UPDATED @ 4:00 P.M. MONDAY, AUGUST 31, 2009 More than 70 state and county firefighters are on the scene of a three day old fire on Molokai that has now burned an estimated 7,800 acres.  Crews are being assisted by 5 helicopters, 7 bulldozers, and 5 water tankers. Bulldozer activity remains heavy as equipment operators [...]

UPDATED @ 12:30 P.M. MONDAY, AUGUST 31, 2009 County and state fire crews continue their third day of battling a brush fire on Molokai that has increased in size to 7,200 acres since it was first reported Saturday afternoon. On the ground, 40-plus County firefighters are joined by 28 wildland firefighters from the State’s Division [...]

UPDATE: 6:45 A.M. MONDAY, AUGUST 31, 2009 FIRE FORCES SCHOOL CLOSURES:  The department of Education closed four schools on Molokai today because of the ongoing fire above Kaunakakai. Closures today include Molokai High, Molokai Middle, Kaunakakai Elementary and Kualapuu Elementary Public Charter School. DROUGHT CONDITIONS ON MOLOKAI:  The island of Molokai has been having especially [...]

UPDATE TO KAUNAKAKAI FIRE SUNDAY 8/30/09 4:15 p.m. RESIDENTS OF KALAMAULA MAUKA ON MOLOKAI EVACUATED A change in wind conditions has caused the brush fire on Molokai to switch from a mauka direction to makai. In response, Maui Police ordered residents in the Kalamaula Mauka area to evacuate at around 4:15 this (Sunday, August 30, [...]

The Maui Arts & Cultural Center today confirmed a date for the upcoming John Legend concert.  The five-time platinum album selling Legend will perform on Maui at the Castle Theater on September 10, 2009 at 7:30 p.m.  The venue has listed a six ticket limit with sales to the general public beginning this Saturday, June [...]

A brush fire burned an estimated 2,500 acres since it was first reported shortly after noon, Saturday, August 29, 2009.  The fire was located above the town of Kaunakakai and continued to burn in the mauka direction at nightfall. Three helicopters assisted crews from the Molokai’s Kaunakakai, Hoolehua and Pukoo fire stations. Air operations included [...]

A brush fire above Kaunakakai on Molokai burned 60 acres by 3:30 Saturday afternoon, August 29, 2009. The fire was first reported at 12:05 p.m. in a town located above Kaunakakai. County officials say the fire was burning in the mauka direction. Three helicopters were dispatched to the scene for water drops as well as [...]

Governor Linda Lingle will hold an emergency meeting with her cabinet directors over the weekend to identify additional spending reductions needed to close the growing budget shortfall.  Today, Lingle said reductions will likely include additional layoffs in order to realize labor savings. The meeting comes on the heels of a reduced revenue forecast that is [...]

The county’s Water Resources Committee will consider a bill to permit use of water from the Hamakuapoko wells during times of drought. Under the bill, customers in on the Upcountry water system would be permitted to utilize the resource during dry conditions that warrant a drought declaration. Committee Chair, Mike Victorino, who scheduled the bill [...]

Hawaii’s four county mayors will join state and county tourism officials next week for a special marketing campaign in Los Angeles to promote Hawaii as a visitor destination. The special promotional campaign is entitled “Hawaii: A Thousand Reasons to Smile,” and was organized in part by the Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau, and is set [...]