WEB square crop Hayley Lehman Headshot RGZ1636

Haley Lehman

Government & Politics

Aloha Spirit

Honolulu-based Jessica Lee’s 420 hours of volunteer service, success on the varsity I golf team, experience as a violinist and a trip to Boston earned her the Congressional Award Gold Medal this year.

 is awarded to young people who log a minimum of 400 hours of voluntary public service, 200 hours of personal development, 200 hours of physical fitness and a five-day, four-night expedition or exploration during a two-year period. 

Lee became one of 877 gold medalists from across the U.S. this year. She told Aloha State Daily that she aspires to serve the community and treat everyone with kindness.

Congressman Ed Case presented the award, a gold medal from U.S. Congress and a certificate of special recognition to Lee in August. He said that the award encourages high expectations, perseverance, resilience and achievement. Lee is the seventh person to receive the gold medal in his district in the last quarter-century, Case said.

Lee told ASD she was excited when she learned that she would receive the award, and that she found joy in the application process, which reinforced time management skills, discipline and resilience, she said, adding that her volunteer service led her to make new connections and get more involved in her community.

Lee’s volunteer service in health care stems from her grandfather’s experience in Korea after he was diagnosed with lung cancer. She said that her grandfather received misinformation about his diagnosis and treatment, and this experience led her to volunteer in the medical field in Hawaiʻi. 

Lee spent time with elderly patients in the adult care centers at St. Francis Healthcare System of Hawaiʻi, interacted with patients and doctors and shadowed medical professionals.

When she started volunteering at St. Francis Healthcare System of Hawaiʻi, she saw families facing language barriers that prevented them from fully understanding the information they received from medical professionals. Lee said that when language barriers are removed, patients can ask the right questions and have a greater sense of agency over their medical decisions.

“I noticed that there were different underserved pockets in our community and I wanted to help address those pockets,” she said.

She started a nonprofit called Cancer Health Awareness & Mindfulness Program (

) to empower patients to empower patients through health literacy. Through CHAMP, Lee organizes workshops on cancer risks, prevention strategies and local resources. This summer, CHAMP partnered with 

the University of Hawaiʻi Cancer Center Skin Van 

to host a skin cancer awareness event at Ala Moana Beach Park.

Lee also helps lead Caring of the Elderly at Punahou School, which serves kūpuna in Mānoa twice a month.

Golf has been a big part of Lee’s life since she was 4 years old when her family moved from New York to Hawaiʻi, she noted.

“Sports are very addicting in a way because you just have this adrenaline, love, passion, for the sport,” she said, adding that playing golf has made her more resilient and taught her about failure.

“Even if you fail or even if you have this one terrible shot, you can still move on and have the bravery and courage to move forward," she continued. "It’s taught me to step out of your comfort zone to do something brave and try.”

The Punahou Varsity I girls golf team won the state championship three years in a row and Lee placed second in the state in 2024.

Lee started playing violin in fourth grade and got involved with the school orchestra in fifth grade.

“I really enjoy playing the violin and experiencing the different repertoire and music that they select,” she said.

During Lee’s trip to Boston in the spring of 2025, she toured college campuses, visited museums, explored the city and tried new foods.

She said that navigating the transportation system was the most challenging part of the trip. It was her first riding the subway, known as the “T," and admittedly got lost at times.

Lee has been advocating for Korean heritage and language in school curriculums since she was in the seventh grade. It started when she voiced to include Korean as part of the Punahou School curriculum during the Damon Speech. She created a petition that 300 students signed and advocated to neighborhood boards and the Hawaiʻi Legislature to include Korean heritage initiatives in schools.

“Families often lose their heritage language in three generations,” she said. “If you can be taught during schools, you can understand your culture more and connect with your grandparents.”

As a senior, Lee is applying to colleges and hopes to pursue the intersection of public health and culture to become a physician. She said she hopes to empower people to have more agency over their medical decisions through health literacy.

“The best way to empower patients is with the information and knowledge and questions to ask.”

