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Tom Yamachika

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Keliʻi Akina, Ph.D.

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Kelli Shiroma Braiotta

Food & Dining

A new acai bowl spot just opened in Windward Oʻahu — and it’s the business’ only location on the east side.

 opened a storefront in Kāneʻohe (45-950 Kamehameha Hwy.).  This business is known for its unique acai blend and fresh fruits. HI Cravings has a trailer in Honolulu, along with several mobile trucks that roam across Oʻahu; this is the business’s only storefront.

Choose from base flavors like coconut sorbet, acai, strawberry guava sorbet and mango sorbet. All bases are non-dairy and vegan. All acai bowls come with granola, raw honey, strawberries, bananas, pineapple, watermelon and grapes.

The bowls come in three sizes: ‘ekahi (10-ounce snack size; $6.75 cash, $6.95 card), ‘elua (16-ounce regular size, $12.75 cash, $13.14 card) and ‘ekolu (32-ounce large size, $15.75 cash, $16.22 card). Extra toppings like condensed milk, peanut butter, mochi, cookie dough and Nutella are available for an additional charge.

This weekend only, you can get two free toppings at the Kāneʻohe location (mention the promo at checkout; you must be following @hicravingswindward on social media).

The business is currently open at various hours Thursdays to Sundays. The hours will extend once the store is more established.

Open 3:30-6:30 p.m. Thursdays, 3:30-7:30 p.m. Fridays, 11 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Saturdays, 10 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Sundays  

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<title>There’s a new acai bowl spot in Windward Oʻahu | Aloha State Daily</title>

HI Cravings has a new storefront in Kāneʻohe.

There’s a new acai bowl spot in Windward Oʻahu

Christian Shimabuku Headshot

Christian Shimabuku

Sports

Campbell High School is set a receive a $25.3 million upgrade to its athletic complex. 

The new athletic facility will include new lights and bleachers to seat 3,000 spectators at its football field, as well as a new press box. Other upgrades across the department include a new locker room building, a weight room, and offices.

On Thursday afternoon, a groundbreaking ceremony was held in ‘Ewa Beach, attended by Campbell students and staff, as well as Lt. Gov. Sylvia Luke, DOE superintendent Keith Hayashi, Sen. Kurt Fevella, Rep. David Alcos III, Rep. Julie Reyes Oda and Rep. Elijah Pierick. 

In recent years, the Sabers received turf upgrades to their baseball, softball and football fields.

[{"text":"The upgrades are projected to be ready by September 2026. ","type":"text"}]

“I’m excited to see this day finally happen as we take a significant step toward properly supporting our student-athletes. Today signifies a reciprocal level of commitment and dedication to our student-athletes," principal Jon Henry Lee said in a press release. "It’s a great day for Campbell High School.”

Thursday's announcement was the second phase of a athletics project upgrade at Campbell. The first phase included a new track and field surface surrounding its football field, which was completed in 2023. 

With an enrollment of 2,890 for the 2024-2025 school year, Campbell is the state of Hawai‘i's largest public school. 

Campbell renderings

<title>Campbell High School breaks ground on $25.3 million athletic facility… | Aloha State Daily</title>

September 2026 is the projected completion date.

Campbell High School breaks ground on $25.3 million athletic facility upgrade

News that the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa 

 as its official athletics outfitter from July 1, 2025, to June 30, 2032, was met with unanimous excitement from players and coaches alike. 

The deal, in conjunction with BSN Sports, will be the first department-wide deal the school has had with Nike. Hawai"i signed its first department-wide deal as a school in 2017, signing with Under Armour. After Under Armour reneged on its deal in 2021, the school quickly transitioned to Adidas. 

As a record-setting quarterback from UH from 2000 to 2004, current Rainbow Warriors head coach Timmy Chang never got to wear Nike as a player. It wasn't until June Jones secured a Nike deal prior to the 2005 season that the then-Warriors wore uniforms outfitted by the brand. The football team's Nike deal lasted through the 2007 season, the greatest in school history. But after that, Jones left for SMU and the team agreed to a new deal with Under Armour. 

"I wouldn't say I was jealous," Chang said when seeing former teammates wear Nike uniforms. "I thought the guys behind us carried the torch really well, and they deserved all that. I think our (current) players are excited. I think the athletic program's excited, and when they're excited, it gets us excited about coaching them and getting to work."

