Started as a delivery guy. Now he owns the place. That's Mike Rompell, who turned a part-time delivery job into a lifelong career. And right now, Domino's Hawaii is hiring. Whether you're in school, between gigs, or just want something steady, you can make it work here. A place with flexible hours, solid tips, and real opportunities to grow. Apply now at jobs.domino's.com. And if you're hungry, mix and match a two-topping Parmesan stuffed crust pizza for just $11.99. And get the new slice sauce for free. Domino's. This is Hawaii News Now at 9. And right now at 9, we're tracking your top stories across the islands. After a deadly crash, what bills are lawmakers focused on to help make Hawaii's roads safer? Also ahead tonight on Maui, how a village of tiny homes is changing lives in Kahului. And it's all pal for now, but how high did lava fountains reach at their peak during episode 46 of the Kilauea eruption? We start tonight with new details on a head-on crash on the Big Island that killed two men. It happened at 11 a.m. on Daniel Keanoe Highway near Mile Marker 26. That's about two miles before Mauna Kea Access Road on the Hilo side. Police say 70-year-old Todd Matsushita from Hilo died from his injuries after he tried to overtake a vehicle when he hit another car head-on in the westbound lane. The driver in that car, a 34-year-old man from Virginia, died at the scene. Police have not released his identity. Investigators say speed and reckless driving are factors. Anyone who witnessed the crash should call 808-935-3311. Lawmakers, meantime, have approved new bills to make our roadways safer. On Oahu, that means more traffic cameras may be installed. Darrell Huff has the details. Because it was the product of a last-minute compromise, The speed cam bill allows the program to expand beyond intersections like this one in urban Honolulu. But it does not fix the issue that severely limited the number of citations that could be issued. Lawmakers celebrated the speed cam expansion bill, but they didn't give law enforcement officials other than Honolulu police officers the power to issue tickets based on the cameras, which has limited the program to a couple of dozen tickets over four months. And as we try to make it more expeditious, I think we can come back next session to address that. To keep from being overwhelmed, the state only cited drivers going more than about 20 miles an hour over the limit. Both supporters and critics, like traffic crime specialist attorney Pat McPherson, say that's good. I think if they put the speed threshold at like 15 plus, it makes more sense. You're really looking for dangerous driving. It shouldn't be a tax, a commuter tax, where every single vehicle going five miles per hour over the speed limit gets a ticket. We're going after our habitual and excessive speeders who are going 15, 20, 30 miles an hour. The State Department of Transportation will be able to add 10 new locations a year based on dangerousness, but no more than two in any senatorial district like Wai'anae or East Honolulu, and it can only be on Oahu. There was a large discomfort from neighbor island colleagues of mine, which I think is fair. Who am I to say what works in every district and county? There was more consensus about dealing with e-bikes and other new electric personal vehicles, which have been in many accidents and used dangerously by kids. The new bill would ban stunts like wheelies or riding double. It defines, classifies and labels based on speed and power. It makes clear restrictions on where they can be driven and sets strict helmet rules for all riders under 18, giving police the clarity they needed. Providing officers with consistent and enforceable standards. I think with all of that and then even the requirement of now parents to be under direct supervision, I think there's a clear responsibility of both the rider, the operator, us as motorists and even parents now. Traffic safety advocates say passing new laws is good, but getting more law enforcement officers on the street is the real key to safer driving. Reporting from Kalihi, Daryl Huff, Hawaii News Now. Drivers are watching the price of gas creep higher and higher. The average price in Hawaii for a gallon of regular is $5.65 today, up $1.16 from a year ago. According to AAA, Kauai has the highest prices in the state at $5.95. A rising fuel costs have caused higher airfares, frustrating travelers who rely on Mokulele Airlines. The company increased the average price per seat by $10 yesterday. Some kupuna from Moloka'i say the price for Mokulele tickets are already high. And they add the cost stops them from flying to Oahu for doctor's appointments. others understand the need to increase fares amid the war in Iran. I don't think the people on Molokai can pay that, you know. They're struggling. They want to go see their family, but they're going to pay it. I guess it's not bad considering, like, gas has gone up quite a bit. And so just to add on $10 more, I figure it's not that bad because it could probably be a lot worse. Fuel costs are also impacting the food service industry. restaurant owners are seeing a 20% jump to air freight, fish and other fresh food, which makes up for about 5% of their menus. Honolulu Ocean Safety responded to a call of an unresponsive man on a vessel 10 miles offshore of Kualoa Regional Park this afternoon. Lifeguards boarded the vessel in waters off Mokoli'i and administered CPR. The 59-year-old patient was taken to the hospital in critical condition. The surfer found unresponsive off Canoes' surf break in Waikiki nearly two weeks ago has died. HPD says the 70-year-old passed away early this morning. There are no signs of foul play. On the Big Island, a man accused of shattering a car's window as it drove by is charged with felony criminal property damage. 