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ASD Staff

Daily Smile

Oh look, it's the dreaded anti-cat table...

Smile 26 8 18

<title>Daily Smile: Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2026</title>

Daily Smile: Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2026

 Oh look, it&#039;s the dreaded anti-cat table...

Stephanie Salmons Headshot

Stephanie Salmons

Real Estate

An oceanfront estate on Maui, comprised of two adjacent residences sitting on two parcels that total a little more than 1.2 acres, has hit the market with a $45 million asking price. 

Located at 4640 and 4650 Makena Road in Kīhei, the estate has eight bedrooms, 7.5 baths and spans just over 7,500 square feet, according to 

. Information provided to Aloha State Daily noted that the properties are offered fully furnished with central air conditioning, a security system and attached multi-car garages. There also are "expansive" ocean-facing lāna‘is, tropical landscaping, an in-ground heated pool and indoor-outdoor living spaces.

The property is located minutes from Wailea and sits about 40 feet above a white-sand beach, the listing notes, adding that a gated path leads to a secluded stretch of sand known as "Secret Beach."

"Opportunities of this magnitude — two contiguous oceanfront parcels with elevation, privacy and direct beach access — are extraordinarily limited," the listing states. "Offered together, this is a chance to secure a one-of-one compound in a supply-constrained market where replacement is simply not possible."

The property is listed by Hawai‘i Life's 

, who told Aloha State Daily in an emailed response to questions that "very rarely" does a listing listing like this hit the market.

"In my 45 years of real estate along the South Maui coastline, I have not encountered another listing as unique as this one," he says. "The two contiguous oceanfront lots, which front perhaps the best white sand beach in all of Maui, offer stunning views. The fully usable lots ensure security among the lush tropical grounds, making this property exceptional. Replicating this setting today would be extraordinarily difficult given the scarcity of comparable land and increasingly complex state and county regulations surrounding new oceanfront construction."

But what makes the property unique is the history and evolution of the estate, Richardson told ASD.

"The original home was built in 1990 by San Francisco venture capitalist Pierre Lamond, who used exceptional materials for its time, including black glazed roof tiles, copper downspouts integrated into the walls, cedar eaves and stucco walls with extensive glass windows and doors to capture the ocean views," he says. "In 2000, Lamond purchased the neighboring property for $10 [million] and thoughtfully remodeled it to complement his original home, using the same materials and creating what is now a cohesive estate."

Lamond and his wife sold the property for $42 million in 2021, according to a 

Today, Richardson said the two properties encompass 1.26 acres and 200 linear feet of ocean frontage, with both lots elevated about 35 feet above the beach.

"The estate combines privacy, security, mature tropical landscaping, direct beach access and extraordinary views," he says. "It is the combination of these elements, particularly the two contiguous oceanfront lots and their elevation above the coastline, that makes the property impossible to replicate."

Richardson says it's hard to choose a single favorite feature of the property, but the lāna‘i on the second residence is a fave.

"It wraps around the whole front of the home and cantilevers over the lava rock cliff; the views are stunning, and you would not be able to replicate its location due to today’s setback laws," he told ASD. 

According to Richardson, views from the upper-level primary suite of the original home stretch from Makena to Lahaina, and the elevation gives you "a soaring perspective over the coastline."

"I also love the sense of arrival and discovery throughout the property," he says. "Behind the gated entry, you have beautifully maintained, tropical grounds, two residences that share a cohesive architectural language and a 640-square-foot pool. Every time I enter the property, there is still a sense of wonder because of how much it offers while remaining remarkably private."

4640 4650 Makena Road13

<title>Maui oceanfront estate is on the market for $45M</title>

The offering includes two adjacent oceanfront residences that span more than 7,500 square feet of living space on a little more than 1.2 acres.

Maui oceanfront estate is on the market for $45M

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta Headshot

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta

Food & Dining

 just opened today in Waimalu Shopping Center. This is the business’s third and newest location. It features a full-service, sit-down dine-in experience, along with a takeout window. 

The biz is celebrating its grand opening tomorrow, Aug. 15, with a lion dance at 11:30 a.m.

Customers can expect a variety of manapua, along with dim sum, peking duck and plate lunches; this location features an expanded menu.

