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The award recognized the military, local law enforcement and community agencies that have come together through Operation Keiki Shield to combat internet and child sex trafficking crimes within the active-duty military in Hawaiʻi.

Department of Housing and Human Concerns Director Lori Tsuhako faced critics Tuesday who questioned her responsiveness, accessibility and management of homelessness in Maui County. But she nevertheless won support for her confirmation as Department of Human Concerns director from a majority of Maui County Council members.

The Grand Wailea has announced the first Homecoming Performance of Maui-native singer-songwriter, Kamalei Kawaʻa, a Grammy nominee and top-20 contestant on NBC’s “The Voice”. The concert will be held on the Grand Wailea’s Molokini Garden on Friday, June 7 from 6 to 10 p.m.

The Nisei Veterans Memorial Center will show famed animator Makoto Shinkai’s “Children Who Chase Lost Voices” on Saturday, June 8, and “Your Name” on Saturday, June 15.

Representatives of fire-related entities from state, national and local levels gathered at Fire Station 14 in Wailea to launch the state’s 8th annual Wildfire and Drought LOOKOUT! campaign on Tuesday.

Castle Hospitality Group has named Ravi Pandey as General Manager of Castle Nāpili Surf Beach Resort and its two homeowner associations. He will be responsible for all AOAO operations as well as the Castle rental program. He will also ensure guest and homeowner satisfaction and coordinate operations and guest services, including housekeeping, maintenance and repairs.

The Sentry, alongside representatives from Sentry Insurance, announced today that more than a dozen Maui nonprofit organizations benefited from the 2024 event, which generated $735,694 in charitable funds. This marks the largest charitable donation to local organizations since the event moved to Maui in 1999.

Op-ed Commentary submitted by The Grassroot Institute of Hawaiʻi: ‘Wildly unbalanced’ planning commission potential problem for Bissen’s TVR phase-out. *****Views expressed in Op-Ed pieces are those of the author’s alone and do not reflect or represent the opinions, policies or positions of Maui Now.*****  

Two temporary groundwater monitoring wells will be installed at the Temporary Debris Storage site (TDS) in Olowalu. County officials say the installation is part of its commitment along with the US Army Corps of Engineers to protect public health and the environment during the wildfire cleanup.

Second Circuit Court Judge Peter T. Cahill issued judgment in favor of Gov. Josh Green, M.D., and the Hawaiʻi Housing Finance and Development Corporation, in a lawsuit that sought to, among other things, invalidate the governor’s emergency proclamation on affordable housing. With this decision, the current proclamation—the Sixth Proclamation Relating to Affordable Housing—remains in full effect.

Scientists with the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory say unrest remains high at Kīlauea volcano on Hawaiʻi island following Monday’s 12 hours of eruptive activity and subsequent mid-day pause.

Maui Economic Development Board STEMworks™ team members and local STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) experts traveled to Molokaʻi on May 22 to lead STEM Day activities for Kaunakakai Elementary School and Molokaʻi Middle School students. The event occupied an entire school day, with hands-on activities utilizing a wide variety of technology tools.

The state Department of Land and Natural Resources issued an open letter to the cruise ship industry putting the vessels “on notice” that they will be closely monitored to ensure compliance with state laws. 

Fitch Ratings recently affirmed the County of Maui AA+ ratings — the second highest rating a debt issuer can receive — adding that the County outlook is “stable.”

Residents are invited to attend Mayor Richard Bissen’s Weekly Disaster Recovery Community Update Meeting at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 5, in the Lahaina Civic Center gymnasium.

The County of Maui Office of Recovery and Department of Planning today launched an online version of their Neighborhood Planning Workshops on the “Ola Lahaina” page of MauiRecovers.org. Through the month of June, residents may participate in the online workshop at their convenience from their laptop, tablet or phone. The online workshop is an opportunity for residents who were not able to attend past neighborhood workshops to share their thoughts, or for those who did attend to share more input.

The 93rd Weapons of Mass Destruction Civil Support Team, a specialized unit of the Hawaiʻi National Guard, will be coordinating hazmat and active-shooter drills, in coordination with Department of Education and county first responders, this week.

Scientists with the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory issued an updated status report on Kīlauea, saying the eruption that began southwest of the summit at approximately 12:30 a.m. HST this morning, June 3, has paused, “however, activity in this region remains dynamic and could change quickly.”

Gov. Josh Green, M.D., today signed two tax related bills into law: House Bill 2404 provides significant tax relief to Hawaiʻi’s working families; and Senate Bill 1035 exempts medical services reimbursed by Medicare, Medicaid, and TRICARE from the state’s General Excise Tax.

The “ʻUkulele for Lahaina” Project announces the inaugural Kula ʻUkulele Festival, a special event as part of the Maui Jazz & Blues Festival series dedicated to providing ʻukulele to families who lost their instruments in the August 2023 Lahaina wildfire. The event will feature some of Hawaii’s top ʻukulele masters and will take place on June 22 from 3 to 7:30 p.m. at the Ocean Organic Farm and Distillery on the slopes of Haleakalā.