Latest news with #Kahuku
Yahoo
11-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Idol Watch: Haleiwa native looks to move to Top 5 on ‘American Idol'
HONOLULU (KHON2) — Hawaii's Thunderstorm Artis has made it to the Top Seven on 'American Idol.' On May 11, viewers will be able to vote for the Top Five before the live finale next weekend. 'Bows drop 3 straight sets in NCAA Men's Volleyball Championship Semifinals The 29-year-old Haleiwa native said he feels extremely blessed and grateful to be on this journey. 'It's crazy because you never really imagine you'll get to this place and I'm in it,' Artis said. 'To see the love and support I'm getting from Hawaii to make this all possible is crazy, I'm filled with so much gratitude.' Thunderstorm comes from a large, talented and humble family. His mom and dad were both artists and had 11 children. In 2020, Thunderstorm moved to Nashville to kick start his musical career but came home often to perform.'We miss Hawaii, my family misses Hawaii, every time we get to come back to Hawaii is always a blessing and to celebrate with my family and friends, and my mom and sisters that live there still is a blessing,' he said. 'I really want to take this thing to a national tour then a world tour and to move back to Hawaii sometime in the future, it would be an absolute blessing to come back.' For now, he's busy trying to bring another American Idol win to Oahu's North Shore. In May 2023, Kahuku's Iam Tongi won and the island celebrated with a big concert. 'I really want those things to happen, so we have to get to the finale to make that a reality,' Artis said. He said the biggest highlight on the journey has been sitting down with singer James Taylor and being able to sing one of his songs to him and have the long-time musician sing it back to Artis. Download the free KHON2 app for iOS or Android to stay informed on the latest news 'But also having someone like Jelly Roll to be a part of this thing from the get go, he has been so intentional about all his advice on-stage and off-stage, on camera and off camera,' Artis said. Along with Artis' aloha for his home state, he has a message to send to kamaʻaina. 'I would say please go out and vote if you have the chance, there's three ways of doing that so please make that happens, but more important than any of that, just having your support and love has really made it possible for me to make it this far in this competition and I just want to thank you from the bottom of my heart,' he said. Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi also echoed Artis' call for support, praising the singer's talent in a statement. Quadruple cancer survivor killed after bullets fly through her home 'Thunderstorm Artis represents the very best of who we are as a community. His extraordinary talent, humility and heart are inspiring not just for Hawaiʻi, but for audiences across the country,' Blangiardi said. 'This is a proud moment for the North Shore and all of Honolulu, and we have a real chance to help one of our own achieve his dreams on a national stage.' Voting opens during the 'American Idol' live broadcast on Sunday at 2 p.m. HST and remains open for a limited time. Fans can vote here, via the American Idol app or by texting the contestant number shown during the show. 'Let's come together, Hawaiʻi, and make our voices heard—just like Thunderstorm does every time he steps on that stage,' the Mayor added. 'Let's help bring this victory home!' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Honolulu EMS unveils 16 new and refurbished ambulances
The Honolulu Emergency Services Department held something akin to an outdoor car show at Keehi Lagoon Beach Park on Tuesday morning. In a line that stretched the length of one of the park's parking lots, the city showed off 16 new or newly refurbished ambulances—namely, 14 Emergency Medical Serv ices rigs and two Crisis Outreach Engagement and Response Sprinter vans—meant to respond to a myriad of lifesaving emergencies and medical care incidents across Oahu, on a 24 /7 basis. Most of the ambulances on display featured placards—'Makiki, ' 'Kahuku, ' 'Kailua ' and 'Hawaii Kai, ' among others—that denoted their respective areas of service on the island. The department also showed off its first-ever outfitted AmbuBus—deemed a state-of-the-art mass casualty vehicle that can treat and transport multiple patients at a time. Mayor Rick Blan giardi, HESD Director Dr. Jim Ireland, three Honolulu City Council members and dozens of city EMS and CORE personnel were in attendance. 'Today is a monumentous day for us, and I still can't believe, really, what I'm seeing, ' Ireland told those gathered. 'When I drove in I knew the numbers, I knew what we had purchased, but to just see this ; we've never had a purchase this big, or an acquisition.' He said that two years ago, 'when this kind of started, I wasn't even sure we were going to be able to get one ambulance.' 