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Native Hawaiian man faces longer prison term for hate crime against white man

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Native Hawaiian man faces longer prison term for hate crime against white man


HONOLULU (AP) — A Native Hawaiian man who was convicted of a hate crime against a white man must be re-sentenced, a U.S. appeals court ruled Thursday, and the result could be several more years in prison.

Kaulana Alo-Kaonohi was sentenced to six-and-a-half years in 2023 by a judge in Honolulu after a jury found him and another Native Hawaiian man guilty.

The jury found that Alo-Kaonohi and Levi Aki Jr. were motivated by Christopher Kunzelman’s race when they punched, kicked and used a shovel to beat him in 2014 for trying to move into their remote Maui village.

Alo-Kaonohi appealed the conviction, and prosecutors cross-appealed, challenging the judge’s conclusion that he could not apply the hate crime enhancement to the sentence.

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The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals panel also ruled Thursday to affirm Alo-Kaonohi’s conviction.

It was unclear exactly how much more time Alo-Kaonohi could get, but based on sentencing guidelines and the judge’s previous sentence, it could be up to three additional years, said Alexander Silvert, a retired federal defender in Honolulu who was not involved in the case.

Alo-Kaonohi’s attorneys and prosecutors did not immediately respond to emails seeking comment on the ruling.

Aki’s appeal, along with prosecutors’ cross-appeal of Aki’s sentence of about four years, were voluntarily dismissed, according to court records.

Kunzelman’s wife, Lori Kunzelman, told AP Thursday that she is glad prosecutors pushed for a lengthier sentence.

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The Kunzelmans purchased a dilapidated, oceanfront house there sight-unseen for $175,000 because they wanted to leave Arizona after Lori Kunzelman’s multiple sclerosis diagnosis.

“We had vacationed on Maui year after year — loved, loved, loved Maui,” she said, adding that they saw the home as an affordable opportunity that her husband could fix up.

She said the beating of her husband “destroyed my marriage” and his brain injuries led them to go through a divorce. She said her husband was traveling in Europe and unavailable to comment on the ruling.

They still own the property, she said, and do not know what to do with it. “The families there won’t allow anybody to step foot on that property,” she said. “There’s so much animosity.”

The case highlighted struggles between Native Hawaiians who are adamant about not having their culture erased and people who move to the islands without knowing or considering its history and nuanced racial dynamics.

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Central to the case was the use of the word, “haole,” a Hawaiian word with meanings that include foreigner and white person. Dennis Kunzelman testified that the men called him “haole” in a derogatory way.

Attorneys for Aki and Alo-Kaonohi said it was not Kunzelman’s race that provoked them but his entitled and disrespectful attitude.

The Hawaii Innocence Project plans to take up the case, according to Kenneth Lawson, the organization’s co-director. It intends to argue that an ineffective defense did not present for the jury the history of the word “haole” in Hawaii and show it is not a derogatory term.

“I just don’t believe that it’s a hate crime,” Lawson said.

He also said the defense should have called as witnesses white, non-Hawaiian residents who would have testified that they lived in the village without any racial problems.

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Flood watch covers Oahu, Kauai and Niihau through late Monday | Honolulu Star-Advertiser

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Flood watch covers Oahu, Kauai and Niihau through late Monday | Honolulu Star-Advertiser


NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE

Radar shows heavy rain over Oahu earlier today.

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UPDATE: 6:45 p.m.

The flood watch for Kauai, Oahu, and Niihau remains in effect until late Monday night, according to the National Weather Service in Honolulu.

”A cold front stalling over the western Hawaiian islands through Monday will increase rainfall activity across the western half of the state,” the updated flood watch says. “These showers may become locally heavy at times with isolated thunderstorms.”

NWS forecasters said “flood-prone roads and other low-lying areas may be closed due to elevated runoff and overflowing streams. Urban areas may receive more significant flooding and property damage due to rapid runoff.”

Forecasters said that a front that has stalled out near Oahu “will hold its position through the afternoon before moving slowly back to the north and west tonight and Monday. This will bring continued chances for moderate to heavy rain to the western end of the state through tomorrow. “

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They said the chance of rain will decrease Monday night into Tuesday, but returns Tuesday night into Wednesday “as the remains of the current front fuse with a new one and they move back into the western part of the state.”

However, the weather service forecasters note, “Confidence in location is not as high with this next system, as guidance has trended away from bringing it as far east as Oahu.”

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Heavy rain across Oahu today causes localized flooding, including on Queen Street, which which was shut this afternoon between Ward Avenue and Kamakee Street.

3:42 p.m.

The flood advisory of Oahu will expire at 3:45 p.m. today.

Radar indicates that heavy rain has diminished for now, so the flood advisory has been canceled.

Meanwhile, a flood watch remains in effect until 6 a.m. Tuesday for Oahu, Kauai and Niihau.

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2:30 p.m.

A high surf warning has been issued for the west-facing shores of leeward Hawaii island, while a high surf advisory has been issued for the north- and west-facing shores of Oahu, Kauai, Molokai and Niihau, and the north-facing shores of Maui.

