#Lahaina

Hana Hou Hospitality is bringing Halloween festivities to the restaurants in Lahaina with a full lineup of festive dining, live entertainment and family fun. From eerie Kitchen Assassin Supper Clubs to oceanfront costume parties, Coco Deck Lahaina and Māla Ocean Tavern are ready to make this Halloween season one to remember. Supper Club returns to Coco Deck Coco Deck’s […]

The grand opening and blessing of Kaiāulu o Kūku‘ia Thursday morning marked an emotional milestone in West Maui’s recovery, becoming the first newly built, permanent multifamily affordable housing project to open for local families since the August 2023 wildfires. The complex includes Hawai‘i’s first Bezos Academy preschool.

The Maui Chamber of Commerce has launched an economic impact survey to gather critical information needed for the rebuilding of Lahaina Harbor.

The earliest building, the Baldwin Home, could potentially be finished around 2028, while the last buildings, the Seamen’s Hospital and Plantation House, would take until roughly 2032.

The elementary school that burned in the Lahaina wildfire of 2023 will be rebuilt on the 14-acre Ku’ia site that is near the original location but inland and out of the tsunami inundation zone.

Sirens used in last week’s fire and the tsunami warning earlier this summer show how the approach to sounding the sirens has changed since the deadly 2023 Lahaina blaze.

In a new op-ed, policy analyst Jonathan Helton shares how red tape, economic losses and resident departures are slowing Lahaina’s recovery — and why policymakers must act quickly to change it.

Wednesday’s celebration announced that the 450-unit, $185 million West Maui complex is complete and ready to be filled to its capacity with about 1,500 people who were displaced by the 2023 Lahaina wildfire.

The County of Maui Office of Recovery will host an open house on Lahaina town commercial area design plans on Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025, from 3 to 7 p.m. at Lahaina Cannery Mall, near the entrance to Longs Drugs.

Amid ongoing efforts to address brownfields on Maui, two organizations are spearheading a transformative initiative to test for contaminants and ultimately convert long-abandoned sites into vibrant community spaces.

The West Maui service area includes Lahaina, Kāʻanapali, Kahana, Māhinahina, Nāpili-Honokōwai, and Honokōhau. West Maui is experiencing continued dry weather and lack of rainfall. Therefore, the existing water shortage is being upgraded to a Stage 2 for West Maui until water source levels are adequate to meet demand. 

The hale pāpaʻi program has been running since August 2024 and the one-week free class offered in conjunction has attracted more than 400 students, 70 of whom were high school students this summer, according to Talia Purdy of the school’s academic affairs support staff. 

The event will provide an important platform for the Filipino community in Lahaina to voice their concerns, ask questions, and receive updates on wildfire recovery efforts following the devastating Aug. 8, 2023 fires.

The County of Maui Office of Recovery will host an additional community information session online from 2 to 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 9, 2025, to present finalized policies for the upcoming Hoʻokumu Hou housing programs.

“The trauma will always be there for sure … but the image that I have in my mind of that day, it’s hard to picture that when you see frames being put up and you see construction happening,” fire survivor Dustin Kaleiopu said.

Hawaiian Electric’s efforts since the Aug. 8, 2023 wildfires on Maui are part of its $350 million, three-year Wildfire Safety Strategy that is projected to reduce fire risk by 68% to 72%.

Maui Police Chief John Pelletier said his department over the past two years also has invested in better training and equipment for officers and dispatchers.

The team lost for the first time in 14 games this season, to Valencia, Venezuela, in the world championship of the Intermediate (11-13) Baseball World Series.

The 2023 Maui wildfires “still weigh heavily on everybody in the department, and it was something that a lot of our firefighters faced that day that they hope to never have to see again,” Maui Fire Chief Brad Ventura said.

The team has won all 10 of its games this summer, at the state and West Region levels, to qualify for the 2025 Intermediate 50/70 World Series in Livermore, Calif., that began Sunday. Central East Maui received a bye and will open play today 1 p.m. HST in the event that runs through Aug. 3.