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Daily Smile

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"}],"text":"There’s one at every sleepover..."}]

Smile 26 11 11

<title>Daily Smile: Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2026</title>

There’s one at every sleepover...

Daily Smile: Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2026

Square Mike Brestovansky Headshot RGZ3736 Large

Michael Brestovansky

Crime & Courts

A man charged with stabbing a 66-year-old woman to death in Kalihi last week faces a potential sentence of life in prison.

According to police records, Alexis Aquino, 23, entered a convenience store on School Street in Kalihi on Nov. 4. Witnesses told officers that he picked an alcoholic beverage from a cooler, opened it and began drinking it in the store.

Celeste Gusman, 66, confronted Aquino and told him to pay for his drink. Aquino then reportedly swore at her before drawing a knife and stabbing her repeatedly in the neck.

An employee at the store reported that Aquino then approached her and requested a vape behind the counter before the witness fled.

When police officers arrived, they found Aquino still at the store, allegedly holding his beverage and a small kitchen knife, covered in blood. When Aquino refused orders to drop the weapon, officers subdued him with a “less-lethal conductive energy weapon,” according to a police report.

[{"type":"text","text":"Gusman was pronounced dead shortly afterward."}]

A grand jury indicted Aquino for second-degree murder and first-degree robbery on Tuesday. While the maximum possible sentence for second-degree murder is life imprisonment with the possibility of parole, Hawai‘i statutes allow for enhanced sentences for offenses found to be “especially heinous, atrocious or cruel, manifesting exceptional depravity”; based on Gusman’s age, the grand jury found probably cause to support an extended sentence.

Therefore, Aquino faces a maximum possible sentence of life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.

[{"type":"text","text":"This was Aquino’s first criminal charge in Hawai‘i."}]

Aquino is being held without bail at the O‘ahu Community Correctional Center. A preliminary hearing in his case is scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 12.

Hpd 16x9

<title>Man faces life in prison after fatal Kalihi stabbing</title>

Alexis Aquino reportedly stabbed a 66-year-old woman to death in a Kalihi convenience store.

Man faces life in prison after fatal Kalihi stabbing

Stephanie Salmons Headshot

Stephanie Salmons

Business & Tourism

How much does Waikīkī contribute to Hawai‘i's economy? A report published last month by the University of Hawai‘i Economic Research Organization, or UHERO, takes a look.

Aptly titled "The Economic Contribution of Waikīkī," 

 of the same name published in 2003 by the state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism — notes that through tourism-related activity, Waikīkī accounted for an estimated $6.9 billion, or 6%, of Hawai‘i's gross state product in 2024. Its attraction of visitors also can be credited with 62,000 civilian jobs statewide, 7% of the total, and $799 million in state tax revenues, also 7% of the total.

The "outsized contribution" to the state's economy contrasts with Waikīkī's resident population, which numbered about 20,470 in 2020 and accounted for 2% of O‘ahu residents, according to the report.

"The trend of visitors diversifying their allocation of visitor days from O‘ahu to Neighbor Islands continues, but Waikīkī remains the flagship with 38% of all visitor units (inventory and occupancy)," the report reads. "Some $8.7 billion, or 36%, of all visitor expenditures in the state were generated by Waikīkī-based visitor activity during 2024."

Using the same metrics as the 2003 brief, the report authors say tourism contributed $18.9 billion of the $115 billion total gross state product in 2024.

"That is, about 16% of Hawai‘i's GSP for the year was generated by visitor activity and is the largest single contributor to Hawai‘i's annual GSP," the report says.

In 2002, for comparison, tourism in Waikīkī — which had a population of 19,720 in 2000, or about 2.3% of O‘ahu residents — accounted for 8% of the gross state product, or $3.6 billion; 10% of all civilian jobs statewide; and 12% of all state tax revenues, the report says, adding that more than $5 billion, or 46%, of all visitor expenditures in the Islands were generated by Waikīkī-based visitor activity that year.

"At that time, tourism’s contribution of $8 billion compared with a total gross state product of $46 billion, meaning 17% of that year’s GSP was generated by visitor activity," the report reads.

Marcus Peng, a postdoctoral researcher at UHERO and one of the report's authors, told Aloha State Daily that he's done a few different reports about Waikīkī and the economic value of beaches over the years but it's been "quite a long time" since this report was updated.