Jessica Lee

<title>Punahou School senior earns Congressional Award Gold Medal</title>

Jessica Lee, a senior at Punahou, was awarded the highest honor presented to young people by the U.S. Congress in August for her achievement in voluntary public service, personal development, physical fitness and leadership.

Punahou School senior earns Congressional Award Gold Medal

AKINA portrait 2

Keliʻi Akina

Viewpoints

It is often said that housing can be built in, up or out. In other words, by adding homes where some already exist, constructing taller buildings or developing untouched land.

The Grassroot Institute of Hawaiʻi has long championed allowing more homebuilding in residential areas as a way to bring down housing costs throughout the Islands.

As my Grassroot colleague Jonathan Helton noted in his 2023 policy brief “

How to Facilitate More Homebuilding in Hawaiʻi

,” this approach is one of the easiest ways to boost the state’s housing stock — and at no cost to taxpayers.

One recent victory on this front is a state law enacted in 2024 that requires Hawaiʻi’s counties to allow up to two accessory dwelling units per residential lot. But there are additional ways lawmakers could enable more homebuilding.

In Auckland, New Zealand, for example, officials in 2016 authorized up to three dwellings per lot in residential areas and taller apartment buildings in certain transit areas. Homebuilding there boomed as a result, and the city issued 112,000 permits for new dwellings in the six years after the sweeping reforms were enacted, increasing the housing stock by 20%.

 from the Economic Research Organization at the University of Hawai‘i note that rental rates in Auckland for three-bedroom homes were as much as 35% lower after six years than what they probably would have been without the zoning changes.

Meanwhile, housing prices stayed relatively flat during that time period, even as home prices in neighboring cities increased by nearly 20%.

The author of the UHERO report, associate professor Stephen Bond-Smith, estimated that if similar zoning changes were made in Honolulu, within six years we could see approximately 9,700 new homes built and 5,000 aging single-family lots redeveloped into about 15,000 townhomes.

He also calculated that by 2032, renters could be saving up to $507 a month on two-bedroom units and as much as $1,129 a month on three-bedroom units, measured in today’s dollars.

And he pointed out that increased residential density would not harm existing property owners because land values typically increase when owners have more freedom to build.

But zoning changes alone will not solve Hawaii’s housing crisis. Hawaiʻi’s various permitting processes also need fixing so new construction can happen more expeditiously.

Ultimately, we know from experience that zoning regulations and permitting problems have stifled housing growth in Hawaii. So it is important that our elected officials take the actions needed to help reverse that.

Reprinted with permission from the Sept. 19, 2026 "Presidentʻs Corner" of 

Ala Moana condo construction

<title>Community Voices: How Honolulu can learn from Auckland</title>

In Auckland, New Zealand, for example, officials in 2016 authorized up to three dwellings per lot in residential areas and taller apartment buildings in certain transit areas. Homebuilding there boomed as a result, and the city issued 112,000 permits for new dwellings in the six years after the sweeping reforms were enacted, increasing the housing stock by 20%

Community Voices: How Honolulu can learn from Auckland

Business & Tourism

The Chinatown Cultural Plaza will be demolished and redeveloped, the City and County of Honolulu announced Wednesday. When Aloha State Daily visited the site, we saw Taiwan and U.S. flags flapping in the wind, graffiti scrawled on the side of the plaza, empty storefronts, and a handful of restaurants and shops.

Honolulu Mayor Blangiardi has been open with his frustration over the property over the past five years and has pushed for improvements as part of a broader revitalization effort in Chinatown. He met with a Taiwanese 

 in Honolulu in July to discuss the future of the Chinatown Cultural Plaza. In a statement issued Wednesday, he said that the redevelopment is a breakthrough to transform Chinatown and Honolulu.

“This is about much more than redeveloping a single property,” Blangiardi said. “It is about what Chinatown can become. This community has extraordinary history, culture and character, and we want to see that reflected in its future. A revitalized Cultural Plaza can help bring new energy and economic activity into Chinatown while remaining a place that celebrates the cultures and traditions that have made this community so special.”