43-year-old Reed Nakamura of Hila was arrested last Friday after police say he threw an object and shattered the window of a Tesla. on Kanoa Lehua Avenue. No one was hurt. Nakamura's bail has been reduced to $10,000. His preliminary hearing is tomorrow. On Oahu, Francis Clark of Ewa Beach is under arrest after allegedly threatening to kill his neighbors. Court documents say the 69 pulled the knife on the victims after accusing them of nearly hitting his car last Thursday on Ihipehu Street Clark is charged with terroristic threatening and is due back in court tomorrow His bail is set at $20,000. The Department of Hawaiian Homelands will soon hold statewide public meetings on the potential rewards of geothermal energy. But as our Mihailani Richardson reports, the agency is expecting pushback, so leaders are educating themselves to be ready for tough questions. DHHL Geothermal Beneficiary Informational Briefing. DHHL held a mock meeting today in Kapolei, preparing to unveil plans to the public, and only Hawaii News Now was there. The agency wants to explore 12 potential sites for geothermal energy on its land from Hawaii Island to Mowi County, Oahu and Kauai. You're expecting pushback, so how do you anticipate dealing with that? Well, I think part of the pushback is a lack of understanding. You know, people don't realize that there's new technology now. When you look at these assets, the energy from Pele as well as the water that we have, we're trying to convert that into an asset which will really help our beneficiaries. This is the second mock meeting that DHHL has had to fine-tune its message. Next up, nine geothermal public meetings across the state this summer, as close as possible to the potential sites. Project leaders say DHHL spends $32 million per year on electricity costs for 11,000 homesteaders. It would cost $6 billion to get 29,000 people off its wait list, and geothermal would provide more economic sovereignty and the ability to deal with higher energy costs. costs. We need revenue streams and so there's a variety of benefits that geothermal provides but we more importantly want to be at the forefront rather than a passive observer. Project leaders say the cost to build a facility would be 150 million dollars. Annual revenue at 40 million and yearly profits could reach 26.5 million dollars. If we're able to produce electricity and put it into the grid, that we want to be able to make affordable energy available to that area, to that district, to that island perhaps. Maori leaders from Aotearoa say they bought the rights to their own geothermal reservoir and now control its assets. We actually bought the rights to develop it ourselves. We bought the rights to exist in ourselves. And later this summer, DHHL will be opening up a 30-day public comment period. Mahe Alani Richardson, Hawaii News Now. Happening now, all power for now, a live look at Kilauea where all is quiet following a brief episode 46. The eruption ended at 5.22 p.m. after nine continuous hours of lava fountains. Fine ash and Pele's hair have been reported in Mountain View as the high-level plume moved north. And lava fountaining began at 8.17 this morning, reaching a peak height of 650 feet within Halema'uma'u Crater. The volcano alert level has dropped from a watch to an advisory. And we're no longer seeing an ashfall advisory. Now we're seeing some fog that could be pushing in into the next couple of days with those lighter winds in the forecast. And that will be lingering at least through Thursday morning before the trade winds make a comeback. But for now, calm winds are taking over. You can actually see in Hilo we have some south winds and we will be seeing variable winds tomorrow. So a few pop-up showers a possibility as we will be seeing a humid air mass linger over the state. We saw that today with some daytime heating, some pop-up showers over the Kuala Mountains. We could see hit or miss showers over the mountains again tomorrow. I'll take a deeper look at what we're expecting for the rest of the week into the holiday weekend for Mother's Day coming up. All right, thank you, Jen. Next at 9, a look inside the state's largest Kahale six months after it went up. Plus, the journey underway for four men rolling from Washington State to Maui. How long could it take? Started as a delivery guy. Now, he owns the place. That's Mike Rompell, who turned a part-time delivery job into a lifelong career. And