'We were coming out of COVID, there were supply chain issues, there were no chassis available, some chip was missing … all these factors were against us, ' he added. In spite of the difficulties, Ireland claimed the city put together a procurement package that includes the purchase of six new ambulances and eight remounted rigs. 'And these are existing boxes that for about half the price of a new ambulance, we were able to pick up and drop on a brand-new chassis, relieving an ambulance that might have been in excess of 300, 000 miles, at the end of its service life, ' he said. 'Instead of just auctioning it off, sending it off, putting it somewhere, we were able to remount that, get more ambulances for our dollar, save the taxpayers some money but, at the same time, give our teams the absolute best that they deserve and need to take care of people.' The new fleet includes four-wheel drive ambulances, too. 'I believe Kahuku and Waialua are getting four-wheel drive, ' Ireland said. 'We don't encourage four-wheel driving per se, but if they get into a muddy or sandy environment, that will help them kind of get out of that.' CORE's two Sprinter vans will help the group's effort to provide medical and social services to Oahu's homeless population, he said. HESD's director related how CORE's vans replaced an old 911 ambulance—dubbed '8080, ' based on its city and county license plate number—that racked up 330, 000 miles. 'It took us through up until maybe just a couple of weeks ago, ' Ireland said. 'And then we finally retired 8080, and we got these two new Sprinter vans for the CORE team.' He added that he was 'happy to report 8080 is scheduled to be one of our next remounts.' 'Because as many ambulances as this is—14 plus the two CORE—we're getting four more remounts in three months, ' he announced. 'Three to six months after that, we're getting four brand-new ambulances. So our entire EMS fleet for Oahu will be under a year old within about six months or so.' Blangiardi said the city's latest ambulance procurement was a 'historic day.' 'What I'm really proud of is the capability this gives our city, ' the mayor added. 'When we talk in terms of public safety and the concerns that people have, I don't think there's a more chilling sentence that I hope never to really have to utter again, I've done once before, but which is when you say, 'Call an ambulance.'' Later, Kahu Brutus La Benz performed a traditional Hawaiian blessing on the EMS vehicles, which involved sprinkling rainwater he'd collected at his Moiliili home on the ambulance rigs and their respective crews. The kahu also highlighted the efforts of the city's EMS and CORE personnel. 'You folks are the first ones to respond to our loved ones, ' La Benz said. Out of 14 EMS ambulances, six new ones cost about $377, 000 each. The eight refurbished and remounted rigs cost about $250, 000 each. The CORE Sprinter vans cost $304, 347 each, while the AmbuBus cost $650, 000, EMS officials said. The total cost for the new fleet is over $5.5 million, officials said. At the event, EMS Chief of Operations Jeff Zuckernick told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser that refurbishing old ambulances—with many reaching 250, 000 to 350, 000 miles—can save taxpayers about $120, 000 per rig, 'which means then we can purchase more ambulances.' 'Our fleet was well past its due date, and this comes as a blessing, ' he said, adding that city and county ambulances typically last six to eight years, though some can reach 10 years old 'at the extreme.' Besides these new ambulances, Zuckernick said there are more city ambulances in service. 'There's 23 ambulances in service during the daytime, 21 ambulances at night, ' he explained. 'We have a rapid-response vehicle … that's during the daytime. We have four district chiefs that are always running calls, too.' 'So these (new ) ambulances are mostly going to replace the 23 ambulances that are on the road right now, ' he said. 'And then the 23 that are on the road right now will go into reliever or backup status.' The city, according to Zuckernick, ships its old ambulances to Braun Custom Ambulances in Washington state. There the company remounts the vehicles' boxes—the portion of the ambulance containing medical equipment, stretchers and first aid supplies—then ships the completed vehicle back to Oahu. 'Four are on the way right now, ' he added, 'and we have budgeted eight more ambulances next year.' Ireland, whose Council renomination in April to a second four-year term as head of HESD, which includes the paramedics division, initially faced months of vocal opposition. Opponents to Ireland's appointment—largely former EMS workers—leveled complaints and allegations about low morale, chronic understaffing, employee favoritism and frequent resignations during his directorship that allegedly affected the timely response of ambulances to emergencies on Oahu. But at the Council's April 16 meeting, Ireland told the panel his continued leadership at EMS would improve and advance the paramedic service well into the city's future. He said that work included purchasing more ambulances to reduce lengthy response times to 911 calls.
