Hawaii

Tropical vacation accident kills chef who worked at Michelin-starred restaurant

Published

1 year ago

April 3, 2025

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Tropical vacation accident kills chef who worked at Michelin-starred restaurant

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An acclaimed pastry chef was killed by a boulder during a picturesque hike on the Hawaiian island of Kauai, officials said.

Gianna Buzzetta, a 26-year-old from California, was hit by a falling boulder on March 23 as she was exploring the Makaleha Falls in Kauai with her boyfriend, Connor Quinton, the Kauai Fire Department said.

“They heard a really loud noise. [Quinton] looked up, but couldn’t figure out where the noise was coming from,” her dad, Sal Buzzettta, told 10News.

“Within a second, it happened … The rock dislodged from quite a ways up … then it landed on her,” he said.

NEVADA GIRL, 7, KILLED IN LAKE TAHOE SKI RESORT BOULDER ACCIDENT: POLICE

Gianna Buzzetta, 26, was hit by a falling boulder on March 23 as she was exploring the Makaleha Falls waterfall in Kauai with her boyfriend, Connor Quinton. (Buzzetta family)

Due to the remote location, there was no cell service, and Quinton sprinted to find help. According to the Kauai Fire Department, when first responders arrived, they found Buzzetta unconscious at the base of the falls, with labored breathing and heavy bleeding from an apparent head wound.

The chef needed to be airlifted to a local hospital, where she was later declared dead.

Caty Buzzetta, Gianna’s mother, said that Quinton was fulfilling her daughter’s lifelong dream to hike the 5.2-mile round trip hike to the cascading waterfall.

“She had told her boyfriend, Connor, that day, he had fulfilled her dreams, and it was the best day of her life,” Caty Buzzetta told KGTV.

The couple was set to get engaged and start a life together prior to the freak accident, her parents shared.

Gianna Buzzetta, 26, was a rising star at a Michelin restaurant in California. She worked as a pastry chef there. (JEUNE ET JOLIE/Instagram)

Buzzetta was a pastry chef at Michelin-starred French restaurant Jeune et Jolie, in Carlsbad, California. According to an online fundraiser, Buzzetta helped the restaurant achieve three Michelin stars over the years.

VACATION ABROAD TURNS TRAGIC FOR AMERICAN NURSE AFTER ACCIDENT LEAVES HER ‘ALL METAL’

“She was a huge part of the team. Super creative, super talented, incredibly hardworking,” her boss, John Resnick, told Fox 5 San Diego. “Humble, confident — I mean all these things that we want to see in the people we work with. So from that professional talent standpoint, she was incredible… Our whole team loved working alongside her.”

Gianna Buzzetta’s boss, John Resnick, shared how the 26-year-old’s work ethic and talent helped the team work towards success. (John Resnick/Instagram)

In a post on their Instagram page, Jeune et Jolie announced that it is raising funds for Buzzetta’s family by providing a special dinner service.

“Gianna was our former Pastry Chef, and our friend. She brought such joy, intensity, passion and love to this restaurant and to our team,” the restaurant’s team wrote. “Her sudden loss leaves all of us heartbroken, and searching for ways to be of help to her family.”

“And so, we are doing the one thing we know how to do. We are coming together as a restaurant, and welcoming guests in to celebrate the relationships that give our lives meaning,” they said.

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Fox News Digital has reached out to Jeune et Jolie for comment.

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Hawaii

Hawaii lawmakers push for continued tax relief for most families

Published

11 hours ago

April 10, 2026

Press Room

Hawaii lawmakers push for continued tax relief for most families

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – The Hawaii State Legislature is entering the final weeks of the 2025 session with at least one point of agreement: income taxes will continue to decline for most families.

Both the House and Senate rejected the governor’s plan to cancel some tax relief, despite earlier uncertainty about the state’s financial situation.

“So what the Senate’s position is, is we want to make sure that the promises that were made are kept, especially with those families that make $350,000 a year or less,” said Senate Ways and Means chair Donovan Dela Cruz.

House Finance chair Rep. Chris Todd agreed the priority is ensuring ongoing tax relief.

Energy tax credits targeted to offset revenue loss

Continuing to reduce taxes means nearly $2 billion has to come from somewhere else. The Senate Ways and Means Committee voted to eliminate state energy tax credits for things like solar power and electric cars in 2029.

The credits could be saved if the economy improves.

“So this becomes a shared approach. Government cuts, business tax credits, get sunset, and then we’re still charging some of the higher end income brackets,” Dela Cruz said. “Their tax breaks are going to get repealed.”

House proposes tax increase on high earners

The House moved along a redesigned tax package that makes tax credits for spending on child care and food more generous and raises income taxes on families with incomes over $350,000.

“It would provide some ongoing tax relief to low to middle income families, but in return, we would request a 1% tax increase on very high income families,” Todd said.

The financial picture is clearer now, even with flood disaster costs, because of the federal disaster declaration.

“Now the state’s eligible to get reimbursed for a lot of these funds. We’re not sure what it’s going to look like, but that’s going to be positive for us,” Dela Cruz said.

Todd said the state is sitting on a solid reserve, a luxury not many states have right now.

All the proposals from the House and the Senate are now going into conference committee, where the final details will be worked out over the next month.

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