While some coaches across college football, both presently and 

, have had the final say on uniform designs, Chang is supportive of the team returning to its former look nearly 20 years ago. 

"Definitely on the road, I would love the old Colt Brennan throwback with the gray and the whites," Chang said. "That was one of my favorites to see Hawai‘i playing in. But of course, we'll have the all black piece in there, and then maybe a green one. And then we'll be able to play off of those different colors, with the gray, white, black and green."

As the only coach on both the 2007 and 2025 teams, UH defensive tackles coach 

 remembered how donning the swoosh elevated the self-esteem of players on the team. 

"The players want to wear Nike. That's just the facts, right? It's got the best reputation of any shoe, or any equipment, gloves, all of it, and I think it elevated our identity, it elevated our visibility, and ultimately, I think it elevated our play," Reinebold said. "That's the spin off, that's the synergy of this thing. I think it can elevate our identity. I think it can elevate our profile. I know it's going to elevate our recruiting, and from that comes better players. Better players make better coaches and better football teams."

Back when he was the star quarterback for national high school power Bishop Gorman, Micah Alejado remembers the copious amounts of Nike gear given to his team. As he enters his redshirt freshman season as Hawai‘i's presumed starter at quarterback, Alejado says among his UH teammates, Nike is "obviously the preference." 

"The world likes Nike the most, pretty much," Alejado said. "Everybody's excited. The jerseys fit well, the cleats feel the best. They make good stuff. We're super excited."

Back when Hawai‘i head soccer coach Michele Nagamine ran a soccer store on King Street in the early 1990s, she remembers how Nike's shoes advanced the women's game. During that time, all soccer shoes came in men's sizes and men's cuts until Nike made products tailored towards women. 

Nike used to outfit the Rainbow Wahine soccer team in the early 2000s, but when Nagamine got the job prior to the 2011 season, the school steered her towards Under Armour in hopes of the university landing a department-wide deal.

Although Adidas, Hawai‘i's former outfitter, has the richest tradition in soccer, Nike has been the trendy pick among Nagamine's players and recruits. 

"I'm super excited. I think the team is very excited," Nagamine said. "We loved Adidas as well, but I think Nike, in their hearts, is something they love, and we're really, really excited."

University of Hawai‘i baseball coach Rich Hill worked with Nike for years as the former head coach at San Diego. The BaseBows will be another team on campus wearing Nike for the first time next spring. 

"I really enjoyed my time with Nike at the University of San Diego. They were great to us. The product is amazing," Hill said, who also noted Nike is the official outfitter of Major League Baseball. "They take care of the baseball side of things. It's big time. We're really excited. 

"Uniform wise, we'll try to keep it as similar as possible. We work with Wilson (the team's equipment provider), they want to design a Hawaiian uniform for us, kind of like a City Connect kind of thing. We're working with them on that, but I haven't got that far. But I'm a uniform snob, so I'm anxious to see what they want to do for us."

, who brought a Nike deal to the team with her when she took over in 2012, knows the brand has cornered the baskeball market. 

"I know the kids love to wear Nike. I used to have Nike when I was at my JUCO, and then get at USC. It's great product," Beeman said. "Right now, we're going to rep Adidas the best we can until we're done, and then get excited about whatever's coming our way with Nike."

As for men's volleyball, the team on campus that has had the 

, the 'Bows will have to say goodbye to an Adidas deal that supplied the team with a bevy of uniforms and designs annually.

"I love Nike, but I love Adidas too, so the end of the day, it's just gear on our chest, and it's more about the volleyball," setter Tread Rosenthal said. 

Added middle blocker Justin Todd: "I've loved the deal since we got it, and I'm looking forward to seeing what Nike is going to provide for us. And it's just really exciting."

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<title>New Nike deal draws widespread acclaim from UH athletes, coaches | Aloha State Daily</title>

Nike will be the new outfitter of UH Athletics, starting on July 1.

New Nike deal draws widespread acclaim from UH athletes, coaches

Stephanie Salmons Headshot

Stephanie Salmons

Government & Politics

Hang on Kapi‘olani commuters — the first phase of roadwork that began more than a year ago is on track to be finished this summer, but a second phase of the project won't be far behind.

