UPDATE: Due to weather, the March 21 event is rescheduled to Saturday, April 4. HONOLULU — Over the past two years, traffic fatalities have increased in Hawaiʻi, with  data from the Hawaiʻi Department of Transportation showing an 18-year record high in deaths in 2025. These avoidable deaths were attributed primarily to speeding and distracted driving.…

KAHULUI AND WAHIAWĀ —  Hawaiʻi public school cafeterias statewide had the opportunity to celebrate the Lunar New Year with a festive “good fortune” lunch honoring East and Southeast Asian cultures. The symbolic meal featured: The round fruit option created an opportunity for many schools to serve locally grown Maui mandarins from Mahi Pono.  As part…

When alumna Roxy Ortiz was asked to create a mural for Lahaina Intermediate for Spectra Fest Lahaina 2025, a celebration of art, culture and community, she heeded the call. As a co-founder of Wooden Wave with her husband Matthew, Honu Honua—or “Earth Turtle”—was the provocative art collaboration. “It felt really special to come back to…

HONOLULU —  Marisa Toyooka, school counselor at Ka‘ala Elementary School in Wahiawā, has been named the 2026 Hawai‘i School Counselor of the Year by the Hawaiʻi School Counselor Association, recognizing her leadership in strengthening student attendance and building community partnerships that support student success. Over the past four years, Toyooka has led a coordinated, data-driven…

A cohort of ten students from Campbell, Kapolei, and Waipahu high schools is piloting the state’s first aviation maintenance technology program in collaboration with the Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum (PHAM).  The program provides early-career training starting a student’s junior year. The goal is to prepare students for Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certification, enabling them to…

HONOLULU — The Hawai‘i State Board of Education has adopted a new statewide policy establishing consistent expectations for student cell phone use in public schools.  The policy is intended to balance the benefits of technology integration with the need to minimize classroom disruption and promote a safe and respectful learning environment. Board members noted that…

The Hawai‘i State Board of Education today approved the appointment of Jon Henry Lee as complex area superintendent overseeing schools in the Campbell-Kapolei Complex Area in West O‘ahu. His appointment is effective February 13, 2026. Lee has served as interim complex area superintendent of the Campbell-Kapolei Complex Area since Dec. 2025. His experience within the…