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The Core Four business  planning first series of 2025, presented by Maui Economic Opportunity’s Business Development Center, starts Tuesday, Jan. 7, and runs twice weekly through Thursday, Feb. 6.

The eruption at Kīlauea volcano that began on Monday, Dec. 23, continues this morning. Over the past day, vents in the southwest portion of the caldera have continued producing a fan of lava flows covering the western portion of the crater floor during sustained lava fountaining.

Applications for the popular Agricultural Micro Grant Program 5.0 – which offers up to $25,000 in grants to Maui County small farmers and ranchers – will be available starting Jan. 9, 2025.

DLNR reports it is looking into a solution that addresses the environmental concerns of the plaintiffs and concerned community members, while recognizing the economic impact the court’s order has on Kā’anapali permittees and those businesses that rely on these activities to support their families and employees, as they recover from the Lahaina wildfires.

Hawai‘i joins 12 other states leading the way with expanded continuous Medicaid coverage for children, alongside Colorado, Kansas, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Utah and Washington.

Hawai‘i Emergency Management Agency officials also noted in their announcement that a test of the live audio broadcast segment of the Emergency Alert System will accompany the sounding test of the sirens at roughly the same time, in cooperation with the Hawai‘i broadcast industry.

A group of Maui pickleball enthusiasts recently showcased their skills and aloha spirit at the inaugural Japan Open Pickleball Tournament held in Tokyo from Dec. 12 to 15. Despite freezing temperatures, the players brought home an impressive haul of 14 medals.

A brush fire reported off of Kunu Place in Kahului earlier this afternoon was extinguished. Fire officials say the blaze burned an area less than 100 feet by 50 feet in size, and was doused just a few minutes after Engine 1 arrived on scene without any other units assisting.  No damages were reported.

Registration is open for First Tee Hawaiʻi’s first session for programming of 2025. First Tee Hawaiʻi is a youth development organization that helps kids and teens build their strength of character through golf.

According to University of Hawai‘i, six ʻalae ʻula (Hawaiian moorhen) chicks hatched in the loʻi in December. The parents had shown up a couple of months earlier.

Lahaina Recreation Center’s Rec 1 baseball and softball fields are closed while repairs of a water pump are underway.

Local nonprofit Mālama Maui Nui is encouraging volunteers to start the new year by joining a Pūlehu Road Clean Up from 8 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Jan. 4.

The Kaho’olawe Island Reserve Commission (KIRC) has announced permitted trolling dates during two weekends in January of 2025.

The Maui Calm Project has announced its tentative launch this spring after receiving a $25,000 contribution from the Rotary District 5000 Foundation Maui Fires Relief Fund.

Sara Tomastik will be the speaker at the meeting of the Rotary Club of Lahaina Sunset on Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. She will share information about the Maui Wildfire Exposure Study.

The balance of power on the council could come into play on critical issues that include the mayor’s proposal to phase out thousands of short-term vacation rentals.

A New Year’s celebration turned deadly on Oʻahu when a firework explosion killed at least three individuals and left more than 20 people in serious or critical condition, according to sources. The incident was reported just after midnight at a home on Keaka Drive in the Salt Lake area of Honolulu.

Fifteen months after the Aug. 8, 2023 wildfires, there were 197,622 visitors to Maui in November 2024, according to preliminary statistics from the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism. This marks a 21.6% increase—or approximately 35,000 more visitors—compared to November 2023, though it remains about 15% below the visitor count recorded in November 2019, prior to the pandemic and wildfires.

Sentry Insurance is donating an additional $1 million to Maui United Way to continue its support of youth mental health services in response to the devastating 2023 wildfires.

The newsite posted nearly 1,500 stories this year, many of which involved people with connection to the university system making headlines, including Miss Aloha Hula winners, a contestant on “The Voice” and someone who once had a date with Marcia Brady.