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With visitors choosing to go elsewhere, Maui County can expect “slow progress” in its economic recovery in the wake of the August 2023 wildfire disaster, according to economics professor Carl Bonham, executive director of the University of Hawaiʻi Economic Research Organization.

A “procedural requirement” sidelined the hotly disputed Honuaʻula master-planned community Thursday, after it had been posted for first-reading action on tomorrow’s Maui County Council agenda.

Update/located: (Dec 19, 2024, 9:27 a.m.) Dela Cruz was located.  The Maui Police Department thanked the public for their assistance.

The club has been through a lot since the Aug. 8, 2023, wildfires, which claimed the life of one member and the homes of 40 members. While the December gathering last year was subdued and a reunion of members scattered across the island, this year’s event was a more traditional, festive holiday gathering.

The Hawai‘i Tourism Authority has announced its upcoming community partnerships focused on natural resources, cultural initiatives, festivals and signature events. HTA is reinvesting nearly $3 million in partnerships with 105 community-based organizations, projects, programs and events taking place across Hawai‘i from January 1 to June 30, 2025.

Interferograms are images created by radar satellites that show how the ground has changed shape, or deformed, over time. Today, scientists dive into one of the trickiest parts of interpreting interferograms: the perspective of satellites.

Queen Kaʻahumanu Center celebrates this holiday season with 12 Days of Giveaways from Dec. 14-25. 

The IRS will be providing failure to pay penalty relief to nearly 600 Maui taxpayers, which equates to about $300,000 in relief – an average of about $500 per taxpayer. This is separate from disaster relief previously announced in August 2023, that postponed various tax-filing and tax-payment deadlines for individuals and businesses in Maui and Hawaiʻi counties until Aug. 7, 2024. 

As part of the Connect Kākou Initiative, the County of Maui is inviting residents of Maui, Molokaʻi and Lānaʻi to take a brief survey on their internet access and use, devices used, community resources needed and household demographics.

Every student in grades K-12 is required to choose a project to work on during the school year and be able to present the findings associated with what they have learned, how the project was developed, and why it was concluded successfully.

Leah Laramee, Hawaiʻi Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Coordinator, will highlight the upcoming “Year of Climate Action” on Friday, Dec. 13, 2024, as part of the County of Maui Mayor’s Sustainability Speaker Series.

Hawaiian Electric is monitoring weather conditions across the state, which may lead to an increased risk of wildfires. This comes after the National Weather Service issued a Red Flag Warning due to a forecast of low humidity and strong winds through Thursday afternoon. If needed to protect public safety, Hawaiian Electric reports it may implement its Public Safety Power Shutoff program to proactively shut off power in communities with high exposure to wildfire risk.

On Tuesday, the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa and the Office of Wellness and Resilience under the Office of the Governor launched the dashboard, which features in-depth findings on social, economic, and health issues affecting the state’s residents.

The Maui Volunteer Coalition for Recovery in partnership with the Ho‘ōla iā Mauiakama Disaster Long Term Recovery Group, is offering a limited number of complimentary POINT Pro subscriptions to Maui’s nonprofit organizations. This initiative aims to strengthen volunteer management systems and enhance capacity to support wildfire recovery efforts.

A new study shows proper intake of food is essential for pregnant humpback whales to pull off the extreme physical feat of annual migration between Hawaiʻi and Alaska.

On Wednesday, US Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) reiterated calls for Congress to pass long-term disaster aid for survivors on Maui and nationwide before Congress is scheduled to go on recess at the end of next week.

The Board of Land and Natural Resources is expected to take action Friday on a staff recommendation to issue a revocable permit to Alexander & Baldwin and subsidiary East Maui Irrigation Co. for the use of surface stream water.

Seabury Hall presents “KA‘AO: A Hula Drama,” a production by the school’s Hawaiian Studies Department. This unique cultural event will be held for one night only on Sunday, Dec. 15, at 5:30 p.m. at Seabury Hall’s A‘ali‘ikūmākani Creative Arts Center.

Frosty Fun Fridays, put on by Maui Economic Opportunity’s Youth Services program in partnership with the Queen Ka‘ahumanu Center, will offer crafts, games and treats at the mall on Fridays, Dec. 13 and 20.

The Coast Guard rescued five adults after their vessel capsized outside Nāwiliwili Harbor in Līhuʻe, Kauaʻi, Tuesday.