A report like this "highlights what's going on in Waikīkī and it helps inform management in a lot of different ways," he says.

According to Peng, UHERO worked on the update, which involved pulling a lot of state and federal data together along with other resources, for a few months.

The idea, he says, is that people will get "some small bit of information here and there that comes out of whatever other report, but by pulling it together and integrating it in this way, it's much more informative and I think the results stand out a lot more."

There were both surprising and not surprising findings in the updated data.

Not surprising, Peng says, is that in the past 20 years, with more direct Neighbor Island flights, "the trend where you see the higher rates for hotels ... on Neighbor Islands has continued." 

However, Peng says that the increase of hotel rates in Waikīkī has tapered off in recent years, after Covid-related shutdowns.

"If you deflate these current-year dollars to be the same as when they were back in 2003, when the original brief was from ... the rates in Waikīkī [have] actually gone down very, very slightly."

According to the report, the average daily hotel room rate in Waikīkī was below the state average last year, with an average hotel rate of $268 for the year; that's compared to the state average of $367. However, the average Waikīkī rate for 2025 was down $3 per room from 2024, compared to a $2 increase statewide, the report notes.

"Historically, room rates for both Waikīkī and accommodations statewide have generally increased over time, with some interruptions in both Average Daily Rate (ADR) and Revenue per Available Room (RevPAR)," the report reads. "In 

 terms, the increase is dramatic, with statewide ADR and RevPAR more than tripling since 1990. The results are much more modest when adjusted for inflation, with all results (Waikīkī, statewide, ADR and RevPAR) seeing a modest decrease after 2023."

Shockingly, or maybe not, Peng says, too, that "if you think about what rates look like today compared to back then, it really shows much much inflation has gone on over the years."

Waikiki 0726

<title>Updated UHERO report evaluates the economic impacts of Waikīkī</title>

Titled "The Economic Contribution of Waikīkī," the report is an update to a brief of the same name published in 2003 by the state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism.

Updated UHERO report evaluates the economic impacts of Waikīkī

Ray Tsuchiyama

Columnists

When my colleagues and I advised on the County of Maui Department of Agriculture’s 2024–2028

, we spent many hours listening to farmers describe their pain points: marketing and distribution, food hubs and commercial kitchens, access to capital, water, and farm labor housing. The plan reflects what they asked for, and it was meticulous, necessary work.

Reading it again, I see room for the next edition to do more, especially in agritourism, defined as a “commercial or educational enterprise that links agricultural production or processing with tourism, inviting visitors onto working farms, ranches, or agricultural businesses to entertain, educate, or engage them while generating supplemental income for the owner.”  

Sitting where agriculture, tourism, and zoning meet, agritourism is the new multibillion-dollar visitor industry “sweet spot” – but do we “see” the opportunity at the Hawai‘i farm gate?

In 2026, Hawai‘i’s agricultural policy and tourism management still work in parallel. The state and county agriculture departments look at leases, irrigation, and pests. The Hawai‘i Tourism Authority markets the destination. County planning departments regulate what can happen on a farm or more significantly, 

what a “farm” is – which has tax, water, and land use (e.g., housing) implications.

Hawai‘i state law has allowed agritourism on agricultural land since 2006, but with strings. The activity must be accessory and secondary to a working farm, and it is permitted only in counties that have adopted their own ordinances. Overnight stays of up to 21 days are allowed only in a county with at least three islands that have its own ordinance, which in practice means 

. The Maui County Council did not make agritourism a permitted accessory use in its agricultural districts until July 2025, excluding Molokai.

The result is a patchwork. A farmer who wants to 

 faces different rules, and different waits, depending on the county. And it is not just farms growing taro or papayas: 

The Legislature has noticed. Bills in 2025 and 2026 proposed statewide standards, and this year's version, House Bill 2585, drew a lively split. Farmers who depend on visitor income feared a rule requiring farming revenue to exceed tourism revenue would shut down operations that already exist. Others insisted that growing food must remain the main activity. A Senate committee turned the bill into a task force study, and it did not become law. Kona farmer Krista Olson, owner of 

, told state senators that diversified non-crop income (i.e., agritourism) was "

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"The Demand Is Already Here"}]

Visitors are not waiting for permission. In each of the two most recent state Data Books, the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority’s visitor surveys show that about 13 percent of U.S. visitors, about one in eight

However, the state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism estimated that only 9.4 percent of Hawai‘i's agricultural sales in 2019 came from tourism.