Six Chinese organizations designed and built the 3.97-acre Chinatown Cultural Plaza in 1974. Taiwan purchased the property in 1979 through China Airlines and Longevity International Enterprises Corporation has 

The center, located at 100 N. Beretania St., is bordered by River Street, Kukui Street and Maunakea Street. The Mun Lun School is not part of the Chinatown Cultural Center.

In April 2025, Blangiardi told the Chinatown-Downtown neighborhood board that he was “totally dissatisfied … with the state of the cultural plaza,” pointing to disrepair.

Chu Lan Shubert-Kwock, founder of the Chinatown Business and Community Association and chair of the Downtown-Chinatown neighborhood board, told Aloha State Daily Thursday that the “plaza is dilapidated from years of neglect.”

The management company has not adequately addressed maintenance over the years, leading to holes in the ceiling and broken elevators, Shubert-Kwock said. Community members have also seen homeless encampments, drug use and illegal gambling at the plaza.

Shubert-Kwock said that the property managers should be held accountable for failing to maintain the building to proper standards. She expressed concern that tenants will not be compensated for moving before their leases are up and received short notice of the lease terminations, calling it “unfair to tenants.”

 added that she supports the redevelopment project, and said she'd like to see affordable housing, retail, restaurants and public parking at the site. She would also like a large Chinese restaurant at the plaza. The Empress Restaurant opened in 1979 and closed by the end of 2018, leaving a 10,000-square-foot banquet space empty on the second floor of the Chinatown Cultural Center and eliminating a banquet space for community gatherings, she noted.

, co-founder of L&L Hawaiian Barbecue and chairman of 

, said that the plaza was beautiful when it was first built, but “slowly, gradually deteriorated” after it was sold to Taiwan.

“The problem is mismanagement,” Flores said. “Nobody cares. I’ve never seen a property so mismanaged in my life.”

Flores said that the redevelopment could bring affordable housing, retail, a community center and a large Chinese restaurant to the plaza.

“We’re looking forward to the future. People are afraid to go there at nighttime," he said.

Flores gave Blangiardi an “A+” for advocating for change in Chinatown. He said that Chinatown has been a center of business activity, community and historical significance, and the area could be a tourist attraction second to Waikīkī with investment.

According to the City and County of Honolulu, preliminary work at the plaza will include environmental impact assessments and archaeological studies, followed by demolition of existing structure and requests for redevelopment proposals.

The Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Honolulu stated in a news release Friday that the redevelopment ushers in a new chapter for the Chinatown Cultural Plaza.

TECO identified Longevity International Enterprises Corp. as the owner of the Chinatown Cultural Plaza, and stated that owners agreed to redevelop the plaza to align with the City and County of Honolulu’s efforts to promote the development of Chinatown.

“The redevelopment aims to create a modern, safe, and vibrant new landmark with stronger Taiwanese characteristics, while continuing to serve the community and function as a bridge connecting Taiwan and Hawaii,” TECO stated in the news release

It’s not clear how the demolition and reconstruction will impact local events like the Mid-Autumn Festival. The Hawaiʻi Chinatown Peace Festival, formerly called the Buddha Peace Festival, used to be held at the Chinatown Cultural Plaza and has moved to Maunakea Marketplace in recent years.

Tenants were given a notice of lease termination and must vacate the premises by March 31, 2027, per the county.

Sandy’s Café has been open since 2020, and the restaurant’s lease is up in 2028, owner Henry Cheng said Thursday. The restaurant is in a good location, he said, adding that increased security could deter homeless people and improve conditions.

Cheng said that tearing down the plaza could mean the end to the businesses that set up shop there.

Eva Chen, one of the owners of Lee Ho Fook Restaurant, has been operating the restaurant out of the Chinatown Cultural Plaza for 30 years. She does not currently have plans to relocate, and her son, Matthew Wu, said that his parents want to take a break when the lease ends in March and may reopen in the future.

