Hawaii
Kolekole Pass cleared for emergency evacuations out of West Oahu
HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – The Kolekole Pass is officially allowed to be used as an evacuation route in the event of an emergency on West Oahu.
U.S. military and civilian officials signed an updated official memorandum of understanding Wednesday, opening Kolekole Pass for emergency use.
The first document was signed just prior to July 29, 2025, when Hawaii faced a tsunami warning, and the pass was opened for West Oahu residents to evacuate.
Nearly 500 vehicles made their way through the pass that day as many evacuated the Leeward Coast, officials said.
Maj. Gen. James Batholomees, U.S. Army Commander, Hawaii, was joined by his counterparts from Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam and the state Department of Transportation officers for Wednesday’s signing.
Batholomees said he took command the day before the tsunami warning.
“The next day, the first order that I had the blessing of giving was in conjunction with the Navy opening the pass during the tsunami,” he said.
Kupuna from the Leeward Coast also attended the signing, saying they were happy for a much-needed secondary route in the event that Farrington Highway is shut down.
Leeward Coast resident William Aila recalled when Farrington Highway was closed for 11 days due to Hurricane Iwa in 1982.
“We need an opportunity to bring in first aid, to bring in food, and to bring in other emergency supplies,” said Aila.
Officials say they are committed to conducting a mass evacuation rehearsal using Kolekole Pass every year.
Ed Sniffen, director of the state Department of Transportation, said it’s the key to a successful activation to use the route.
“The road is safe,” said Sniffen. “When we rode through this, and we did this twice with large operations, the road is safe.”
He added, “That being said, there are improvements that we still want to make.”
HDOT continues to work with the U.S. Army and U.S. Navy on upgrading the roadway, which may total $20 million in improvements.
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Hawaii
Video in Hawaii doctor’s trial shows moments after wife alleges husband tried to kill her
Hawaii
Green requests federal disaster declaration for storm assistance – Hawaii Tribune-Herald
Gov. Josh Green on Tuesday asked President Donald Trump to declare a major disaster to help Hawaii recover from the back-to-back Kona low storm systems, with the hope that the federal government will provide up to 90% in funding.
The first storm hit on March 10, followed by a second Kona low on Thursday that the governor’s office said brought “catastrophic flooding, landslides, infrastructure damage and emergency evacuations across multiple islands.”
“These storms have impacted every county in our state and stretched our emergency response capabilities,” Green said in a statement Tuesday. “This request is about getting our communities the support they need to recover quickly and safely.”
If approved, Trump’s declaration would trigger the Federal Emergency Management Agency to provide support for residents in the form of housing assistance, disaster unemployment assistance, crisis counseling and legal services.
There would also be federal funding for debris removal, emergency protective measures and permanent repairs to roads, bridges, utilities and public facilities.
Green also hopes for federal assistance to strengthen infrastructure and reduce the risks of future disasters across the state.
The storms knocked down trees, and triggered mudslides and rockfalls that blocked highways, isolated communities and disrupted emergency access statewide.
The first storm caused more than $400 million in damage, followed by the second, which, combined, is expected to exceed more than $1 billion in damage.
Otake Camp in Waialua was hit especially hard, and the Hawaii National Guard continues to help with debris removal and clearance operations, along with National Guard recovery and emergency operations statewide, Green’s office said.
“The scale of damage we are seeing — from washed-out highways to overwhelmed water systems — makes clear that federal partnership is essential,” Green said in his statement. “We are doing everything we can at the state and county level, but this is exactly the type of event where FEMA support is critical.”
On the North Shore, water “buffaloes” have been deployed in Waialua, Haleiwa and at Sunset Elementary to provide drinkable water.
The state and city have also set up a mobile clinic at Haleiwa’s Ali‘i Beach Park, while Kaiser Permanente has also deployed a mobile clinic to Kula on Maui to help patients from Kula Hospital who had to evacuate because of storm damage.
Hawaii
Doctor’s wife testifies he beat her with rock, tried to force her toward cliff edge during hike
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A Hawaii doctor’s wife testified Tuesday that he beat her with a rock and tried to push her over a cliff during a birthday hike, telling jurors she feared she would die.
”He’s trying to kill me,” Arielle Konig testified she screamed during the alleged attack, according to ABC News.
Konig testified against her husband, anesthesiologist Gerhardt Konig, who is accused of attempting to kill her during the March 24, 2025, incident on Oahu’s Pali Puka Trail.
He has pleaded not guilty to second-degree attempted murder.
SURGEON IN OHIO DENTIST DOUBLE MURDER ALLEGEDLY USED FAKE ADDRESSES TO DODGE LAWSUITS: ‘HE JUST DISAPPEARED’
A split image shows the Pali Puka hiking trail on Oahu, Hawaii, and Gerhardt Konig, who is accused of attacking his wife during a hike. (iStock; Honolulu Police Department)
Arielle Konig told jurors the couple had traveled from Maui to celebrate her birthday and work on their marriage after what she described as “flirty” messages with a colleague.
She said the hike turned violent when her husband suddenly grabbed her by the arms and began forcing her toward the cliff’s edge.
”I’m so f—ing sick of this s—,” Arielle Konig testified he said as he pushed her, per the outlet.
Arielle Konig testified she threw herself to the ground and held onto nearby vegetation as her husband tried to move her closer to the edge.
She said she then saw him holding a syringe and moving to use it.
”Hold still,” he allegedly told her, she testified, adding that she knocked it away.
She told jurors her husband then picked up a rock and began repeatedly striking her in the head.
”I just started screaming, because in my mind, he’s trying to knock me unconscious, to be able to drag me over the edge,” she told jurors.
Hawaii doctor Gerhardt Konig appears before a judge via video during an arraignment hearing in April 2025 in Honolulu. (AP Photo/Marco Garcia)
She said she continued yelling for help, telling the court she believed she was fighting for her life.
Two hikers eventually came upon the scene and called 911.
”There’s a man trying to kill her,” a caller said, according to audio previously played in court.
Arielle Konig testified that her husband stopped when the hikers appeared, allowing her to crawl to safety before he fled the area.
Gerhardt Konig then fled the scene on foot, sparking a manhunt before police arrested him later that evening, according to the Honolulu Police Department.
HUSBAND CHARGED IN PREGNANT PHYSICAL THERAPIST WIFE’S MURDER AFTER GIVING POLICE A DIFFERENT STORY
She testified her husband struck her as many as 10 times with the rock and said she did not lose consciousness.
She was later hospitalized with severe scalp lacerations and showed jurors scarring on her head.
Defense attorneys pushed back on that account during cross-examination, with defense attorney Thomas Otake questioning Arielle Konig about what both sides described as an “emotional affair,” suggesting the incident stemmed from a confrontation between the couple, according to ABC News.
Gerhardt Konig is charged with attempted second-degree murder after he allegedly tried to kill his wife while hiking in Hawaii. (Gerhardt Konig/Facebook)
Otake argued the encounter was an ”unplanned, unanticipated scuffle,” not an attempted murder, and suggested Arielle Konig hit him with the rock first during an argument over what both sides described as an “emotional affair,” according to ABC News.
Arielle Konig disputed that characterization during her testimony.
”I would call it an attack versus a scuffle,” she told jurors, according to ABC News.
Arielle Konig moved to end the marriage in May 2025, filing for divorce and seeking sole custody of the couple’s two young children.
Her husband has remained in custody since his arrest, and a judge last month rejected his bid to have the indictment thrown out.
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Konig has been suspended from his work as an independent contractor at Maui Memorial Medical Center, according to a Maui Health representative.
Fox News’ Julia Bonavita and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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