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Honolulu EMS unveils new ambulances
The Honolulu Emergency Services Department held something akin to an outdoor car show at Keehi Lagoon Beach Park on Tuesday morning. In a line that stretched the length of one of the park's parking lots, the city showed off 16 brand-new or newly refurbished ambulances—namely, 14 Emergency Medical Serv ices rigs and two Crisis Outreach Engagement and Response Sprinter vans—meant to respond to a myriad of lifesaving emergencies and medical care incidents across Oahu, on a 24 /7 basis. Most of the ambulances on display featured placards—'Makiki, ' 'Kahuku, ' 'Kailua ' and 'Hawaii Kai, ' among others—that denoted their respective areas of service on the island. The department also showed off its first-ever outfitted AmbuBus—deemed a state-of-the-art mass casualty vehicle that can treat and transport multiple patients at a time. Mayor Rick Blan giardi, HESD Director Dr. Jim Ireland, three Honolulu City Council members and dozens of city EMS and CORE personnel were in attendance. 'Today is a monumentous day for us, and I still can't believe, really, what I'm seeing, ' Ireland told those gathered. 'When I drove in I knew the numbers, I knew what we had purchased, but to just see this ; we've never had a purchase this big, or an acquisition.' He said that two years ago, 'when this kind of started, I wasn't even sure we were going to be able to get one ambulance.' 'We were coming out of COVID, there were supply chain issues, there were no chassis available, some chip was missing … all these factors were against us, ' he added. In spite of the difficulties, Ireland claimed the city put together a procurement package that includes the purchase of six new ambulances and eight remounted rigs. 'And these are existing boxes that for about half the price of a new ambulance, we were able to pick up and drop on a brand-new chassis, relieving an ambulance that might have been in excess of 300, 000 miles, at the end of its service life, ' he said. 'Instead of just auctioning it off, sending it off, putting it somewhere, we were able to remount that, get more ambulances for our dollar, save the taxpayers some money but, at the same time, give our teams the absolute best that they deserve and need to take care of people.' The new fleet includes four-wheel drive ambulances, too. 'I believe Kahuku and Waialua are getting four-wheel drive, ' Ireland said. 'We don't encourage four-wheel driving per se, but if they get into a muddy or sandy environment, that will help them kind of get out of that.' CORE's two Sprinter vans will help the group's effort to provide medical and social services to Oahu's homeless population, he said. HESD's director related how CORE's vans replaced an old 911 ambulance—dubbed '8080, ' based on its city and county license plate number—that racked up 330, 000 miles. 'It took us through up until maybe just a couple of weeks ago, ' Ireland said. 'And then we finally retired 8080, and we got these two new Sprinter vans for the CORE team.' He added that he was 'happy to report 8080 is scheduled to be one of our next remounts.' 'Because as many ambulances as this is—14 plus the two CORE—we're getting four more remounts in three months, ' he announced. 'Three to six months after that, we're getting four brand-new ambulances. So our entire EMS fleet for Oahu will be under a year old within about six months or so.' Blangiardi said the city's latest ambulance procurement was a 'historic day.' 'What I'm really proud of is the capability this gives our city, ' the mayor added. 'When we talk in terms of public safety and the concerns that people have, I don't think there's a more chilling sentence that I hope never to really have to utter again, I've done once before, but which is when you say, 'Call an ambulance.'' Later, Kahu Brutus La Benz performed a traditional Hawaiian blessing on the EMS vehicles, which involved sprinkling rainwater he'd collected at his Moiliili home on the ambulance rigs and their respective crews. The kahu also highlighted the efforts of the city's EMS and CORE personnel. 