 1954 from successive private landowners, according to a news release. The current lease was executed in 1998 for $1 million between then-owner SM Investments and the County of Hawaiʻi. The land is currently owned by Black Sand Beach LLC and managed by Xiaoyuan Liu.

Black Sand Beach LLC approached Hawaiʻi County in 2024 seeing new lease terms. The county proposed a 10-year lease with annual payments started at $159,300, followed by 3% annual increases. Black Sand Beach LLC terminated the existing lease on June 30. The parties extended the lease for two months to continue negotiations, but were unable to reach an agreement.

The county appraised the property through the Public Access, Open Space and Natural Resources Preservation Commission program and offered to buy the property for $1.46 million, but Black Sand Beach LLC declined to sell the property.

Mayor Kimo Alameda stated in a news release Thursday, “Throughout this process, we made every effort to find a resolution — from offering substantial lease payments to pursuing purchase of the property — and we know there will be many questions going forward. As this lease comes to an end, we will continue to coordinate across county departments and with other partners to minimize the disruption this will cause and address impacts on the community.”

According to the county website, the Punaluʻu Beach Sand Beach Park has a parking area, restrooms, a pavilion, a campground, grills and is ADA accessible. County-managed park services will end and the park facilities will revert to the landowner. The beach and coastline remain accessible to the public via a road at the northern end of the beach, according to Public Information Officer Tom Callis.

Callis said that the county did not decide to extend the lease for another 30 days because the park depends on the private water system, which is inoperable after Hurricane Lala in mid-August. The county has made “water spigots available for residents who rely on Black Sand Beach LLC’s private water system,” he notes, which is also “providing hot showers, charging stations, and services to meet essential needs at nearby locations.”

Black Sand Beach LLC had plans to develop 225 residential and vacation rentals at Punaluʻu Villages, but the project was stalled by foreclosure after Black Sand Beach LLC defaulted on a $3.4 million mortgage, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser 

A petition received 18,602 signatures opposing the development after residents voiced concerns that the project would impact the habitat of the Hawksbill Turtle, Hawaiian Monk Seal and Hawaiian Nene Geese, as well as put a strain on local resources. 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"}],"text":"Impact on tourism industry"}]

A multitude of tour operators feature Punaluʻu Black Sand Beach Park on their itineraries, according to Scott Bier, owner and operator of The Volcano Van.

“It’s a real loss for both the Kaʻū community and for visitors,” Bier said. “Punaluʻu is more than a tourism stop; it’s an important gathering place for that side of the island.”

Bier said that he plans to shift his Summit to Shore tour to focus on Kīlauea and Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, and later to include parts of the 2018 lower East Rift Zone flow field into the tour to show guests how dramatically Kīlauea reshaped the island in 2018.

Punaluʻu Black Sand Beach

<title>Hawaiʻi County lease of Punaluʻu Black Sand Beach Park to end</title>

Negotiations between the county and landowner Black Sand Beach LLC will cease Saturday without an agreement. County officials aim to "minimize the disruption" to the community, while tourism operators work to shift their itineraries.

Hawaiʻi County lease of Punaluʻu Black Sand Beach Park to end

Stephanie Salmons Headshot

Stephanie Salmons

Real Estate

JL Capital is preparing for the next steps toward its newest development in Honolulu's Ala Moana neighborhood.

Demolition preparation activities at the future site of 

, located at 1538 Kapi‘olani Blvd., are expected to begin in October, following the relocation of Central Pacific Bank to the nearby Pan Am Building, the developer said in an announcement this week. The developers also have introduced new pricing on a number of residences.

“Reaching this stage represents meaningful progress for the project and demonstrates our continued commitment to ramping up construction of Muse Honolulu," Mark Berkowitz, executive vice president of JL Capital, the project developer, said in the announcement. “At the same time, we recognize that the market has evolved. We’ve listened closely to buyers and the real estate community and have adjusted pricing on select residences to better reflect today’s market and create new opportunities for homebuyers.”

The planned 39-story Muse Honolulu was designed by architecture firm Bohlin Cywinski Jackson and local partner Benjamin Woo Architects. 

Muse Honolulu will include 315 residences — a mix of penthouses, tower residences, urban lofts and two-story townhomes — and amenities across three levels.

