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The Small Business Administration announced it will close its Kahului Disaster Loan Outreach Center located at the Kahului Public Library at 4 p.m. on Saturday, March 23.

After hearing impassioned pleas Tuesday from Lahaina wildfire survivors for quick action in a proposed eminent domain condemnation, Maui County Council members struggled to pin down the property owner on what it would take, or cost, for the county to acquire the nearly 20-acre quarry for final disposal of toxic ash and debris.

Mauiʻs Cathy Toda and Robert Spangler of Maui Lavender are the latest recipients of the Nō Ka ʻOi Highway Hui Adopt-A-Highway award from the state Department of Transportation, Highways Maui District.

Researchers from the University of Hawai’i Cancer Center collaborated on a study that sheds light on the complex links between smoking habits, epigenetics (the factors beyond DNA sequence that impact gene activity), and the risk of smoking-related diseases, such as lung cancer.

Starting this weekend, federal and state agencies, local groups and individuals will come together for Hawai‘i Climate Week (March 23 through 31), hosting a series of events that underscores the importance of taking action and supporting efforts to build a climate-ready Hawai’i.

A public rally is planned this Friday at the Maui County Building to advocate for early childhood care and education. The event is hosted by the Hawaiʻi Children’s Action Network Speaks and the Hawaiʻi Early Childhood Advocacy Alliance. The March 22 event starts with keiki entertainment at 9:30 a.m., the rally at 10 a.m., and a march at 11 a.m.

Maui Economic Opportunity assisted 20,239 individuals and families and touched 46,971 lives in the 2022-23 fiscal year, according to the recently released “Respond, Respect, Recover: Maui Economic Opportunity Annual Report 2023.”

In the wake of the devastating August 2023 Maui wildfires that left thousands displaced and caused over $5 billion in damage, Hawaii solar company RevoluSun has teamed up with Daikin Comfort Technologies North America, Inc. (“Daikin”), a global air conditioner manufacturer, to provide climate control systems for emergency housing units.

A Work-Based Learning Expo for Education Week 2024 will be held from 1 to 3 p.m. March 20 at the Hawaiʻi State Capitol. The event is being hosted by the Chamber of Commerce Hawaiʻi, in partnership with HawaiiKidsCAN.

The County of Maui announced that numerous County, State and federal agencies will be participating in a joint search and rescue exercise this week. The most visible activities will take place Wednesday, March 20 from 8:30 a.m. to noon at Kīhei Boat Ramp and in the offshore waters between South Maui and the island of Lānaʻi.

The Hawai‘i State Department of Health has canceled the notification for Kahekili “Airport” Beach on Maui. Water sample retesting results show that enterococci levels no longer exceed the threshold level.

The Clean Elections Hawaii Coalition rallied at the State Capitol on Monday to call on House Speaker Scott Saiki and other House leaders to support legislation for publicly financed elections.

Lahainaluna High School will hold a free public screening of “My Partner” on Thursday, March 28 at the Lahainaluna Sue D. Cooley Football Stadium. Gates open at 6:30 p.m., with the screening to begin promptly at 7 p.m.

For the first time, the Hawai‘i International Film Festival will present two festivals this spring on O’ahu. The 27th annual HIFF Spring Showcase presented by Halekulani will entertain film fans March 21-28; and the HIFF ‘Ōpio Fest, an inaugural youth film festival, will take place April 5-7.

One of the largest studies on wildlife activity — involving more than 220 researchers, 163 mammal species and 5,000 camera traps worldwide — reveals that wild animals react differently to human activity levels depending on where the animals live and what they eat. Hawai‘i-based authors include University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa researchers Melissa Price and Derek Risch.

Maui’s own Kamalei Kawaʻa wowed judges last night on NBC’s “The Voice” once again during an iconic duet with Oʻahu “sweetheart” Gabriel Goes, taking Kawaʻa to the next round of the national singing competition.

For the first time ever, the internationally acclaimed ensemble will bring a show to the shores of Waikīkī on a permanent basis, delivering the experience at the OUTRIGGER Waikīkī Beachcomber Hotel debuting in late 2024. The show will introduce Cirque du Soleil’s artistry to Hawai‘i through the guidance and vision of a distinguished group of Native Hawaiian creatives. 

The Office of Hawaiian Affairs is looking for a nonprofit to administer its emergency financial assistance program, the Pohala Mai – ʻOhana Experiencing Financial Hardship Grant. A grant budget of $1.66 million is available for Native Hawaiians.

The Hawai‘i Department of Transportation advises the public that construction will begin Wednesday, March 20 on canopies above the electric vehicle chargers at the Kahului Park & Ride along Kūihelani Highway (Route 380).

The newly redesigned Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation graduated its first recruit class this year, marking the occasion during a ceremony recently at Mission Memorial Auditorium in Honolulu.