The business’s Hong Kong-style dim sum selection was crafted in partnership with its sister restaurant, Mei Sum Dim Sum. The dim sum menu comprises spring rolls ($4.95), potstickers ($6.35), shrimp pork hash ($6.35), half moon dumplings ($6.35), shrimp dumplings ($6.35) and more.

[{"type":"text","text":"The business’s classic char siu manapua is a bestseller."}]

Besides manapua and dim sum, customers can choose from a variety of local-style plate lunches. Entrees include ginger fried chicken, kalbi ribs, garlic butter shrimp, hamburger steak and more. Seafood and steak combo plates are also available. 

Island Manapua is re-branding its other two locations in Mānoa and Waipahu as Aloha Manapua.

“Over the years, we’ve grown from being a neighborhood manapua counter into a gathering place for families, friends and our community,” states Christy Tong, owner of Aloha Manapua. “Rebranding as Aloha Manapua celebrates our local roots, our commitment to serving our community, and the relationships we’ve built with our customers. While our name is changing, our dedication to the food and service our customers know and love remains the same.”

The ‘Aiea store will be open daily from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. For the rest of August, customers can take advantage of a 10% discount.

Aloha Manapua shrimp dim sum 081426

<title>Aloha Manapua is open in Waimalu Shopping Center</title>

This is the business’s third and newest location; it’s celebrating its grand opening Aug. 15. Customers can enjoy its signature manapua, along with dim sum and plate lunches. The business is featuring a 10% discount for the rest of the month.

Aloha Manapua is open in Waimalu Shopping Center

[{"type":"text","text":"Swimming comes more naturally to some dogs than others..."}]

Smile 26 8 13

<title>Daily Smile: Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026</title>

Swimming comes more naturally to some dogs than others...

Daily Smile: Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026

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Tom Yamachika

Viewpoints

Government & Politics

This week, I wanted to share some inspiration I found in 

Aloha State Daily columnist Sterling Higa

Hawai‘i Millionaire Tax: Why the New 13% Bracket Won’t Be the Last

Countless people and organizations have implored lawmakers to make “the wealthy” pay their “fair share.” Of course, neither “the wealthy” nor “fair share” are defined. Only the sentiment is tangible.

Higa points to the recent enactment of the millionaires’ 13% tax bracket as evidence of the sentiment. It also appears in “

Empty Homes Tax: Oʻahu Voters Blocked from Weighing In

,” where Civil Beat seems to be disappointed because the Honolulu Charter Commission failed to advance an empty homes tax proposal to the November ballot despite obvious difficulties in implementation, constitutional issues and resistance within the City Council. 

The Bible warns in the Tenth Commandment, “Thou shalt not covet.” Envy is identified as one of the Seven Deadly Sins. “Envy is the one vice that never announces itself,” Higa writes. “Pride struts and greed hoards, but envy always arrives dressed as justice. A tax on millionaires feels like fairness.” 

He has a bigger house than I, or a better car, or a boat where I don’t. I can’t do much about it by myself, but government can cut him down to size with the power of taxation. Taxation, however, is not supposed to be about retribution. “Taxes are what we pay for civilized society,” wrote Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes. Government provides services to society and the costs are spread among us. Government also can collect fines and penalties to punish misconduct, but earning money and being wealthy, in our system of capitalism, are perfectly legal.

The other scary thing about taxation derived from envy is that the target of the envy can and does shift over time. Higa writes, “Envy is fed like a furnace. Social media puts every lifestyle on earth in every pocket in Hawaiʻi, heaping the coal into the flames.  Envy becomes a mood — a low, constant awareness that somebody, somewhere, has the kitchen or the vacation or the body you were denied. A mood cannot be satisfied, but it can be channeled, and it is channeled toward whatever target happens to be within reach.”

It may be a millionaire’s tax today. Next year, or maybe the year afterward, it could change to a tax on half a million because those people are “wealthy.” (Or the million won’t be worth as much as it is this year, due to inflation.) The envious may also want to dial up the pain. Maybe a 13% tax is not sufficient to be a “fair share.” Would 14%, 15%, or 20% be fairer? We will certainly see legislative proposals to move either or both levers.