, those amenities include a rooftop sky lounge; steam rooms, saunas, treatment rooms, a multi-level fitness center, pool, hot tub and cold plunge, barbecue cabanas, golf simulator, putting green, private dining rooms, dog park, playground and more.

Muse offers one-bedroom residences with up to 747 square feet of interior living space; two-bedroom units with up to 1,384 square feet and three-bedroom units with up to 1,572 square feet, the announcement notes.

The newly priced residences span several home types and price points, according to the announcement: studios start from the $600,000s; one-bedroom residences will start from $789,000; two-bedroom residences from $1,087,000; and three-bedroom units from $1,791,000.

Pricing was adjusted on 48 residences, with more significant reductions on certain residence types and more modest adjustments on others," JL Capital CEO Tim Lee told Aloha State Daily in an emailed response to questions.

For example, he noted, Residence No. 903 — a one-bedroom urban loft with 10-foot, 3-inch ceiling heights and 668 square feet of interior living space — was previously offered at $922,000 and is now priced at $789,000, a reduction of $133,000. Meanwhile, Residence No. 1001, a two-bedroom urban loft with 10-foot, 3-inch ceiling heights, 1,048 square feet of interior living space and an 89-square-foot lanai, is now priced at $1,216,000, a reduction of $183,000.

Lee says that the adjustments were made on a residence-by-residence basis to better reflect current market conditions and the specific attributes of each home.

"Buyers today are looking closely at not only price, but what they’re getting for that price — usable living space, parking, views, amenities, storage and a location that makes everyday life more convenient," he told ASD. "We’ve also heard clearly that buyers value choice. Muse was designed with a range of residence types and floor plans, from urban lofts and tower residences to two-story townhomes. We’ve seen strong sales across a number of residence types and will maintain the original pricing on those homes. At the same time, the market today is different from when we initially established pricing, and we recognized that certain residence types were priced ahead of the market. We listened to feedback from buyers and the brokerage community and adjusted accordingly."

Owner-occupant sales for select residences in the condo 

JL Capital, a real estate and private equity firm founded in 2017, has completed or initiated a number of major projects in Honolulu's Ala Moana neighborhood and along the Kapi‘olani corridor in recent years.

, a $507 million mixed-use twin tower condominium and hotel at 1388 Kapi‘olani Blvd. 

Renaissance Honolulu Hotel & Spa, a Marriott brand

, an adaptive reuse project that will convert a five-story former office building at 

 several other contiguous properties along Kapi‘olani Boulevard for a combined price of $36 million last fall.

Lee told ASD that JL Capital does not have specific plans to announce for the properties at 1322 and 1356 Kapi‘olani Boulevard at this time, but continues to "

evaluate opportunities for those properties as part of our broader investment in the corridor.

"We see tremendous long-term potential along the Ala Moana/Kapiʻolani corridor," he says. "It sits at the intersection of Ala Moana, Waikīkī and some of Honolulu’s most established residential neighborhoods, with convenient access to shopping, dining, employment and transportation. We have completed and are advancing a range of projects in the corridor, including affordable and market-rate housing, hotel and retail developments. Our goal is to be thoughtful about how we invest in the area and look for opportunities that contribute to a more connected, vibrant and livable urban community."

Visit the Muse Honolulu sales gallery, located at 1388 Kapiolani Blvd., Suite 101, to schedule a private presentation. For more information, visit 

Muse Honolulu 2

<title>JL Capital prepping for next steps in Muse Honolulu development</title>

Demolition preparation activity at the site of the planned condominium in Honolulu's Ala Moana neighborhood is expected to begin in October and new pricing has been announced for a number of residences.

JL Capital prepping for next steps in Muse Honolulu development

The City and County of Honolulu collects thousands of abandoned shopping carts across the island per year. The Honolulu City Council is considering a bill that would make it illegal to remove and possess a shopping cart outside of the business that owns it.

 would make it illegal for a person to possess or use a shopping cart outside of the business premises that the shopping cart belongs to. People who are found with shopping carts would be fined up to $2,000 and could be imprisoned for up to a month, and they would forfeit the shopping cart to the city.

In a statement accompanying the bill, Waters said that the possession and abandonment of shopping carts threatens the public’s health, safety and welfare.

