News briefs for Aug. 28: July unemployment, ‘Choice for Peace,’ new chefs, Rainbow Warriors, Kanahele remembered, digital learning and much more
Hawai‘i July unemployment at 2.7%; nonfarm jobs increase by 1,200
Hawai‘i Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism reports the state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 2.7% in July, slightly more than 2.6% in June. There were 672,500 people employed and 18,350 unemployed last month throughout the state for a total seasonally adjusted labor force of 690,900 statewide. Nonfarm jobs increased by 1,200, or 0.2%, compared with July last year.
Total nonagricultural jobs decreased by 500 in July compared with July 2025. Job gains were recorded in Leisure and Hospitality (+300); Private Education and Health Services (+200) and Information (+100), with employment unchanged in Other Services. Job losses occurred in Financial Activities (-200), Manufacturing (-300), Construction (-400), Trade, Transportation and Utilities (-400) as well as Professional and Business Services (-400). Government employment increased by 600 jobs.
The not-seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for the state in July was 2.9% compared with 3.2% in June. Seasonally adjusted unemployment was 4.1% in July nationwide, a slight decrease from 4.2% in June.
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September free Brown Bag Lunch Series talk: ‘The Choice for Peace’
Nonprofit Ku‘ikahi Mediation Center will host the next installment of its free monthly “Finding Solutions, Growing Peace” Brown Bag Lunch Series from noon to 1 p.m. Sept. 17 via Zoom. Speaker JoYi Rhyss, founder of The Practice Center and AIdedEQ, will present “The Choice for Peace: Intention, Attention, Meaning, Attitude & Response.”
The talk — rooted in attitudinal healing and mindfulness — will explore how individuals and organizations can move from reactive patterns to deliberate, heart-centered responses, transforming how they show up in conflict.
Register online and get the Zoom link to participate. Contact Ku‘ikahi Mediation Center at 808-935-7844, extension 3, or via email at shelby@hawaiimediation.org for additional information.
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Rainbow Warriors to hit gridiron with new jersey patch featuring iconic Hawaiian Airlines logo
University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa football will debut a new look on the gridiron for the team’s season opener Aug. 29 at Stanford, as players take the field with the iconic Hawaiian Airlines Pualani logo proudly displayed in a patch on their Rainbow Warrior jerseys. The new patch also coincides with the university’s first season as a full Mountain West Conference member.
The historic collaboration celebrates in a new way and builds on the deep partnership between University of Hawaiʻi Athletics and longtime supporter Hawaiian Airlines that spans more than three decades. Hawaiian Airlines also continues as the team’s exclusive charter airline. Pualani on the football jerseys reflects a deep shared pride in the team and is a visible symbol of shared commitment to student-athletes and the people of Hawaiʻi.
Managing the new marketing sponsorship are Hawaiʻi Sports Properties and Honolulu-based and leading college athletics media and technology company Learfield, whose executive vice president said Hawaiian Airlines and University of Hawaiʻi Athletics are the perfect match for this groundbreaking jersey patch partnership. It was also announced that First Hawaiian Bank will be official jersey patch sponsor of Rainbow Wāhine volleyball and Rainbow Warrior basketball.
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Office of Hawaiian Affairs remembers former administrator, trustee Kamaki Kanahele
Office of Hawaiian Affairs joins ‘ohana, friends, students and community of Kamaki Kanahele III in mourning his death and honoring a lifetime devoted to well-being of the Hawaiian people and all of Hawaiʻi. He was 81 years old when he died at the end of July. Trustees joined the Kanahele family and community to pay their respects, presenting a memorial wreath in gratitude for his distinguished service
Kanahele served the office as its first administrator, helping provide direction and substance to the kuleana entrusted to the institution. He returned to serve from 1990 to 1994 as a trustee-at-large on the Office of Hawaiian Affairs board. Kanahele in both capacities embraced the office mission to build a strong, healthy and thriving Native Hawaiian people and nation.
He was a traditional Hawaiian healer and served for many years at Dr. Agnes Kalanihoʻokaha Cope Center for Traditional Native Hawaiian Healing, named for his mother Aggie Cope, at the Waiʻanae Coast Comprehensive Health Center. Cope Center perpetuates traditional Hawaiian practices, and Kanahele’s leadership helped preserve that ancestral knowledge and ensured it would be responsibly passed to future generations.
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Hilton Waikōloa names new executive chef, welcomes new chef de cuisine of Kamuela Provision Company
Daniel Palumbo is new executive chef at Hilton Waikōloa Village in Waikōloa, appointed to lead culinary operations throughout the Kohala Coast resort, including its restaurants and lounges, banquets, special events and culinary teams. Andy Nonog III also joins the resort culinary leadership team as new chef de cuisine at Kamuela Provision Company
Palumbo has more than two decades of experience spanning luxury hospitality and fine dining. He most recently served as executive chef at a Kaua‘i luxury resort. His background also includes restaurant openings, large-scale events and experience in award-winning New York City fine dining kitchens. He previously served as a foodservice specialist in the U.S. Army at Schofield Barracks on O‘ahu and studied at The Culinary Institute of America before continuing his education in agriculture and plant science at Rutgers University.
