Hawaii
Washington football extends offer to rising four-star Hawaii OT
Even as the Washington Huskies make the short lists for some of their top offensive line targets in the 2027 class, Jedd Fisch’s coaching staff hasn’t stopped the nationwide search for more talent in the trenches.
On Monday, that search took Fisch and offensive line coach Michael Switzer to Hawaii, where Washington became the latest program to offer four-star offensive tackle Isaiah Bertola, a 6-foot-5, 290-pound product of Farrington High School in Honolulu.
Ranked as the No. 34 offensive tackle and No. 2 player in the state by the 247Sports Composite, Bertola has received significant interest from all over the country, with Arizona, Auburn, Nebraska, Penn State, and Utah among the 18 programs that have offered him a scholarship.
The Huskies have made some promising headway with some of their top targets at tackle in the 2027 class, including three-star DaJohn Yarborough, who added UW to his top ten on Tuesday, and legacy Tye Kennedy, while they’re still pushing for four-star Jake Hildebrand, three-star Ben Lowther, and several others, but that hasn’t stopped them from getting in the mix for Bertola.
On film, Bertola is a very agile mover in space who runs well and can get out in front as a lead blocker. He also plays with good strength and can mirror pass rushers effectively, and as he adds weight to his frame, he has the potential to develop into a strong tackle at the Power 4 level.
As Washington continues to explore its options up front in the 2027 class, Bertola could quickly turn into a priority target for Fisch’s coaching staff. Washington has traditionally found a lot of success recruiting in Hawaii, but the Huskies have signed just two players from the state since he took over: quarterback Treston Kini McMillan and linebacker Ramzak Fruean, who moved from Hawaii to Washington ahead of his junior season.
If the Huskies were to heavily pursue Bertola, he could help continue a pipeline that UW has been able to rely on for over 30 years.
Hawaii
Three West Hawaii sex offenders arrested – West Hawaii Today
Three convicted sex offenders were arrested on Hawaii Island last week for allegedly failing to comply with sex offender registry requirements.
Multiple law-enforcement agencies conducted checks in Kona on registered sex offenders who had been identified as potentially out of compliance with the state’s Sex Offender Registry laws, according the Department of the Attorney General.
As a result of the three-day operation, several individuals were brought back into compliance, and three West Hawaii men were arrested for allegedly failing to comply with the requirements.
The three men who were arrested are Joseph Debus, 56, of Kailua-Kona, Garth Coleman, 53, of Holualoa and Alexsandr Skelcey, 34, of Kailua-Kona.
Debus was convicted of second-degree sex assault in Hawaii in 1993 and sentenced to five years probation with a year in jail. Coleman was sentenced to 20 years in prison for first-degree assault in 2000 after a jury trial in Hawaii. And Skelcey was convicted in Michigan in 2012 of assault with intent to commit sex assault.
“Sex offender registration requirements exist to protect our communities and ensure law enforcement knows where convicted offenders are living,” Tom Alipio, chief of the AG department’s Investigations Division, said in a press release. “Compliance operations like this send a clear message that we will actively monitor the registry, investigate violations and work closely with our law enforcement partners to hold offenders accountable when they fail to meet their legal obligations.”
HPD Chief Reed Mahuna said, “Operations like this allow us to verify that offenders are maintaining strict compliance with registration laws and those who aren’t will be addressed immediately. We will continue to leverage these multi-agency partnerships to keep our island communities safe,”
Members of the public can look up publicly available offender information and subscribe to notifications at sexoffenders.ehawaii.gov/coveredoffender/.
Anyone with information regarding a registered sex offender who may be violating registration requirements is encouraged to contact the Department of the Attorney General’s Investigation Division at (808) 586-1240 or their local law enforcement.
Hawaii
Hawai‘i Fire Department responds to brush fire in North Kona | Big Island Now
A brush in North Kona, near the Ulu Wini Apartments, has closed a portion of Hina Lani Street, between Route 190 and Ane Keokalole Highway.
According to Hawai‘i Island police, the road is expected to be closed for the next three hours and motorists are advised to avoid the area.
Hawai‘i Fire Assistant Chief Chris Carvalho confirmed at least two engines, two brush trucks, Chopper 2 and a medic vehicle responded to the blaze that started in some bushes.
No evacuations or injuries have been reported at this time.
At 11:09 a.m., an AlertWest camera, installed by Hawaiian Electric in wildfire-prone areas, showed smoke billowing above the Keahuolu Courthouse. As of 12:06 p.m., that smoke appears to have dissipated.
This is a developing story. More information will be provided as it becomes available.
Hawaii
Chinese communist party member arrested in Hawaii on visa fraud charge | Honolulu Star-Advertiser
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