Hawaii
Beloved Hawaii Island teacher, wrestling coach retires after 44 years
HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – Charles Manning was not expecting a hallway filled with screaming students and staff at Pahoa High School last Friday.
“I was in total disbelief and shock and overwhelmed,” said Manning. “I figured, when I opened the door, I’d overlook a courtyard and there’d be a few students and a few teachers.”
It wasn’t just a few. A lot of people came out, some with signs and lei, all to hug the beloved social studies teacher one last time.
“And as it progressed, I can’t tell you how many times I cried, how many students I saw, and even ex-students showed up. It was, it was just overwhelming. I didn’t know what to say,” said Manning.
The 67-year-old is retiring after 44 years at the state Department of Education. He spent 42 of those years in Puna, teaching the proud Daggers and he’s leaving quite a legacy.
“One of my greatest highlights was when I started or helped start the girls wrestling team here at Pahoa High School and in the state of Hawaii,” said Manning.
As wrestling coach in the 1980s, Manning encouraged two girls to be the first in the islands to try the sport.
One of them is the daughter of fellow Pahoa High educator, Iwalani Woo O’Brien.
Sarah Visaya made Hawaii sports history by being the first girl to ever pin a boy on Hawaii Island; an accomplishment that Manning said made front-page news.
“They were powerful coaches who gave my daughter her self worth and self esteem back,” said O’Brien. She recalled Coach Manning and the assistant coach telling the girls, “You can go in there. I know it’s boys, but you can do this.”
Manning’s retirement wasn’t supposed to happen this soon, but a cancer diagnosis shifted his focus on his family. His son was there with him for his last day on campus.
“The school starts to sing the alma mater and that’s where me and my dad both kind of started to cry because we did not expect that,” said Jerricho Manning.
“People would ask me, ‘Well why do you stay at Pahoa?’ and I say because at Pahoa, I can make an impact, and I think I did,” said Charles Manning.
Copyright 2025 Hawaii News Now. All rights reserved.
Hawaii
Flying Between Los Angeles And Hawaii Just Got Dramatically Easier – Islands
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
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.
Hawaii
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:
Copyright 2025 Hawaii News Now. All rights reserved.
Hawaii
Missing Kapolei man found in Waipio, attorney says
HONOLULU (KHON2) — Around 4 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 7, Honolulu Police announced 55-year-old Jonnaven Monalim was missing, and was last seen on Wednesday night, Nov. 5, leaving his home in Kapolei.
But just seven hours after they announced he was missing, HPD was investigating a body that was found off a dirt road in Waipahu (near the Waipio Soccer Complex).
Police said officers had located the body of a man with apparent gunshot wounds.
Michael Green, a long-time family attorney for Monalim, told KHON2 that fingerprints taken from the scene where the body was found confirmed it was him.
“They took fingerprints of the body, and they’ve identified it as Jonnaven,” attorney Michael Green said.
“When I hear about bodies being found where they’re doing fingerprint identification, instead of photograph or in-person identification, it’s a rage issue or a payback issue,” explained Green.
Green says the family was not asked to identify Monalim in person or with a photo.
“When they decide not to photograph the face, for identification it shows rage or payback, and I’m not saying who they’re paying back for, and I’m not saying what people were raged about – whether it’s a money debt or something else, or I pay you back for something they think you did in the past – I can’t answer that, but it’s not the first time I’ve seen fingerprint identification where they could not take pictures of the face,” Green said.
On Thursday, Nov. 6, there was heavy police presence in the Pearl City industrial area where Monalim’s girlfriend told Green that Monalim’s hearing aid was found with a bullet casing and a pool of blood.
Monalim has a criminal record dating back to the 1980s. He was the key witness in the high-profile 2004 Pali golf course shooting trial after he wore an FBI wire that secretly recorded a conversation. That recording ultimately led to his cousin Rodney Joseph Jr. and Ethan “Malu” Motta to being sentenced to life in prison without parole.
Green said Monalim had disagreements with other individuals over the years.
“He was a street guy, and he would have been smart enough not to meet a particular person without protecting himself,” Green said. “My guy was not the kind of guy that would just walk around and meet people in the middle of the night; he had to trust the person and feel that he was safe.”
“He never would have gone to meet anybody if he had the slightest concern about his safety, but he certainly, if it was a one-on-one, he trusted the person with his life and he made a mistake apparently,” he added.
Green believes police finding the body in the middle of nowhere means one thing.
“They [police] knew where they were going, so somebody gave up somebody,” he added.
Police have not confirmed any arrests and are deferring identification of the body to the medical examiner. Police will also not say if Monalim’s missing persons case is still active.
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