Jim Mendoza
Reporter
Honolulu, HI
This might not sound politically correct for a journalist, but I've never had a "love affair" with news. I love God and my family.
But I am passionate about my craft and driven to excel. That's all the motivation I need.
August 16, 1977, was the day Elvis died. It was also my first day on the air at a tiny radio station.
I was so nervous my voice cracked and I couldn't breathe. I survived.
That's where my journey started. I'm still going.
I have interviewed celebrities and criminals, politicians, and people on both sides of the track. I've learned something from all of them and the learning continues.
News events affect and involve people. I'm a people person. It's a perfect fit.
Jim is an Emmy Award winning journalist who has garnered recognition for outstanding reporting from the Society of Professional Journalists. At KGMB9 he has worked as news anchor/reporter and as sports anchor/reporter. He attended Kailua High School and the University of Hawaii, where he earned a degree in Broadcast Journalism.
Samson Sky created the Switchblade flying sports car, a sleek three-wheeled vehicle that can sprout wings at the push of a button and take to the air.
Sean Pagett may not have a household name, but in Kona, they know exactly who you’re talking about when you say the word “Peaman.”
Experts say athletes perform at their best when they’re at peace in their personal lives.
The Greenbergs are forever grateful.
“Hearing all the stories from all the old-timers and realizing how much of an impact he gave to all these people, that’s when I started realizing, ‘Dang! I’m really lucky and blessed to be a part of this family and legacy,’
“When you look at someone’s art, you feel something instantly," he said. "That’s how I judge the success of my art.”
Corvid Academy, a small private school in Kapolei, is doing something that’s way out of the ordinary.
Public school educator Donna Fisher marches to a very different drum.
“We believe that RiseHI is a tool to help them take that step, to feel empowered and feel like they actually can live and thrive in Hawaii,” he said.
The man-made snow breaks are shaped to resemble ocean waves from Lopez’s favorite surf spots. He even gives them names.
Michelle discovered striking similarities between the combat art and hula.
Pearl Ridge Elementary School’s aquaponics garden is a hands-on learning space where students grow plants and vegetables, and it’s the foundation for a cool community service project.
The business is called Bizia Surf and Coffee Bar because the boards it makes and sells are all crafted from albizia wood.
Raphael turned what some may view as an impediment into a source of inspiration for others who stutter and stammer.
If Zoe wins the $20,000 grand prize, she knows exactly how she’ll spend the money. “Absolutely invest in something that is not a bicycle,” she said.
The youth learned songs and skits based on the camp’s theme, which was Be My Own Superhero.
Schools, businesses, and community groups have scattered about 80,000 genki balls, with a goal to spread 300,000 throughout the Ala Wai by 2026.
When Lydia and Andy Pender visit their 97-year-old neighbor, Derel Peart, they share pizza and beer and settle in for what they call “dinner and a show.”
And there’s a large variety. One month it might be a tree, the next a shrub or a ground cover.
The annual competition challenges students to apply Science, Technology, Engineering and Math to real-world issues facing their communities.
“In creating this story, I was hoping to give them something that they would able to identify with and enjoy reading.”
“Through this film, people will get that insight into this very personal life,” executive producer Mike Lum said.
He learned his craft in the UH Esports program, first as a student.
If you’ve never heard of Nanea TV, you should check it out.
Former University of Hawaii standout and Canadian Football League quarterback Bryant Moniz is still involved in football, but not as a player. He now runs a youth organization that’s right in his wheelhouse as a father and family man.
A small group of supporters saw a need to preserve the friendly isle’s history in a place locals could be proud of, so they created the project.
“It’s a really unique perspective that you don’t get when you just watch animals from a boat.”
As a baker, Michelle Hoy creates cool-looking cakes. But she’s also an artist, who makes edible master pieces out of flour and frosting.
This is the first time the museum has brought in a curator who is dedicated specifically to one cultural group.
The central character in the true-life story is Douglas Wada.
Hawaii’s comic book creators have teamed up to produce a series of comics called Maui Strong. The anthology will raise money for disaster relief on the Valley Isle.
Not that long ago, Emily Faith Kubowski thought she would lose her little daughter, Elowen, to the ravages of rat lungworm disease.
This superfan hasn’t missed a University of Hawaii football home game in 16 seasons.
During the bombing of Battleship Row, he helped load his ship’s anti-aircraft guns.
Never Quit Dreaming is a non-profit that started sports for SPED youth in 2014 with a soccer program that drew only two families and three players.
Some items are burned beyond repair, but the reactions from those he is able to help exceed mere gratitude.
“I’ve had my stuff in the FIFA ‘23 video game, NBA video games, Disney+ movies, Microsoft commercials, even a Superbowl commercial with Von Miller and Pizza Hut,” he said.
The movie was shot on Oahu.
Shawn Ishimoto is an amazing guitarist. He’s blind and his playing style looks unorthodox with the guitar laying flat on his lap.
The money the foundation raises from the beautifully decorated instruments will help musicians on Maui whose lives and livelihoods were impacted by August’s wildfires.
“I love people,” he said. “That’s exactly why I’m part of the organization.”
For the first time since the August fires, Old Lahaina Luau’s dancers will perform again, but not on the Valley Isle.
“My mama actually called her my North Star. She teaches more than I think any of these professors can."
The Roosevelt bleachers had a long life in the gym — and now they’re born again.
From Hawaii to Texas, father and son superfans drop everything to catch their favorite baseball team
While Texas and Houston battle for American League bragging rights, a father and son from Oahu are rooting for a Rangers win.
The 29-year-old is a professional teacher of parkour, a training discipline that challenges the body and mind.
It was a game that stunned the basketball world.
Her life was like something out of a movie.
“I stopped chasing money 30 years ago when I started doing this, and I really found my place. I feel blessed."
The show will go on, but it’s a matter of location.