This is a Rehabilitation of Streets project that is being completed in two phases. The first is Unit 89A, which spans Kapi‘olani Boulevard from Harding Avenue to Atkinson Drive.

Work on that portion of the project began Oct. 2, 2023, and is expected to be finished this summer, Haku Milles, director of the City and County of Honolulu's Department of Design and Construction, said in an email to Aloha State Daily. He noted that paving work on Kapi‘olani Boulevard is currently ongoing between University Avenue and Atkinson Drive.

 from the department says that work is expected to take place between 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding holidays.

Morning and afternoon contraflow coning on this stretch of road will be suspended while work is underway, the city said previously, but is expected to resume after the project is completed.

Milles said the overall project scope includes cold planing; resurfacing and reconstructing existing asphalt concrete pavement; reconstructing existing concrete curbs and/or gutters; adjusting utility manhole and handhole frames and covers; installing pavement markings; and replacing of vehicle loop detectors. Paving operations are happening now and permanent striping will follow.

According to Milles, the construction cost of this phase is nearly $10.66 million. 

He says the project was delayed due to the discovery of rail tracks at the McCully Street intersection, but the state Historic Preservation Division was contacted and a preservation plan was implemented.

The second phase of the road work, Unit 89B, will span Kapi‘olani from from Atkinson Drive to Ward Avenue, but that work has not yet started.

Milles said the construction contract is currently being executed with the contractor. Construction cost for this phase is approximately $10.88 million.

Because the paperwork is being finalized, the department was unable to provide an estimated start date of the second phase.

Work planned in the second phase is similar to the first phase, but also includes tree and root trimming and canopy pruning as necessary, Milles said. 

"Street rehabilitation projects are essential for preserving and extending the lifespan of existing roads by addressing damage from wear and tear, weather, and traffic," Milles told ASD. "It also enhances safety for drivers by ensuring smoother and more durable road conditions."

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<title>First phase of Kapi‘olani Boulevard roadwork set to be finished this… | Aloha State Daily</title>

The work is part of a project that is being completed in two phases. The first phase spans from Harding Avenue to Atkinson Drive, while the second phase — work on which hasn't started yet — will continue from Atkinson Drive to Ward Avenue.

First phase of Kapi‘olani Boulevard roadwork set to be finished this summer

Kelsey Kukaua Medeiros Headshot

Kelsey Kukaua Medeiros

, which is part of the Gov. Josh Green's legislative package, was recommitted to the House Committee on Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs on Tuesday, March 4. The measure that would bar new religious exemptions to vaccines in Hawai’i schools was previously headed to the Senate for crossover this month after its passage on Feb. 28.

[{"text":"In other words: HB1118 is dead for this session.","type":"text"}]

At the Tuesday hearing, Rep. Diamond Garcia said, “Thank you for doing the right thing to send this bill back to committee. Why I’m supporting this recommittal is because there were over 2,000 pieces of public testimony submitted against this bill and just over 100 in support. The people of Hawai’i have spoken.”

Aloha State Daily recently analyzed countless pages of testimony as of Feb. 21

, confirming that about 1,643 people opposed the bill, while 75 people testified in support. We also noticed educators and health care professionals on both sides of the issue.

“There were indeed thousands of pieces of testimony in opposition to the bill,” Rep. Gregg Takayama said at Tuesday’s hearing. “To me, the strong message was that there were many, many people who misunderstand the importance of vaccinations to our communities and our Islands. 

“I call on the Governor to speak out on the importance of protecting our children, who are most at risk of contracting potentially fatal diseases,” he continued.

Now, nearly halfway through the 2025 legislative session, Green could call a special session later this year at which such bills could get revisited.

State capitol 022725

As the measure that would stop new religious exemptions to vaccines at Hawaiʻi schools moves on to the Senate, readers may be wondering what vaccines are currently required and who decides how they get on the state's list. ASD spoke to DOE and DOH officials about the requirements. We also examined more than 2,000 pages of testimony submitted on HB118 on Feb. 21 and found that more than 1,600 people opposed eliminating the religious exemption, while 75 supported eliminating the exemption.

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With HB1118 advancing, here’s a look at the state mandated vaccines for public school kids

Aloha Spirit

The grassroots organization hosted a rally at the Hawaiʻi State Capitol on Thursday opposing legislation that would bar new non-medical exemptions to vaccines at schools.