Nonog brings more than a decade of experience in Hawai‘i’s food and beverage industry to one of Hilton Waikōloa Village’s signature dining experiences at Kamuela Provision Company. He built his career in culinary leadership roles at luxury resorts around Hawai‘i Island, with experience spanning menu development, team leadership and large-scale events. Nanog will lead Kamuela Provision Company’s kitchen operations, oversee menu development and guide the culinary team in delivering elevated dining experiences centered on quality, consistency and locally sourced ingredients. He has an associated degre in culinary science from The Art Institute of California, San Diego.
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Hawaiʻi Island police thank community for successful Fill a Cruiser food drive
Hawaiʻi Police Department Kona and Hilo Community Policing Sections extend a heartfelt mahalo to the Big Island community for making their Fill a Police Cruiser Kōkua Food Drive on Aug. 20 an overwhelming success. The special event was hosted at three locations — Kona Costco and Walmart as well at Hilo Safeway.
The extraordinary generosity of the island community resulted in more than $48,879 in monetary donations and 14 tons-plus, or 28,856 pounds, of food collections. All donations went directly to The Food Basket — Hawai’i Island’s Food Bank to support Hurricane Lala relief, assisting families and communities in need around the island. Fundraising and food collection goals were exceeded because of contributions from businesses, organizations and individuals.
Every dollar donated and pound of food collected will help provide much-needed assistance to those around the island who need it the most and have a lasting impact because of the community’s commitment and support for its neighbors and friends.
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Big Island state Sen. Lorraine Inouye urges feds to reject American Samoa deep-sea mining proposal
Hawaiʻi Senate Majority Whip Big Island state Sen. Lorraine Inouye, who also is chairperson of the Senate Transportation Committee and vice chairperson of the Senate Water, Land, Culture and the Arts Committee, is urging officials in Washington to reject a proposal that could open federal waters offshore American Samoa to commercial deep-sea mineral mining, citing significant scientific uncertainty, potential irreversible environmental damage and importance of protecting the Pacific Ocean for future generations.
The proposal calls for potential mineral lease sale in waters of the U.S. territory. U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, an agency within U.S. Department of the Interior, proposes to have the lease sale Nov. 19. In a letter to the bureau, Inouye expressed strong opposition to the proposal.
She urges the bureau to withdraw the proposal and refrain from issuing commercial leases unless the agency can demonstrate deep-sea mining can proceed without causing lasting environmental, cultural or socioeconomic harm. Inouye wrote that protecting the deep sea reflects a responsibility to safeguard the ocean that has sustained Pacific Island communities for generations through investments in recycling, innovation and resource management while still meeting a growing demand for critical minerals.
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Hawai‘i credit unions celebrate 90th anniversaries with $90K-plus donation to Hawai‘i Foodbank
Hawai‘i Credit Union League announced that island credit unions marking their 90th anniversaries this year turned the milestone into a broader investment in the community, helping lead a 7-credit-union effort that raised $93,350 for the Hawaii Foodbank.
Hawai‘i State Federal Credit Union, HawaiiUSA Federal Credit Union, Aloha Pacific Federal Credit Union and Hawaiian Financial Federal Credit Union launched the initiative earlier this year to commemorate 9 decades of serving members and communities. Hawai‘i Federal Credit Union, Hawai‘i County Employees Federal Credit Union and Hawai‘i First Federal Credit Union joined the effort following an invitation from Hawai‘i Credit Union League.
The contribution will support a new Hawai‘i Foodbank project to strengthen disaster readiness and response while building community resilience. It also supports a philosophy of people helping people Hawai‘i credit unions have had since the 1936 founding of Hawai‘i’s credit union movement, which now includes 45 credit unions serving more than 881,000 members throughout the state.
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Free online digital learning workshops planned this weekend for parents, families
Digital literacy can be a major barrier to parents understanding and helping their children to safely navigate and optimize an ever-changing digital environment. Thatʻs why nonprofit Parents for Public Schools of Hawaiʻi is offering free online workshops designed for parents and family members who help care for students. All families are welcome.
Workshops are scheduled for Aug. 29-31 via Zoom and cover topics such as digital learning and living; social media, mental health and safety; and navigating technology and artificial intelligence innovations. The sessions provide up-to-date resources and valuable research-based insights into digital technology. Parents and family members of students in kindergarten through 12th grade should and are encouraged to attend.
Part 1 is scheduled for 3 to 4 p.m. Aug. 29, followed by Parts 2 and 3 from 7 to 8 p.m. Aug. 30 and 31, respectively. All three sessions are online. Those who want to attend should register online. Eamil to events@ppshi.org for additional information.
