Star Alameda, wife of Hawaii County mayoral candidate Kimo Alameda and a career educator, died Friday. She was 54.

According to Kimo Alameda’s Facebook page, Star Alameda was found unresponsive Friday morning.

“She was my strongest supporter and advisor. Our rock and backbone of the family. Our hearts are all super sore,” Alameda said on Facebook.

“Valiant efforts by family and Hawaii County EMS personnel were unable to revive her. Dr. Kimo would like to thank our Hawaii County EMS and the countless friends and family who have reached out to share their aloha,” the page said. “The Alameda ‘Ohana is in deep mourning and asks for continued prayers as they mourn her loss.”

The Alamedas have seven children and a grandchild. According to Star Alameda’s Facebook page, she was a reading specialist at E. B. deSilva Elementary School, was formerly a special education teacher at Moanalua Intermediate School in Honolulu, studied business education at the University of Hawaii at Manoa and graduated from Hilo High School.

The outpouring of condolences on social media was immediate.

“My deepest condolences to Kimo and ohana on your sudden loss our prayers are with you during this difficult time,” said former Hawaii County Prosecutor Jay Kimura.

“May the Lord surround you, Kimo (and) the rest of your ‘ohana with his love as you go through this very painful (and) difficult time,” posted kumu hula Puanani Crumb.

“So sorry for your loss Kimo. We had immense respect for Star,” posted businessman and farmer Richard Ha. “June and I would like to offer You and your Ohana our deepest sympathy!”

“There are no words to convey that adequately express my shock, condolences and prayers for your family. I am so sorry to hear the news,” wrote Bobby Jean Leithead Todd, retired longtime public servant.

“Sending love and prayers to all of you,” said Pomai Bartolome, executive assistant to and campaign chairman for Mayor Mitch Roth, the incumbent Kimo Alameda is challenging in this year’s election. Also having filed papers for the mayor’s race are Breeani Kobayashi and Jr. Tupa‘i.

Funeral arrangements are pending.

Email John Burnett at jburnett@hawaiitribune-herald.com.

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Ever since the news of its cancellation, fans have wanted to know whether NCIS: Hawai’i was ending for good or if it could be renewed or picked up by another network like other ended CBS dramas.

NCIS: Hawai’i was CBS’ NCIS spin-off following a fictional team of Naval Criminal Investigative Service agents at the Pearl Harbor Field Office, as they investigate crimes related to military and national security. The series is led by Jane Tennant (played by Vanessa Lachey), the first female Special Agent-in-Charge of the NCIS: Hawai’i Field Office.

NCIS: Hawai’i was CBS’ fourth NCIS franchise series following the original NCIS; NCIS: Los Angeles; and NCIS: New Orleans. It was followed by NCIS: Sydney, as well as the upcoming spin-off, NCIS: Origins. NCIS: Hawai’i ended on May 6, 2024, after three seasons, but fans still haven’t lost hope that series could be saved. So is NCIS: Hawai’i ending for good? Read on for what we know about the chances the NCIS spin-off could find another life.

Is NCIS: Hawai’i ending for good?

Is NCIS: Hawai’i ending for good? The answer is yes. NCIS: Hawai’i was canceled by CBS in April 2024 after three seasons, and unfortunately, it won’t be picked up by another network, as  source told TVLine in May 2024 that NCIS: Hawai’i is not being shopped elsewhere.

CBS Entertainment President Amy Reisenbach also confirmed to Variety at the time that there isn’t a chance of an “un-cancellation” for NCIS: Hawai’i, unlike other CBS series like S.W.A.T., which was uncanceled twice.

As for the reason for NCIS: Hawai’i cancellation, Reisenbach told the magazine that the decision had to do with finances, as well as CBS’ upcoming schedule, which includes NCIS’ upcoming spin-off, NCIS: Origins, a prequel following young Leroy Jethro Gibbs (played by Mark Harmon in the mother series.) An upcoming NCIS spin-off featuring Michael Weatherly’s Tony DiNozzo and Cote de Pablo’s Ziva David is also in the works at Paramount Plus.