As Higa writes, “Hawaiʻi already carries one of the heaviest state-and-local tax burdens in the country. The needy are not much better off for it. The burden of our state shows up in the rent, in the grocery bill, in the exodus of local families headed to Las Vegas. A man who can imagine no way to feed a widow except by voting to tax his neighbor has not discovered compassion. He has misplaced his imagination, and it is worth asking where he lost it.”

“Envy had finished its work in Cain long before he lifted his hand. It hollowed him first.  It always hollows the envier first, depriving him of the blessings he has by making them invisible.”

“The exit is not a cleverer tax or a purer market.  It is contentment — the settled conviction of having received more than one was owed. It frees a man to look at his neighbor’s good fortune and simply be glad.”

[{"type":"text","text":"We hope that lawmakers and the rest of us alike can enjoy this freedom."}]

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<title>Community Voices: Taxation of Envy</title>

Local media points to the recent enactment of the millionaires’ 13% tax bracket as evidence of lawmakers making “the wealthy” pay their “fair share.” It may be a millionaire’s tax today, Tom Yamachika argues; however, next year and beyond, it could change to a tax on half a million because those people are “wealthy.”

Community Voices: Taxation of Envy

Square Mike Brestovansky Headshot RGZ3736 Large

Michael Brestovansky

WEB square crop Hayley Lehman Headshot RGZ1636

Haley Lehman

Aloha Spirit

State government offices and public schools with reopen in the City and County of Honolulu, Kauaʻi County and Maui County on Tuesday. Government offices and schools will remain closed on Tuesday for Hawaiʻi County.

Nāʻalehu Elementary School, Kaʻū High School and Pāhala Elementary will continue to be closed due to flooding.

Gov. Josh Green said at a news conference on Monday in Hilo that it was an emotional day seeing the flood damage in Kaʻū where he first worked as a physician in Hawaiʻi. Residents are still without water and power.

“It’s the flood and the mud and the rock that poured through Nā’ālehu, Pahala, Waiohinu. These communities have a lot of cleanup to do and they’re going to need a lot of support,” Green said. County parks also faced extensive damage.

Green said that he believes the Kaʻū area will be accessible within days, and state roads will see “significant appropriations” in the years to come for infrastructure improvements.

“Itʻs going to start in Kaʻū. This region is going to get our greatest attention right now from the storm because they suffered the most,” he said.

[{"type":"text","text":"According to Green, a 90-year-old woman died in the flood in Nāʻalehu."}]

Hawaiʻi Fire Department Chief Daniel Volpe said that the woman was identified as a missing person and discovered deceased on Monday afternoon. The Hawaiʻi Fire Department Chief Reed Mahuna said that the department will investigate the cause of death, but “we don’t believe it was anything other than the disaster at this time.”

Maj. Gen. Stephen Logan, adjutant general and commander of the Hawaiʻi National Guard, said 240 national guard soldiers and airmen have been activated, including 60 on Hawaiʻi Island. The National Guardsmen will go door to door in Nāʻalehu and check on residents.

[{"type":"text","text":"“We’re going to be here until it’s over,” Logan said."}]

The City and County of Honolulu will resume normal government operations Tuesday as the city makes progress towards recovery and restoration.

Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi said in a news release Monday, “Our first responders, emergency personnel, City crews, utility workers and so many others have done an extraordinary job responding to this storm and beginning the recovery. There is still work to be done, particularly in some of our hardest-hit communities, and that work will continue. But we believe we are at a point where we can safely reopen City government and continue serving the public.”

Municipal golf courses, the Honolulu Zoo, Satellite City Halls and Driver Licensing Centers, public transportation and refuse collection will resume normal operations. Some city parks and gardens are still without power and some have sustained damaged, so some park facilities will remain closed.

The Cityʻs informational call center, which can be reached at 808-723-8960, will remain open until 11 p.m. Monday and from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday for non-emergency, storm-related information.

The City closed hurricane refuge shelters on Monday. HONU residents who were displaced ahead of the storm will remain at ʻEwa Mahiko District Park until Wednesday, when they are expected to return to the Kapolei Musubi lot.