right now, Domino's Hawaii is hiring. Whether you're in school, between gigs, or just want something steady, you can make it work here. A place with flexible hours, solid tips, and real opportunities to grow. Apply now at jobs.dominoes.com. And if you're hungry, mix and match a two-topping Parmesan stuffed crust pizza for just $11.99. And get the new slice sauce for free. Mmm. Mmm. My nose. This is Hawaii News Now. Hawaii has a new Supreme Court justice today after Vladimir Devins was sworn in this morning. He is the sixth chief justice to serve the state. Acting Chief Justice Sabrina McKenna administered the oath of office. Devin is responsible for overseeing court operations across Hawaii. He was confirmed despite criticism for failing to disclose his connections to a political action committee. One of Devin's first decisions today was to extend some legal deadlines after a power outage closed the Honolulu Circuit Court. Ka'ahumanu Hale on Punchbowl Street went dark at 2 p.m. All document filing that was due today is now due tomorrow. All hearings and trials at the court will also be rescheduled. Six months since the largest kauhale in the state opened in Kahului, our Chelsea Davis has an inside look at how it's helping Maui's homeless. I like the planters because, you know, there's a'ali'i, you know, there's all these, there's pipili manamana. Kelii Lozano is proud of where he lives. Kipuola Kauhale is the first neighbor island village of tiny homes. part of Governor Josh Green's initiative to provide affordable program-based housing to keep people off the streets. At this location on Pulehu Place in Kahului, there are 64 units, and the rents range from $250 to $600 a month. To make that affordability possible, it takes these kind of alternative developments, but these communal facilities, it keeps infrastructure costs low, but it also helps people who are coming out of homelessness to build social connections. But this is my room. For Keli'i, who was previously living in his car, this is much more than a home. This is his safe space. The homes are grouped into four clusters, each with a shared kitchen, showers, a laundry facility, and a dedicated dog park for residents to remain with their pets. Here at Kipa Kauhale and other Kauhale across the state these communal facilities these shared spaces it helps them to rebuild a sense of family community and ultimately it breaking their cycle of homelessness Residents have access to job and life skills resources and work with staff toward long-term stability and growth. What they're able to achieve here is they're saving more, which means that they're able to achieve upward economic mobility and they're able to get to that next step of the housing ladder that's needed to be self-sufficient. The greatest thing is peace, not just peace of the heart and the soul, but peace of mind, right? Because I don't have all those negative thoughts, right? I don't have, I'm not good enough, I'm not obtained to anything. Yeah, so, you know, it's just a peace of mind. If you would like to learn more, apply, or refer someone, look for the link at hawainewsnow.com. Reporting in Kahului, I'm Chelsea Davis for Hawaii News Now. Still ahead tonight, more options for Hawaii travelers. Which Island is getting new direct flights to Vegas and grinding Ono food at the capital for a good cause. The state's goal and how you can help. Started as a delivery guy. Now he owns the place. That's Mike Rompell, who turned a part-time delivery job into a lifelong career. And right now, Domino's Hawaii is hiring. Whether you're in school, between gigs, or just want something steady, you can make it work here. A place with flexible hours, solid tips, and real opportunities to grow. Apply now at jobs.dominoes.com. And if you're hungry, mix and match a two-topping Parmesan stuffed crust pizza for just $11.99. And get the new slice sauce for free. Dominoes. This is Hawaii News Now. Southwest is rolling out new nonstop flights from Las Vegas. They include nonstop service between Hilo's starting August 6th. The new route is one of 10 airports the airline is adding from Vegas. Ono grinds at the state capitol today, but it wasn't all about eating. Local poke bowl and teruya's andagi were just some of the local vendors of the 4th annual food drive fest in the Rotunda this morning. All to raise money and collect much needed items like canned goods for the Hawaii Food Bank's 27th annual state employees food drive. The nonprofit says as costs rise, more families struggle with food insecurity. So we're seeing quite a bit of increase in the folks that are using our services, and we're happy that they're doing that because we want everyone to make sure their basic needs are met. The state hopes to raise enough money for 400,000 meals served and are accepting donations until the end of May. To donate, head to the Hawaii Food Bank's website. And free meals are helping prevent Hawaii keiki from going hungry this summer. The Hawaii Food Bank says Sun Meals and Kau Kau for Keiki will be feeding students throughout June and July. Look for a full list of sites at