The City and County of Honolulu Department of Facilities Maintenance collected 3,535 shopping carts in 2024 and 2,608 shopping carts in 2025, according to a DFM spokesperson. Most of the carts collected are typically not in usable condition, they said.

Waters wrote that shopping carts on sidewalks, in parks and at bus stops create unsafe conditions for the public, and shopping carts that obstruct waterways can lead to overflow.

“The city must be able to ensure the safety of members of the public when they are using sidewalks, roads and streets, bus stops, parks, waterways, and other public spaces and ensure the public’s ability to use these accommodations freely,” Waters stated.

The bill has not been scheduled for public hearing or a committee meeting yet.

Shopping carts cost from $500 to $650 and up to $1,000 each depending on where they are manufactured, shipping costs, the volume purchased, the type, size and construction, and if they have anti-theft locking devices, according to Retail Merchants of Hawaiʻi Interim President and CEO Dave Erdman.

“All of this increases the cost of our goods purchased at a retailer because the loss of these carts, being stolen, it adds to cost of a retailer’s business and adds to the prices we pay in a store,” Erdman said.

The bill garnered support from Honolulu Police Department, which said the bill will disincentivize people from stealing shopping carts and improve the beauty and safety of Oʻahu.

Honolulu Police Department Major Paul Okamoto of Waikīkī wrote to the council that abandoned shopping carts in public spaces are a sign of “urban blight” and “deterioration” in Hawaiʻi.

“Removing these carts from private property onto public property, exerting unauthorized control over the cart, appropriating it for your own use, and retaining it to deprive its owner of its use is theft,” Okamoto wrote. “This theft continues to occur because there is no consequence for taking or being in unlawful possession of them.”

In an email to ASD, Okamoto wrote that theft cases involving shopping carts produce certain challenges that make enforcement impractical — sometimes a store representative cannot be found in a reasonable amount of time that can provide a statement or identifying marks on the cart have been removed or damaged — so HPD is “exploring a legislative solution to more effectively deter the theft and unauthorized use of shopping carts.”

Trevor Abarzua, president and CEO of the Waikīkī Improvement Association, wrote in a letter to the council that shopping carts left in pedestrian-oriented districts like Waikīkī prevent the public from safety using an area and create hazards. 

He stated that the bill “will provide the City with an important tool to address a longstanding problem, protect pedestrian access, support local businesses, reduce environmental hazards, and preserve the safety and usability of our public spaces.”

Lauren Zirbel, executive director of the Hawaiʻi Food Industry Association, wrote that the cost of replacing stolen shopping carts increase the cost of doing business in Hawaiʻi when retailers and customers are already dealing with high operation and food costs.

Waters wrote in an email to ASD on Thursday, “At a time when families are already struggling to afford everyday necessities like eggs, milk, and other groceries, Bill 53 is a commonsense step toward reducing avoidable cost increases, while helping keep neighborhoods across O‘ahu safe and accessible.”

Honolulu City Council, state Legislature considered alternative options

Former Councilmember Calvin Say introduced a 

in August 2023 that would ban people from using or leaving shopping carts on public property and would create a fine of $500 or imprisonment for up to a month. The bill was sent to two committees but never got a public hearing.

The Hawaiʻi Legislature attempted to address the same concerns in January through 

, but the bill received opposition and did not move forward. HB1636 proposed that businesses mark each shopping cart with identifying information and would have authorized counties to return a shopping cart to a business in exchange for a $500 fine.

RMH opposed House Bill 1636. “House Bill 1636 proposed holding the retail businesses accountable for abandoned shopping carts by allowing counties to impound them and assess fees or fines of $500 or more. Bill 53 recognizes that the shopping cart is stolen, and not abandoned by the retailer,” Erdman said.

The City and County of Honolulu isn’t the first municipality to consider fining people who take shopping carts off a business’s property. Ogden, Utah made it a 

 or a $50 fine if a person removes and is in possession of a shopping cart removed from a shopping area. People in Federal Way, Washington who push or use a shopping cart in a public right-of-way are fined $50. Arizona made it illegal to possess a shopping car away from a retailer’s premises, and Phoenix, Arizona ordered retailers to use locking wheel systems and charges $25 to $50 to return abandoned shopping carts.

