Maui Council panel votes 5-4 to adopt sea-level-rise criteria for apartment rezoning in new hotel districts

Hurricane Lowell will approach the western end of the main Hawaiian Islands late Sunday, bringing possible surf, rain, wind and flooding impacts particularly to the western portion of the state. The extent of impacts will be determined by the eventual track of Lowell, according to the latest forecast from the National Weather Service.

The Hawaiʻi Department of Health is reporting that a wastewater sample from Hawaiʻi County has tested positive for dengue virus. The sample was collected Aug. 24, 2026, at the Hilo wastewater treatment plant and DOH was notified of the result Aug. 31, 2026. A follow-up sample was collected on Aug. 31; those results are pending. DOH is not currently tracking any active dengue cases in Hawaiʻi County.

United States Attorney Ken Sorenson announced that Justin Nelson, 43, of Kīhei, Maui, appeared Thursday, Sept. 3, before US Magistrate Judge Wes Reber Porter and entered a plea of guilty to bank robbery. Sentencing is set for Dec. 18, 2026 before Senior US District Judge Helen Gillmor.

Mayor Richard Bissen is urging the US Postal Service to preserve and restore direct home mail delivery for Lahaina residents rebuilding homes destroyed in the 2023 Maui Wildfires, emphasizing that “returning families should not lose an essential service simply because they were forced to rebuild.”

Gov. Josh Green signed an emergency proclamation (EP) covering the entire state to support preparations for and potential impacts from Hurricane Lowell, Hurricane Karina, Tropical Storm Marie and any additional storms that could affect Hawaiʻi.

County of Maui departments continue to respond to damage from Tropical Storm Lala while preparing for possible impacts from hurricanes Lowell and Karina. With multiple weather systems interacting, there is more uncertainty in forecasts, National Weather Service officials have emphasized. Meanwhile, officials are echoing calls for community members to stay prepared during this above-normal hurricane season.

With Hawaiʻi students back in the classroom, American Savings Bank is calling on the state’s next generation of entrepreneurs to put their biggest ideas to the test through the 2026 KeikiCo Business Plan Competition.

US Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) recently led a roundtable discussion with community leaders to evaluate the repatriation of Native Hawaiian ancestral remains and cultural items under the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) and to identify ways to strengthen the law’s implementation.

The Hawai‘i Department of Transportation is asking drivers to watch for runners taking part in the Hāna Relay on Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026.

More than 850 students from the two Hawai‘i public schools most impacted by Hurricane Lala are returning to in-person learning this week, marking a significant step forward for school communities that have spent the past two weeks navigating storm damage, utility disruptions and impacts in their surrounding communities.

The Maui County Council’s Housing and Land Use Committee voted 5-4 last week to adopt criteria for which apartment-zoned vacation rental properties can be recommended to the Maui Planning Commission for hotel-district rezoning, tying eligibility to how deeply a property sits within the county’s Sea Level Rise Exposure Area.

The Sierra Club of Hawaiʻi has endorsed Mayor Richard Bissen in his campaign for reelection as mayor of Maui County.