The last statewide count of farms with agritourism income that I could find dates to 2006, when about 2 percent of farms took part and the activity was valued at $38.8 million. We are planning without current data.

What Other Regions Do Differently (A Range of Activities)

Globally agritourism ranges from “U-Pick” where visitors harvest their own fruits, vegetables, or flowers, to “Entertainment,” like Halloween pumpkin patch rides, to “Tours & Tastings” where vineyard, tea or coffee plantation tours end at “tasting rooms” to “Farm Stays” where tourists “experience” farm life at bed-and-breakfast inns, to “Animal & Educational Experiences:” children’s petting zoos and school field trips. All these activities provide both produce (such as pineapple sales) and “other” income (tour tickets, accommodations) to farm owners.

Regions with scarce land and small farms have built agritourism into rural policy rather than leaving farmers to fend for themselves:

. Starting in 1993 Japan has now 1,200 government-registered 

 The lesson for Hawai‘i is not the buildings but the concept that the farm gate can be a destination.

 In 1998 the regional farmers association, the 

" (Red Rooster) quality seal certification. Today it covers 1,600 

" was created in 1988 by the Chambers of Agriculture. The network cites 10,000 farms who sell products and welcome visitors.

 The national government began promoting “leisure farming” (agritourism) in 1989. As of 2021 Taiwan had 507 

) and 104 designated leisure agriculture areas.

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

Rewriting the Agriculture + Visitor Blueprint

Fixing this blueprint does not mean turning working farms into theme parks. 

 (4,000 acres in Windward O‘ahu) is an exception; most Hawai‘i farms are two-to-four-acre family operations. It means updating how plans and rules treat the visitor economy:

 The next county’s agricultural plan, or a mid-term amendment to the current ones, should include a dedicated agritourism chapter, with simpler permits for value-added processing, farm tours, and direct sales.

. Agriculture, tourism, and county planning should work from one table, with agritourism built into the HTA's island-level Destination Management Action Plans.

. Use the task-force approach to settle what "accessory" means, with a working-farm test that screens out speculative "gentleman farms" without penalizing farms that earn income from visitors.

. A Hawai‘i farm-visit certification seal, run with the Farm Bureau and farmers' organizations on the 

 way to find authentic Hawai‘i farms and experiences.

5.     Count what we want to grow. Update the 2006 numbers for a State-wide 

, so we know how many farms host visitors, what they earn and where permits stall.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"The Missing Chapter"}]

An agricultural plan that ignores the visitor economy is not protecting our land. It is starving it of the tools it needs to survive. I helped write one such plan, and I hope the next ones build on it.

ay Tsuchiyama’s series explores one central question: How does Hawai‘i use the wealth and land it already has to create its next economic future? He can be reached at 

Maui farms

<title>The missing chapter: Bringing agritourism into Hawai‘i’s agricultural plans</title>

Tourism could be a much bigger booster of Hawai‘i's farms, but a hodgepodge of regulations gets in the way, as does a lack of coordination between government entities. ASD opinion columnist Ray Tsuchiyama defines the problem and shares successful agritourism models from around the world that Hawai‘i could adopt.

The missing chapter: Bringing agritourism into Hawai‘i’s agricultural plans

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta Headshot

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta

Food & Dining

[{"type":"text","text":"You can get $8 handcrafted cocktails at this Waikīkī bar."}]

 offers $8 signature cocktails Mondays to Thursdays from 5 to 8 p.m. Cocktails usually cost $16 to $21; the bar — which used to be in Chinatown — recently started this weeknight deal.

Popular drinks include Clifton’s curse, wow lau lau and soup soup. Clifton’s curse (regular price $21) includes Ko Hana Rum, house orgeat, lime, pear cognac, angeleno, absinthe, bitters and sherry. Meanwhile, wow lau lau (regular price $20) features Ketel One Vodka, bruto americano, 48-hour cold brew, housemade chai syrup, coconut and curacao.

During this time, you can also take advantage of $5 beers and wines by the glass, along with 50% off dishes on the food menu.

Discounted dishes include Chex Mix ($4, regular price $8); hurricane fries ($6, regular price $12); taro chips and crack dip ($7, regular price $14); and chicken karaage ($7.50, regular price $15). The crack sauce — served with the chicken karaage — features a creamy spicy aioli.

