Good morning, Honolulu.

Joann Norberte launched a GoFundMe for her Pahala parents after Hurricane Lala flooded their home nearly two weeks ago + damaging 500 coffee trees at JN Coffee Farms, and local community members helped clear debris as the resilient couple plans to rebuild their home and business.

On Friday, the rebuilt Pahinui Pavilion in Waimanalo reopened to honor the late musician Gabby (Pops) Pahinui and serve as a new space for community events.

The facility features concrete benches and will finish electric work and grass maintenance by year-end.

In July, visitor spending hit $1.99 billion and arrivals reached 883,248, up 1.1 percent over last year — though the average stay dropped to 7.59 days.

Gains from U.S. West, U.S. East, Japan, and Canada offset a 9.1 percent decline from other international markets.

Sixty Assets High School students are building a new playground for Assets K-8 this week on the school’s Honolulu campus, replacing a 32-year-old play area.

The school is also receiving a $500,000 donation to create a new performing arts studio for students with learning differences.

The Hawaiʻi Board of Land and Natural Resources voted Friday to reject a proposal to resume commercial aquarium fish collection in West Hawaiʻi - citing legal concerns and a need to protect Native Hawaiian practices.

The department will now review alternatives during the public rulemaking process.

Hawaii has secured $18.5M in federal funding to improve power grid resilience from wildfires, hurricanes and other natural disasters.

The funds will support five major projects, including Critical Customer Hubs, on Maui, Oahu and Hawaii Island as part of a $25M investment initiative.

New York Governor Kathy Hochul pardoned Sae Joon Park, a Purple Heart veteran who self-deported from Hawaii in June 2025.

He will now begin challenging his removal order even though the pardon does not automatically allow him to reenter the U.S.

The Hawaiʻi Department of Health is offering counseling and mental health support for residents coping with trauma from Hurricane Lala — services will be available at local clinics statewide as recovery efforts continue.