Hawaii
VIDEO: North Hawaii Hospice Holds Lantern Floating Ceremony
Image from video courtesy North Hawaii Hospice
(BIVN) – The annual floating lantern ceremony was held Sunday evening at the Fairmont Orchid. It was a chance for participants to honor and remember loved ones who have passed.
The event was organized by North Hawaii Hospice, and was free and open to all ages.
“The goal is to honor and remember those who have passed, in a group setting,” said North Hawaiʻi Hospice executive director Faye Mitchell. “We get to share in our grief, but also in our joy about the people that we’ve loved and who are no longer with us.”
“We have traditional hula and taiko drummers, and we have prayers from different faiths in our community,” Mitchell explained. “When people come, they have a lantern paper which they get to decorate and write messages for their loved ones. And then they put that lantern paper onto a base, and at sunset we helped them light a candle in that lantern. And so everyone is at the bay with their lantern and floating it out on the water in the bay, all together, by the time it’s dark. So it’s beautiful.”
Mitchell explained that the mouth of the bay is narrow and blocked by floating noodles, while volunteers on kayaks keep the lanterns from drifting into the ocean.
“North Hawaii Hospice offers many services to our community that start well before the end of life,” Mitchell said. “We offer support to the families and patients, of course, of those who are facing a serious illness.”
Image from video courtesy North Hawaii Hospice
“I am an organizer of this event, but I am definitely also a participant,” Mitchell said. “I lost my son Geno in February of this year. He was 24 years old. I have to say, one of the key things I learned from the experience is that grief shouldn’t be kept to myself.”
“We have a group at Hospice that is for anyone who is grieving, and I attended that group right after my son passed,” Mitchell said. “I have to say it’s probably the single most important thing that I did to get through it. There’s something about sharing your grief with others who know what it’s like. So that’s why I share it even now, with everyone watching, because if … you’ve lost someone you’re not alone, and if you share this experience with others you’d be surprised how many people have gone through this. It’s so much better not to be alone in this. I couldn’t have done it by myself.”
Gov. Josh Green today issued a statement regarding a federal lawsuit challenging the eligibility requirements within the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act.
“The Hawaiian Homes Commission Act was established to address the historic dispossession of Native Hawaiians and reflects a longstanding commitment to them by both the federal government and the state of Hawaiʻi,” said Green.
“This lawsuit threatens that commitment. I have directed the Department of the Attorney General to vigorously defend the Hawaiian Homes program. We will fight this lawsuit with everything we have,” he said.
The lawsuit was filed by Eric Ryan, an Oʻahu resident who is not Native Hawaiian and tried to apply for a lease, but was denied due to the 50% Native Hawaiian blood quantum requirement, according to Hawaiʻi News Now and court documents published at Courthouse News Service.
The Class Action Complaint argues that the “explicitly ancestry-based requirement” establishes a “permanent government mandate for state officials to engage in outright racial discrimination, perpetuates stereotypes, and limits housing opportunities for most Hawai‘i residents. The blood-quantum requirement thus violates the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment and the Due Process Clause of the Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution,” the complaint alleges.
Green said the administration “stands firmly with the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands and the thousands of Native Hawaiian beneficiaries who rely on this program and its promise for future generations.”
Attorney General Anne Lopez also issued a statement saying the state of Hawaiʻi has both a legal and moral obligation to uphold the commitments embodied in the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act.
“This lawsuit seeks to dismantle a program that has provided opportunities, stability and hope to generations of Native Hawaiian beneficiaries,” said Lopez.
Solicitor General Kalikoʻonālani Fernandes, who has extensive experience handling complex constitutional litigation on behalf of the state, will lead the legal team in defending the state against the challenge.
“We are prepared to vigorously defend the Hawaiian Homes program and the promises it represents,” said Lopez.
Under the Green administration, the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands has accelerated the delivery of homestead opportunities and expanded pathways to homeownership for Native Hawaiian beneficiaries.
In 2025 alone, DHHL offered more than 2,500 lease awards and continues to advance major housing projects, including Hale Mōʻiliʻili on Oʻahu, which will provide 278 affordable rental units for beneficiaries.
“These efforts reflect the administration’s commitment to reducing wait times, strengthening Native Hawaiian communities and fulfilling the promise of the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act,” according to the governor’s announcement.
HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – Concrete fell from the exterior of an Ala Moana Center parking structure Monday afternoon near the Kapiolani Boulevard exit, damaging a vehicle.
No injuries were reported.
Security blocked an exit lane as debris scattered across the roadway. Ala Moana Center said they are grateful no one was hurt, and the lane will remain closed while structural engineers and construction professionals assess the damage and make repairs.
Copyright 2026 Hawaii News Now. All rights reserved.
Hawaii
Hawaii weather: USGS revised 4.6 magnitude earthquake off Kona coast, south swell, passing showers
-
Oklahoma2 minutes agoOne injured in auto-pedestrian crash in northwest Oklahoma City
-
Oregon7 minutes agoWoman dies after falling into Devil’s Punchbowl on Oregon coast
-
Pennsylvania14 minutes agoHalf of child deaths left unreviewed in Pennsylvania since 2020 as counties struggle with ‘unfunded mandate’
-
Rhode Island17 minutes agoHe grew up in the kitchen. Then he rewrote the menu, and the future of his parents’ restaurant – The Boston Globe
-
South-Carolina22 minutes agoHere’s when, where you can vote in South Carolina 2026 primary election
-
South Dakota29 minutes agoSchedule, prediction for 2026 South Dakota softball state tournament
-
Tennessee32 minutes agoTennessee AMC theater worker, 85, receives $146K from strangers for retirement after viral video
-
Texas37 minutes agoPeanuts, beans and more: Texas Roadhouse discontinued these menu items
