Latest news with #KawaiiKon
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Convention Center $64M repair project in limbo amid leadership crisis
HONOLULU (KHON2) — Just weeks after posting one of its most profitable months, the Hawaii Convention Center is now facing a new wave of uncertainty. A $64 million rooftop repair project is now in limbo, with no clear leadership in place. Kawaii Kon returns to Hawaii Convention Center for 20th anniversary April 2025 marked a high point for the Hawaii Convention Center, with a surge of conventions and events, like the state's largest pickleball tournament and total revenue for the month at $2.5 million. The success presented at the HTA Budget and Finance and Convention Center Committee meeting. 'We hosted a total of 28 events for the month which was four more than what we had budgeted from the year prior,' said Teri Orton, Hawaii Convention Center General Manager. But at a time when momentum seems to be building, the two year, $64 million rooftop repair project is on hold. The project, focused on repairing severe corrosion and leaks in the rooftop terrace deck, was expected to begin in early 2026 and take nearly two years to complete. Another $35 million in repair and maintenance projects were planned to be done during the two year repair timeframe. The project was designed to continue operations during construction, with events shifted to weekends and only use of the lobby level event space. While the renovations present short term challenges the long term vision is to have a revitalized convention center that continues to be a cornerstone for Hawaii's tourism and event sector but who will lead these projects going forward remains to be because Isaac Choy, HTA Acting Chief Administrative Officer and Vice President of Finance, is now on administrative leave amid an internal investigation for reports of a hostile work environment. His absence as a key financial decision-maker has created a leadership vacuum at a critical moment. 'I think the reality is it is going to be difficult, if not impossible, to gain that expertise because of the lack of historical knowledge from this contract from inception,' said James McCully, HTA Board Member. Committee members asked about an internal plan, to find out there is none. 'So, Caroline, when this occurred meaning your recommendation or decision to put Isaac on administrative temporary leave, did you have a solution to this?' asked McCully. 'The solution was to reach out to the comptroller and ask for assistance from DAGS,' said Caroline Anderson, HTA Interim President and CEO. Convention Center officials said they've already had to reschedule large conventions to other venues for 2026 and 2027. They say a delay in construction would impact the island's economy. 'We absolutely cannot let the project run behind schedule because it will mean we will have to relocate additional business we have put our word on the line to those customers holding for 2028,' said Orton. Check out more news from around Hawaii The leadership issue is expected to be discussed in next week's HTA board meeting. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
15-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Hawaii keiki showcase artistic talents in ‘Sew a lei for Memorial Day' poster contest
HONOLULU (KHON2) — Keiki around Oahu showcased their artistic talents by participating in the 2025 Mayor's Memorial Day Poster Contest and their creativity did not disappoint. More than 40 K-12 students from schools around the island participated in the contest led by the Department of Parks and Recreation. Kawaii Kon returns to Hawaii Convention Center for 20th anniversary Officials gave a special shoutout to Hōkūlani, Hanalani, 'Ewa Makai Middle and Kailua Intermediate schools for their support and contributions to the contest. Thirteen keiki were recognized for their creative talents and will have their artwork featured on Memorial Day publications and posted within Kapolei Hale. The top three winners from each age category will be recognized by Mayor Rick Blangiardi, Honolulu City Council and Councilmember Andria Tupola during an award ceremony in contest kickstarts DPR's statewide initiative to sew and gather 38,000 lei for those buried at Pūowaina for Memorial Day. Pūowaina holds significant importance as it was designated the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific after the first Memorial Day Ceremony was hosted in 1949. Since then, the City committed to placing fresh lei on each of the 38,000 graves for service members who reside at the cemetery. Check out more news from around Hawaii DPR will begin lei sewing events the morning of Friday, May 23 with locations and times to be announced on the Mayor's Memorial Day Ceremony website. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
15-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Kawaii Kon returns to Hawaii Convention Center for 20th anniversary
HONOLULU (KHON2) — Kawaii Kon is back and bigger and better than ever to celebrate their 20th anniversary at the Hawaii Convention Center. 'Once in a lifetime opporunity:' ʻAuana by Cirque Du Soleil hosts open casting call The experience aims to unite fans of anime and pop culture. WakeUp2Day's Chris Latronic went live with a preview of everything attendees can expect this upcoming weekend. Event Administrator Angel Rumbaoa gave all the details of this year's festivities and provided a preview of the latest virtual reality experiences with Jeff Baz. Download the free KHON2 app for iOS or Android to stay informed on the latest news Fans of all ages are invited to Kawaii Kon 2025 from Friday, March 14 to Sunday, March 16. Registration is available through Kawaii Kon's website or attendees can purchase a badge on-site with cash. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
25-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Hawaii Gov. Green meets with Trump in D.C.
