Good evening, Hawaii. Here are the main stories we've been following today: 

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Gusty trade winds last into Friday before eventually weakening this weekend. It will be mostly dry and stable through the end of the week with isolated showers favoring windward and mauka areas. Moisture levels increase this weekend through early next week leading to higher rain chances and lighter trades, allowing afternoon sea breezes to develop.

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Today's Big Stories

1. Congressional delegation condemns Department of Education cuts

Hawaii’s Congressional delegation assailed the Trump administration this week following the termination of nearly 1,300 U.S. Department of Education employees, roughly half the department’s workforce. 

The administration had publicly discussed its intention to dismantle the department as part of its overall plan to reduce the size of the federal government and shift the responsibility of admininstering education to individual states.

The firing prompted the department to close its Washington, D.C., headquarters on Wednesday due to unspecified security concerns.

“The Department of Education supports low-income students and students with disabilities, prevents discrimination in the classroom, and ensures access to afterschool and summer programs, while supporting important services like school lunch for kids in need,” U.S. Sen. Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii, said in a statement released on Wednesday. “Core to the Department’s mission is ensuring access to quality education for every student in our nation. Donald Trump’s cruel effort to gut the department from the inside out will wreak havoc on schools and communities across the country, leaving students, educators and families paying the price.

At a media availability on Wednesday, Trump defended the firings, saying education secretary Linda McMahon retained “the very best” and cut “the people that aren’t working or aren’t doing a good job.”

Trump said he ultimately intends to have states assume full responsibility for education.

While outright abolishing the department would require an act of Congress, Hirono said Trump has already taken steps to undermine its functions by cutting funding and downsizing its personnel. She noted that the administration has already cut $600 million in grants for teacher training programs and ended nearly $900 million in contracts overseen by the department’s Institute of Education Services, which gathers and disseminates data on teaching practices and the status of U.S. student achievement.”

U.S. Rep. Jill Tokuda, D-Hawaii, framed her criticism of the cuts in decidedly personal fashion on social media.

“As a proud public school graduate & the mom of kids in public schools, this is the most disgusting DOGE cut yet,” she posted.

U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, acknowledged problems within the education system but said the cuts would only make things worse.

“Over a third of kids in America lack basic reading skills and Donald Trump’s response is to gut the Department of Education and our public schools,” Schatz said. “Clearly our education system needs fixing so that every child in America can get the world-class education they deserve. But the solution is not to pull funding and resources from local schools and tell families to figure it out themselves.”

2. Kalapawai roundabout project: Phase 8 completed, Phase 6 begins Thursday

The city’s Department of Transportation Services announced Wednesday that Phase 8 of the Kalapawai roundabout project has been completed.

With its completion, traffic can now exit Lanikai via Kalaheo Avenue, the detour through Kailua Beach Park has ended, and parking is once again available in the Kailua Beach Park parking lot makai of Kalapawai Market. Parking restrictions on Lanikai loop have been lifted, though regular three-day weekend restrictions remain in place.

Initially delayed due to water line conflicts, Phase 6 of the project commences Thursday, March 13, and will be completed by mid-April, weather permitting.

3. First skatepark on Lanai opens March 29

The first-ever skatepark on Lanai will open on March 29, with a blessing ceremony and party. 

A blessing ceremony for Lanai Skatepark and Lanai Youth Center will take place at 11 a.m.

Maui County Department of Parks and Recreation Director Patrick McCall and Maui County Councilmember Gabe Johnson will speak at the ceremony. 

After the blessing, One Love Skate will host a skate jam with music, games, contest and prizes.

The skatepark and youth center result from a collective vision, shaped by community input, supported by County leaders, and brought to life via Bowers and Kubota Consulting, California Skateparks, F&H Construction, Maui Architectural Group Inc. and DPR’s Planning and Development Division.

4. Kahuku alum Cha'lei Reid takes spring swing at role with Hawaii women's volleyball team

As the Hawaii women’s volleyball team begins to figure out what it can be come August, Cha’lei Reid has already made herself part of the calculation.

Reid, a 6-foot hitter out of Kahuku High, was as involved as any pin hitter in the Rainbow Wahine offense in two spring exhibition matches against Arizona State on Monday and Tuesday night at the Stan Sheriff Center.

The early college enrollee from Laie tallied a team-high eight kills against eight errors as UH, with brand-new pieces in key positions, struggled to get established against the reigning Big 12 champion Sun Devils, a 30-3 team last fall. The Devils handled the Wahine in straight sets on Tuesday night, 25-22, 25-15, 25-13, before UH captured a goodwill fourth set 25-19.

“It’s definitely a big shift from the speed of everything,” Reid, a former Honolulu Star-Advertiser and ScoringLive all-state selection, told Spectrum News afterward. “Today was definitely off for us, and especially for me, but I think us as a team, we’ll just come together and bounce back. These past couple days, it’s been surreal. It’s been nice to just have that opportunity.”

Coach Robyn Ah Mow must replace two multi-year mainstays of the UH attack, the graduated Big West Setter of the Year Kate Lang and Big West Player of the Year Caylen Alexander, who transferred to Missouri.

Reid spent the last six months preparing for early graduation and enrollment into a program that went 21-10 and extended its NCAA Tournament qualification streak, but with a first-round sweep loss to TCU, touching off a series of offseason questions.

“She's just young, you know, young,” Ah Mow said of Reid. “I thought she did okay with coming in — she still should be in high school. She's got power. She's just got to be a little bit more aggressive, I think, and that that'll come.”

Ah Mow coached Reid for a few years at the club level. She said the spring reps can only help her, as they did at this time last year for defensive specialist Victoria Leyva, who became a lineup regular as a true freshman and will compete for libero this year with Cal State Fullerton transfer Leilani Lopez.

“She's definitely going to be one to watch,” the coach said of Reid.

Click on the link above to see more photos of Hawaii-Arizona State spring volleyball.

Hawaii freshman hitter Cha'lei Reid (13), a Kahuku High graduate, received a serve against Arizona State in a spring exhibition match at the Stan Sheriff Center on Tuesday night. (Spectrum News/Brian McInnis)

5. DOH issues alert for enoki mushrooms due to possible Listeria contamination 

The Hawaii Department of Health's Food and Drug Branch issued an alert Wednesday for MYY Trade Co. brand enoki mushrooms because of potential Listeria monocytogenes contamination.

These products were sold at Palama Supermarket stores in a 7.05-ounce (200g) clear and blue plastic package with UPC 8 809201 000039 and lot code 136 ①, printed next to the UPC.

The DOH Laboratory Preparedness and Response Branch and FDB discovered the potential Listeria monocytogenes contamination after conducting a routine food sampling and analysis, which is funded by a U.S. Food and Drug Administration federal grant. The FDB selects and collects certain food products to test for microbiological contaminants. 

The FDB spoke directly with Palama Supermarket and product distributors to ensure the affected products are no longer available for sale. 

As of Wednesday, no one has reported adverse effects from the mushrooms.

Your Notes for Tomorrow

Friday, March 14 

• Latest deadline for new funding deal to avert U.S. Government shutdown
• U.S. Chamber of Commerce discussion on tariffs and economic trends