According to Hawaiian Electric, 103,980 customers remain without power. Hawaiian Electric has deployed more than 500 employees, contractors and support workers to support damage assessment and power restoration, according to a spokesperson. Hawaiian Electric requested assistance from the Western Regional Mutual Assistance Group and approximately 100 additional utility personnel will arrive from partner utilities starting Tuesday.

“Crews are prioritizing work that will restore the greatest number of customers safely, beginning with damage and repairs to transmission lines. Those lines are the backbone of the grid, connecting generation sources to communities, and must be repaired before neighborhood distribution-system repairs can fully proceed,” the spokesperson stated in an email to ASD. “The major impacts following the storm include widespread power outages, downed trees, damaged poles and lines, road closures, flooding, debris and access challenges in rugged or remote areas.”

 While Hurricane Lala did not make landfall on Hawaiʻi Island, with the eye of the storm veering within 30 miles of the island’s South Point on Saturday, it still brought wind gusts between 60 and 91 miles per hour, downed trees, record rainfall amounts, landslides and flooding to Hawaiʻi Island. All warnings and watches associated with Hurricane Lala have been canceled.

Meteorologist Thomas Vaughn told Aloha State Daily Monday that the storm formed as a combination of the El Niño season, the climate pattern that makes for a move active hurricane season in the Pacific, high pressure systems to the north east, sea surface temperatures and wind sheer.

According to the Central Pacific Hurricane Center, a broad area of low pressure to the east south-east of the Hawaiian Islands has a 50% chance of forming into a cyclone.

Vaughn said that while there is uncertainty if the system will form into a cyclone, “it is hurricane season, so you should be creating some sort of plan if and when something were to impact you.”

Hurricane Lala damaged electrical infrastructure on Hawaʻi Island, leaving 41,190 customers without power. Crews repaired three major transmission lines on Saturday. Teams from Oʻahu will arrive on Hawaiʻi Island Monday to help restore power, and three helicopters are inspecting six transmission lines across the island.

As of 11 a.m. Monday, approximately 117,120 Hawaiian Electric customers are without power, including 69,150 customers on Oʻahu and 6,780 customers in Maui County.

Most of Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park remains closed without power. Park rangers reopened Crater Rim Drive West from the park entrance to Uēkahuna at the summer of Kīlauea volcano Monday morning. The park has no power, phone service or internet.

Intersections where traffic signals are out should be treated as all-way stops. Waikīkī, ʻEwa Beach and Waiʻanae are seeing heavier congestion and travel times due to non-functioning traffic signals.

Hurricane Lala set record rainfall on Hawaiʻi Island and Maui. Hilo received 6.82 inches of rain, breaking the 1969 record of 5.1 inches, and Kahului received 0.29 inches of rain, breaking the 1993 record of 0.23 inches. The storm also broke a daily precipitation records in Honolulu, Hilo and Kahului.

The Manoa Stream rose to 14.03 feet at 5:20 a.m. Sunday, according to a USGS stream gauge. Eight stream gauges on Hawaiʻi Island malfunctioned on Saturday. The gauge at Paʻauau Gulch in Pahala, Hawaiʻi Island rose from .38 feet to 6.15 feet Saturday night before the gauge malfunctioned.

A brown water advisory remains in place for all Hawaiian Islands. The Department of Health recommends that people stay out of affected waters for 48 to 72 hours after it has stopped raining and beaches have received full sunshine.

High surf warnings were cancelled and the surf is expected decline as the storm moves further from the Hawaiian Islands.

The City and County of Honolulu reported Monday morning it is in “full cleanup and recovery mode” following Hurricane Lala.

The City and County of Honolulu Department of Environmental Services reopened all convenience centers, transfer stations and the Waimānalo Gulch Sanitary Landfill on Monday. Regular curbside refuse collection is continuing as scheduled.

[{"type":"text","text":"All commercial harbors reopened as of 4 p.m. Sunday."}]

Starlink is providing free internet service to impacted Hawaiʻi customers through Sept. 17. No action is required for existing customers.

is collecting donations to fund food, water, tarps and clean up efforts on Hawaiʻi Island and deploying trained chainsaw teams to assist residents blocked in their homes.

