Hawaii

Alex Giroux's flawless relief guides Hawaii baseball in CSUN series opener

Published

2 years ago

May 4, 2024

Alex Giroux's flawless relief guides Hawaii baseball in CSUN series opener

HONOLULU — It could take something close to perfection for the Hawaii baseball team to rally its way back into the Big West Conference title race over the next few weeks.

For at least one night, Alex Giroux was game.

Giroux tossed five flawless innings of relief – at one point striking out six batters in a row – and Jordan Donahue gave the Rainbow Warriors just enough to work with offensively in a 3-2 series-opening win over Cal State Northridge at Les Murakami Stadium on Friday night.

UH (27-15, 10-9 Big West) surged back above .500 in conference play with its season-best sixth straight victory and ended the nine-game winning streak of CSUN (28-15, 14-5), which got knocked out of a first-place tie.

The ‘Bows dugout was abuzz after Giroux set down all 15 batters he saw.

“That was unreal. That was one of the best performances I’ve ever seen,” said Donahue, who delivered two hits in two-out situations to drive in all three UH runs. “That was huge. We needed that big time.”

Said coach Rich Hill, “Oh my gosh, yeah, there’s not the proper adjectives to describe what he did tonight. What was it, six strikeouts in a row, eight strikeouts total? Didn’t give up a baserunner. That’s a first-place team that can really hit. Man, stunning performance.”

Giroux (5-2), the right-handed junior from Lake Oswego, Ore., came out for the start of the fifth after freshman Sebastian Gonzalez made his second start and gave up six hits and two runs (one earned) over four innings. UH had a one-run lead thanks to Donahue’s single to left-center to score Naighel Ali‘i Calderon in the fourth.

“Everything felt good. Ball was coming out of my hand really well, it was going where I wanted it to,” Giroux said. “I really had confidence in all my pitches today.”

In particular command was his cutter, which he throws in the low 80s.

“It was probably the best it’s been all season, throwing it as hard as I could and it was finding places where they weren’t touching it,” he said. “I was able to throw my sinker off that, get the outside corner, got a couple guys looking. Kind of had everything going. It was a good night.”

From the last out of the fifth to the first two outs of the seventh, Giroux set down Matador batters at the plate.

He had two comparable outings last year, his first season at UH as a transfer from Washington: five innings of hitless relief with one walk, a hit batsman and one strikeout at Tony Gwynn Stadium in San Diego; and four innings of relief against UC Santa Barbara with nine strikeouts and no walks at the Les.

The latter was the closest night he could remember to Friday.

It was the second time in 2024 that UH pitchers struck out at least 12 batters without issuing a walk.

With three teams – CSUN, UC Irvine and UC Santa Barbara – with five losses or fewer in Big West play, UH still has plenty of work to do to either get close to the leaders or put itself in position for consideration for an NCAA at-large bid.

“If we make a run, maybe we get into range. Maybe we win it,” Hill said. “All I care about is tomorrow night.”

Game 2 of the series is 6:35 p.m. at Les Murakami Stadium. Members of the 2024 class of the UH Sports Circle of Honor will be introduced on the field before the first pitch.

Third baseman Elijah Ickes made the catch on a CSUN foulout in front of the UH dugout. (Spectrum News/Brian McInnis)

Naighel Ali‘i Calderon sprinted to first base on a bunt attempt in the bottom of the eighth. (Spectrum News/Brian McInnis)

Brian McInnis covers the state’s sports scene for Spectrum News Hawaii. He can be reached at brian.mcinnis@charter.com.

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Office of Hawaiian Affairs says governor rushing deal over military training lands

Published

3 hours ago

November 12, 2025

Press Room

Office of Hawaiian Affairs says governor rushing deal over military training lands

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – The Office of Hawaiian Affairs is demanding a seat at the table as Gov. Josh Green works to negotiate new military training land leases with the federal government.

OHA Chair Kai Kahele said there is time to bring the public and Native Hawaiians into the process, despite the governor’s concerns about federal condemnation of the properties.

The Army secretary said he wanted to settle new training leases in Hawaii by the end of the year. Green has interpreted this as a threat that the federal government might take the properties unilaterally.

OHA calls for meaningful participation

“Native Hawaiians want a seat at the table, and it’s very important that Native Hawaiian voices are part of, not just discussion in an advisory capacity,” Kahele said Tuesday morning on Hawaii News Now Sunrise.

Green returned from meetings with the Trump administration in October with plans to have a negotiating team in place by now. He has already outlined a $10 billion list of demands in return for new leases.

“I don’t want the federal government to act unilaterally and doing a taking,” he said on Oct. 21. “I don’t want them to condemn our lands, I want them to go through the regular process, but I have heard from them directly that they intend to take the opportunity because of national security concerns.”

We sit down with OHA Chair Kai Kahele and Hawaiian Council CEO Kuhio Lewis on the importance of the effort.

Timeline concerns

Kahele questioned the short timeline, noting the current leases don’t expire until 2029.

“It seems that this fear and notion that condemnation is not only possible but inevitable is what seems to be the driving all of these decisions, which are rushed,” Kahele said.

In a letter, Kahele said the “compressed timeline sidelines both the OHA and the general public—who have rights to notice and participation … and the Legislature.”