'You folks are the first ones to respond to our loved ones, ' La Benz said. Out of 14 EMS ambulances, six new ones cost about $377, 000 each. The eight refurbished and remounted rigs cost about $250, 000 each. The CORE Sprinter vans cost $304, 347 each, while the AmbuBus cost $650, 000, EMS officials said. The total cost for the new fleet is over $5.5 million, officials said. At the event, EMS Chief of Operations Jeff Zuckernick told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser that refurbishing old ambulances—with many reaching 250, 000 to 350, 000 miles—can save taxpayers about $120, 000 per rig, 'which means then we can purchase more ambulances.' 'Our fleet was well past its due date, and this comes as a blessing, ' he said, adding that city and county ambulances typically last six to eight years, though some can reach 10 years old 'at the extreme.' Besides these new ambulances, Zuckernick said there are more city ambulances in service. 'There's 23 ambulances in service during the daytime, 21 ambulances at night, ' he explained. 'We have a rapid-response vehicle … that's during the daytime. We have four district chiefs that are always running calls, too.' 'So these (new ) ambulances are mostly going to replace the 23 ambulances that are on the road right now, ' he said. 'And then the 23 that are on the road right now will go into reliever or backup status.' The city, according to Zuckernick, ships its old ambulances to Braun Custom Ambulances in Washington state. There the company remounts the vehicles' boxes—the portion of the ambulance containing medical equipment, stretchers and first aid supplies—then ships the completed vehicle back to Oahu. 'Four are on the way right now, ' he added, 'and we have budgeted eight more ambulances next year.' Ireland, whose Council renomination in April to a second four-year term as head of HESD, which includes the paramedics division, initially faced months of vocal opposition. Opponents to Ireland's appointment—largely former EMS workers—leveled complaints and allegations about low morale, chronic understaffing, employee favoritism and frequent resignations during his directorship that allegedly affected the timely response of ambulances to emergencies on Oahu. But at the Council's April 16 meeting, Ireland told the panel his continued leadership at EMS would improve and advance the paramedic service well into the city's future. He said that work included purchasing more ambulances to reduce lengthy response times to 911 calls.
Yahoo
13-03-2025
- Yahoo
Kahuku woman pleads not guilty in death of 11-year-old girl
COURTESY PHOTO Adoptive mother Sina Pumehana Pili, 39, is seen in this mugshot. COURTESY PHOTO Adoptive mother Sina Pumehana Pili, 39, is seen in this mugshot. Sina Pili, the adoptive mother of an 11-year-old girl, pleaded not guilty this morning in the Oahu Circuit Court to the charges of manslaughter, endangering the welfare of a minor and persistent non-support. The 39-year-old Kahuku woman was arrested, charged and indicted on March 7 for allegedly torturing and neglecting the child, Azaeliyah Pili-Ah You, who died on Dec. 22, 2023. Judge Ronald Johnson confirmed no bail for Pili, who appeared in court in a white paper jumpsuit, saying she poses a flight risk, danger to others and obstruction of justice. There was no argument today from the deputy public defender regarding setting bail. Pili's trial is scheduled for May 12 before Judge Rowena Somerville. The 11-year-old was found with multiple injuries from child abuse, police said. Pili-Ah You had extensive and deep bruising, multiple abrasions to her face, head, neck, chest, back arms, hands and legs. She also had apparent bite wounds and internal injuries to her neck likely from being choked, broken ribs and bleeding to the scalp and evidence of pneumonia in her left lung, police said. Don 't miss out on what 's happening ! Stay in touch with breaking news, as it happens, conveniently in your email inbox. It 's FREE ! Email 28141 Sign Up By clicking to sign up, you agree to Star-Advertiser 's and Google 's and. This form is protected by reCAPTCHA. 4 Comments By participating in online discussions you acknowledge that you have agreed to the. An insightful discussion of ideas and viewpoints is encouraged, but comments must be civil and in good taste, with no personal attacks. If your comments are inappropriate, you may be banned from posting. Report comments if you believe they do not follow our. Having trouble with comments ? .