Hawaiʻi residents whose food purchased with SNAP benefits was lost due to impacts from Hurricane Lala can apply for replacement benefits through the 

 Government offices and public schools will be closed Monday to support response and recovery efforts in the wake of Hurricane Lala.

According to a news release issued Sunday evening, “the statewide closure will allow emergency response, recovery and restoration efforts to continue while communities across Hawaiʻi recover from the storm.”

Governor Josh Green stated in a news release, “The safety of our people remains our highest priority as we’re responding to these storm impacts. Our state crews continue to work around the clock to protect life and property, and we encourage our residents and visitors to continue to shelter in place.”

Department of Land and National Resources State Parks on Kauaʻi, Oʻahu, Molokai, Maui and Hawaiʻi Island will remain closed until further notice.

As of Sunday evening, all airports are open, but some flights may be delayed or cancelled. Hawaiʻi Island harbors and Kahului Harbor and Kaumalapau Harbor on Lanaʻi are open. Kaunakakai Harbor on Molokai, Nāwiliwili and Port Allen on Lanaʻi and Oʻahu harbors remain closed pending port assessment.

Hawaiʻi State Department of Education public schools and offices will be closed Monday.

UH Mānoa, Windward Community College and Kapiʻolani Community College are currently without power. Updates will be provided late Sunday night regarding campus operations for Monday.

City and County of Honolulu non-essential offices and services will be closed Monday. All public park facilities, the Honolulu Zoo, municipal golf courses, city botanical gardens, satellite city halls and driver licensing centers will be closed Monday.

“While the storm has passed, our work is not finished,” City and County of Honolulu Mayor Blangiardi said. “Our first responders, emergency personnel and City crews have worked tirelessly throughout this storm, and Monday will be an important day for assessing damage, clearing roads and debris, restoring services and helping our communities recover. This coordinated decision by the Governor and county mayors will allow us to keep our resources focused on that work while keeping unnecessary traffic off our roads and giving our communities time to recover.”

 A Tropical Storm Warning remains in effect for Kauaʻi and the Hawaiian Islands are still under a flood watch as Lala continues to produce heavy rainfall and gusty winds. The National Weather Service discontinued the Tropical Storm Warning for Oʻahu at 2 p.m. Sunday.

As of 5 p.m. Sunday, Tropical Storm Lala was approimately 240 miles west of Honolulu and holding steady southwest of Kauaʻi County. Heavy rainfall and the potential for flooding and mudslides will continue through Sunday night or early Monday, according to the National Weather Service. Large waves generated by Lala will continue to impact the Hawaiian Islands and may cause coastal flooding and beach erosion.

Hawaiian Electric restored power to approximately 180,000 customers Sunday after Hurricane Lala and 191,800 customers are without power. Customers on Hawaiʻi Island are asked to prepare for extended outages in the hardest hit rural areas as road closures, flooding, fallen trees and debris and continuing incelement weather slows the restoration process. Approximately 130,100 are without power on Oʻahu, approximatey 15,800 Maui County residents are without power and 45,900 customers are without power on Hawaiʻi Island.

Cell service in parts of Central Oʻahu and the North Shore is intermittent.

City, county and state crews are responding to road and lane closures across the state caused by flooding, fallen trees and debris. Motorists should avoid driving on flooded or debris-covered roads.

Honolulu Fire Department fielded nearly 700 calls over the weekend and responded to calls about 175 downed trees, 79 blown roofs, 39 downed power lines, 16 water evacuations, four building fires, one high angle rescue and one swimmer rescue.

The City and County of Honolulu is transitioning overnight shelter operations to Booth District Park, ʻEwa Mahiko District Park and Kāneʻohe District Park at 6 p.m. Sunday. According to a news release, 247 people sought refuge in the hurricane refuge shelters at the peak of operations and 127 people reamin.

Hawaiʻi is currently under a statewide Brown Water Advisory following Hurricane Lala.

Hawaiʻi Department of Education closed Nāʻālehu Elementary School through Thursday due to storm-related damage to the campus and road closures. Kaʻū High School and Pāhala Elementary School will be closed Monday.

