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On the next stop of its seven-month journey around the Hawaiian Islands, Hōkūleʻa expects to arrive in Lāʻie tomorrow morning, where it will begin its series of Oʻahu public engagements on the Statewide Pae ʻĀina Voyage.

The Maui Arts & Cultural Center presents a first-time appearance on Maui for Piff The Magic Dragon, a headliner of a successful Las Vegas show for nearly 10 years. As seen on America’s Got Talent and numerous other shows, Piff and his co-star Chihuahua, Mr. Piffles, will bring their one-of-a-kind act to Castle Theater Saturday, March 22, 2025. Tickets go on sale online only at MauiArts.org at 10 a.m. to MACC members Tuesday, Nov. 26 and to the general public Wednesday, Nov. 27.

Kula Elementary School fourth grader, Lacey LaʻIku O Ka La Virginia Mollie Caires, was announced on Nov. 16, as the elementary school level winner of the King Kalākaua Essay Contest organized by The Friends of ʻIolani Palace.

Komar Maui Properties officials are applauding Maui County’s decision to abandon its eminent domain case for its 20-acre property next to the Central Maui Landfill as a final disposal site for wildfire debris.

Night operations and a water service outage are scheduled in Wailuku beginning at 9 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 22 through 5 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024. Work will start at the intersection of Central Avenue and Nani Street, and continue to Mahalani Street, including Lunalilo and Liholiho streets.

Rotarians and their supporters set up collection stations at four Safeway locations across the island on Saturday, Nov. 16, successfully gathering nearly 1,700 pounds of food and raising over $3,900 in donations, which combined will provide 17,006 meals to island residents in need.

Hale Kau Kau welcomes anyone in need of a meal for Thanksgiving to a distribution event from noon to 2 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 28 at St. Theresa Church in Kīhei. Organizers say all are welcome, no questions asked. Meals will be available at the church’s Stawasz Hall. For more information, call 808-875-8754.

In the first round of the Lahaina HERO Awards program, 300 Lahaina teachers, staff members and administrators will receive a monetary award ranging from $2,500 for eligible full time salaried employees to around $1,000 for part time staff and casual employees. The governor also announced a $20M Lahaina workforce housing project to build a 47 unit rental complex at Lahainaluna High School.

Motorists on Maui are advised of potential traffic delays beginning Monday, Nov. 25, as crews check pavement quality on 13 state highways on the island. The data will allow HDOT to be proactive in repairing roads before they show signs of distress.

The Kīhei Aquatic Center training pool and Kōkua Pool in Kahului will be closed for deep cleaning of the pools’ surfaces from Nov. 24, 2024 to Dec.1, 2024. Coach Soichi Sakamoto Pool in Wailuku will be closed from 9 a.m. to noon on Thursday, Dec. 5, 2024, for physical swim testing for the recruitment of pool guard trainees.

As the country celebrates National Rural Health Month this week, US Rep. Jill Tokuda (HI-02), co-chair of the Bipartisan Rural Health Caucus, led several bipartisan efforts to recognize the importance of rural health care, medical providers, and the communities they serve. 

Queen Kaʻahumanu Center invites the public to gear up for the holidays on Black Friday, Nov. 29, with giveaways, performances, and exclusive shopping opportunities.

The public is invited to purchase books at Barnes & Noble Kahului and donate them to the preschoolers at Maui Economic Opportunity’s Head Start through Dec. 12 as part of the bookstore’s annual holiday book drive.

The Hawaiʻi State Department of Health is investigating human contacts to the flock infected with H5N1. No humans in Hawaiʻi have tested positive for avian influenza at this time. 

The State Historic Preservation Division is considering developing sensitivity maps and one archaeological monitoring plan that all residential and commercial property owners can use so they don’t have to develop and pay for individual ones.

Hundreds gathered at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa for the 2024 Piʻo Summit: Hulihia: Fire and Rain, a free series of forums focused on leveraging ancestral ʻike (knowledge) to support long-term recovery efforts for communities affected by the Lahaina wildfires and the 2018 Kauaʻi floods.

After years of operating once a week under tents in a parking lot, the Nāpili Farmers Market now has a 3,200-square-foot marketplace for vendors and customers and some brick-and-mortar shops for shelter from rain showers.

The Hawaiʻi Emergency Management Agency (HI-EMA) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) are updating Maui wildfire survivors on the rental assistance program, which has been extended beyond Feb. 10, 2025. As part of this extension, FEMA will begin collecting rent from Direct Housing Assistance participants beginning March 1, 2025, based on their ability to pay. FEMA has begun the process of notifying affected families of this change.

The Ho‘ōla iā Mauiakama Long Term Recovery Group and All Hands And Hearts are inviting the community to participate in the “Lahaina Clean-Up Kōkua” this holiday season to help Lahaina residents impacted by the August 2023 wildfire. This community-driven effort will organize teams of volunteers to clear ineligible debris from fire-damaged properties, supporting residents as they prepare to rebuild.

The community is invited to learn more about the proposed extension of Waiʻale Road from East Waikō Road southward to Honoapiʻilani Highway and offer comments during the public meeting, which will be held Thursday, Dec. 5, 2024, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. via Zoom.