A large, medium period west-northwest swell between 290 and 300 degrees is building this afternoon along portions of the north- and west-facing shores. Surf is expected to peak late this evening then gradually lower Monday afternoon.

The high surf warning for leeward Hawaii island is in effect from 6 a.m. Monday to 6 a.m. Tuesday. Expect dangerously large breaking waves of up to 12 feet. Surf will build late tonight and peak Monday afternoon.

“Stay away from the shoreline along the affected coasts. Be prepared for road closures. Postpone entering or leaving channels affected by the high surf until the surf subsides,” forecasters report.

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EARLIER COVERAGE

Oahu is under a flood advisory until 3:45 p.m. today following flooding caused by excessive rainfall.

“Ponding of water in urban areas is likely. Minor flooding on roads, poor drainage areas, and in streams. Some low-water crossings may become impassable,” according to National Weather Service forecasters.

At 12:50 p.m. today, the radar indicated areas of heavy rain developing and traveling northeast of Oahu.

“While there may be a brief lull in rainfall, a larger batch of showers is moving up from the southwest and is expected to impact the island for the next few hours,” according to forecasters.

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Rain was falling at a rate 0.5 to 1.1 inches per hour with the possibility of 2 inches per hour. The entire island of Oahu is expected to experience flooding, according to NWS.

The advisory may be extended beyond 3:45 p.m. if flooding persists.




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Honolulu Marathon kicks off with a rainy start

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Honolulu Marathon kicks off with a rainy start


HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – The JAL Honolulu Marathon kicks off at Ala Moana Boulevard.

Hawaii News Now celebrates the 53nd anniversary of the Honolulu Marathon with a special edition of Sunrise.

We’ll be tracking runners throughout the entire course, sharing heartfelt stories from competitors, and going behind the scenes to spotlight dedicated volunteers — from malasada makers to medical crews — who help make this massive event possible.

Join us for live coverage throughout the 26.2-mile course on Sunday, Dec. 14, starting at 6 a.m. only on Hawaii News Now.

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Click here to track a runner.

Tsegay Weldibanos from Eritrea came in first place in the elite men’s division with a time of 2:13:41.

He beat out last year’s winner by less than a minute.

Tsegay Weldibanos from Eritrea came in first place in the elite men’s division with a time of 2:13:41.

And in the women’s elite division, Calli Hauger-Thackery, from Great Britain, came in first place with a time of 2:30:44.

She also beat out last year’s winner by a tight margin.

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Calli Hauger-Thackery, from Great Britain, came in first place in the elite women’s division with a time of 2:30:44.

For the second year in a row, Kota Hokinoue came in first place for the marathon’s men’s wheelchair division.

For the second year in a row, Kota Hokinoue came in first place for the marathon’s men’s wheelchair division.

The course goes through downtown Honolulu, past Iolani Palace and the Christmas lights, through Waikiki and climbs up and around Diamond Head, before heading out through Kahala and out to Hawaii Kai. Turning back after Hawaii Kai toward Kahala and Honolulu, the course passes Diamond Head again on the ocean side before finishing in Kapiolani Park.

We have live team coverage of the 2025 Honolulu Marathon with reporters throughout the course.



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Celebrations across Hawaii to take place in honor of Sakada Day

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Celebrations across Hawaii to take place in honor of Sakada Day


HILO (HawaiiNewsNow) – Hawaii Island will commemorate the arrival of the first 15 Filipinos to Hawaii back in 1906.

A free Sakada Day Celebration in Hilo will take place on Dec. 20, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. to honor the contributions of the Filipino plantation workers who sparked a wave of migration.

“Filipinos are actually a large group here in Hawaii, lot of times things like this are actually tend to be a little neglected,” said Iris Viacrusis, co-chair of the Sakada Day Celebration.

This year’s event will feature a lei presentation at 9 a.m. at the statue at Keaau Community Center, followed by lunch, entertainment and a presentation to three descendants of sakadas: Sandra Claveria, Lorraine Rodero Inouye and Angel Pilago.

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Two exhibits will also be displayed for guests to learn more about the sakadas — one will feature stories of the sakadas’ legacy and the other will showcase cultural items and clothing from Viacrusis’ collection.

Dec. 20 was proclaimed Sakada Day under Gov. David Ige in 2015.

Event organizers are preparing for next year’s 120th anniversary of the sakadas in Hawaii.

Sakada Day Celebration(UH Hilo)

Meantime, on Oahu, a free Sakada Day Celebration is taking place today, Dec. 13, at Hawaii Plantation Village in Waipahu from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The Philippine Celebrations Coordinating Committee of Hawaii, the University of Hawaii at Manoa Center for Philippine Studies and Filipino Curriculum Project organize the annual gathering, which honors the resilience, contributions, and cultural legacy of sakadas, migrant plantation workers whose hard work, courage, and spirit continue to shape the Filipino American experience today.

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High school students will take part in stage performances, visual presentations, education booths and a fashion show.



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