Honolulu Zoo, indoor park facilities, most botanical gardens, transfer stations and the Waimānalo Gulch Sanitary Landfill will reopen Monday. Wahiawā Botanical Garden will remain closed Monday. Outdoor park facilities will be reassessed Monday.

 More than 100 homes on Hawai’i Island have been damaged or destroyed by Hurricane Lala, Gov. Josh Green said Sunday.

Some parts of the Big Island received more than two feet of rain since the storm reached Hawai’i, Green said at a media briefing Sunday morning. Laupāhoehoe in North Hilo received 32 inches of rainfall, and Green said a “river of water” flooded parts of Na’alehu and that several smaller bridges connecting Volcano to Na’alehu were impassable. 

So far, there is only one reported storm-related casualty: Green said a fatal car crash occurred on the Big Island Saturday, although he added that whether that death is found to have been directly caused by the storm is a matter for local law enforcement.

As of 7 a.m., nearly 200,000 people were without power statewide. Hawaiian Electric reported that “all of the east side and south sides” of the Big Island were out of power, along with Waimea and Honoka’a, for a total of about 58,000 customers. 

About 110,700 customers were without power on O’ahu, and about 28,700 were without power in Maui, Lāna’i and Molokai.

Crews are conducting damage assessments as areas become accessible. However, HECO warned that customers, particularly those in the rural areas of Hawai’i Island, “should prepare for extended outages lasting weeks or even months.”

On O’ahu, fallen boulders have closed Pali Highway, although Department of Transportation Services Director Roger Morton said crews expect to reopen the highway later today.

Morton said bus services are gradually resuming route-by-route today as DTS determines which roads are passable. He added that many traffic lights throughout the island are out of power and advised drivers to remain cautious.

O’ahu residents are urged to report any damage to their residents to the City and County of Honolulu at 

 City and County of Honolulu officials urge residents to shelter in place as Hurricane Lala buffets the state.

Mayor Rick Blangiardi said the worst impacts of the storm on O’ahu are expected to begin around 8:30 p.m. tonight, and will last for the next 12-16 hours. On the other hand, he said, within 24 hours, the worst of the storm should have passed. 

In the meantime, residents are urged to stay at home and avoid unnecessary travel. 

Transit Director Jon Nouchi said TheBus will cease new operations beginning 8:30 p.m., as a precaution against unexpected road closures or bus rollovers caused by heavy winds. Buses en route at 8:30 p.m. will complete their routes and allow passengers to reach their destinations, but will not begin subsequent routes.

Nouchi said bus services will resume when the city evaluates the roads are safe.

If residents must leave their homes or are in a vulnerable location, they are advised to seek shelter at the homes of friends or family or at their workplaces. While eight shelters remain open throughout O’ahu, Randy Collins, director of the Honolulu Department of Emergency Management, said they are not rated for high winds and are not equipped with emergency supplies or sufficient staff.

"We encourage you to leave the space at the refuge areas for those that truly don’t have another place to go, and that way we can save those valuable resources for the people that need them the most,” Collins said. 

Shortly after 6 p.m. on Saturday, Collins said there were 99 people in O’ahu shelters, including homeless residents of the city’s Homeless Outreach and Navigation for Unsheltered Persons facility. On Maui County, 40 people were reportedly in shelters as of about 4:30 p.m.

Honolulu Fire Chief Sheldon Hao said HFD has responded to 40 storm-related calls Saturday, primarily involving torn-off roofs or fallen trees. HFD, the Honolulu Police Department and other agencies including the National Guard have vehicles and resources positioned around the island to respond to emergencies as necessary.

Blangiardi emphasized that, unlike the Kona Low storms in March, “we know what to expect,” and “we’re not going to be surprised by Mother Nature.”

So far, only one person on O’ahu has reported a storm-related injury. Jim Ireland, director of the Honolulu Emergency Services Department, said an elderly woman reported being knocked off her feet by a strong gust of wind, but added that her injuries were not serious.

On the other hand, Hao said that a hiker was reportedly stranded on the Lulumahu Falls Trail. Shortly after 6 p.m., he said, rescue workers were ascertaining how to reach the hiker.