HawaiiNewsNow.com. Anyone 18 and under can get fed and no registration is required. And we're celebrating Children's Day tonight looking beautiful. A few pop-up showers though tomorrow. I'll take a deeper look at that coming up soon. Started as a delivery guy. Now he owns the place. That's Mike Rompell, who turned a part-time delivery job into a lifelong career. And right now, Domino's Hawaii is hiring. Whether you're in school, between gigs, or just want something steady, you can make it work here. A place with flexible hours, solid tips, and real opportunities to grow. Apply now at jobs.domino's.com. And if you're hungry, mix and match a two-topping Parmesan stuffed crust pizza for just $11.99. And get the new slice sauce for free. Domino's. Now, first alert weather with chief meteorologist Jennifer Robbins. It's been a beautiful day to celebrate Children's Day and you can actually see a few showers popped up earlier today, but into the night as it cools down, things are looking really nice. Started off in the upper 70s, now sliding down into the mid 70s. Eventually we'll get to the low 70s by the morning. So a quiet night in store for us. A few pop-up showers are due in tomorrow after daytime heating. We saw that today, especially over the Koolau Mountains, and we could see that again tomorrow. So we are going to be seeing really nice conditions for Cinco de Mayo tonight and Children's Day. And then for tomorrow, you can actually see the clouds will start off probably light and then build up during the afternoon, and we'll have a few pop-up showers a possibility. Sunrise tomorrow coming our way at 558 sunset just before 7 o'clock now and we will be seeing just a few showers on the radar. Right now not a whole lot out there except some of the mountains seen just a few sprinkles. It's been very quiet within the last couple of hours but that was a different story over the Kuala Mountains earlier today. After daytime heating we had some heavy downpours and it really came down causing some ponding on the roadways. And taking a closer look at the big picture now, we have this low pressure system to the north of us that's sliding that area of high pressure away from the islands. And that's generating slower winds in the forecast, at least for the next several days. We'll eventually see another area of high pressure build in behind this, bringing back the trade winds. But for now, on the lighter side, and you can see into the next couple of days, single digits during the afternoons, maybe about 15 miles per hour. And then on Thursday, we'll start seeing the trade winds try to make a comeback, but more so Friday into Saturday. Sliding on down to 70 degrees by 5 o'clock in the morning. That's going to be the coolest time of the day just before sunrise. You see, jumping up to 78 degrees by 9 o'clock in the morning. Island by island, light and variable winds. We will be waking up to really blue skies and the clouds will build in during the afternoon. And then we could have some pop-up showers. Mauka pop-up showers a possibility on each of the islands and then light and variable winds will continue over Maui County. But at times we could actually see there maybe some gusty conditions developing during the afternoon and that's after the sea breeze kicks up. Afternoon pop-up showers, Mauka over Kailua Kona, we could probably see just a few clouds build and then Hilo, lots of sunshine to enjoy. A few showers may trickle in at night but really limited right now. and a few scattered showers of possibility over Waimea, but pretty quiet on north facing shores. We're talking about 4 to 6, 2 to 4 and west facing shores and town coming out 2 to 3 and 1 to 3 on east facing shores Into the next seven days we are going to be seeing really lovely weather but then light winds afternoon showers a possibility Then you see by Friday east winds building in the trade winds, make a comeback, just in time to celebrate mom and all the moms at heart. It looks like a really nice weekend for you. And you see for Saturday, maybe some pop-up showers, a possibility with windward and Malka, and then hoping for some sunshine for mom, but wishing you blue skies and much aloha on a very special weekend. All righty. Thank you so much, Jen. Hawaii's ace pitcher is racking up national accolades. Isaiah Magdaleno struck out 16 batters, taking a no-hitter into the ninth inning last Friday in a one-hit shutout over UC Riverside. The performance earned the righty junior pitcher of the week honors from five different national publications, including Golden Spikers and Perfect Game. I didn't hear too much about that. Obviously, they were nervous for me more than anything. I'd say just the fact of being there and them experiencing it with me and watching it, I'd say they're more nervous than me at times. Being very grateful for the moment, taking it all in, and just being appreciative. Mags joins Rainbow Legends Gerald Akoh and Derek Tatsuno as the only pitchers to strike out at least 16 batters in a single game. Hawaii goes on the road this weekend for a series at UC Davis. Hawaii Pacific University is celebrating its largest graduating class in more than 20 years. 