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Shark attacks in Florida, Hawaii lead to closed beaches, hospitalizations: What to know

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Shark attacks in Florida, Hawaii lead to closed beaches, hospitalizations: What to know



Warm water, more swimmers and frolickers in the ocean and sharks: it’s a formula that likely leads to unprovoked shark attacks on humans. Recent attacks happened in Florida, Hawaii and California.

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As summer approaches, reports of shark attacks are on the rise. The most recent? A 25-year-old woman who was in serious condition Friday after an apparent attack off the island of Oahu.

That same day, two shark attacks occurred off beaches in the panhandle of Florida injuring one woman and two teenage girls, according to the Northwest Florida Daily News, part of the USA TODAY Network.

Officials reopened the beaches in Walton County and neighboring Bay County in Florida on Saturday. Both counties changed beach flags from double-red (water closed to the public) to single-red and purple – indicating high hazard conditions and the presence of dangerous marine life.

“Walton County Sheriff’s Office and Florida Fish and Wildlife will have their boats in the Gulf to monitor the shoreline,” said Corey Dobridnia, the public information officer for the Walton County Sheriff’s Office, Northwest Florida Daily News reported. “We just ask everyone to be aware of their surroundings while in the water.”

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What happened in the shark attack near Honolulu, Hawaii?

The as-yet-unidentified woman, 25, was seriously injured in an apparent shark attack Friday in the waters off the island of Oahu in Hawaii near the Haleiwa Small Boat Harbor, a popular destination for shark tours, according to KHON, a Honolulu, Hawaii Fox affiliate, which was among several news outlets reporting the attack.Paramedics responded at about 2 p.m. HST/8 p.m. ET Friday and treated the woman for multiple injuries and took her to a trauma hospital in serious condition, according to Sunny Johnson, Honolulu Emergency Medical Services paramedic supervisor, The Associated Press reported. No additional details were available.

In March, another shark attack happened on Oahu to the east in Ka’a’awa, when an 11-year-old girl was swimming – reportedly the first shark encounter in the state this year. Another attack two days later on March 4 in Waikīkī involved a shark biting off the tail of a surfboard, according to the state’s Shark Incidents List.

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What happened in the shark attacks in Florida?

A woman was injured by a shark when swimming past the first sandbar in the Gulf of Mexico in Walton County, west of Laguna Beach, after 1:15 p.m. ET Friday, according to the Walton County Sheriff’s Office. The woman, 45, lost her lower left arm and suffered injuries to her midsection, officials said at a Friday afternoon news conference. She was hospitalized in critical condition, officials said.

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Less than two hours later, another attack occurred about five miles to the east near Inlet Beach.  The victims, ages 15 to 17, were in waist-deep water about 4 miles from where the first attack occurred. One victim was hospitalized in critical condition and one in stable condition, officials said.

“We’re 100% confident that this was done by a shark,” Dobridnia told USA TODAY. The two attacks happened within “a very short distance,” he said. “it’s most likely going to be the same shark.”

Beaches were closed Friday and reopened Saturday morning.

Why do shark attacks happen?

The U.S. had the most reported unprovoked shark bites (36) – two were fatal – in 2023, a year in which shark bites and fatal shark attacks increased slightly worldwide, according to the University of Florida’s International Shark Attack File. (Provoked bites happen when a person initiates interaction with a shark in some way, while unprovoked bites occur without human provocation.)

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Florida had the most unprovoked (16) last year. That was slightly below average, but the state’s extended coastline and tourism industry makes it the usual contender for the most shark activity, Gavin Naylor, director of the Florida Museum of Natural History’s shark research program, told USA TODAY in February.

Experts don’t think sharks are getting more aggressive. It’s a combination of factors including people in the warm water, Naylor says on the museum’s website. “It causes a lot of fear, but the reality is you’re putting a lot of people in the water on a hot day with bait fish in the water,” he said.

Bay County Sheriff Tommy Ford said in a note on Facebook that the state Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission noted how “bait fish are schooling near the shore at this time of year which may have been a contributing factor in the attacks.”

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Other recent shark attacks in California, Florida

A man hospitalized June 2 after being attacked by a shark was released from the hospital June 6, according to a press release from the City of Del Mar, California. He suffered injuries to his torso, left arm and hand from shark bites that happened when he was about 100 yards offshore from the beach north of Torrey Pines State Park. He was part of a group of swimmers who regularly train in the area, officials said.

A two-mile stretch of San Clemente beach was closed for part of Memorial Day weekend after an “aggressive” shark incident resulted in a surfer being knocked from a surfboard on Sunday, May 26, the Orange County (Calif.) Register reported. The beach has since reopened.

In May, two fishermen were bitten by sharks in separate incidents less than 36 hours apart in the Florida Keys, The AP reported.

Contributing: Natalie Neysa Alund, Collin Bestor, Nathan Cobb, Emily DeLetter, Cheryl McCloud, James Powel, Anthony Robledo and Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA TODAY Network.