Hawaiian Electric announced that, as of 3 p.m. on Saturday, about 44,000 customers statewide were without power. The bulk of those outages — about 32,300 — were on Hawai’i Island, where wind gusts above 70 mph have been recorded. On O’ahu, about 8,400 customers were without power Saturday afternoon, while about 3,300 Maui customers were in an outage as well.

Hawaiian Electric also announced at the same time that it has restored power to more than 42,000 customers on Saturday, but as the storm progresses, customers may experience multiple outages and restorations over time.

As of 5 p.m. Saturday, the storm had dropped up to 20 inches of rain in certain parts of the Big Island. Flash flood warnings are in effect for East Hawai’i until at least 10 p.m. Flood watches are in effect on all islands through at least Sunday night.

 More than 4,000 homes on Hawai’i Island lost power Saturday morning as Hurricane Lala approaches the state.

Hawaiian Electric announced that about 4,050 customers on the island, largely in Puna, North and South Kohala, and South Hilo were without power as of 7 a.m. Meanwhile, about 160 customers in Upcountry Maui and about 100 in the Hawai’i Kai area of O’ahu were also without power at the same time.

Hawaiian Electric staff are addressing the outages, but customers are advised to plan for possible extended outages as the storm progresses. Crews are standing ready to begin damage assessments once it is safe to do so.

The City and County of Honolulu opened eight hurricane refuge centers today at school facilities around the island: Blanche Pope, Kahuku and Nānākuli elementary schools and Castle, Kapolei, Mililani, Moanalua and Roosevelt high schools will remain open as shelters “as conditions warrant.”

All refuge shelters are pet-friendly, but people should bring their own food, water, medications and other supplies whenever possible.

The city relocated 63 residents of the Homeless Outreach and Navigation for the Unsheltered program to the Kapolei High School shelter. Tents at the HONU site are being disassembled until storm conditions abate.

The Honolulu Board of Water Supply has advised residents to conserve water throughout the storm in case of power outages. According to a city announcement, the water system’s pumps rely on electricity to operate, so conservation can maintain reservoir levels and reduce system demand during an outage.

Residents are also urged to avoid hazardous ocean conditions, as lifeguards in Waikīkī and Ala Moana conducted 95 rescues on Friday alone. High surf warnings remain in effect for the windward shores of all islands at least until 6 a.m. Sunday.

All city parks and recreational facilities will close at 6 p.m. until further notice, including for permitted activities such as overnight camping. The city will assess on Sunday when it might be safe to reopen them. 

 "Damaging hurricane-force winds are expected on the Big Island of Hawai‘i later today, with the strongest wind gusts expected in areas of higher terrain," reports the 

 as it tracks Tropical Storm Lala. "Tropical-storm-force winds are already beginning on the Big Island, and preparations should now be complete. Tropical-storm-force wind gusts are also beginning across portions of the smaller islands and should continue through Sunday."

CPHC said that ﻿﻿﻿the Hawai‘i Island will see increasingly heavy rainfall this morning, which will then spread west across the Islands through the weekend.

"This rainfall will produce life-threatening flooding and mudslides, especially in areas of steep terrain," said CPHC. "﻿﻿﻿Large and dangerous waves are expected across portions of the Hawaiian Islands this weekend. Surf is already building along east-facing shores and will increase along exposed southern shores as Lala passes through the region. This heavy surf may cause localized coastal flooding and significant beach erosion."

Read on for the latest updates, including reports on official preparations underway.

As of 5 p.m. on Friday, Tropical Storm Lala is approximately 235 miles east south-east of South Point, Hawaiʻi and 440 miles southeast of Honolulu with maximum sustained winds of 65 miles per hour.

Gov. Josh Green called Lala an “enormous storm” during a press conference Friday. 

“Let’s just say this: it’s going to be a heck of a lot of wind and water."

“Just be very safe throughout this storm,” Green said. “We can repair roads, we can replace cars, we can fix schools but it’s hard for us if we lose one of the people we love.”

The storm is currently moving at 14 miles per hour and is anticipated to reach Hawaiʻi Island Saturday morning and Oʻahu Saturday evening.