1,060 students are earning degrees or associate's degrees, and four of them will also be graduating from the school's new Doctor of Clinical Psychology program. The school is holding two graduation ceremonies this Thursday at the Hilton Hawaiian Village. Ala Moana Center has unveiled its newest Aloha sign painted by Kailua artist Kate Wadsworth after being painted over a week in April. The mural debuted last Friday during the lay day ceremony on Level 3 in Center Court. The 28-foot wide sign was first installed in 2023 and has been repainted several times. A stretch of Waikiki shoreline is closed off after the birth of a monk seal. How long it's expected to be off limits coming up. started as a delivery guy now he owns the place that's mike rompell who turned a part-time delivery job into a lifelong career and right now domino's hawaii is hiring whether you're in school between gigs or just want something steady you can make it work here a place with flexible hours solid tips and real opportunities to grow apply now at jobs.dominoes.com and if you're hungry mix and match a two-topping parmesan stuffed crust pizza for just 11.99 and get the new slice sauce for free This is Hawaii News Now. A new monk seal pup is stirring excitement and attracting curious onlookers in Waikiki. And our Dylan Ancheta shows us how officials are trained to protect the seals and, of course, humans. Around Sunday night, monk seal Mama Ka'iwi gave birth on the shore at Kaimana Beach. Officials say it's her seventh pup overall and the fourth born in this spot. Much of the shoreline here at Kaimana Beach is now blocked off with this temporary fencing, and there's also signs warning people of the danger of getting too close. While generally monk seals are docile, in the case of a mother monk seal with a pup, they can be very aggressive, and they have attacked swimmers. So far, the Hawaii Marine Animal Response Team said there have been no major incidents with people disturbing the critically endangered animals. But lifeguards are watching from the tower, reminding people to keep their distance both on land and in the water. It's very important for us to give them the space and time during this very critical time for them to bond and for the pup to get his nourishment. Experts say it's best to have 150 foot radius of space for the seals. Dogs and other animals should be leashed up and kept away and loud noises also kept to a minimum. Hawaiian monk seal mom and pup stay together for about five to seven weeks. So the beach will be blocked off for about that time frame to give mom and pup time and space. For now, they'll be resting quite a bit, but expect more activity in the coming weeks. They're going to start swimming more, using the beach, using the different areas, going out for longer swims, coming back, and then weaning towards the end of that five, six weeks. The birth attracting both tourists and residents alike, including Joshua Edelstein, who has come to visit during previous monk seal births. Just the fact that the species continues, considering how they're endangered, It's just beautiful that both that she keeps coming back to this place so that we get to bear witness to it and also that the endangered monk seal is thriving. The pup doesn't yet have a name nor is its gender known, but marine biologists are hopeful they will have an answer over the next two weeks. In Waikiki, Dylan and Chet, Hawaii News Now. Oh, so cute. No engines, no sails, and no assistance. Four men are now rowing their way from Washington State to Hawaii. I had no idea some fishes were. What's up, buddy? Eight feet long? Dude, that thing is massive. Wow. Look at that encounter at sea. It's day three for Joshua Dukes, Greg Anderson, Johnny Martinez, and Wilton Nogle on their 3,100-mile journey from LaPush, Washington. Some of the money they raise will go to nonprofit Aerial Recovery. They've been posting daily updates from their boat on their Instagram account, Row West Pacific. And here's a live look at their course. They have quite a ways to go. Okay, the yellow line here is where they've been, and the red line is their projected route. So they're expected to arrive in July at Kahului Harbor. What a journey. And for them to see all that wildlife so far, how exciting. I know. What a great start to their journey. Let's just hope that the conditions are smooth for them as they come here, and they get here nice and safe and we'll have a big buffet waiting for them. I mean, a big luau. Thanks so much for watching, everyone. We'll see you tonight at 10 with more news. Started as a delivery guy. Now he owns the place. That's Mike Rompell, who turned a part-time delivery job into a lifelong career. And right now, Domino's Hawaii is hiring. Whether you're in school, between gigs, or just want something steady, you can make it work here. A place with flexible hours, solid tips, and real opportunities to grow. Apply now at jobs.dominoes.com. And if you're hungry, mix and match a two-topping Parmesan stuffed crust pizza for just $11.99. And get the new slice sauce for free. Domino's.
