Maui News

The Maui Police Department announced the promotion of Pius Taiwerpiy to the rank of Lieutenant, scheduled to take effect on March 1, 2024.

A bill aimed at expediting rebuilding in Lahaina received unanimous initial approval Wednesday from Maui County Council members. Bill 21 passed first reading. It’s set for second reading on March 8.

(11:47 a.m. 2.29.24) The Hawaiʻi Emergency Management Agency reports there is no emergency after a siren in the Nāpili area of Maui was accidentally activated while technicians were working in the Kahana area. Again, there is no emergency.

This multi-partner pilot release allows wildlife managers the opportunity to monitor and evaluate ʻalalā and its potential for survival and breeding in the forests of East Maui without risk of depredation by ‘io (Hawaiian hawk). The EA provides background information concerning methods for release of ‘alalā and outlines the proposed action, potential impacts, and strategies to avoid and minimize potential adverse impacts of the project on East Maui.

Maui’s Grand Wailea, A Waldorf Astoria Resort, today announced the opening of its Kilolani Spa, a new 50,000 square foot open air luxury spa.

Update: (11:50 a.m., Feb. 29, 2024) Power has been restored to a majority of customers affected by an outage in the Mahinahina / Kahana area. The outage was first reported at around 7:40 a.m. By 11:50 a.m., all but 50 customers had power restored. Crews remain on scene where work to complete repairs is underway.

Local residents and organizations are invited to participate in an event at the Sheraton Maui Resort & Spa from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, March 2. This event aims to match individuals in need of temporary or permanent housing with state, federal and local organizations assisting individuals and families in need of housing support.

The Central Maui Landfill will be the final disposal site for an estimated 400,000 cubic yards of toxic ash and debris left in the aftermath of the Aug. 8 wildfire that leveled Lahaina Town.

In a move to bolster sustainable transportation infrastructure and promote electric vehicle adoption, Maui County celebrated the grand opening of new electric vehicle charging stations today.

Kate Blystone was confirmed as the Planning Director for the County of Maui by the Maui County Council on Wednesday. She has more than 20 years of experience as a land planner and community engagement professional in the public, private, nonprofit and education planning sectors.

Hōlani Hāna, Ke Ao Hāli‘i, and Na Mahi‘ai o Ke‘anae—collaborating under the banner Mālama Maui Hikina—are working to mitigate tourism impacts at popular areas of East Maui including Kaihalulu, Honolewa, Kaihalulu, Waioka and Nā‘ili‘ilihaele Steam.

More than 65 people and organizations testified Tuesday in support of a bill that seeks to crack down on drunk driving in Hawaiʻi. Senate Bill 2384, which proposes to lower the legal blood alcohol concentration (BAC) for driving from 0.08% to 0.05%, was passed by the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Hawaiian Electric will postpone the launch of its new rooftop solar and energy storage programs by one month while the company makes changes approved by the Public Utilities Commission, the company announced. The new programs, originally scheduled to launch March 1, will now be available to customers starting April 1.

The Core Four Business Planning Course’s second series of 2024, classes focused on how to start and run a business, starts Tuesday, March 5, and runs twice weekly through Thursday, April 4.

During their meeting, Kouchi and Hashimoto urged Ambassador Tai to recognize the unique situation that West Maui is in as it attempts to recover from the wildfire, and to advocate for the construction of 1,000 permanent FEMA-built housing units to house wildfire survivors.

Councilmember Yuki Lei Sugimura has announced a community meeting at the Mayor Hannibal Tavares Community Center in Pukalani on Thursday, Feb. 29 from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. The focus of the meeting will be on hazard mitigation and recovery efforts Upcountry.  

The US Army Corps of Engineers announced on Tuesday the successful installation and turnover of the newly constructed temporary campus for King Kamehameha III Elementary School students in Lahaina to the Hawai‘i State Department of Education.

This week on Maui, there are free performances by the Brigham Young university jazz orchestra, Brother Noland and renown pianist June Choi Oh, Billboard hitmaker Iration performs at the MAAC, Mantoku Mission holds its annual bazaar, and the Nāpili Farmers Market reopens after the Aug. 8 Lahaina wildfire.

A bill that seeks to establish a nine-member Lele Community District Board to facilitate rebuilding decisions for the post-wildfire Lahaina area of West Maui, is scheduled for key committee decision making on Wednesday.

Maui firefighters responded to a structure fire early Tuesday morning in the Kaupō area of East Maui. Damages were estimated $6,000 to the structures and $100,000 in damage to the contents. No one was displaced and no injuries were reported. The cause of the fire is undetermined and remains under investigation.