Hawaii
UCLA Commits Shine in Return to Hawaii
UCLA commits and identical twin brothers Jaron and Kennan Pula look to be the next great Bruins wide receivers to walk through Westwood. Two more gems hauled in by DeShaun Foster, and before they make their way to Los Angeles, they’ll need to make a quick stop at their ancestral home.
ACCESS Newswire ran a recent story on them, speaking about their upcoming return to Hawaii to participate in the Polynesian Bowl.
“In the world of high school football, few names have generated as much buzz as Jaron and Kennan Pula,” ACCESS Newswire wrote.
“These nationally ranked four-star wide receivers, identical twins and athletic marvels from the class of 2026, have taken the recruiting world by storm. With over 25 Division 1 scholarship offers each as juniors, their trajectory toward collegiate stardom – and potentially the NFL – is undeniable.
“This year, the twins were honored with invitations to play in the prestigious Polynesian Bowl, where the world’s top high school players gather in Hawaii to play in a nationally televised All-Star showcase held at the historic Kamehameha Schools Kapalama Campus in Honolulu.”
The Pula twins were born in Hawaii before moving to the mainland, and their maternal grandmother Audrey Hiram, is a graduate of Kamehameha Schools.
“The game pits the Mauka Team, representing the mountains, against the Makai Team, representing the sea – a symbolic clash as much as an athletic one,” ACCESS Newswire wrote. “The Mauka Team, which has home-field advantage high in the misty mountaintops of Kapalama Heights, is often defined by its grit and grounded power.
“Meanwhile, the Makai Team, seemingly buoyed by the energy of the sea, brings speed, flow, and unpredictability – attributes that mirror the electric playstyle of the Pula brothers.
“Although Jaron and Kennan moved from Hawaii at a young age, their return for the Polynesian Bowl is more than just another stop on their football journey – it’s a homecoming.
“With a large extended family and deep community ties still rooted in the islands, their appearance is expected to draw a significant turnout of support from family, friends, and old neighbors alike.
“For the twins, stepping onto the field at Kamehameha won’t just be about representing their skills – it’ll be about honoring the ancestors who paved the way and reconnecting with a cultural legacy that runs as strong as their 40-yard dash.”
While the Pula twins’ return marks a special moment for their family, it also indicates UCLA’s continued success in recruiting and retaining Polynesian players. Large Polynesian populations, populations that love football, are located in states that UCLA heavily recruits.
UCLA defensive coordinator Ikaika Malloe has the inside track to recruiting in his native Hawaii and in Washington, DeShaun Foster has the Los Angeles area locked down, and the Bruins are pushing east as the Pula twins play their high school ball in Utah.
It’s exciting times for UCLA, especially for a program built on players who are themselves but put others before personal gain.
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Hawaii
Bystander video shows damage after concrete falls at Ala Moana Center
HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – Concrete fell from the exterior of an Ala Moana Center parking structure Monday afternoon near the Kapiolani Boulevard exit, damaging a vehicle.
No injuries were reported.
Security blocked an exit lane as debris scattered across the roadway. Ala Moana Center said they are grateful no one was hurt, and the lane will remain closed while structural engineers and construction professionals assess the damage and make repairs.
Copyright 2026 Hawaii News Now. All rights reserved.
Hawaii
Hawaii weather: USGS revised 4.6 magnitude earthquake off Kona coast, south swell, passing showers
Hawaii
Kilauea sets record for lava fountaining episodes in any 1 eruption
HAWAII VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK, Hawaii (AP) — The on-and-off eruption of Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano broke a record Monday with the number of periods it has produced fountains of lava since it began erupting in December 2024, the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory said.
Monday marked 48 fountaining episodes, setting the record for any one eruption on Kilauea, said Katie Mulliken, a geologist and spokesperson with the observatory.
Episodes are separated by periods during which little to no lava erupts. Since lava is coming from the same vents in a crater at Kilauea’s summit, it is the same overall eruption, Mulliken said in an email.
There are several notable aspects of the current eruption, she said, including how accessible it is for viewing by residents and tourists. An eruption during the 1980s, in which 47 lava fountaining episodes occurred over about 3 1/2 years, occurred in a more remote area, she said.
The ongoing eruption is also reshaping the topography at the summit, she said.
But the lava fountains also can impact neighboring communities with volcanic fragments and ash, known as tephra.
Kilauea, located on Hawaii Island, is one of the world’s most active volcanoes.
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