Follow Mike Snider on X and Threads: @mikesnider & mikegsnider.

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HGTV’s ‘Renovation Aloha’ accused of broadcasting human remains illegally

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HGTV’s ‘Renovation Aloha’ accused of broadcasting human remains illegally


HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – The team behind a popular Hawaii-based home renovation show is now facing legal troubles after airing content that shouldn’t have been released, according to the state.

Hawaii’s Attorney General is now involved after HGTV’s ‘Renovation Aloha’ showed uncensored images of apparent ancient skeletal remains that were discovered at a Hilo property.

In a now-deleted clip on social media, Kamohai and Tristyn Kalama, along with the production team, discovered a cave beneath a Hilo property where they found the remains deep inside.

Video documented their shock when it was found, with the hosts saying, “There’s bones back here. I got to get out of here. Are you fricken serious? I’m serious dude. Is that a skull?”

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Tristyn was seen standing further back, saying “This is terrifying. I’m at my stopping point” before leaving.

Hawaii News Now is not showing the bones, but confirmed with HGTV the episode was filmed in December 2025.

Video didn’t show them touching or moving the remains, and HGTV said authorities were notified after the discovery, the property was not developed, and the site was later blessed.

At the time, police said no crime was committed, and the state AG obtained a TRO to prevent the broadcast of the images in accordance with state law.

However this week, uncensored video of the bones was posted online by the Kalamas and HGTV, and included in the episode, triggering a quick rebuke from the community.

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Statements provided to Hawaii News Now.(HNN / HGTV)

“We don’t kaula’i iwi. We do not lay our bones out in the sun to expose him in this manner,” former Oahu Island Burial Council Chair Kumu Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu said.

She also said the release of the images was “extremely disappointing,” saying the damage was already done.

“It is irrelevant that bones were not moved. It is irrelevant that they were not disturbed, per se, because somebody didn’t touch them — but you went into their space and that space becomes kapu space once they have transitioned over to po. And when you do that, we honor that. We don’t disturb them,” Wong-Kalu added.

The AG said they took immediate legal action to prevent the unlawful broadcast of images, pointing to a TRO issued prior to the episode’s release. They also said, “We are aware that the segment aired notwithstanding the court’s order, and we take this matter very seriously. The Department will pursue additional action as necessary.”

Court Documents revealed the Kalamas and producers of the show are now facing four counts for allegedly breaking Iwi Kupuna protection rules.

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“If that were our grandparent, would we want them, after they have physically transitioned to po, would we want to share our family in this manner? I don’t think so,” Wong-Kalu added.

HGTV said in a statement, “We take the concerns raised by the community very seriously and are committed to ensuring our programming is respectful and appropriate. We apologize to anyone who found any part of the episode offensive, that was not HGTV’s intention.”

They also confirmed the original episode was removed, and re-edited without the bones included.

Statements provided to Hawaii News Now.
Statements provided to Hawaii News Now.(HNN / HGTV)

Through our communication with the HGTV spokesperson, Hawaii News Now offered the Kalamas a chance to respond directly, but they did not. They did however take to Instagram to address the episode, saying they followed the protocols they knew, and never intended to build there. They stressed their respect for Hawaiian culture and practices.

The investigation remains active.

Copyright 2026 Hawaii News Now. All rights reserved.

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Hawaiian Airlines Ends April 22. What Replaces It.

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Hawaiian Airlines Ends April 22. What Replaces It.


That headline is something many of us never expected to read. This April 22, 2026, is the day Hawaiian Airlines officially ends. Alaska’s reservation system takes over, Hawaiian flight numbers disappear, and all operations move to Alaska. Hawaiian joins the oneworld alliance too on the same day, but for Hawaii travelers, the alliance is not the headline. The airline you knew will cease to exist as part of the process that began with Alaska’s purchase of Hawaiian on December 3, 2023.

You can still board a plane painted with the iconic Pualani on the tail, but you will not book an HA flight anymore. Your confirmation email shows AS (Alaska). Your boarding pass shows AS. What airport departure boards and gate screens display on day one is a separate question. That and more will be revealed later.

When the code disappears, not the paint.

The Hawaiian call sign already ended last fall, when HA866 flew from Pago Pago to Honolulu on October 29, 2025, closing out 95 years of Hawaiian flight numbers in the sky. Call signs are largely for pilots and air traffic control, and most travelers never really see them. April 22 is entirely different because flight numbers exist on your itinerary, your receipt, your screenshot, and your email, and when HA disappears from those, you see it.

What booking Hawaiian looks like after April 22.

Customer service interactions will route entirely through Alaska’s systems. Schedule changes, irregular operations, rebooking rules, and automated notifications follow Alaska’s logic, and frequent travelers will notice these differences first.

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A huge reservation system change is happening behind the scenes.

April 22 is also when Alaska’s reservation system replaces what remains of Hawaiian’s Amadeus platform, which has been degraded since the 2023 Sabre-to-Amadeus migration went sideways, infuriating its customers. The cutover is supposed to resolve years of booking infrastructure problems. But we’re keeping in mind that system migrations at this scale have historically created turbulence before they stabilize, so patience may still be required.

