Suspect remains at-large after allegedly stealing vehicle at gunpoint from Maui couple on Hāna Hwy

Kepaniwai Heritage Gardens in ‘Īao Valley, reopened Saturday after severe damage from back-to-back Kona low storms in March, according to the County of Maui Department of Parks and Recreation. The public is advised that Picnic Pavilions 1 and 2 at Kepaniwai remain closed as repairs continue. Parkgoers are asked to proceed with caution and follow all warning signs when visiting the facility.

A Haʻikū couple, a 46-year-old man and a 53-year-old woman, were confronted by an unknown male who was armed with a handgun and demanded their vehicle, according to a preliminary police investigation. During the incident, police say both victims were struck by projectiles believed to have been discharged from the weapon before the suspect fled the scene in the victims’ vehicle.

In response to recent news reports involving an individual who has publicly announced a candidacy for Hawaiʻi’s Second Congressional District, the Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi and its Maui County Committee issued a statement Tuesday, jointly reaffirming “a simple but essential principle: political violence, intimidation, and harassment have no place in Hawaiʻi.”

With potentially less rainfall in the months ahead, Hawaiian Electric is encouraging customers across the state to take steps now to prepare their homes and families for potential wildfire and emergency conditions. The company is also continuing targeted efforts to strengthen its electric systems, including recently announced pole hardening work in Lahaina.

According to the FBI and data collected by Everytown Research & Policy, firearms are currently the leading cause of death among children, and handguns represent the main weapon used in assaults against law enforcement officers.

The Hawaiʻi Government Employees Association (HGEA), AFSCME Local 152, AFL-CIO, has endorsed Green Party candidate Pāʻele Kiakona for Hawaiʻi State House District 14.

The Hawaiʻi Community Foundation announced the appointment of Janice Ikeda to its Board of Governors, effective March 30, 2026.

With summer break officially starting across Maui Nui, the Maui County Commission for Youth and Children is encouraging all community members who work with children and families to participate in new, statewide online training for reporting signs of possible abuse or neglect.

Residents, businesses and other stakeholders across Maui Nui are encouraged to stay informed and get involved as the County of Maui Department of Planning prepares to offer an update on the rewrite of Title 19 of the Maui County Code — the foundational set of laws governing how land and buildings throughout the County can be used and developed. 

An unidentified suspect remains at-large after an armed robbery early Wednesday morning in which he allegedly stole a vehicle from a Maui couple before fleeing into nearby pastureland. 

The HVO reports Tuesday’s earthquake was similar in origin but unrelated to the magnitude-6 that occurred on May 22 and the magnitude-4.6 that occurred on June 2 on the west side of the island.

The Maui Police Department requests the public’s help with any information on the whereabouts of Autumn Woods, 47, of Kahului. Woods is known to frequent the Pāʻia area and does not have a vehicle.