“Chicken-skin” storyteller Lopaka Kapanui grew up around old Hawaiian legends and ghost stories from his family, and says he’s always been sensitive to spirits. In the 1990s, he was introduced to Oʻahu’s original chicken-skin storyteller, Glen Grant, and his ghost tours. Since Dr. Grant’s passing, hear how Kapanui has taken up the mantle of local ghost storytelling as a way to communicate and educate.

Hawaiʻi needs 300 primary-care doctors statewide, according to an annual report evaluating the Islands’ growing doctor shortage. More than 500 specialty doctors also are needed. The shortage is greatest on the Neighbor Islands, especially on the Big Island, where the situation is described as critical.

Hear from Alice Inoue, the founder of Happiness U, as she reflects on how her curiosity and entrepreneurial nature led her on an untraditional path to her current position of helping others find their life’s purpose.

It’s a stunning statement: Suicide is the leading cause of injury-related death in Hawaiʻi. Health officials report that an average of 190 people take their own lives each year. The reasons stem from depression, significant life changes and the trauma of abuse. Nearly a thousand other individuals survive a suicide attempt.

Climate Change: Is Hawaiʻi Prepared? Intense rain events inflicting extensive damage and record flooding; active hurricane seasons that keep residents on edge; coastal erosion imperiling highways and homes; extreme droughts that hurt agriculture and fuel dangerous wildfires – these are natural events that experts say are linked to climate change.

From early on, Kristi Yamaguchi possessed a drive that propelled her to gold medal honors in Olympic figure skating for the U.S.A. She went on to become a professional ice skater, author and philanthropist. Hear how her childhood lessons set the stage for who she is today.

Should Hawaiʻi Increase Regulations on Vaping? More State lawmakers are viewing electronic cigarettes as a threat to public health, especially among youth and young adults.

For more than 30 years, Pam Chambers has built a reputation as “Hawaiʻi’s presentation coach.” Yet this former wallflower says nobody who knew her in her youth would have predicted it. She reveals how a turning point in her career helped her blossom as a public speaker.

Hawaiʻi continues to report one of the lowest monthly unemployment rates in the country – a little more than 2%. Many open positions in the market means that job seekers can be picky, especially in the retail and hospitality sectors.

This special edition features stories created by HIKI NŌ students that were submitted to the national Student Television Network (STN) competition in the News Feature category.