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Swimming, surfing in waters near Hawaii wildfire site is safe, officials say

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Swimming, surfing in waters near Hawaii wildfire site is safe, officials say

Hawaii authorities say coastal waters off the wildfire-stricken town of Lahaina pose no significant risk to human health and it’s safe to surf and swim there.

The state Department of Health announced the decision Thursday after reviewing water sampling test results collected by groups including University of Hawaii researchers, the Surfrider Foundation and the state Department of Land and Natural Resources.

Authorities are continuing to limit access to some coastal areas off the Maui town’s burn zone as the cleanup from the Aug. 8 wildfire continues, and recreation won’t be allowed in these places.

MAUI WILDFIRE REPORT DELAYED DUE TO SUBPOENAS OF COUNTY AGENCIES

Officials have been telling residents and visitors to limit their exposure to waters off Lahaina ever since the deadly fire destroyed the historic town. They’ve also told people to avoid eating fish from Lahaina’s waters. The department’s announcement didn’t address the safety of eating fish and other marine species.

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An aerial view shows destroyed homes and buildings that burned to the ground around the harbor and Front Street in the historic Lahaina Town in the aftermath of wildfires in western Maui in Lahaina, Hawaii, on August 10, 2023. (PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images)

Lahaina’s waters are popular with surfers, swimmers and snorkelers. Before the fire, tour companies would often take snorkelers to see coral reefs off the town. Since the fire, tours have been frequenting West Maui reefs to the north or south instead.

The department said it was particularly interested in test results for metals because of their elevated concentrations in wildfire ash and the possibility that rain and runoff could carry them into the ocean.

Measurements taken by University of Hawaii included assessments of nutrients, metals and carbonate chemistry. The Surfrider Foundation tested for metals and polyaromatic hydrocarbons, which are a class of chemicals occurring naturally in coal, crude oil and gasoline.

The state analyzed harbor sediment samples for metals, dioxins, total petroleum hydrocarbons and other contaminants.

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Scientists say there has never been another instance of a large urban fire burning next to a coral reef anywhere in the world. They are using the Maui wildfire as a chance to study how chemicals and metals from burned plastics, lead paint and lithium-ion batteries might affect delicate reef ecosystems.

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Oregon

Oregon Ducks Turn Heads With More NFL Rookie Minicamp Invites

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Oregon Ducks Turn Heads With More NFL Rookie Minicamp Invites


Two days after the 2026 NFL Draft ended, Oregon Ducks offensive lineman Matthew Bedford accepted an invite to the New Orleans Saints’ rookie minicamp, and punter James Ferguson-Reynolds to the New York Giants’ rookie minicamp, according to The Oregonian’s James Crepea.

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Bedford started his college career with the Indiana Hooisers and Ferguson-Reynolds with the Boise State Broncos before transferring to Eugene, Oregon.

Offensive Lineman Matthew Bedford

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Oregon’s Matthew Bedford sings the song “Shout” during the Oregon Spring Game at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon. | Chris Pietsch/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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Across his two seasons with Oregon, Matthew Bedford only played eight of the 29 games played after suffering a left knee injury in the fall of 2024.

He was set to be the starting right guard and was only on the offensive line for 84 total snaps during his time with the Ducks.

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Punter James Ferguson-Reynolds

Nov 8, 2025; Iowa City, Iowa, USA; Oregon Ducks kicker Atticus Sappington (36) kicks the game-winning field goal as punter James Ferguson-Reynolds (46) holds late during the fourth quarter against the Iowa Hawkeyes at Kinnick Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images | Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

James Ferguson-Reynolds, a native of Geelong, Australia, came to the United States in 2020. He was named an Associated Press Third Team All-American in 2023.

In his senior season with Oregon, Ferguson-Reynolds punted 35 times for 1,470 yards, averaging 42.0 yards per attempt. The leftie had 17 punts inside the 20-yard line and six punts of 50-plus yards, with a long boot of 58 yards.

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Below are the four other Ducks that will be looking for a shot at a spot at an NFL training camp and an opening-day roster spot.

Running Back Noah Whittington

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Nov 29, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; Oregon Ducks running back Noah Whittington (6) carries the ball against the Washington Huskies during the first half at Husky Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images | Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

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Noah Whittington is headed to the Houston Texans as an undrafted free agent, per CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz.