Kahele pointed out the U.S. Senate has already drafted a negotiating process in the in National Defense Authorization Act that would last until 2031. Congressman Ed Case is involved in drafting that legislation in the U.S. House.

“I’ve been involved in this myself in terms of trying to fund out of appropriations, a process by which people would at least discuss it with each other,” Case said. “But it’s absolutely critical that everybody feel that they had a say in it.”

Governor’s response

The governor’s office issued a statement saying “The Governor will be convening an advisory group made up of key community members and Native Hawaiian leaders, including OHA, over the next two weeks.”

Kahele said OHA wants more than an advisory role.

“We do not want to be a token advisory group that does not have a seat at the table and is not taken seriously and does not have a vote,” Kahele said.

Native Hawaiians and OHA have leverage in the situation because the state constitution requires they be considered, consulted and compensated for any use of lands that were part of the overthrown kingdom.

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Flying Between Los Angeles And Hawaii Just Got Dramatically Easier – Islands

Published

22 hours ago

November 11, 2025

Press Room

Flying Between Los Angeles And Hawaii Just Got Dramatically Easier – Islands

Vadym Terelyuk/Getty Images

Frequent flyers know that Los Angeles International Airport can be a nightmare to navigate. But for most SoCal residents planning trips to Hawaii — especially those interested in direct flights on major airlines like Delta and American — passing through LAX is a necessary evil. Luckily, there’s good news for travelers considering an island getaway in 2026. Thanks to Alaska Airlines’ new service from Hollywood Burbank Airport (BUR) to Honolulu’s Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL), set to launch in May 2026, the trip is about to get dramatically easier.

“Hollywood Burbank Airport is honored to be selected by Alaska Airlines as the next Southern California gateway to my home state,” said John Hatanaka, the airport’s Executive Director, to local television station KTLA. “Our mahalo nui loa (‘thank you very much’) to Alaska for making our hope of having air service once again to Daniel K. Inouye International Airport a reality.” Hatanaka’s statement refers to the fact that direct flights once existed between the two airports. More than two decades ago, between 2002 and 2005, Aloha Airlines flew the route, though service was discontinued when the struggling airline filed for bankruptcy. (In 2008, the company folded.)

Fast-forward to 2024, when Alaska Airlines acquired Hawaiian Airlines, expanding services throughout the region and establishing Honolulu as the company’s second-largest hub. The stage was set for a roll-out of more flights to the islands. “By the joining of these two airlines, a stronger company will emerge and offer more travel options for Hawai’i residents and local businesses,” predicted Hawaiian governor Josh Green.

Alaska Airlines announces new direct service to Honolulu

Markus Mainka/Shutterstock

Alaska Airlines announced direct flights from Burbank to Honolulu in October 2025, and the news has been widely well-received. After all, Hollywood Burbank is already a favorite among L.A. residents. It’s one of the least crowded airports in the country, and it’s conveniently located to both the Valley and downtown. Compared to LAX, the airport offers cheaper parking options and shorter security lines. And improvements are coming in 2026: Burbank’s modernized terminal will feature upgraded seating areas and enhanced dining options, all set to be unveiled in October.

The new service will streamline the experience of flying from L.A. to Hawaii. Alaska Airlines travelers currently spend about ten hours making the trip from BUR to HNL, as the itinerary includes stops in hubs like Portland or Seattle. But on upcoming direct flights, the trip will last around six hours. Though introductory fares have yet to be publicized, travel experts suggest that flights between the two airports will likely cost $199 to $299 each way, at least during the introductory period.

There’s hardly been a better time to plan an escape from L.A., and it doesn’t hurt that Honolulu’s airport, considered one of the best airports in America for winter travel, is a gateway to tropical paradise. From there, you can hop on a shorter flight to one of the islands, or stay closer to the city and enjoy these amazing experiences you can only have on O’ahu.

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Episode 36 of Kilauea’s eruption ends with fountains reaching up to 1,000 feet

Published

2 days ago

November 9, 2025

Press Room

Episode 36 of Kilauea’s eruption ends with fountains reaching up to 1,000 feet

HAWAII VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK (HawaiiNewsNow) – After just over five hours, the latest episode of Kilauea’s eruption began and ended Sunday.

The U.S. Geological Survey said episode 36 began at around 11:15 a.m. with fountains from the north vent that reached about 500 feet high, while fountains from the south vent were about one-third as high.

At around 3:35 p.m., USGS said the south vent remained up to 1,000 feet high, but began dropping at around 3:48 p.m.

The eruption ended at around 4:16 p.m., and USGS said it 10-11 cubic yards of lava that covered over half of the crater.

USGS said episode 36 was preceded by over 180 lava overflow-drainback events at the north vent on Nov. 3, with the south vent following the next day.

According to the National Weather Service, winds are blowing from the northeast, and the USGS believes volcanic gas emissions and material may be distributed to the southwest of the summit of Kilauea.

Shortly before 12:30 p.m., the Hawaii County Civil Defense Agency said ashfall and tephra are likely to affect the Kau district.

Officials recommend that those with respiratory sensitivities take extra precautions to minimize exposure.

CDA advises drivers to be cautious on the road as visibility may be reduced.

Watch episode 36 here: