🌱 How one Kailua senior rewrote his future with pickleball and purpose
Kailua, Hawaii Patch AM: a 3 min readHello Kailua! Here's our latest buzz. Let's get into it. ☀️
In today's newsletter:
- How one Kailua senior rewrote his future with pickleball and purpose
- How a Kailua park kid became a pro softball player in Mexico
- Kailua man’s federal fentanyl case heads toward September sentencing.
Today's riddle: What did the carpenter ant say when he walked into the bar? 🤔 (Answer below!)
- Wednesday: Times of clouds and sun, with a high of 85 and low of 74 degrees.
- Thursday: Showers; breezy in the p.m., temps: high: 82, low: 73.
- Friday: Showers; breezy in the p.m., with a high of 83 and low of 72 degrees.
📰 News we're reading
• The Quest for Longevity (honolulumagazine.com) — A 79-year-old Kailua resident is showing how staying active, social, and purposeful can dramatically improve both longevity and quality of life. His volunteer work in nearby marshes, AARP teaching, and regular pickleball highlight how lifestyle choices, not just genes, shape how long and how well Hawaiʻi residents live. 
• ‘My mindset switched': Kamehameha grad McClinton joins Mexican Softball League (hawaiinewsnow.com) — Kailua-raised softball standout Colby McClinton, who grew up around Keolu Park, is taking her game pro in Mexico’s softball league early next year. The Kamehameha Kapalama and Cal State Fullerton star also hopes to grow her home-based jewelry business once she’s back in Hawaii, blending sports dreams with local entrepreneurship.
• Kailua Man Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl Conspiracy (hawaiifreepress.com) — A 50-year-old Kailua resident has pleaded guilty in federal court to conspiring to distribute large quantities of fentanyl in Hawaii, with sentencing set for late September. Prosecutors say he worked with suppliers and helped distribute fentanyl and heroin from a Waikiki hotel. The case is part of a national Justice Department initiative targeting drug trafficking and related crime.
📸 Around Kailua
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💬 Chatter
What your neighbors are talking about on social media
- Starting today through Tuesday, June 30, 2026, our customers in need may apply for a one-time credit to reduce their energy bills under the Hawaii Home Energy Assistance Program, or H-HEAP.
H-HEAP Energy Credit applications are taken annually only during the month of June by Honolulu Community Action Program, Maui Economic Opportunity… (Nextdoor ) - From my urban garden: this plant flowers once a year.
This is a double-flowered Amaryllis (botanically known as Hippeastrum). Based on its striking red and white striped pattern, it shares… (Nextdoor Keolu Drive)
- Whole Foods Market, Inc. posted a job opening for Customer Service & E-Commerce Supervisor - Full Time in Kailua. Apply here.
- Teach In Hawaii posted a job opening for Kailua Intermediate: Grade 7-8 Special Education Science Teacher, 66643 (2026-01224) in Kailua. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Kailua here.
🗞 Nearby News
Kaneohe
- Hawaii's Herbig reportedly agrees to $100 million extension with Steelers (khon2.com)
Honolulu
- Honolulu firefighters rescue 2 lost hikers from Moanalua trail (staradvertiser.com)
- Honolulu Fire Department Opens Recruitment (hawaiinewsnow.com)
- Letter: Formby exemplies best in public-service leader (staradvertiser.com)
Ok Kailua! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!
-- The Patch AM Team
P.S. The answer to today's riddle: Is the bar tender here? (Thank you W. M. for sending it in!)
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Submit it here!
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