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The Hawai‘i Department of Transportation advises the public of nighttime lane closures along Honoapi‘ilani Highway (Route 30) beginning Monday, Feb. 26. Lanes will be closed from 8 p.m. to 4 a.m. the next day, through Friday, March 1, in the vicinity of Kaniau Road to Keawe Street.

Ameresco Inc., a leading cleantech integrator specializing in energy efficiency and renewable energy, has been awarded a contract from Hawaiian Electric Co. for the proposed ‘Ūkiu Energy 40-megawatt renewable energy site in Puʻu-nēnē.

Gov. Josh Green, M.D., has signed the fifth Emergency Proclamation relating to Affordable Housing. Developers must now produce 60% of their units at 140% of the area median income or less – instead of the previous 50%-plus requirement.

Although zoned for 2,137 residential units, the Ledcor Maui project proposes construction of a maximum of 975 residential homes, which includes the Wailea resort community’s first workforce housing units. The state mandated public comment period of 45 days ends on April 8, 2024.

The bank’s employees from the former Lahaina Branch on Papalaua Street that was lost in the fire will be staffing the new location. FHB will be submitting applications for permits to begin construction at the Lahaina Cannery location and hopes to expedite the development of the new location.

US Trade Representative Katherine Tai visited Maui Economic Opportunity’s Wailuku offices Wednesday, Feb. 21, for a listening session about the wildfire recovery.

Hawaiʻi’s economy has been sustained by a resilient US economy and the gradual return of international visitors. According to the University of Hawaiʻi Economic Research Organization’s first quarter forecast for 2024, with the islands’ post-pandemic recovery now largely complete, the economy will downshift this year, and growth will increasingly come from local sources, including a robust construction sector bolstered by the rebuilding of Lahaina, Maui.

A group rallying to help secondary victims of the August fires is asking Gov. Josh Green to extend protections for tenants facing evictions from landlords seeking more lucrative rental income tied to subsidized housing for wildfire survivors.

“The State needs to be better prepared for wildfires,” said Senator Donovan Dela Cruz, Chair of the Committee on Ways and Means. “Our Committee believes these forward thinking bills make sure we are not as susceptible to another catastrophic wildfire, and that we stand ready to efficiently and strategically respond if we find ourselves facing fire again.”

More than 2,700 people over a two-week period participated in County of Maui surveys on proposed Permanent Disposal Sites for Lahaina wildfire ash and debris. March 1 is the target date for selecting the Permanent Disposal Site.

The County of Maui announces an informational workshop aimed at assisting owners whose properties were destroyed in the August wildfires, and who have not signed up for government-assisted clean-up.

The performances marked the first time since the pandemic that an HYS concert tour has returned to Maui. It also marked the Maui debut of Maestro Joseph Stepec, HYS Director of Orchestral Activities and conductor for the performances.

Maui police released details from a New Year’s aerial fireworks accident in East Maui that left one man with permanent loss of sight in one eye.

Hawaiʻi is mourning the loss of veteran radio and television broadcaster Emmeline “Emme” Tomimbang Burns. She passed away Feb. 19 at the Queen’s Medical Center in Honolulu during an emergency aortic surgery.

Lahaina wildfire survivors were updated Wednesday on the progress of ash and debris removal from residential properties destroyed Aug. 8, and they learned the results of surveys aimed at assessing public sentiment in how to determine the final disposal site for thousands of burned homes.

The US Environmental Protection Agency will begin clearing and inspecting sanitary sewer lines on Honoapiʻilani Highway and Keawe Street in Lahaina starting the week of Feb. 26. Department officials say work will take place between Leialiʻi Parkway and Keawe Street (from Wahikuli Wayside Park to Safeway on Honoapiʻilani Highway and from Minit Stop to Honoapiʻilani Highway on Keawe Street).

US Sen. Mazie Hirono visited the preschool next to Princess Nāhiʻenaʻena Elementary School for about a half-hour as part of her tour of west side sites. The Lahaina Head Start site, the only preschool to survive the fires, reopened Feb. 1 after cleanup and renovations. 

The February Kīhei 4th Friday Town Party will take place at Azeka Shopping Center Mauka on Feb. 23 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

During his visit, US Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg provided updates on key infrastructure projects, including critical investments in the Honoapiʻilani Highway. He visited West Maui as part of the administrationʻs efforts to reaffirm its commitment to wildfire recovery in Lahaina.

“This executive order and survey are just our first actions to become a trauma-informed state,” said Gov. Green. “With the results, we will develop better services and programs that support the wellness and resilience of our people, including addressing community traumas we’ve lived through in the past several years, like the pandemic and Maui fires.”