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The Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement (CNHA) has announced the acquisition of Hawai‘i Stage, formerly Hawai‘i Stage & Lighting Rentals (HSLR), during its annual Native Hawaiian Convention at Hilton Waikoloa Village. Hawai‘i Stage, a full-service event production company founded in 1976, is known for its contributions to Hawai‘i’s event industry and has now relocated its operations from Mapunapuna to Kapālama, Honolulu.

The Kahaualeʻa Natural Area Reserve in Puna is closed for 90 days due to a shift in eruptive activity at Kīlauea Volcano, according to the state Department of Land and Natural Resources Division of Forestry and Wildlife. The closure, effective immediately, may be extended if hazardous conditions continue.

The officially merged Hawaiian and Alaska Airlines have expanded Hawaiian’s former 64-aircraft fleet into a combined fleet of 350 passenger airplanes, now offering Hawaiʻi residents non-stop or one-stop flights to 128 cities and destinations like Chicago, Denver, Washington, D.C., Toronto, New Orleans, Costa Rica and Miami. But the airline merger will not bring new air service to Molokaʻi, Lānaʻi, Kapalua or Hāna.

The County of Maui Office of Recovery and the Office of Council Member Yuki Lei Sugimura will be hosting a meeting for Kula homeowners impacted by the August 2023 wildfires on Tuesday, Sept. 24, from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Mayor Hannibal Tavares Community Center in Pukalani.

The Hawai‘i Visitors and Convention Bureau urges travelers that now is the most important time to visit Maui, as it announced the launch of its Hawai‘i Special Offers Program on Wednesday. This special offers program features limited-time deals on accommodations, excursions, transportation, and golf, with a special focus on supporting Maui.

The Hawai‘i Department of Health Food and Drug Branch is alerting residents to a recall issued by KTM Services, Inc., of its Enjoy Premium Taro Cookie and Enjoy Premium Coconut Cookie products. The DOH said in a press release today that the labels do not inform consumers that the recalled products may contain milk, which is an allergen.

Students, teachers, and families are invited to Lā ʻOhana (ʻOhana Day) this Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024, at Hanakaʻōʻō Beach Park (Canoe Beach) in Kāʻanapali, the Maui Huliau Foundation announced. The event will focus on Hawaiian voyaging and natural resource protection.

Previously located under the County of Maui Department of Planning, the County Flood Hazard Area regulations are now being administered through the County Department of Public Works. Moving the regulations aims to enhance coordination and efficiency of flood protection.

Fall 2024 enrollment at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa surpassed 20,000 students for the first time since 2013, the university reports. The final enrollment numbers will not be official until the first week of October, but as of Sept. 17, there are 20,012 students enrolled at UH Mānoa, a 4% increase over 2023. 

The County of Maui Department of Parks and Recreation PALS Program is seeking seasonal employees for its winter 2024 session.

Kaiser Permanente members are invited to a free Women’s Health Fair at the Wailuku Medical Office on Saturday, Sept. 21 from 8 a.m. to noon. Attendees can receive mammograms, cervical cancer screenings/pap tests, resting echocardiograms, blood pressure checks, and laboratory services.

Hawaiian Electric is raising awareness about its drone operations after one of its contracted drones was damaged while midair, downing the tool as it was being used to inspect overhead lines on Maui last week. Company representatives say the drone was purposely targeted. As part of its ongoing wildfire safety strategy, Hawaiian Electric is using unmanned aircrafts, or drones, for aerial inspections within Maui County, Hawai‘i Island and O‘ahu to inspect its electrical infrastructure in identified wildfire risk areas.

Work on the parcel originally started to clear a firebreak following concerned neighbor complaints, but a conservation group says it’s gone far beyond that and put wildlife habitat at risk.

Hundreds of Hawaiian Telcom employees throughout the state and on Maui will spend the day volunteering this Friday, Sept. 20, 2024, the company announced

The Rotary Club of Kīhei-Wailea and the Rotary Satellite Club of Kīhei-Wailea will host a Peace Pole dedication ceremony this Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024, at 9 a.m. This will be the first joint project between the two Rotary clubs in South Maui. The public is invited to attend this occasion at South Maui Gardens, 35 Auhana Road, Kīhei.

The County Department of Parks and Recreation will continue one-day mass permitting events for summer 2025 private-party community center permits in West Maui and South Maui districts, county officials announced.

Maui police have launched a shooting investigation after the death of a motorist in Waikapū early Monday morning. Police have since identified the victim as Shawn Lewis, 42, of Lahaina. Lewis was reportedly driving along the Honoapiʻilani Highway in Waikapū early Monday morning when he crashed shortly after midnight on Sept. 16, 2024, near Waiolu Place, forcing the closure of the highway for five hours while police conducted an investigation. The cause of death is pending autopsy.

SUM awarded the 2024 Michael Williams Certificate of Appreciation to Lahaina Strong. This award is presented annually to an exemplary individual who is standing up for Maui County’s residents. Lahaina Strong was chosen for the role they played in the effort in returning short-term rental units across Maui County into long-term housing.

US Sen. Brian Schatz led 10 bipartisan senators on Friday in calling for additional disaster relief funding for the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s disaster relief fund and Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) ahead of the governments’ Sept. 30 funding deadline.

Rent stabilization is legal, but will it work to help residents at the mercy of landlords seeking the highest possible return on their Maui property investments? That’s the question left hanging after Maui County Council members heard Monday evening from more than two dozen testifiers, most of whom favored putting brakes on runaway rental costs.