Wu said that the plaza seemed thriving and livelier when he was younger, but has turned into a “ghost town” in the last five years.

Councilmember Tyler Dos Santos-Tam said by email Thursday, “My priority is making sure the existing tenants receive clear communication, timelines and expectations as this project moves forward. I want the City to be a partner in supporting these businesses as much as possible and will continue advocating for our small businesses throughout this process. I hope the redevelopment will contribute to a stronger, more vibrant Chinatown while recognizing the important role these longtime businesses play in our community.”

Chinatown Cultural Plaza

<title>UPDATED: Chinatown Cultural Plaza to be razed, redeveloped</title>

The center, owned by the Taiwan government, will be demolished and redeveloped after a years-long push by the City and County of Honolulu to improve the site. Over the past 50 years, Chinatown Cultural Plaza has “carried forward our unique cultural traditions and preserved the shared memories of Honolulu,” said the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Honolulu. Its tenants received end of lease termination notices and must vacate the premises by the end of March 2027.

UPDATED: Chinatown Cultural Plaza to be razed, redeveloped

Christian Shimabuku Headshot

Christian Shimabuku

Sports

Kodi Look was born into football. Her father, 

, was the head football coach for ‘Iolani since 1991, a position he held until retiring over the summer. 

"I've been going to games since I was a baby," Kodi Look recalled to Aloha State Daily. "Been around practice since I was little. ... I wanted to be an NFL player when I grew up, but obviously I knew as I got older that wasn't a reality. But I knew I loved the game and loved being a part of it. It was kind of always a dream of mine [to work in football]."

A pair of former Oregon State assistant coaches in 

Mike Cavanaugh and Mark Banker used to frequently visit ‘Iolani on the Island recruiting trail and built a rapport with Wendell Look in the early 2000s. When Wendell introduced the two to Kodi, they told her she could have a job in the football office if she chose to attend the school. After graduating from ‘Iolani in 2008, Kodi Look went on to attend Oregon State in pursuit of her goal of a career in football. 

In 2016, Look joined the University of Oregon's football operations staff. Though she initially joked that getting a gig for the Ducks was "joining the dark side" of the Oregon State-Oregon rivalry, she's been a mainstay at Oregon in her 10 years with the school, which has involved four different head coaches during her time there. 

Look's title as Oregon's director of football operations is as all-encompassing as the gig sounds. Different days and different times of the year each come with their own set of demands. Spring ball and fall camp includes days full of physical and mental training for players and coaches. During Look's time with Oregon, the Ducks have routinely put together recruiting classes that are ranked in the top 10 nationally. Part of Look's duties include assisting with the coordination of recruiting visits and camps. Travel is another part of the job, even beyond the team's national Big Ten Conference schedule. Over the summer, Look was part of a Ducks contingent that went to Japan and held local camps and activation events in hopes of growing the program's fanbase in other parts of the world. 

"I work closely with the administration side as well, the business office, compliance office, and then all the different departments in the building too," Look said. "I work with our dietitian, strength staff, video, so it's really everybody. You have to have communication with everybody every day because it's a big production, especially when we have practice."

Look also works closely with Oregon's coaches, ready to deliver in a moment's notice if a task is needed. She'll also communicate with players on a daily basis to assist with day-to-day needs. The vast majority of Oregon's freshmen are living away from home for the first time, a shock to the system for the 18 and 19-year-old boys who are learning to be independent. Some players may want to write letters home to their families but don't know how to properly address and mail letters. Others may want to buy a suit but aren't sure where to begin. 

Relationships are paramount in collegiate athletics, and Look points to Detroit Lions three-time All-Pro offensive lineman Penei Sewell as an example of how rewarding the job can be. She beams with pride when recalling how much Sewell matured in his years as a Duck and how he's now married and a father of three. 

Beyond the people inside Oregon's building, Look also communicates with NFL personnel. She was even named the 2025 NFL Liaison of the Year. Since 2017, 52 Oregon players have been selected in the NFL Draft, many of those calls made after scouts came to practices and games to see the players in person. 