The Ducks’ leading rusher from the 2025 season was an All-Big Ten Conference Honorable Mention selection with 829 rushing yards and six touchdowns on 129 carries. He finished his college career with 2,950 career rushing yards after starting his career with the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers from 2020 to 2021, then moving to the Emerald City from 2022 to 2025.

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Offensive Tackle Isaiah World

Oct 11, 2025; Eugene, Oregon, USA; Oregon Ducks offensive lineman Isaiah World (76) and defensive back Daylen Austin (0) block against Indiana Hoosiers defensive lineman Mikail Kamara (6) during the second quarter at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images | Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images

Isaiah World signed as an undrafted free agent with the Los Angeles Chargers, according to Zenitz.

The 6-8, 315-pound giant earned All-Big Ten Conference Honorable Mention honors before suffering a torn ACL in his left knee during the College Football Playoff semifinal loss to the Indiana Hoosiers in the Peach Bowl. The former Nevada Wolfpack is expected to make a full recovery after not participating in the NFL Combine or Oregon’s Pro Day.

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Long Snapper Luke Basso

Luke Basso will sign as an undrafted free agent with the Denver Broncos, reported by Crepea.

The Duck will have the chance to reunite with quarterback Bo Nix, with whom he played alongside during the 2022 and 2023 campaigns at Autzen Stadium. The primary specialist appeared in 39 games, while earning All-Big Ten Conference First Team honors in his redshirt junior season and All-Big Ten Conference Second Team honors during his redshirt senior season.

Kicker Atticus Sappington

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Oregon kicker Atticus Sappington celebrates a field goal as the Oregon Ducks take on the Texas Tech Red Raiders in the Orange Bowl on Jan. 1, 2026, at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Florida. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Atticus Sappington will be joining the Minnesota Vikings as a rookie minicamp invite, per Crepea.

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The former Oregon State Beaver turned Duck went 51-for-61 on his field goal college attempts, turning a 83.6 percentage. On 40 through 49-yard attempts, Sappington knocked through 17-for-21 kicks through the uprights.

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With the long distance of 50 yards or more, the Portland, Oregon, native finished 2-for-5 throughout his college career. His longest included a 51-yarder against the Washington Huskies on Nov. 29, 2025, in the rivalry road 26-14 win to cap his Pacific Northwest tenure.

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Utah

Utah Rallies From Three Goal Deficit, Falls in Overtime | Utah Mammoth

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Utah Rallies From Three Goal Deficit, Falls in Overtime | Utah Mammoth


Utah kept pushing and tied the game 1:45 into the third period with Michael Carcone’s first of the series. Less than five minutes later, Captain Clayton Keller’s goal gave the Mammoth its first lead of the game. Throughout this playoff series, plenty of different players have stepped up in a variety of ways. Having this depth, and plenty of impactful performances, has been a strength of the Mammoth.

“It’s playoff hockey, you kind of expect bigger games from everybody,” Sergachev explained. “And guys are providing, and they’re playing well. (Karel Vejmelka) is standing on his head, saving crazy shots, and facing a lot of traffic in front.”

Brett Howden’s second goal of the night tied the game, 4-4 halfway through the third. After neither team was able to convert in the final nine and a half minutes of the third period, Game 4 went to overtime. Both teams generated multiple chances; however, Shea Theodore’s goal with 52 seconds left in the first overtime period secured the win for Vegas.

“We had lots of good looks early,” Keller said of overtime. “They did too. Lots of back and forth and I think, for a lot of us, it’s probably the first game in overtime we’ve had in the playoffs, and to feel that’s good and it’s experience. It’s only going to help us moving forward.”

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As they have done throughout the playoffs and the regular season, Utah will use this experience to their advantage while remaining even-keeled. It’s a best of three series with Game 5 on Wednesday and Game 6 on Friday. The Mammoth have plenty of leaders in their locker room to keep them focused and encouraged moving forward.

“Yeah, that’s something that we’ve worked at all year,” Keller shared. “We’ve gotten better, and this is the time when we need to be even keeled the most, each team is going to have a push, until you rebound and take the other team’s push. I think we’ve done a great job all year, and we’ve got to continue to work at that.”

“There is plenty of hockey left in this series; a tied series going back,” Cole explained. “It’s a three-game series. (We’re) focusing on what we can control and where we stand right now. I think that will do us well.”

