Maui News

Brian Kohne, an award-winning music producer and filmmaker who grew up on Maui, has been named as the new County of Maui Film Commissioner, according to an announcement by the county’s Office of Economic Development today. His official start date is April 1, 2024.

Today, the New Aloha Stadium Entertainment District announced that it has selected two priority-listed offerors that will be considered to develop and operate the new Aloha Stadium and surrounding entertainment district as one integrated public-private-partnership project. The selection and notification of the priority-listed offerors has occurred earlier than scheduled, marking the end of the qualifications phase and commencement of the proposals phase, and keeping the new Aloha Stadium on track to open for the 2028 University of Hawaiʻi football season.

The Internal Revenue Service further postponed until Aug. 7, 2024, various tax-filing and tax-payment deadlines for individuals and businesses affected by the Aug. 8, 2023, wildfires in Hawaiʻi. Previously, the deadline was Feb. 15, 2024.

On March 16 and March 23, 2024, the Party-run Presidential Primary (PPP) Committee of the Democratic Party of Hawai‘i met at the Party HQ, located in Honolulu, to recount the votes cast at the caucus style 2024 PPP held at 57 locations statewide on Wednesday, March 6, 2024.

Maui County Council members have referred a bill to the Maui Planning Commission for a conditional change of zoning from residential to public/quasi-public for Grace Baptist Church, which was destroyed Aug. 8 in the Lahaina wildfire.

Residents wanting to dispose of household hazardous waste can do so at an upcoming event on Sunday, April 7, 2024. The event is by appointment only and the deadline to set an appointment is on March 28.

The Department of Water Supply requests residents and tourists of Molokaʻi from Kawela to Kaunakakai to conserve water until further notice. The request is due to an inoperable well pump.

To maintain reliable service, Hawaiian Electric crews will be making routine equipment upgrades using bucket trucks along Honoapiʻilani Highway near Ukumehame Beach Park in the West Maui area on Thursday, March 28, impacting area traffic from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. No service interruptions are planned for this work. 

Maui police charged a man with first degree attempted murder in connection with a shooting reported early Monday morning in Wailuku. Nathaniel Cachola, 19, of Kahului was charged on Tuesday, March 26, with bail set at $500,000, according to police reports.

With more than 3,000 wildfire displaced residents on Maui still living in hotels, Gov. Josh Green says there are enough units available now through rental and direct lease programs that he expects to have the remaining residents transitioned out to longer-term solutions by July 1, 2024.

“Too many seniors on Lānaʻi are being forced to move away from their homes and off island just to get the care they need,” said Sen. Schatz. “This new funding will help build Lānaʻi’s first ever adult day care center, giving seniors a much-needed option for care, while keeping families together.”

Krank Cycles will open a new shop next month in Lahaina, according to an announcement.

The Budget, Finance and Economic Development Committee will hold evening budget meetings in council residency areas April 1-16 to receive community input on the fiscal year 2025 budget, Council Vice Chair Yuki Lei K. Sugimura announced today.

The Count of Maui Department of Liquor Control will begin accepting license renewal applications starting Monday, April 1, 2024. Applications may be submitted from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday at the department’s office located at the County of Maui Service Center in Kahului, 110 Ala‘ihi Street, Room 212.

After receiving overwhelming community support and interest from potential buyers, Home Maid Bakery will remain open indefinitely and not close at the end of this month as previously announced.

Gov. Josh Green, M.D., will address the state of Hawai‘i to provide the latest information on housing plans for wildfire-displaced Maui residents during a press conference at 12:30 this afternoon at the state Capitol.

The Maui Police Department, Traffic Division issued 383 citations and 68 warnings for various traffic violations and infractions in February. For the month of February, the DUI Task Force, along with other officers from the Solo Bike Detail and the Vehicular Homicide Unit, made 33 arrests of motorists operating a vehicle while under the influence of an intoxicant, and 27 arrests for various other offenses.

According to Seth Colby, Department of Taxation research and planning officer, outmigration since 2020 has resulted in the loss of $185 million in general excise taxes and state income taxes, or approximately $61.8 million per year. To place that amount into context, one percentage point of the Council on Revenues forecast, which determines how much can be spent on the state budget, represents approximately $100 million.         

Gov. Josh Green, M.D., has named several community and business leaders to a number of important state boards and commissions. Among them are Maui residents Bruce Uʻu to the Land Use Commission, Carol Reimann to the Hawaiʻi Housing Finance and Development Corporation, Wesley Lo to the Board of Education, Elaine Yamashita to the Early Learning Board and Nathaniel Oswald to the Board of Agriculture.

Council Member Yuki Lei Sugimura announced today that she has requested a financial analysis of a potential water source development agreement between the County of Maui and Free Market Ventures, LLC.