Happy
Honolulu
Tuesday, May 19th, 2026
Good morning, Honolulu. Here's your local news at a glance for Tuesday, the 19th of May.
COMMUNITY NEWS
- ➤ Every Skyline rail ride taken tomorrow will give $1 per ride to the Boys & Girls Club of Hawaiʻi’s Great Futures Day campaign supporting local youth programs in Honolulu. Riders join a community effort to help children in need. KITV
CULTURE NEWS
- ➤ Families and community members will remember fallen soldier Army Spc. Kevin Wessel at the Shinnyo Lantern Floating observance on Monday, May 25 at Ala Moana Beach. Organizers expect 6,000 lanterns to be released at sunset as a heartfelt tribute for loved ones. Hawaii News Now
EDUCATION NEWS
- ➤ UH Mānoa will host nine high school commencement ceremonies starting Monday at Waipahu High School + drivers should expect heavy traffic around campus over the next two weeks. KITV
- ➤ The John A. Burns School of Medicine graduated 79 new doctors yesterday, with more than half entering primary care specialties & aiming to ease Hawaii’s doctor shortage. KITV
ENVIRONMENT NEWS
- ➤ Hawaiian Airlines held a blessing on Monday at Daniel K. Inouye International Airport for its new electric baggage tractors + belt loaders and aircraft pushback tractors. The new fleet, replacing 112 older units, moves the airline closer to reducing fossil fuel use and lowering maintenance costs. Hawaii News Now
- ➤ Hawaii’s clean-air plan to cut haze from oil-burning plants was blocked by the EPA Friday, delaying efforts to protect air quality around Hawaii Volcanoes and Haleakala national parks. Local environmental groups said the decision may affect tourism and community health as they plan legal challenges. Hawaii News Now
GOVERNMENT NEWS
- ➤ Honolulu's annual Memorial Day ceremony at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific will honor 75 years of fallen service members. City organizers still need volunteers to sew 38,000 lei, with lei-making events scheduled at Honolulu Hale, Kapolei Hale, and other locations. Hawaii News Now
- ➤ A new report from the University of Hawaii Economic Research Organization says expanding the state's childcare tax credit could boost workforce participation by helping families afford care (despite ongoing provider capacity issues). Lawmakers are debating proposals for increased credits amid rising cost-of-living pressures. Hawaii Tribune-Herald
HEALTH NEWS
- ➤ Local musician Jonathan Hoʻomānawanui (Nā Hōkū Hanohano Awards finalist) shared his stroke survival story on Monday, May 18 to encourage residents to recognize stroke warning signs and act quickly. KITV
- ➤ Honolulu EMS personnel were promoted at a ceremony on Monday at Mission Memorial Auditorium as part of National EMS Week — off-duty supervisor Joanna Tumbaga performed CPR on a flag football player two days before her promotion. Hawaii News Now
LIFESTYLE NEWS
- ➤ World champion surfer Carissa Moore announced her new Moore Aloha Hurley Collection on Monday. The collection (inspired by her Hawaii upbringing) features versatile swimwear and apparel (designed for comfort and performance) available on Hurley’s website. Hawaii News Now
SPORTS NEWS
- ➤ Hawaii’s men’s volleyball team clinched its third national title in six years with a strong win in Los Angeles - local reporter Billy Hull rewatched the match three times to relive the victory. Hawaii Tribune-Herald
- ➤ Former UH football great Chad Owens, inducted into the UH Circle of Honor (and a member of Canadian Football League and Polynesian Football halls), reflects on his journey from walk-on to record-setting playmaker. He remains an inspiration for players and fans in Honolulu. Hawaii News Now
- ➤ 16-year-old Kona native Asher Moore will compete in the ADCC Youth World Championships in Texas this summer. The world-ranked jiujiteiro is also a two-time state surfing longboard champion and a national champion. Hawaii Tribune-Herald
TODAY'S FOOD FOR THOUGHT
The beauty of a living thing is not the atoms that go into it, but the way those atoms are put together.
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Reveal the authorAbout Happy Honolulu
Welcome to the Happy Honolulu, your community newsletter that's anything but snooze-worthy, packed with positive, impactful local news + events across the Honolulu, Hawaii community. If you like the Happy Honolulu, support us by subscribing to our email newsletter and sharing us with your friends and family in Honolulu.
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