Branding stays, for now.

The visual identity remains intact on April 22. Pualani stays on the tail, uniforms stay recognizable, and the onboard experience does not change that day. Alaska has acknowledged that Hawaiian branding carries value in Hawaii, but Alaska has not committed to how much of it stays or how long. Everything past the paint is already Alaska.

The oneworld alliance arrives on the same day.

April 22 is also the day Hawaiian becomes a full member of the oneworld alliance. International lounge access improves, elite status recognition lines up across partner airlines, and earning and redeeming miles across oneworld carriers becomes far easier. Hawaiian did not have that before and had limited partners on its own. Under Alaska, it does have, for the first time, a robust partner network.

Atmos status is part of the oneworld structure wherein Silver aligns with oneworld Ruby, Gold with oneworld Sapphire, and Platinum and Titanium with oneworld Emerald. For travelers who qualify, that means priority services and lounge access when flying internationally. Alliance benefits may work best outside of Hawaii for now, as many of you have noted.

What Alaska has promised next for Hawaii.

Alaska has announced a $600 million investment covering airport renovations at five Hawaii airports, a full A330 cabin refit starting in 2028, and a new flagship lounge at Honolulu in late 2027. All twenty-four A330s are set to receive a new business class in a 1-2-1 layout with privacy doors and direct aisle access, replacing the dated 2-2-2 configuration.

The same design team behind the 787 soft product is said to be handling the A330, and the refit was quoted as rolling out across the entire fleet over roughly 12 months starting in January 2028. A true premium economy cabin comes with it, separate from Extra Comfort, and extra legroom. Extra Comfort rebrands to Alaska Premium Class on April 22 as an Alaska alignment, but the new premium economy class does not arrive until sometime in 2028.

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The Honolulu lounge will expand to roughly five times the current Plumeria Lounge footprint at the Terminal 1 Mauka Concourse entrance. Beat of Hawaii has covered that new Honolulu Atmos Lounge separately. None of these upgrades changes anything significant if you are flying Hawaiian anytime soon.

What happens to the A321neo, A330, and the 717 interisland fleet long term under Alaska is a separate question. Beat of Hawaii has been covering that.

But Hawaiian had been running out of runway long before Alaska arrived, and the acquisition is the reason there is still a Pualani tail flying to Hawaii at all. What Alaska does with the paint, the brand, and the Hawaii routes from here is the part we’ll continue watching.

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‘Really gross’: Windward Oahu school infested with millipedes

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‘Really gross’: Windward Oahu school infested with millipedes


HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – For weeks, students at Kalaheo High School in Kailua say thousands of critters have been crawling about campus.

Videos posted on social media showed throngs of millipedes along the school’s outdoor areas and in its gymnasium.

“It’s really gross, there’s just like millipedes all over the walls and it’s just gross, they’re crawling everywhere, and like I’m walking and I have to walk over them,” senior Cate Carmack said.

Carmack’s classmate, Lex Fuentes, added, “They’re just like all around our school. like on the ceiling, walls, floor, they’re just everywhere.”

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Fuentes and Carmack both did not really mind the millipedes, but they said the swarms were somewhat distracting.

“I was sitting in AP psych, just doing my thing. I see it on my jacket, flick it off, and I go about my day,” Fuentes said.

Junior Harper Reynolds shared that some were seen on the roof and walls.

“When I’m walking around, or like going from class to class, there’s just like millipedes on the roof and on the walls. It’s kind of weird, it’s kind of gross, it’s like, why is that even there?” Reynolds said.

The pests are likely there because of the recent rain, according to Jimmy Fitzgerald of Kilauea Pest Control, which sprayed infested areas of the school on Tuesday.

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“Kalaeho’s been very impressively proactive handling this over the years because every spring, that’s very common, the boom in insects, the rain is coming, it’s pushing them outside of their natural habitat,” Fitzgerald said.

This year, the insect’s natural habitat, the hillside behind the school, is much more saturated from the Kona low storms. Fitzgerald said the wetter conditions this year could explain why there are more millipedes at the school than usual.

“Naturally, the millipedes would be going up the trees, and hiding in the trees for a day and then coming down, but it’s been so wet in those back areas, they’ve been coming into the human spaces instead,” Fitzgerald explained.

Fitzgerald also pointed out the pests are harmless, and so is the insecticide they use to get rid of them, as the product is safer and less toxic than household bleach.

“Everything we do is people and pet-friendly, so it’s meant to impact something that’s this small, millipedes are about this small,” Fitzgerald said.

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Kilauea Pest Control used a long-lasting product expected to push out the pests over the two to three weeks.

The company will reevaluate in 30 days whether the school will need a follow-up treatment.

“It needs to be gone,” Carmack said.

The Hawaii State Department of Education reported “the problem has dramatically decreased” since Tuesday’s treatment and “school custodians are continuing to monitor the campus and will respond to any new reports.”

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