College football has evolved into a 24/7, 365-day sport over the years, and the rigors of the job keep her busy. Personal time has been one of the tougher sacrifices to make over the years. 

"I missed a lot of birthdays, weddings, and I've never been to an [‘Iolani] reunion because it's always in December, and so I miss a lot of opportunities like that to reconnect with people, and so it is a big sacrifice," she said. "But I look back and just see all the different opportunities and experiences that I get to have with football, and I wouldn't trade it.

Look's desire to work in football was affirmed early on in her career, back when she was with the San Jose SaberCats of the Arena Football League in 2014. 

"I had to wear a lot of hats when I worked there because we had a small office," Look recalled. "I was an operations person, I was an executive assistant to the head coach. I helped with ticketing. Our media guy quit right before our season, and I had to help do the media guide. I'd never done it before, but it was worth it."

Back in high school, Look actually played for her father and was the starting kicker for ‘Iolani's HHSAA Division II state championship team in 2007. She remembers during one of her made extra points in the 2007 state title game, she made the kick despite a Lahainaluna defender bumping into her. When she got back to the sideline, she remembers her father yelling at her, telling her she should have embellished the contact in order to draw a penalty. 

"Growing up, he was very strict and critiqued me on every little thing, and I didn't really understand it at first. But when I grew up and went to college and kind of had to be on my own, I started to realize those were life lessons that he was trying to teach me," Kodi Look says of Wendell Look. "I would say he always instilled the One Team [‘Iolani's motto] spirit in me and just working as a team and it's not about you, it's never about an individual, it's about everybody. Just putting in the hard work and not expecting things."

In a male-dominated sport, Kodi Look also wants to show that there's a place for women in it. 

"It was tough at first to kind of get my foot in door and show my worth, but a lot of women are in football now and in director roles, too. It's a great feeling to be able to represent and show that we're supposed to be here," she says.

For the 2026 season, Oregon is currently 2-1 and ranked No. 20 in the country. The Ducks entered the season with national championship aspirations and still possess them heading into a pivotal game at No. 12 USC at 1:30 p.m. HST on Saturday. 

Following its Big Ten opener this weekend, the Ducks will be idle on the field next week. But for Look, the grind never stops. 

"Anyone who's interested in getting into sports, my advice to them is to make sure that this is really what you want to do, because it's a big commitment and it's a big sacrifice in your life," Look said when asked what she tells those who inquire about getting into her line of work. "You give up a lot of personal time with family and friends. If it's something that they really want to do, once they get their foot in the door, just work hard."

Kodi Look 1 092326

<title>At Oregon, ‘Iolani alumna Kodi Look plays a vital role for one of college football's…</title>

Look is the director of football operations for the Ducks, a job that is as all-encompassing as it sounds.

At Oregon, ‘Iolani alumna Kodi Look plays a vital role for one of college football's biggest brands

Katie Helland Headshot

Katie Helland

Arts & Entertainment

Ready to plan your weekend? Aloha State Daily can help! Here are 10 events happening this Friday, Saturday and Sunday 

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This four-day convention, PhotoCon Hawaiʻi, returns for its seventh year and will take place from Thursday, Sept. 24, through Sunday, Sept. 27 at Capitol Modern. The event features a tech expo where global manufacturing giants debut the latest hardware, lenses, lighting and workflow innovations for the photography industry. The event also includes more than 50 expert speakers leading about 65 workshops, as well as state-of-the-art gear that can be tested in real-world settings. General admission is $150, or $50 for military. 

Watch screenings at this Korean indie film showcase. 

Called Intimate Korea, this showcase of independent films features stories about family, distance between generations, and a rapidly changing world. There will be four feature films and five award-winning shorts showing at Doris Duke Theatre, which is part of the Honolulu Museum of Art. Screenings run from Friday, Sept. 25, through Sunday, Sept. Sunday, Sept. 27. 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Saturday, Sept. 26"}]

Catch the Aloha Festivals’ 78th Annual Floral Parade. 