Additional Notes from Tonight

  • Six of Utah’s 12 forwards recorded over 20 minutes of ice time: Lawson Crouse (28:56), Logan Cooley (27:58), Schmaltz (27:46), Keller (25:40), Dylan Guenther (24:34), and Alexander Kerfoot (21:40). All six of Utah’s defenseman recorded over 20 minutes of playing time. Sergachev led all Mammoth skaters with 30:32 TOI.
  • The Mammoth set a new franchise high for hits in a single game with 57. Kailer Yamamoto and MacKenzie Weegar each recorded nine hits, which led the team.
  • With three Mammoth defenseman recording points in Game 4, Utah’s blueliners have combined for 11 points (3G, 8A) through the first four games of the series. Sergachev (1G, 2A), Cole (1G), and Sean Durzi (1A) all had points in the loss.
  • With three assists in Game 4, Sergachev became the first Mammoth skater to post a three-point game in the playoffs.

Game 5 is on Wednesday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Game 6 is on Friday at the Delta Center. If Game 7 is needed, the series will shift back to Vegas on Sunday.

Upcoming Schedule

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  • May 3: UTA vs VGK – TBD



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Washington

Washington sues Albertsons, Safeway for ‘deceptive’ deals

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Washington sues Albertsons, Safeway for ‘deceptive’ deals


From October 2019 to May 2024, the companies brought in as much as $19.7 million with the deceptive deals, Washington Attorney General Brown said

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – Washington Attorney General Nick Brown filed a lawsuit against Albertsons, Safeway and Haggen on Monday, alleging the grocery chains are deceiving shoppers with “buy one get one free” deals.

According to the lawsuit, the corporate owner of Albertsons, Safeway and Haggen has overcharged customers in more than three million transactions within a five-year period by using deceptive “buy one get one free deals.”

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Albertsons Companies – which is the parent company of Safeway and Haggen – is among the largest grocery chains in the United States, Brown said, explaining the company operates all Safeway, Albertsons and Haggen stores in Washington, totaling 225 stores in the state.

Brown argues that the stores entice shoppers with the BOGO promotions on everyday items such as bread, cereal, fresh produce and olive oil.

The lawsuit, filed in King County, says the stores artificially increase prices of products slated for the deals in the weeks and months before the BOGO promotion is introduced. Brown says this overcharges customers in the interim.

According to the lawsuit, the stores then lower prices around 30 days after the deal is over. “The net result is that consumers think they’re getting a second item free, but in practice, they’re just paying an inflated price for the first item,” the Washington Attorney General’s Office said.

The lawsuit details one incident at a Gig Harbor Albertsons, which hiked the price of a bottle of olive oil to $10.99 for the BOGO promotion, after the oil was previously $6.99 a week before, marking a 57% increase.

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After the BOGO deal ended, however, Brown’s office says the price went back to $6.99.

“We’re not going to stand for people getting fleeced by these deceptive practices,” Brown said. “That’s why we’ve filed this case. We want to make sure we’re protecting people’s pocketbooks, and we all know that affordability is a major issue these days. We’ve got to push back when companies are misleading their customers.”

Brown’s office said from October 2019 to May 2024, the company brought in as much as $19.7 million with the deceptive deals.

This isn’t the first time the defendants have been accused of deceptive BOGO deals, officials note.

Brown’s office said Albertsons previously paid $107 million to settle a 2016 class action lawsuit for misleading BOGO deals in Oregon.

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The companies also settled a proposed class action lawsuit filed in 2023 in federal court in another case involving BOGO deals in Washington.

The lawsuit accused the company of violating Washington’s Consumer Protection Act by engaging in unfair and deceptive practices by artificially inflating the pre-BOGO price, then lowering the price after the deal ends. The Attorney General’s Office also alleges the company misrepresented prices and therefore engaged in unfair competition.

Attorney General Brown is seeking a court ruling that the stores violated state law and end the company’s use of these practices. Brown is also seeking restitution for Washington consumers and is asking the defendants to pay civil penalties for every violation of state law, along with pre-judgement interest.

In a statement shared with KOIN 6 News, Albertsons Companies — which is the parent company of Safeway and Haggen — said, “We are aware that the Washington Attorney General has filed a lawsuit related to certain buy‑one‑get‑one promotions. We engaged in good‑faith discussions with the Attorney General’s Office and strongly disagree with its claims, which are based on flawed analysis and data errors that we identified and raised.”

“Albertsons Companies is committed to complying with the law and to offering customers clear value through our promotions,” Albertsons Companies continued. “As this is pending litigation, we will address the matter through the legal process and cannot comment further.”

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