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Maui County students and educators can now apply for the Ke Alahele Education Grant, which supports a wide range of STEM education and professional development activities at both the secondary and post-secondary levels.

Representing 73 landowners, Front Street Recovery is committed to rebuilding the heart of Lahaina by restoring over 800 businesses and providing more than 7,000 jobs critical to supporting local families and the community.

The highest peak on Maui was graced with snow this morning as blustery conditions left a blanket of white powder at the summit of Haleakalā at the 10,000 foot elevation.

Chairperson Sharon Hurd said the Hawaiʻi State Department of Agriculture is investigating a complaint by Maui coffee farmer Gerry Ross that big company Mahi Pono was able to obtain coffee leaf rust-resistant cultivars that small companies could not.

Public schools in Hāna, Lahaina and Kihei will be closed to students and staff today, Friday, Jan. 10, due to power outages and unsafe road conditions caused by weather impacts. This includes: Hāna High & Elementary; Kamali‘i Elementary ; Kīhei Elementary; Lokelani Intermediate; Kūlanihāko‘i High; King Kamehameha III Elementary; Princess Nāhi‘ena‘ena Elementary; Lahaina Intermediate; and Lahainaluna High.

Hawaiian Electric crews are working to restore power to approximately 100 remaining Maui customers in pockets of Kailua, Kīhei and Kula. As of 8:30 p.m., power was restored to all others including 22,000 customers in parts of South Maui, Upcountry, West Maui and Central Maui after early morning thunderstorms. 

The National Weather Service has issued a Flash Flood Warning for the island of Maui until 7:30 a.m. The National Weather Service has issued a Severe Thunderstorm Warning for Maui until 7 a.m. At 5:23 a.m., severe thunderstorms were located along a line extending from near Waikapū to near Kaupō, moving southwest at 10 mph with 70 mph wind gusts.

Maui Economic Opportunity Inc. celebrates 60 years of service in Maui County this year. This retrospective looks at its branch on Moloka‘i where its offices across the street from Kaunakakai Elementary School became a “community hub” in its early years, according to MEO Moloka‘i Director Mahie McPherson.

The Hawai‘i State Department of Education announced today that one previously suspended school bus route serving Samuel E. Kalama Intermediate School will be reinstated starting on Monday, Jan. 13, restoring service for approximately 31 student bus riders. 

Hawaiian Electric will close its Shift and Save time-of-use rates program to new enrollments as of Feb. 1, 2025, following the completion of a one-year pilot. Customers enrolled in Shift and Save before that date will be allowed to continue in the program with the ability to opt out at any time.

As Hawaiʻi lawmakers get ready for the opening of this year’s legislative session on Jan. 15, members of the House and Senate are holding informational meetings and the Senate Democratic majority has announced its legislative priorities.

President Joe Biden signed US Rep. Jill Tokuda’s bill into law, naming the Captain Cook Post Office on Hawaiʻi Island the “Army 1st Lt. John Kuulei Kauhaihao Post Office Building.”

Local eligible nonprofits and governments across the country can now apply for the 2025 AARP Community Challenge grant program, which funds quick-action projects that help communities become more livable by improving public places, transportation, housing, digital connections and more.

The County of Maui Department of Environmental Management has launched a new Tow and Scrap program for Molokaʻi residents to recycle their unwanted qualified vehicles at no cost. The County is partnering with A&S Services LLC and Molokaʻi Metals Facility to facilitate the program.

The Seabury Hall Performing Arts Department presents Disney’s Newsies Jr. — a musical packed with energy, heart, and an inspiring story of standing up for what’s right.

All Walmart locations statewide will participate in the first Wellness Day of 2025 this Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., where customers can receive free BMI and blood pressure screenings, and affordable immunizations like COVID-19, flu, RSV, tetanus, hepatitis, HPV and more.

The Hui No‘eau Visual Arts Center’s annual juried exhibition will be on display Jan. 17 through Feb. 21, 2025, with an opening reception to be held on Friday, Jan. 17 from 5 to 7 p.m. A walk through with juror Abigail Romanchak will be held Friday, Jan. 17 from 4 to 5 p.m.

“Hawaiʻi Conservation Kuleana,” a new podcast from the DLNR, launches next Monday, Jan. 13. Monthly episodes will explore the complex balance of conservation, cultural stewardship and community engagement in Hawaiʻi.

Researchers at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa have made an exciting discovery: a virus found in the ocean called FloV-SA2 carries the genetic instructions for making part of a ribosome—a crucial component in cells that turns genetic information into proteins. This is the first time a virus that infects eukaryotic organisms (such as plants, animals, and fungi) has been found to have this capability, according to UH researchers.

Queen Kaʻahumanu Center is seeking vendors for the return of the Baby Expo, happening on Saturday, Jan. 25, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.