Critics say the bill penalizes homelessness

 Critics wrote that the bill would disproportionately impact Oʻahu’s homeless residents. Jonathan Huynh, an Oʻahu resident, wrote that the bill is a “grossly disproportionate and inhumane” approach to addressing the issue of shopping carts.

“This ordinance targets those who have no home, who use a simple cart to carry what little they own,” Huynh wrote. “It is a legislative weapon against the poor, disguised as a public safety measure.”

Mandy Fernandes, policy director of ACLU of Hawaiʻi, told ASD that bill 53 is “is unnecessary, cruel, and singles out one type of property for special enforcement and resources.”

Fernandes said that the fine is nearly 10 times a cart’s value and jailing a person costs taxpayers $300 per person, per day, making it a disproportionate response to something that is already illegal.

“Jailing someone for possession of a shopping cart has nothing to do with public safety,” Fernandes said. “I understand retailers’ frustration, but this proposal criminalizes the conditions of being poor while doing nothing to address what leads someone to take a cart in the first place. Those same resources could go to supportive housing and health services, a cheaper, and far more effective, response to the actual problem. “

Shopping cart

<title>Shopping carts could be banned if removed from commercial stores</title>

Shopping carts could be banned if removed from commercial stores

[{"type":"text","text":"Caizel Jesus-Kapesi's parents knew it the day he was born. "}]

The son of Clisha Jesus and TeeJay Kapesi, Caizel was the second of four children and weighed 10 pounds at birth. 

"Literally as soon as he was born, we took him home, and that's how it started — Fatboy. He was a chunky kid," Clisha Jesus-Kapesi recalled to Aloha State Daily. 

And thus, Fatboy Jesus-Kapesi, the one the world has grown to love in recent days, was born. Clisha and TeeJay can't remember which parent coined the nickname, but it certainly stuck. 

In a 14-13 locally televised win at Leilehua on Aug. 21, Jesus-Kapesi completed 13 of his 20 passes for 193 yards, two interceptions and a touchdown. The gritty victory included a key first down in the closing minutes in which ‘Aiea went for it on fourth down deep in its own territory and converted to seal the game. For his efforts, Fatboy Jesus-Kapesi was named the Spectrum OC16 Impact Player of the Game. 

While interviewed by Spectrum's Jimmy Bender upon receiving his award, a TV super displaying Fatboy Jesus-Kapesi's name, weight, position and class was on display. The 6-foot-1, 268-pound sophomore quarterback quickly became an internet darling overnight, fans from around the world smitten with his name and social media posts of him reaching hundreds of thousands in reshares. Google Fatboy Jesus-Kapesi, and it would be hard to find a national sports content website that hasn't recycled the same set of pictures of him. 

"You must be here for Fatboy," multiple members of the ‘Aiea football program tell a visitor at a recent Na Ali‘i practice. 

Perhaps the first thing to know about Fatboy Jesus-Kapesi is that he's fully embraced his lifelong nickname. He politely introduces himself as Fatboy, and in the days since his viral introduction to the world, people who have never met him will approach him and say, 'Hey, you're Fatboy!'"

Due to the viral nature of his name, Fatboy Jesus-Kapesi was asked if local brands, such as local restaurant chain Fatboy's, have reached out. 

"I don't know about the restaurant yet. Hopefully soon," 

. "I was thinking about the FatBoy ice cream. That too, hopefully."

For those curious to learn more about him, what else should we know about Fatboy Jesus-Kapesi?

"I love cheeseburgers. I love burgers. That's one thing about me. I love burgers, especially McDonald's burgers," he said while flashing a grin. "You know, that's the one right there."

Life for the Jesus-Kapesi family has not been the same since last weekend. Their phones are still constantly buzzing with memes and comments. Through it all, Fatboy has stayed the same humble kid. During his viral interview, before he conceived it was possible he'd become as famous as he has, Fatboy Jesus-Kapesi gave the credit to God and his offensive line.  

"Being (seemingly everywhere) on social media, I take a lot of pride in it," he said. "I

t means a lot not just to me, but to my family. I'm putting my family's name out there, too."

Fatboy Jesus-Kapesi has been the starting quarterback on the varsity team at ‘Aiea High School since the beginning of his freshman year. He has a 3.7 grade point average and aspires to play college football. As ‘Aiea awaits improvements to its on-campus stadium, all of its games are on the road in 2026. Na Ali‘i improved to 2-0 after the Leilehua victory and will next take the field at Nānākuli on Saturday.

