First Hawaiian Bank will open a new full-service branch in Kahana, Maui on October 11, announced Don Horner, First Hawaiian Bank president and chief executive officer.

By Wendy Osher  (Update: 9:45 a.m. 8/11/10) Maui firefighters are now conducting mop-up operations after two fires in West Maui forced the four hour closure of the Honoapiilani Highway last night.  A fire at Ukumehame burned a total of 20 acres, while a separate blaze at Launiupoko burned an estimated 2 acres and burned two [...]

(Update: 6:00 a.m. 6/21/10) The search for a missing snorkeler off of Kaanapali was suspended Sunday after four days of search efforts turned up no signs of the missing woman.  The 54-year old tourist from Colorodo was last seen Thursday afternoon in the Pu’u Keka’a or Black Rock area.  The search covered an area more than twice [...]

Twelve county facilities will undergo an energy audit study as part of a contract utilizing federal stimulus funds. The $50,000 90-day contract was awarded to Honolulu-based Energy Industries, LLC, utilizing funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Mayor Charmaine Tavares announced the project today saying, “The results of the energy audit will take us [...]

By Wendy Osher The Maui Police Department continues an investigation into a suspicious fire reported Saturday, March 6, 2010 in Kapalua.  Authorities have classified the incident as an Arson and are investigating possible evidence leading to an alleged hate crime towards the victim. Detectives with the department’s Criminal Investigation Division are looking into surveillance videos [...]

A fire at a Kapalua home in the Plantation Golf Estates appears suspicious in nature, according to county authorities. The fire was first reported at 5:42 p.m. Saturday at an unoccupied 2-story estate home on Keoawa Street. Crews from Lahaina, Napili, Kahului and Kihei were dispatched to the scene. Firefighters worked overnight to control the [...]

Residential sales on Maui rose slightly to 53, with 14 homes sold each in the Central Maui and Kihei areas.  The median for a Maui home was up to $507,200, from $464,500 a month earlier.  The February figures were released by the Realtors Association of Maui. There were also six homes sold in Haiku, one [...]

The tsunami warning event on Saturday resulted in sewage spills to the ocean at three locations. Officials with the County of Maui identified the specific areas where the public should avoid the ocean until results of bacteriological tests are complete. They are: Kahului (the ocean fronting Hale Nanea and some of the drainage ditches near [...]

Posted by Wendy Osher Home sales on Maui dropped in January to 46 following December’s 17-month high of 90 homes sold.  Officials at the Realtor’s Association of Maui say the results were possibly caused by sellers and buyers timing transactions to close in 2009 for tax reasons. Home prices also slipped slightly in January to [...]

By Wendy Osher Maui home sales were up significantly in December with 90 homes selling for a median price of $477,000. That translates to a 63 percent increase in sales volume over last year and marks a 17-month high for home sales on the island. The Maui Realtors Association released the year end figures saying [...]