AFC Rally 2025

Aloha Freedom Coalition rallies against vaccine bill HB1118

<title>School vaccine measure HB1118 is dead for this session | Aloha State Daily</title>

An unanimous vote by the House on Tuesday shelved the controversial bill that would bar religious exemptions to vaccines at Hawaiʻi schools.

School vaccine measure HB1118 is dead for this session

University of Hawai‘i women's basketball coach Laura Beeman says she doesn't know how many net pieces she has in her office, but each addition to her collection is a welcome one. 

"I'm trying to build a new net," Beeman joked after the Rainbow Wahine's 66-51 win over Cal State Bakersfield on Thursday night. "No, I'm kidding. I just keep them in the office with other (championship) rings and trophies and you just kind of look at them on a day and you're like, 'OK, that was a pretty cool year.' And I don't know what net belongs to what, but when you look at them, you know it's a great memory."

The Rainbow Wahine had plenty of reason to celebrate on Thursday night, cutting down the nets when the night was over — a customary tradition in winning basketball championships. 

With the win, the 'Bows improved to 21-8 overall and 15-4 in Big West, clinching the conference's regular season title and top seed in next week's Big West tournament. As the top seed, the Rainbow Wahine advance straight to the semifinals against a team to be determined on Friday, March 14 in Henderson, Nev. 

In her 13 seasons at the helm at UH, Beeman has guided the program to four conference regular season titles and three conference tournament titles. Although her 2024-2025 team has one regular season game remaining on Saturday against Cal State Northridge, Thursday was a reminder for her team to enjoy their successes along the way. 

"I'm trying to take the coaching hat off right now and just enjoy this moment, because too often I don't," Beeman said. "What this group has done thus far is super special. We're not done. But for tonight, we're going to enjoy what they did."

"Coach B actually had to kind of have a talk with us, because we're so focused on winning in the tournament," added senior guard Kelsie Imai, who had a game-high 12 points on Thursday. "She had to let us know, like, it's OK to celebrate on Thursday if you guys win. That's also a huge accomplishment. But yeah, super excited and super proud of the girls, though we still have something bigger to win."

Thursday's win for the Rainbow Wahine broke a two-game losing streak last week, which was preceded by a 14-game 

. The Rainbow Wahine trailed 16-10 early in the second quarter, but a 30-4 run that spanned from the second to third quarter broke the game open for UH. 

Hawai‘i will close out its regular season on Saturday at 7 p.m. against Cal State Northridge at the Stan Sheriff Center. Following the game, Imai, MeiLani McBee, Lily Wahinekapu, Brooklyn Rewers, Mia ‘Uhila and Hallie Birdsong will be honored as part of senior night festivities. 

"As a little girl, you watch this on TV, and coming in as a freshman, it seems so far away," said Imai, a Waiākea High School alumna. "I feel like it came so quickly, but I don't know. I'm excited, it hasn't hit me yet, but I'm sure I will be crying along with the rest of my seniors."

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<title>Hawai‘i women's basketball cuts down the nets | Aloha State Daily</title>

The Rainbow Wahine clinched the Big West regular season title on Thursday night in a victory over Cal State Bakersfield.

Hawai‘i women's basketball cuts down the nets

Lopaka and Tanya Kapanui

For more than 25 years, I’ve been sharing Hawai‘i’s haunted history, weaving together folklore, history, and firsthand accounts to bring our ghost stories to life. As a Native Hawaiian born and raised on O‘ahu, I grew up listening to traditional mo‘olelo from my kupuna, stories that shaped my passion for preserving our islands’ supernatural and cultural heritage. That passion has led me to a lifetime of storytelling, earning a special citation from the Hawai‘i State Legislature for my work in keeping these legends alive.

My wife, Tanya, and I run Mysteries of Hawai‘i, a locally owned ghost tour company dedicated to exploring the eerie and unexplained. Tanya, a lifelong horror enthusiast and researcher of hauntings and native legends, and I have co-authored 

Hawaii’s Night Marchers: A History of the Huaka‘i Po

We are thrilled to share our love for Hawaii’s history, haunted and otherwise, with Aloha State Daily readers. Hawai‘i has some of the most chilling and fascinating supernatural tales in the world, and we can’t wait to bring them to you.

<title>Lopaka Kapanui and Tanya Kapanui | Aloha State Daily</title>