Yahoo
08-03-2025
- Yahoo
Mother charged in ‘torture' death of adopted daughter, 11, in Laie
A 39-year-old Kahuku woman was arrested and charged with manslaughter today for allegedly torturing and neglecting her 11-year-old adopted daughter who died in December 2023. The victim, Azaeliyah Pili-Ah You, had 'multiple injuries from child abuse ' and the manner of her death was a homicide, Lt. Deena Thoemmes, head of the Honolulu Police Department's Strategic Enforcement and Homicide Detail, said at a news conference. Pili-Ah You had extensive bruising, 'deep enough to penetrate skin ' and reaching her diaphragm, Thoemmes said. She had multiple abrasions to her face, head, neck, chest back, arms, hands, and legs. The girl had wounds consistent with being bitten, internal injuries to her neck 'likely from strangulation, ' two broken ribs a scalp hemorrhage, and her left lung was dark which indicated pneumonia, Thoemmes said. Pili-Ah You's body tested positive for COVID, pneumonia and the flu, according to HPD. Sina Pili was indicted by an Oahu grand jury today and charged with manslaughter, endangering the welfare of a minor, and persistent non-support, according to state court documents. Pili-Ah You was adopted by Pili and her husband two months before she died. Thoemmes said Pili-Ah You's adoptive father has not been arrested but remains under investigation. Don 't miss out on what 's happening ! Stay in touch with breaking news, as it happens, conveniently in your email inbox. It 's FREE ! Email 28141 Sign Up By clicking to sign up, you agree to Star-Advertiser 's and Google 's and. This form is protected by reCAPTCHA. 'Child torture is insidious, it is gradual, calculated and systematic and intended to break its victims completely, ' said Thoemmes, who urged state lawmakers to pass pending legislation, Senate Bill 281, allowing law enforcement more power to intervene, investigate and arrest people who abuse children. On the day she died, Pili 'slapped and punched ' Pili-Ah You multiple times over a period of 30 minutes, police said. On Dec. 22, 2023, patrol officers responded to a 911 call of an unresponsive 11-year-old girl at a home in Laie. Officers saw Pili-Ah You's father giving the girl 'life-saving care ' in the hallway of the home before Honolulu firefighters took her into the living room and tried to revive her, according to HPD. She was taken to the Kahuku Medical Center where she was pronounced dead. Her death was initially classified as an unattended death. Homicide detectives, noticing the bruising, brought in HPD's child abuse detail. Sina Pili was arrested at about 1 :45 p.m. in Kahuku and will remain in police custody before she is taken to Honolulu Circuit Court for arraignment on Thursday. Pili 'recklessly ' caused her adopted daughter's death on Dec. 22, 2023, according to the indictment. Manslaughter is a Class 'A ' felony punishable by 20 years in prison without the possibility of suspension of sentence or probation. Four additional children in Pili and her husband's care, ages 12, 9, 8, 7, have been placed in protective custody by state Child Welfare Services. This was the second time this week that charges were filed in a child's death on Oahu. On Feb. 27, police arrested two women—Janae Perez, 25, and her girlfriend, Ashleigh Utley, 33—in the June starvation death of 3-year-old girl Sarai Perez-Rivera in Kapolei. Perez, who is the girl's mother, and Utley were indicted Tuesday for suspicion of second-degree murder, first-degree assault, hindering prosecution and two counts of kidnapping. RELATED STORY : 28 Comments By participating in online discussions you acknowledge that you have agreed to the. An insightful discussion of ideas and viewpoints is encouraged, but comments must be civil and in good taste, with no personal attacks. If your comments are inappropriate, you may be banned from posting. Report comments if you believe they do not follow our. Having trouble with comments ? .