Attracting kamaʻāina and tourists, this event features men and women on horseback, showcasing the traditional art of pāʻū riding, while wearing the colors of the different Islands. 

The parade takes place from 9 a.m. until noon. The route starts at Ala Moana Regional Park and travels along Kalākaua Avenue, ending at Kapiʻolani Regional Park. Free. 

 The American Institute of Architects’ quarterly book club will explore “What If We Get it Right?” by Ayana Elizabeth Johnson, which takes a hopeful look at climate action. The discussion of the book will be led by  Dr. Kirsten Oleson, professor of ecological economics in the department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. Participants are encouraged to bring their own lawn chairs for the discussion, which will take place from 3 p.m to 5 p.m. at Hawaiʻi Nature Center’s Rain Shelter, and register 

Listen to “From Samoa to Sinatra” with Hawaiʻi Symphony Orchestra. 

Catch this one-night-only performance featuring music from Matt Catingub’s latest album “From Samoa to Sinatra.” The concert celebrates Catingub’s 50 years in the industry and pays homage to his late mother and vocalist, Mavis Rivers, whose voice will be featured as part of the concert. Catingub previously conducted a pops series for the Honolulu Symphony Orchestra, which preceded Hawaiʻi Symphony Orchestra. He will take the stage at the Neal S. Blaisdell Concert Hall, where he once recorded a live album with Rosemary Clooney. 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Sunday, Sept. 27"}]

Participate in the Honolulu Century Ride. 

Grab your bicycle and head to the Honolulu Century Ride. There are 25-mile, 50-mile, 75-mile and 100-mile routes featuring Oʻahu’s South Shore and the Windward Coast. Kalaniana‘ole Hwy will be closed from Hanauma Bay to the entrance of Sandy Beach Park to provide a car-free space for cyclists traveling along the Kaiwi Coast. There will also be aid stations, mechanical help, and members of the Honolulu Police Department to support cyclists along the way. Funds raised will support the Hawaiʻi Bicycling League’s advocacy and education work to make the roads safer. Registration for the full course is $100 for adults, with discounts for youth.  

Looking for an excuse to brunch? Check out Roy’s Hawaiʻi Kai, which recently launched its Sunday brunch, which it previously offered only for special occasions, such as Mother’s Day. 

Head to the Bishop Museum and join nonprofit 

 in celebrating Kāhuli, or endangered Hawaiian land snails. 

“Carnival of the Nearly Extinct Animals,”

 which wrapped up its world premiere last weekend, included a final movement called “The Kāhuli.” Catch that musical performance brought to life by

Iggy Jang on violin, Megan Conley on harp, and Shawn Conley on bass at 10 a.m., 11 a.m., 12 p.m., and 1 p.m. on the first floor of Hawaiian Hall. There will also be Kāhuli puppet-making opportunities and other activities, plus chances to meet live native snails from the Pūpū Ola: Kāhuli Captive Rearing Research Center. General admission to Bishop Museum is $24.95 for kamaʻāina, with discounts for kūpuna and keiki. Check 

Ocean Music Action’s calendar for other volunteer projects

Catch a book signing and writing workshop. 

Author Tori Eldridge, who graduated from Punahou School in the same class as President Barack Obama, is back on Oʻahu. The Portland-based Kanaka Maoli author will be promoting her recent books “Kauaʻi Storm” and “Hawaiʻi Rage,” which are part of the Ranger Makalani Pahukula Mysteries,

 from 2 p.m. until 4:30 p.m. at Native Books as part of an event sponsored by Lōʻihi Arts Foundation. The event includes a discussion of “Kauaʻi Storm” and “Hawaiʻi Rage” as well as a 90-minute interactive writing workshop. Free. 

 market takes place from 4 p.m. until 9 p.m. at the Filipino Community Center in Waipahu. There will be more than 40 vendors. Free. 

