Julianne Chu is crowned Miss Hawaii USA

A dream long in the making came true Sunday when Julianne Chu was named Miss Hawaii USA 2018 at the Hawai‘i Convention Center. It was the fifth time she had run for the title. Her persistence paid off.

“When they got down to (announcing) the final two, I honestly thought I had lost, and when they called my name I was so overwhelmed. I feel like I’m in a dream right now,” Chu said shortly after receiving her winner’s sash and tiara. Chu won the title of Miss Hawaii Teen USA in 2010, but winning the adult title had come to seem an impossible dream.

Last year she was fourth runner-up. This year she won the title and was the winner in the swimsuit category as well.

Among those cheering her on was her younger sister, Miss Hawaii 2016 Allison Carol Nanea Chu.

What was the winning edge this year? Chu said she decided to open up about her childhood — her parents are divorced — and let this year’s judges “see who the real Julie Chu is.”

“I think people already know who I am, but in my personal interview I told them how my childhood was not a typical childhood, and so I showed them how far I’ve come to get where I am. I’m really thankful that I was able to show my heart on the stage.”

Chu hopes to become the first Chinese-American Miss USA.

Ellise Kakazu was first runner-up for the second year in a row. Second runner-up was Celine ‘Tali” Silva. Elizabeth Pualani Armstrong was third runner-up. The fourth runner-up spot went to Michaela Spaulding.

Kakazu also won the evening gown category and was voted Miss Photogenic. Armstrong won the interview category. Silva was voted Miss Congeniality.

Kauai

Assistant police chief under investigation

Kauai’s assistant police chief has been placed on unpaid leave amid an internal investigation.

State Organization of Police Officers President Tenari Ma’afala says Roy Asher will remain on leave until the investigation is finished.

Ma’afala says Asher is temporarily stripped of all police powers, meaning he was to turn in his badge, guns and other equipment.

Ma’afala would not comment further on the investigation.

Attempts to contact Asher did not get a response. Hawaii News Now reports that the investigation could be the result of a complaint made against Asher from inside the department.

Hawaii island

Retiring police officers will leave 20 jobs to fill

KAILUA-KONA >> Officials are expecting more than 20 vacancies with the Hawaii Police Department by year’s end due to retiring officers.

Officials addressed the Hawaii County Police Commission on Friday, saying that in the next month there would be close to 20 retirees, including eight ranking officers, West Hawaii Today reported.

Officials in September said more than 55 officers had enough time on the force that they could retire.

Assistant Chief Marshall Kanehailua said the number of retirements is unusual and the department will have to recover from them.

“We’re going to lose some really, really good officers,” he said.

Kanehailua attributed the retirements to large recruitment classes 25 years ago.

Maj. Samuel Thomas projected there will be 21 to 23 vacancies near the end of 2017.

“We’ve seen this cycle happen many a time,” said Thomas, who has been with the department for 35 years. “When the economy is real poor, then we’ll get a lot of applicants. … At one point we had 100 vacancies for sworn officers. We only caught up when the economy went bad.”

The department is working to fill the current vacancies by focusing on recruitment and the upcoming 87th class.