Happy
Honolulu
Tuesday, October 21st, 2025
Good morning, Honolulu. Here's your local news at a glance for Tuesday, the 21st of October.
COMMUNITY NEWS
- ➤ Aloun Farms in Kapolei kicked off its 23rd Pumpkin Fall Festival over the weekend and will run on the last two weekends of October plus the first weekend of November from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.—offering pumpkin picking, signature sweet corn and string beans, family rides, a petting zoo, tractor hayrides and a farmers market with proceeds benefiting local nonprofits and school programs. Hawaii News Now
ACCIDENTS NEWS
- ➤ Rescue crews resumed their search Monday morning for the missing paddler off Kailua — officials requested any tips to help locate him. Teams continue to monitor water conditions and will update plans as the situation develops. Hawaii News Now
ECONOMY NEWS
- ➤ Last year, Hawai‘i businesses and nonprofits reported revenue gains, adding 5,500 jobs and surpassing pre-pandemic levels with strong increases in nonprofit and construction sectors. Economists warned that rising tariffs, federal funding cuts and new policies will likely lead to a mild recession with slower growth in tourism and energy — shifting the business landscape ahead. Hawaii Business
EDUCATION NEWS
- ➤ The Miss Hawaii Volunteer Program empowers young women through education, leadership and service as part of a national scholarship initiative—Miss Hawaii Volunteer 2025 Asianna Saragosa-Torres explained her accomplishments. The program will hold the Miss Hawaii Volunteer 2026 competition on November 15. KITV
- ➤ Hawaii celebrated the opening of its 100th public pre-kindergarten classroom at Maunawili Elementary School in Kailua led by Lieutenant Governor Sylvia Luke as part of the Ready Keiki initiative. The classroom serves up to 20 keiki and boosts statewide early learning access, with public pre-K programs tripling since January 2023+ officials said. Hawaii News Now
- ➤ Students for Fair Admissions filed a lawsuit challenging Kamehameha Schools’ race-based admissions policy — claiming it harms families and is illegal. Kamehameha Schools said it will defend its policy and rally supporters at an ʻAha Koa gathering at ʻIolani Palace today at 10:00 a.m. Hawaii News Now
GOVERNMENT NEWS
- ➤ Honolulu’s new 5.2-mile Skyline rail segment carried 61,968 passengers in its first four days as it connected key stops including Daniel K. International Airport—paid and free rides both drew high numbers. City officials plan to boost daily ridership to 25,000 with this expansion—linking major employment centers and transit hubs for improved commutes. Honolulu Star-Advertiser
- ➤ A WalletHub report ranked Hawaii second among states affected by the ongoing government shutdown, with about 900,000 federal employees furloughed and nearly 700,000 working without pay. The shutdown—caused by disputes over spending limits and health care subsidies—has slowed operations at agencies including the IRS, Department of Education and CDC and is costing the economy roughly $400 million per day. Hawaii Free Press
- ➤ The state Commissioner of Securities Ty Nohara fined Teapresso Bar LLC $100,000 for franchise law violations after issuing 26 franchises without proper disclosures between December 2016 and July 2021 — the company must now stop offering new franchises in Hawaii and may request a hearing within 30 days. Honolulu Star-Advertiser
HEALTH NEWS
- ➤ About 300 union workers at Kapiolani Medical Center for Women and Children have been on strike since Friday due to unfair labor practices and low wages. Hospital administrators said they are ready to return to the bargaining table—union members report that poor communication and an inflexible contract have prolonged the dispute. Hawaii News Now
SPORTS NEWS
- ➤ Hawaii-born NFL quarterbacks Gabriel and Tagovailoa made history by starting against each other in the NFL — marking the first time two players from the islands have faced off as starters. Hawaii News Now
- ➤ Egan Inoue is a world champion in Brazilian jiu-jitsu and mixed martial arts from Honolulu—he began training in Manoa at age 4 and later won a racquetball world championship. He retired from fighting in 2008 and now runs Egan’s Fitness with his wife, which celebrates its 15th anniversary this year. Hawaii News Now
TODAY'S FOOD FOR THOUGHT
The first rule of any kind of progress: showing up.
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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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