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<title>Catch Aloha Festivals’ floral parade, films and snails: what to do on Oʻahu</title>

Ready to plan the weekend? From a floral parade featuring the traditional art of pāʻū riding in Waikīkī to a showcase of Korean independent films at the Honolulu Museum of Art, there are lots of events happening on Oʻahu this Friday, Sept. 25, through Sunday, Sept. 27.

Catch Aloha Festivals’ floral parade, films and snails: what to do on Oʻahu

Square Mike Brestovansky Headshot RGZ3736 Large

Michael Brestovansky

Mauna Kea is the only possible site for the controversial Thirty Meter Telescope, after an alternate site in the Canary Islands has reportedly been nixed.

, sources within Spain’s Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities confirmed that the TMT International Observatory has rejected a bid by the Spanish government to have the long-planned telescope built on the island of La Palma in the Canary Islands.

The news comes little more than a month after TMT itself 

 that Spain had proposed a “financial framework” to build the observatory on La Palma, a proposal involving multiple Spanish government agencies and the European Investment Bank. That proposed framework 

 up to €1 billion (about $1.1 billion) for the project. 

, the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities announced the rejection on Friday, but the reasons for that rejection were not publicly disclosed.

While Mauna Kea has always been the primary site planned for TMT, La Palma had been proposed as a potential alternative. The island hosts several telescopes at its Roque de los Muchachos Observatory, as its height and equatorial position makes it well-suited for astronomy in the same way that Mauna Kea is.

 of TMT by the National Science Foundation noted that the La Palma contingency was not developed to the same level of detail as the Mauna Kea plan. 

With La Palma seemingly out of the picture, TMT’s only remaining potential site is, once again, Mauna Kea. 

But the future of the project remains murky. In 2024, the NSF named both TMT and the Giant Magellan Telescope in Chile as potential linchpins of a “U.S. Extremely Large Telescope” project, but also that only one could feasibly be funded, putting the two telescopes in competition with each other. 

 a budget request that mentioned that it was no longer considering TMT for the Extremely Large Telescope project, wiping about $1.6 billion in federal funding off the table for TMT.

 earlier this year stipulating that NSF continue to consider both TMT and the Giant Magellan Telescope through its final review process, although no funding for either project was guaranteed in that bill. 

Meanwhile, Gov. Josh Green and the state’s Congressional delegation have 

 TMT to consider building the observatory in the footprint of a previously existing telescope on Mauna Kea, rather than on untouched summit land. TMT project manager Fengchuan Liu told the Mauna Kea Stewardship and Oversight Authority in April that this could be feasible.

Kerry Slater, vice president of communications for TMT International Observatory, confirmed to Aloha State Daily that the observatory declined Spain's financing terms. Slater added that the observatory "remains committed to respectful engagement with Native Hawaiian and Hawai‘i communities."

ZOA 2023 7950 tio tmt 0018 16x9

<title>TMT reportedly rejects Spanish bid to build on Canary Islands</title>

A €1 billion proposal to build the Thirty Meter Telescope in La Palma has reportedly fallen through.

TMT reportedly rejects Spanish bid to build on Canary Islands

Dennis Thurman was a star defensive back at USC from 1974 to 1977.

Dennis Thurman 011625

University of Hawaii defensive coordinator selected to College Football Hall of Fame

In a matter of weeks, Sagapolutele left Campbell for Oregon and is now enrolled at California-Berkeley.

Jaron Keawe Sagapolutele 011425

Campbell’s Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele briefly returns home after whirlwind winter

You won't find these traditions anywhere else.

Clarence T C Ching Athletics Complex 011325

Hawaii's most local sports traditions

Kahuku High 012525 Large

How Kahuku became the Red Raiders

Kelsey Kukaua Medeiros Headshot

Kelsey Kukaua Medeiros

Keiki Kicks Hawaii offers soccer training for 1- to 8-year-olds, while fostering community and "fun chaos." The Oahu business is run by a family team of educators and soccer fans.

Keiki Kicks Hawaii

Let the toddlers dribble

Just before Christmas, developers unveiled a new mixed-use plan.