Following NCIS: Hawai’i‘s cancellation, star Vanessa Lachey, who played Jane Tennant, shared an emotional note on her Instagram expressing her gratitude for the series.

“Forever your Sweet Jane… This was the same spot where I filmed episode 1. I sat here at 2am on June 2021 and stared into the ocean,” she captioned a photo of her sitting on the beach in Hawaii “I asked her to protect me, my family, my crew and our show. I told her we will do all we can to protect the grace and integrity of Hawai’i while also sharing her Beauty with the world. As I sat here today, knowing our show is over, I turned to her again… what do we do now….(please protect us all) She answered with ease. Just as the air hits the water & the water hits the land, the waves connect to the shore, some with a huge impact, then… it goes back out. You see… we aren’t meant to be here forever, we are on borrowed time.”

She continued, “We appreciate what was given to us for our use, we nurture it and then we leave it better for the next dreamer. I’m wishing for my crew and my cast that we all remember the Beauty of what we had… we will spread this Aloha in every direction we go. I wish we had more time, I’m sorry we don’t. I wish we had a proper good-bye, I’m sorry we didn’t. I know we ALL are connected deeper than any TV show.”

She concluded her post, “I will go to the ends of the earth for my cast & crew! If you come across ANY of them… hire them! You won’t be disappointed. Salt of the earth people! In Hawai’i we don’t say “Good-Bye”, we say “A Hui Hou” it means “until we meet again”. To you all & especially the beloved fans… A Hui Hou. ❤️ Love Always, Your Sweet Jane.”

NCIS: Hawai’i is available to stream on Paramount Plus.

For more on NCIS, eheck out who the cast is married to or dating in real life in the gallery below. 

The oceanic paradise of Hawaii may be one of the most popular vacation destinations in the United States, but the proliferation of short-term vacation rentals such as Airbnb and Vrbo are pricing locals out of the housing market.

Last week, Gov. Josh Green (D-HI) signed legislation that will make it easier for local governments to reform housing rules in order to limit the amount of short-term vacation rentals in a state. In pledging support for the bill, Green said the rentals are “illegal” and “contribute to skyrocketing housing costs.”

Hawaii far outpaces any other state in the nation for housing affordability. The median monthly rent for an apartment exceeds $2,000, while the sticker price to buy a single-family home regularly exceeds $1 million. A family of four requires an annual income well into the six figures in order to live a comfortable life.

As Green pointed out, vacation rentals such as Airbnb and Vrbo have been a significant contributor to the increase in housing costs, and nowhere has that had more devastating effects than on the island of Maui, where wildfires destroyed more than $5 billion in property and displaced thousands of people last year.

In 2023, Maui had just over 71,000 housing units, but of those, more than 9,000 are tied up as short-term vacation rentals and are unavailable to locals in need of long-term housing, according to a report from the University of Hawaii. The same report found that out-of-state buyers accounted for 27% of all housing transactions for single-family homes and 49% of condominium transactions. The influx of out-of-state buyers has turned 15% of the island’s housing supply into vacation homes.

More than 5,000 Maui residents are still displaced and without homes 8 1/2 months since the wildfires. As much as this story is a tragic indictment of the response to this disaster, the state of the housing market and the market incentives in place on the island cannot be absolved of responsibility for the fact that so many people are still being forced to live in hotel rooms they will never be able to call home.

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As much as Airbnb and Vrbo have created an attractive and affordable new way to spend a vacation, removing thousands of homes from the housing market has a very real social cost that can prevent thousands of people from achieving the stability that owning a home provides.

Hawaii will always be a preferred vacation spot for people all over the world, so any new homes that are built will be at risk of being scooped up by wealthy investors from the mainland who have no intention of living there but hope to cash in on the state’s enduring appeal to vacationers. By cracking down on short-term vacation rentals, Hawaii is taking a small step toward ensuring that the people who live on the islands have a place to call home.