Meanwhile, the hurricane fries are topped with furikake, nori, shichimi, spicy aioli and parmigiano Reggiano.

The eatery's edamame hummus ($8, regular price $16), served with fresh-baked focaccia with honey and macadamia nut oil, and smash burger ($12.50, regular price $25), are especially popular. The smash burger features an 8-ounce beef burger with American cheese, teriyaki and pickles on brioche. 

Free valet parking (for three hours) is available at Romer House Waikīkī.

$8 cocktails from 5 to 8 p.m. Mondays to Thursdays

Complimentary valet parking for three hours at Romer House Waikīkī

The Lei Stand discounted drinks 102526

<title>The Lei Stand is featuring $8 cocktails</title>

The bar, located within Romer House Waikīkī, recently started this cocktail discount during weeknights. Customers can take advantage of discounted signature cocktails — including the popular Clifton’s Curse and Wow Lau Lau — along with $5 beers and wines by the glass. Dishes on the food menu — including hurricane fries and chicken karaage — are also 50% off.

The Lei Stand is featuring $8 cocktails

Christian Shimabuku Headshot

Christian Shimabuku

Sports

[{"type":"text","text":"Sterling Carvalho is the new Saint Louis football coach. "}]

Following a months-long coaching search, Carvalho emerged as the top choice for Saint Louis School president and CEO Glenn Medeiros. The school is set to make a formal announcement on Tuesday afternoon. 

"I'm just excited," Carvalho told Aloha State Daily. "I'm excited to carry on the tradition and legacy of Saint Louis football."

 with former head coach Tupu Alualu, beginning the search for its next coach shortly after. 

Carvalho was formerly the head coach of Kahuku from the 2018 to 2024 seasons, leading the Red Raiders to their first HHSAA state championship three-peat from 2021 to 2023. He was removed from the position in the spring of 2025, stemming from a complaint from a former player. Carvalho fought for his right to continue to coach the Red Raiders, making multiple 

 in the summer of 2025. His motion to continue coaching the team was 

 by O‘ahu Circuit Court Judge Jordon J. Kimura right before the 2025 high school football season. 

head coach for the American Samoa men's flag football national team

, leading the team to a historic win over the United States on Aug. 14 in Germany. Carvalho previously said that if he were to take a high school football coaching job, he would also continue his pursuit to lead American Samoa to a 2028 Olympic bid. 

Carvalho, a native of Kaua‘i, coached at Kahuku for over a decade prior to becoming varsity head coach in 2018. He is 3-2 in HHSAA Open Division title games, with both losses against Saint Louis in 2018 and 2024. Meanwhile, his first state title as varsity head coach was a 49-14 victory over the Crusaders in 2021. 

, Carvalho takes over the most storied high school football program in Hawai‘i history. The Crusaders have a combined 22 Hawai‘i state championships and Prep Bowl titles, more than any other team in the state. 

In 2026, the Crusaders went 1-8, including 1-3 in ILH play. Their nonconference included losses to Kahuku and Mililani, as well as national powers IMG Academy, Sierra Canyon and St. John Bosco. After starting 0-4, Leonard Lau took over as interim head coach. The search for the the permanent head coach followed, leading to Carvalho. 

"I'm just grateful for the administration and the whole process that they went through in hiring me," Carvalho said. "I'll put together a staff, and once I get that, we'll be running. So, I'm excited for that. The whole process, we're just trying to do what is the best and the right thing for the Men of Kalaepohaku."

Sterling Carvalho 111026

<title>Sterling Carvalho selected new football coach at Saint Louis</title>

The former Kahuku head coach, who did not coach at the high school level in 2025 and 2026, takes over for the Crusaders.

Sterling Carvalho selected new football coach at Saint Louis

Katie Helland Headshot

Katie Helland

Arts & Entertainment

Ready to celebrate the weekend? From live music to new eats, Aloha State Daily has your list of ways to spend Friday, Nov. 13, Saturday, Nov. 14, and Sunday, Nov. 15.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Friday, Nov. 13"}]

Protect Kahoʻolawe ʻOhana celebrates 50 years with album, concert.

 More than five decades ago, nine people evaded the U.S. Coast Guard to land on 

. This year, the Protect Kahoʻolawe ʻOhana has been hosting events across the state to reignite the call for aloha ʻāina, or care for the land. Catch the 

50 Years of Aloha ʻĀina Concert and Celebration: Laʻa, Maʻa, Paʻa!

 from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. on the Great Lawn of the Bishop Museum. The event honors the release of the new album “50 Years of Aloha ʻĀina”. 

 are $10 for ʻōpio and kūpuna and $25 for adults. Proceeds from the concert go to PKO. 