HONOLULU (KHON2) — The state legislature is in full swing in Hawaii while drastic changes are slated for the federal government in Washington, D.C. with the Trump Administration's cuts to the federal workforce and Governor Josh Green returned from a trip to the nation's capital on Sunday after attending the 2025 Winter Meeting of the National Governors Association, where he and other Governors met with President Donald Trump for over 5 hours. 'The President and his cabinet, it was quite extraordinary,' Gov. Green said. 'It's important for me to go to Washington and see exactly what the landscape is, see what the cuts might look like, and express what I feel Hawaii needs to the president directly for he's making his large moves on DEI. What I explained was to allow us to have ROI, you know, return on investment. And he was very favorable, and his cabinet were very favorable to that opinion because we governors need to sustain Medicaid and sustain our workforce. So much of it was extremely productive. We differ on a lot of things, but I'm gonna try to find a path to help Hawaii.' The 10 most spoken languages in Hawaiʻi Gov. Green said Hawaii is 5,000 workers short at the state level and is offering job opportunities for people who have or will be laid off from the federal workforce by the purging of federal employees by Elon Musk and the new Department of Government Efficiency. 'What is happening at the federal level where the cuts from Mr. Musk are very steep and precipitous, that is hurting people,' Gov. Green said. 'And I did express that I don't support that. But if there are people who separate from the Department of the Interior, maybe they can work in our, division of land and natural resources.' Immersive education with sharks, dolphins, & sealions at Sea Life Park One of the president's financial plans is tariffs, specifically steel. The Green administration's focus is affordable housing, and they have the new Aloha Stadium Entertainment District project. 'So I think a lot of it is a bargaining strategy. I did learn an incredible amount about the president and his team, during my four days in DC. So that's the strategy,' Gov. Green said. 'I would like to make sure that our allies, people we work with, especially Japan and Canada in this case, can bring us, low-cost fuel and low-cost materials because we do have a housing crisis.' Green had traveled to D.C. already this month to lobby against now-confirmed Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr. A recent measles outbreak in West Texas has hospitalized 16 people out of about 100 cases, with the Associated Press reporting that the outbreak concentrates in a low-vaccination Mennonite community. Kawaii Kon 2025: Top 10 to do, see, experience 'I'm concerned,' said Gov. Green, who has treated Measles outbreaks as a licensed physician. 'As everyone knows, I spoke out, pretty strongly against RFK Jr. We're seeing the manifestation of his misinformation campaign over the last five years really hit home, in this case, in Texas. People don't believe in vaccinations. More people ask for exemptions for whatever reason, and then you see these outbreaks. Three out of five hundred people, mostly kids, who get measles are gonna die. It will be tragic. And many more will have encephalopathy, which is damage to the the cerebral brain tissue, which means they could have blindness or, paralysis. So I'm passionate about this. I shared with the president that I'm gonna try to work with him whenever I possibly can, but I draw the line in the sand on this.' Some of the vaccine hesitancy has grown from COVID-19 shots to standard school vaccinations in Hawaii. Incomplete vaccinations for Hawaii's Department of Education mandated vaccines have doubled since 2022, and religious exemptions have grown from 2.55% in 2021-2022, 3.07% in 2022-2023, and 4.07% in 2024-2025. The state legislature is now working on a bill to remove religious exemptions. Governor Green says he's looking to find a middle ground with the director of the state Department of Health that can include religious exemptions but not conspiracies, like the debunked claim that vaccines cause autism. Download the free KHON2 app for iOS or Android to stay informed on the latest news 'I wanna tell everybody, I actually believe in religious exemptions as long as they are, legitimate exemptions that people believe deep in their heart. What happens though is a lot of people use excuses, because they just don't want vaccinations. What I'm trying to do is broker a piece on the bill so that there can be an area where people get the exemptions, but the public schools have to be protected. Otherwise, we, like in Texas, will see those outbreaks.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
25-02-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
UH research team finds ancient Hawaiian calendar system
HONOLULU (KHON2) — A new study has uncovered that Hapaialiʻi Heiau – an ancient Hawaiian religious site – served as a sophisticated seasonal research, published in Waka Kuaka, highlights the advanced scientific knowledge of Native Hawaiians, showing how the heiau helped track seasonal changes critical for agriculture and fishing. Farm-to-Table breakfast initiative brings apple bananas to schools Conducted by Professor Albert Kim from the University of Hawaii at Manoa and civil engineer Brenton Sasaoka, the study used modern mapping and mathematical analysis. It found that stones in the heiau were strategically placed to align with the sun's position, marking the winter and summer solstices. These alignments helped guide cultural practices and resource management. The 10 most spoken languages in Hawaiʻi 'This research shows that Hawaii's ancestors were master astronomers and engineers,' said Kim. 'By applying modern methods, we can better preserve their technological achievements.' The team's work also revealed the heiau's potential for desalination, a surprising discovery. Kawaii Kon 2025: Top 10 to do, see, experience Melia Talagi, a Native Hawaiian professor at UH Manoa, praised the research for blending Western science with traditional knowledge. While the study offers new insights, researchers said more work is needed to fully understand the heiau's functions. Download the free KHON2 app for iOS or Android to stay informed on the latest news The Hapaialiʻi Heiau was reconstructed by Kamehameha Schools in 2007, and the researchers thanked Māhealani Pai for her cultural guidance. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