"I really, really want to play college football one day," he says. "My recruiting process so far, I'm working on it, but I'm ready."

A conversation with Clisha and TeeJay about Fatboy's ‘Aiea upbringing reveals why their son has been able to remain grounded despite his newfound fame. Young Caizel had his "knucklehead" moments, Mom says, but through strong parenting, he eventually learned and began to appreciate the process of earning everything he has, both good and bad. 

"'You can't do this, don't go do that. You have to do this to get that.' Having him work for his rewards. You want that? Then you work for it," Clisha says. "If you think we're hard, we're teaching you. He'll always be a kid at heart, and that's what I love about him."

Fatboy Jesus-Kapesi wouldn't gave gone viral last weekend if he weren't the Impact Player of the Game, and those go to winners. 

"I'm really proud of where he's at and where his potential could take him. We always tell him that what's done in the dark comes to light," TeeJay said. "The work he puts in on and off the field, the drilling he gets, letting him know that football's an avenue, and you can have all the talent, but you have to do everything right on and off the field. The talent can't outshine everything, and the classroom and the football field, one can't overcome the other, and he handles his business on that."

TeeJay is also an assistant linebackers coach for ‘Aiea, and he doesn't take it easy on Fatboy in practice. 

"Every day, we try to get this defense to bring the best out of not just him, but our offense as well," TeeJay said. 

The ‘Aiea community has supported Fatboy Jesus-Kapesi long before his viral moment. The rest of the world is now catching up. As nice as the attention is, nobody involved is pretending it's all been positive. 

"Seeing not only the positive comments, but the negative was really harsh," Clisha says. "I just had to remind him to just keep with the positive. (The attention) is something that we're not used to."

Mika Li‘ili‘i, ‘Aiea's head coach: 

"We always talk to the kids about social media. It can be evil and stuff like that. But in this situation, it's also a blessing for our school, for Fatboy to represent and bring some attention to our school and what we're doing. I know he feels it and he understands he's getting all the notoriety because his teammates are catching his balls and blocking for him and stuff like that."

Fatboy Jesus-Kapesi has played football for as long as he can remember, but he didn't get an opportunity to play quarterback until he was 12. 

He also dabbled in soccer and competitive hula, his 

 taking home a runner-up trophy during his only competition in 2019. 

Always on the bigger side, TeeJay remembers how he was placed as a lineman by default. "When he finally got his shot to be a quarterback, we hit the ground running, and that's who we have here today," Dad says. 

When one watches Fatboy Jesus-Kapesi throw a football, it's clear that doing so is easy to him. Using his upper body to gain torque, Fatboy spins it effortlessly in practice while his receivers practice multiple routes with him. 

Another thing that appears seamless to Fatboy Jesus-Kapesi: blending in with his teammates. In pre-practice stretching and jogging, he truly is one of the boys. His demeanor remains mellow and approachable.

Following a set of reps, his teammates, perhaps in acknowledgement of media around, break the huddle with "1, 2, 3, Fatboy!" 

[{"type":"text","text":"Fatboy Jesus-Kapesi can't help but laugh coyly."}]

"More people seeing that I'm on social media, I mean, it would be great for them to come to our games so we could show love to our community, show them what ‘Aiea High School football is about," he says. "For me, ‘Aiea is more than just a football program. It's home to me, so it means a lot."

Fatboy Jesus-Kapesi 082726

<title>‘Aiea quarterback Fatboy Jesus-Kapesi takes his newfound name fame in stride</title>

Jesus-Kapesi, the overnight viral sensation, confirms it's fine to call him by his nickname. He says he even prefers it.

‘Aiea quarterback Fatboy Jesus-Kapesi takes his newfound name fame in stride

Higa headshot white shirt square

Sterling Higa

Columnists

Civil Beat has begun a series on meth in the Islands, and it opens with the dead.

, with a selected few arranged as a series of vignettes. Some died of overdose, others of heart conditions caused by their meth habit.

One of the deceased was Christopher Woodard, the chief planner for the state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism, making $139,860 a year. He was found on his apartment floor with a glass pipe in his lap.

John Hill has written about these people with care. He calls them 

It’s a sentimental start to a series of articles on meth that Hill has promised.