This melodic house and techno festival born in Tulum, Mexico, will hold its first event in Hawaiʻi this week with nine entertainers at Echoa Ridge in Kapolei. Doors open at 2 p.m. and the show runs from 3 to 11 p.m. Attendees must be at least 18 years old. Headliners include WhoMadeWho and Arodes, along Hawaiʻi-born DJ Fiyah, and more. A roundtrip bus will leave from Hawaiian Brian’s and return there for an after party that starts at midnight. Tickets start at $180, plus fees. Parking and round-trip bus fare are an additional cost. 

The 2026 Italian Film Festival is back for its second year in Honolulu with three films over three days. This collaboration between the Friends of Italy Society of Hawaiʻi, the Honolulu Museum of Art, and the Italian Cultural Institute of San Francisco features the films: “La vita va così (Life Is Life),” “Gioia mia (Sweetheart),” and “Nonostante (Feeling Better)” on Friday, Nov. 13, Saturday, Nov. 14, and Sunday, Nov. 15, respectively. Films are in Italian with English subtitles. This year, movie goers can enjoy a new suprise: 

Tickets are $15 for adults, $5 for college students; and free for youth, ages 18 years old and younger. 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Saturday, Nov. 14"}]

Go to the “I Am An American: The Nisei Soldier Experience.” 

This traveling exhibit opened at the Capitol Modern last week and shares the history of the second-generation Japanese Americans called “Nisei" who served in World War II, including in the 100th Infantry Battalion, 442nd Regimental Combat Team and Military Intelligence Service. Several of the soldiers featured have Hawaiʻi roots. The museum is open on Veterans Day. Free.

Catch a screening of Disney’s live action “Moana 2” in ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi. Bring a blanket and picnic dinner. Snacks and refreshments will be available for purchase. This event is presented by Kūmau Productions, Ko Olina and Hawaiian Council.

Arrive at 5 p.m. and settle in before the movie begins at sunset. Parking is $10, cash only. Screening is free. 

The Rainbow Warriors will take on the North Dakota State University Bison at the Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex. The game theme is Military Night. The evening will also include remembrances and video tributes in honor of former head coach 

, who died last month. There will also be a military aircraft flyover to celebrate Veterans Day weekend. Active duty military, Department of Defense civilians, and retired members of the military get access to 50% off select tickets. 

Bring your favorite furry friend to this annual costume contest, which is part of Jack the Hotel Dog’s sixth birthday celebration at The Surfjack Hotel & Swim Club. The top three winners take home prizes, including a staycation and vendor goodies. Register at 4 p.m. The contest starts at 4:30 p.m. The Surfjack Hotel & Swim Club was recently named the 

 in the USA Today 10Best Readers' Choice Awards. The event will include a DJ and local vendors.

 runs from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the Makiki District Park. The festival, hosted by The United Korean Association of Hawaiʻi, highlights Korea’s rich culinary heritage and showcases connections between Hawaiʻi and Korea. Free.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Sunday, Nov. 15"}]

It is already mid-November, which means Thanksgiving is just a few weeks away. Ready to make plans? Food & Dining Reporter 

Where to go for Thanksgiving 2026 – part 1

Where to go for Thanksgiving 2026 – part 2

 This new eatery in Kakaʻako recently soft opened in the space that was once Phuket Thai and Better Bites Thai and More. 

, among other dishes. The eatery is open daily, from 11:30 a.m. to midnight. 

"Moana 2"

<title>Veterans Day celebrations, 'Moana 2,' and more: what to do on Oʻahu this weekend</title>

From cheering at a football game with a Military Night theme to visiting the special exhibit “I Am An American: The Nisei Soldier Experience" at the Capitol Modern, there are lots of ways to celebrate Veterans Day. This weekend also marks an album release concert for “50 Years of Aloha ʻĀina,” which celebrates five decades of the Protect Kahoʻolawe ʻOhana. Looking for a movie? Catch a free screening of "Moana 2" in ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi.

Daily Smile: Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2026

ASD Staff

Reporter

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Daily Smile: Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2026

Authors

ASD Staff

Reporter

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