The National Weather Service issued a tropical storm warning for the counties of Maui, Oʻahu and Kauaʻi on Friday. Hawaiʻi Island remains under a hurricane warning as the storm is expected to become a category 1 hurricane by the time it reaches the island, bringing heavy rainfall and strong winds that may cause flooding and landslides.

NWS Meteorologist John Bravender said that Lala is on track to reach just south of Hawaiʻi Island but it’s uncertain how the storm will interact with its terrain.

Residents are encouraged to review their emergency plan, secure outdoor items, charge electronic devices and have enough food, water and supplies. 

Hawaiʻi Department of Defense Adjutant General Maj. Gen. Stephen Logan said Friday that the Hawaiʻi National Guard is prepared to support county and state emergency response efforts with the activation of 180 Hawaiʻi National Guard personnel across the state and military high-yield vehicles. The Coast Guard is prepared to conduct search and rescue efforts, if needed.

Hurricane Lala impacts

<title>LALA UPDATE: Government offices, public schools reopen Tuesday on Honolulu, Maui, Kauaʻi…</title>

Government offices and schools will remain closed on Tuesday, Aug. 18 for Hawaiʻi County. Here are the latest state and county updates.

LALA UPDATE: Government offices, public schools reopen Tuesday on Honolulu, Maui, Kauaʻi counties

Kelsey Kukaua Medeiros Headshot

Kelsey Kukaua Medeiros

Cancer care in Hawaiʻi continues to see wins this week with Thursday’s signing ceremony for both 

, the University of Hawaiʻi Cancer Center unveiled its Hoʻōla Early Phase Clinical Research Center, the state’s first dedicated center for early phase cancer clinical trials.)

HB 1969, which became a law effective July 1, appropriates $1.8 million over the next fiscal year to the Department of Human Services to offer colorectal cancer 

for individuals who are uninsured, underinsured, or otherwise ineligible for Medicare. The measure also requires health insurance plans to cover medically necessary follow-up colonoscopies after a positive colorectal cancer screening test without deductibles, copayments, coinsurance or other cost-sharing, per the Governor’s Office.

Officials say the passage of this bill comes at a crucial time as colorectal cancer cases and deaths continue to rise, especially among young adults statewide.

“Governor Green’s signing of HB 1969 into law makes Hawaiʻi an innovative leader for colorectal cancer screening and treatment,” said Dr. Shane Morita, surgical oncologist, American Cancer Society (ACS) medical officer and American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) volunteer. “Colorectal cancer is often curable when detected early, yet it remains a major cause of cancer-related death in Hawaiʻi. Expanding access will reduce the burden on local families and improve survival for our patients.”

, colorectal cancer is now the No. 1 cause of cancer-related deaths for adults under 50 and is the second-leading cause of cancer deaths in Hawaiʻi for both men and women.

In the Islands alone, roughly 840 residents will be diagnosed with the disease and 240 will die this year, ACS estimates, adding that cases among people younger than 50 are rising with incidence nearly 3.5% annually from 2013 to 2022, per the 

“Colorectal cancer is one of the most preventable and treatable cancers when detected early,” said Rep. Cory Chun, who introduced HB 1969 during the 2026 legislative session. According to him, Sen. Rosalyn Baker, among other lawmakers and advocates, first began working on the policy in 2012.

“My family has also been touched by cancer. Before I became the representative for District 35, (which includes portions of Pearl City, Waipahu, and Crestview), I was working at the American Cancer Society,” he told Aloha State Daily. “In the last 10 years, we’ve seen a rise in colorectal cancer cases under the age of 50, actually, under the age of 40. ... We don’t quite know yet the reason why that’s happening and we don’t have a cure. So, the best way we can save people’s lives is to detect it early.”

Adults should begin regular colorectal cancer screening at age 45, per guidelines from ACS and 

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

House Bill 1969, which became a law on July 1, aims to reduce colorectal cancer — the second-leading cause of cancer deaths in Hawaiʻi — by providing $1.8 million in state funding over the next fiscal year to the uninsured for screening and follow-up tests. Aloha State Daily caught up with Rep. Cory Chun, who reintroduced policy from 2012 into this year's legislative session, as well as Mark Vasconcellos, a colorectal cancer survivor and American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network volunteer.

Daily Smile: Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2026

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Daily Smile: Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2026

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