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Residents of the Big Island experienced a moderate tremor just before noon today. The Hawaii County Civil Defense Agency reports an earthquake measuring 3.7 in magnitude occurred at 11:52 a.m. Hawaii Standard Time. The quake was centered 5 miles SE of Pu’u O’o Crater, 24 miles S of Hilo, and 225 miles SE of Honolulu […]

High numbers of Western Yellowjacket wasps are currently occurring at Haleakalā National Park.  Yellowjacket numbers typically increase during the late summer and persist through October.  Resource managers are actively controlling yellowjackets in heavily visited areas. However, wasps are still swarming. Areas where yellowjacket numbers are extremely high are at the base of Sliding Sands trail […]

Maui’s plastic bag ordinance is the subject of a public hearing today in Wailuku.  Officials from the Department of Environmental Management will discuss proposed administrative rules that outline what types of bags are permissible and guidelines for compliance. Maui’s plastic bag ban is set to go into effect on January 11, 2011, prohibiting businesses from […]

A total of 271 invasive fish were caught over the weekend in the annual Roi Roundup diving tournament on Maui.  That translates to nearly 39,600 native fish potentially saved, since each roi or peacock grouper can consume an average of 146 fish per year. Seventy-four divers on 37 teams competed in the tournament, in which […]

By Wendy Osher The County of Maui Department of Water Supply is proposing to construct two new replacement water tanks along Omaopio Road in Kula.  Currently, residents living along the road have a limited storage capacity of potable water for their domestic and agricultural use.  In addition to increasing storage capacity, the project is also […]

Qualified first-time homebuyers can get assistance with up to $15,000 for a down payment and/or closing costs through a program that begins September 22, Mayor Charmaine Tavares announced today. “This County program will help middle-income families purchase their first home,” said Mayor Tavares. “Getting a down payment and finding money to pay for closing costs […]

Nearly 4,000 Hawaii households will receive a final knock on the door from local Census workers within the next few weeks, as the U.S. Census Bureau wraps up data collection.   The operations, called Nonresponse Residual Followup, will seek to clarify information on 2010 Census forms that were either mailed back late, incomplete, or unclear […]

Maui Electric Company will host a community meeting tonight to provide information on a proposed electrical line extension project in South Maui.  The meeting will include a presentation on the project from representatives at Maui Electric and planning consultants with the firm Munekiyo & Hiraga, Inc. Company officials will discuss alternative routes for the new 69 kV […]

By Wendy Osher  (4:30p 8/11/10 Update):  Battalion Chief Karl Kubo called the Ukumehame brush fire 90% contained. Crews will continue to monitor the area tonight. (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 […]

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 […]

A federal jury in U.S. District Court for the District of Hawaii Monday found Noshir S. Gowadia, age 66, of Maui, guilty of five criminal offenses relating to his design for the People’s Republic of China (PRC) of a low signature cruise missile exhaust system capable of rendering a PRC cruise missile resistant to detection […]

(Update: 4 p.m. 8/9/10) Fire officials have called the flare-up extinguished at 3:00 p.m. An estimated one acre was burned. No injuries or damage to structures are reported. Maui police re-opened South Alu Road at shortly after 3:00 p.m. There were no evacuations ordered of the area. (Update 3:11 p.m. 8/9/10) AUGUST 9, 3:11 PM: […]

Posted by Wendy Osher After years of legal wrangling, water is being partially restored today at Na Wai Eha in the West Maui mountains.  The release by Wailuku Water Company and Hawaiian Commercial & Sugar Company was ordered by the state water commission as a result of a contested case hearing initiated by several Maui […]

By Wendy Osher (Update 6:10 a.m. 8/9/10) Many Wailuku residents woke up to the smell of smoke this morning (Monday, August 9, 2010).  County officials have confirmed a small flare up of the 30 acre Mac Nut fire off of the Kahekili Highway at around 6 a.m today.  The fire was first reported Saturday afternoon […]

By Wendy Osher (4:15 p.m. 8/6/10) The Kehalani fire that started just before midnight, remains at 60 acres and no injuries are reported.  There was damage reported to waterlines connected to the ‘Iao Water Treatment Facility, which has been shut down while lines are repaired.  The shutdown does not currently affect water customers in the area. Fire […]

By Wendy Osher A hui of unions representing a variety of trades including laborers, electricians and masons is publicly supporting a new face in the Maui Mayor’s race.  The brotherhood of the Maui Construction Union Trades announced their endorsement today of Randy Piltz for Mayor during a press conference held at the Maui Carpenters Union […]

Wailuku Water Company and Hawaiian Commercial & Sugar Company (HC&S) will be releasing water past their diversions in Waihee River and North and South Waiehu Streams on Monday, August 9, to comply with a recent order issued by the State Commission on Water Resource Management. The order was a result of contested case hearing initiated […]

By Wendy Osher A Maui surveillance video that captures a sign snatcher in action is going viral as the campaign season on the Valley Isle heats up.  The incident occurred at 6:39 a.m. Sunday at a business in Wailuku town. Keith Regan, the campaign manager for former mayor Alan Arakawa said more than 50 large […]

(Updated August 1 2010 @ 7:20 p.m.) A large brush fire near the Mokulele Highway on Maui burned a total of 170 acres before being declared 100% contained today. The fire began Saturday morning and came within one mile of the highway, but did not impact traffic. Crews today were assisted by a water tanker […]

On its 20th anniversary celebration, the County of Maui’s PALS program honored Maui Mayor Charmaine Tavares for her role in establishing the program. “Mayor Tavares deserves a lot of credit for not only seeing the need that parents had 20 years ago, but actually creating this program to help parents,” said Karen “Aunty Ti” Deguilmo, […]