Meth is not deadly at the same scale as heart disease, cancer, or stroke. But its impacts are wide ranging. Meth use often tears families apart. It frequently comes paired with mental illness, and it may accompany other forms of disorder, including lying, theft, and violence. The consequences of meth can be seen on many a street corner. For this reason, meth looms large in the social imaginary.

Despite the scale of Hawaiʻi’s meth epidemic, there is little local journalism on the subject, except for reports of arrests and prosecutions. So a series like Hill’s will shape the state’s policies in dealing with meth. This makes it worth asking what the author assumes about his subject.

Every remedy rests on some account of the sick man. Begin with the wrong account of man, and we will spend a great deal of money on cures that cannot work.

 at contingency management, a policy the state is trialing. The idea is to pay people for clean drug tests, in gift cards or small sums of cash. Advocates claim that contingency management is more effective than other treatments. At least that’s what experts and some academic studies suggest, with all the normal caveats about the quality of experts and academic research.

Grant the point that the treatments work, and ask why.

In part, contingency management works because some men will stay clean for $50. Should our state be in the business of paying these drug addicts to stay clean?

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"}],"text":"And why doesn’t Hill call them addicts?"}]

 that most newsrooms follow. Writers are steered away from words like 

 are off limits. Journalists shouldn’t call people who use drugs 

, though they can describe people’s drug 

 with select adjectives permitted (e.g., 

Hill is willing to skirt the rules, as he calls his subjects 

But the guide goes further and offers to redefine words: addiction is “a treatable disease that affects a person’s brain and behavior,” brought on by genetics and mental illness and other factors. 

According to this definition, addiction is something that happens to a man, like the flu or chickenpox. The Stylebook’s definition has no place for the man’s will.

The idea underneath this definition is older than the Stylebook. Rousseau taught that man arrives in the world basically good and is then spoiled by civilization. This thought is taken for granted today. It is like water, and we are fish swimming in it.

If corruption comes from outside the man, then the cure must be applied outside him. Adjust his surroundings and he will improve. Nearly every drug policy of the last 50 years has been some version of that hope.

The gift card is the gentle version. The hard version uses incarceration to reform the addict, controlling his environment to change his behavior. But it is the same anthropology in a different uniform.

Both remedies work on a man’s circumstances because neither can account for his will. One offers a reward and the other a threat, but neither engages with the whole person.

Are humans good by nature or fallen? For the answer, we can look to our children.

Leave 10 toddlers alone in a room and no social contract emerges. The result is chaos.

Anyone who has taught toddlers knows that they often defy instruction, sometimes seeming to revel in disobedience. We tell ourselves that small ones are only testing the boundaries, and perhaps they are. But this explanation cannot account for their behavior later in life.

Some people may use meth because of mental illness. Others may use meth because they’re forced to. Many people don’t know the full consequences of meth use when they start. But a few know full well that meth is illegal and harmful, and they use it anyway.

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The professional with a house and a pension does not take up meth because his surroundings failed him. The husband who cheats is not always short of affection at home. The teacher who molests a child knows that his behavior is wrong.

The simplest explanation is that man sins because it is in his nature to sin. Augustine stole pears when he wasn’t hungry and then threw them away. He didn’t want the pears. He delighted in sin for sin’s sake.

And meth use is sin, plain and simple. Scripture is filled with cautions against inebriation, often connecting sobriety to spiritual discernment. “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.”

A Christian can say that meth is evil and still feel love for the man smoking it. These are not rival claims. He can pray for the man’s soul, that he would come to faith in Christ and have his sins forgiven. And he can also say something the reporter cannot — that there are some things worse than death.

A journalist keeping his objectivity must treat death as the worst outcome, so his stories end with the funeral and the surviving family’s GoFundMe.

But there are worse things than dying. We used to be able to say so without lowering our voices.

A state planner earning $139,860 a year was found dead on his apartment floor, a glass pipe in his lap. ASD opinion columnist Sterling Higa on how every remedy for meth rests on some account of the man being remedied.

Daily Smile: Friday, July 17, 2026

ASD Staff

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Daily Smile: Friday, July 17, 2026

Authors

ASD Staff

Reporter

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Daily Smile: Monday, Aug. 31, 2026

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