#Maui

Neighbors remember Kula Lodge and Restaurant’s tasty breakfasts, the cozy lodge setting and the generosity they showed after the 2023 wildfires. Kula Lodge’s owners say the restaurant is a “complete loss.”

“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%.

“The public information, or lack thereof, causes tremendous angst and panic, and we wanted to ensure that we improve in that area,” MEMA Administrator Amos Lonokailua-Hewett said.

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 mass evacuations, business closures and frequent warnings from government officials about Tuesday’s tsunami warning reflect the serious approach to potential disasters two years after the deadly fires on Maui.

To make the return of the fair happen, Maui County is providing $1.5 million in funding — about double the cost of the event the last it was held in 2019.

Since striking an agreement with the State Historic Preservation Division in April, Maui County has been enforcing historic guidelines more consistently in order for people to be approved for building permits.

Some farmers lost thousands of dollars in products when their generators couldn’t keep their operations going. But even the hardest-hit businesses and their neighbors say shutting off the power is a good measure to prevent another tragedy like the 2023 wildfires in Lahaina and Upcountry.

While life has been difficult for Mike Victorino after losing his reelection bid for Maui County mayor in 2022 and taking on new health challenges, he has the love and support of his family and a strong will to see his great grandchildren grow up.

There are two temporary housing projects in Lahaina for wildfire survivors: Kilohana, for FEMA eligible families; and Ka La’i Ola, a state-run project for non-FEMA eligible families.

Micah Diaz, 13, has been boxing for less than three years, but veteran coach Nante Manangan knew he “very special” the first time he stopped by to try boxing practice in the facility that Manangan has in his backyard and garage in North Kīhei. Manangan said that Micah Diaz is the first two-time national champion boxer ever from Maui.

Kahikinui, along with Waiohuli and Launiupoko, were the first communities on Maui to earn Firewise USA recognition in 2016 — and now there are 34 with another 16 going through the process.

Rodney Yap, Pat McCall and Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen were all at a youth football camp put on by the Los Angeles Rams 53 years ago, becoming part of a generation of Rams fans on Maui.

With the average age of Hawaiʻi farm producers at 60.7 years in 2022, many groups in Maui County are offering programs to attract young people to the farming profession.

The Just Hoop Maui camp drew 115 youths from the Mainland and Maui for a three-day run at Jon Garcia Gym at Baldwin High School. The camp coaches included Greg Oden, the No. 1 NBA draft pick in 2007 by the Portland Trail Blazers.

Three sites have been selected for up-close plans: Olowalu town, Mile Marker 14 and Ukumehame Beach Park.

A University of Hawai’i team at a greenhouse in Hilo is nurturing the next generation of breadfruit trees for Lahaina.

The $1.56 billion budget, which is $55 million more than Mayor Richard Bissen’s, is up for first reading today.