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The Hawaiʻi Community Foundation has deployed an additional $265,000 through its Stronger Hawaiʻi Initiative to support disaster response efforts on Kauaʻi and Niʻihau following Hurricane Lowell.

The Hawai‘i Department of Transportation is reporting progress to restore Kaumālapa‘u Harbor on Lāna‘i following the impacts of Hurricane Lowell. HDOT is estimating the waterway will be clear and the harbor will be ready for operations by Sunday, Sept. 13.

The County of Maui Department of Housing is seeking applications for affordable housing projects that will be funded by its Affordable Housing Fund in Fiscal Year 2028. The projects must propose housing for families earning 140% and below the County of Maui’s median family income.

Kennard Hinano Boyd Kekona, 58, was sentenced in federal court to 120 months in prison followed by 5 years of supervised release after pleading guilty to conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, fentanyl, and carfentanil, and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and carfentanil.

Lāhainā Think Space will go on the road to New York City for an event on Sept. 18, marking the first time the Think Space experience extends beyond Hawaiʻi to a national audience, according to an announcement. The event is being organized through a collaboration of Maui County, Maui Public Arts Corps and New York […]

Kaua‘i firefighters extinguished a fire at the Līhu’e Civic Center late Wednesday night, Sept. 9, 2026. Preliminary figures on damage estimates and cause of the fire are ongoing.

The Department of Justice filed complaints against Hawaiʻi, the District of Columbia, Arkansas, and Utah, challenging their state laws that provide in-state tuition and financial assistance for illegal immigrants.

(Update: 1:23 a.m., Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026) The victim has since been identified as Lynette Kealoha, 61, of Wailuku.

(Update: 1:21 a.m., Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026) Townsend was located and found to be in good health. The Maui Police Department thanked the public for their assistance.

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, from approximately February 2015 through November 2018, Beverly Braumuller-Hawver and Scott Hawver, of ʻEwa Beach, Hawaiʻi, engaged in a fraudulent tax refund scheme by paying a promoter a series of fees in exchange for fraudulent tax paperwork.

Outrigger Kāʻanapali Beach Resort invites residents and visitors to experience the 34th annual Hula O Nā Keiki, a cherished Maui tradition celebrating the next generation of Hawaiian hula practitioners, taking place Oct. 9–10, 2026 at Kamehameha Schools Maui.

Community members are encouraged to attend a meeting on Thursday, Sept. 17, 2026, to share ideas for a proposed project to construct a new Pāʻia gym, the County of Maui Department of Parks and Recreation announced. It will be held from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Pāʻia Community Center.

Festivals of Aloha continues its 2026 season with Aloha Friday at Queen Kaʻahumanu Center on Friday, Sept. 11, from 5 to 8 p.m. The free, family-friendly evening invites the community to kick off the weekend with live Hawaiian entertainment, cultural demonstrations and activities for the entire ʻohana.

The Maui Planning Commission voted 5-3 Tuesday to recommend approval of the EC Pāʻia Town Project’s rezoning, after developers said the 170-home, mixed-use development would rely on private wells and a private wastewater treatment plant rather than county systems in Central Maui that already operate at or near capacity. The commission voted unanimously to recommend approval of a related community plan amendment for the same 40-acre property.

This year marks the 25th anniversary of the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, which claimed 2,977 lives at the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and near Shanksville, Pennsylvania. Thousands of others were injured — and many first responders and survivors continue to suffer from illnesses related to the attacks.

Heavy rainfall has helped decrease fire risk, but first responders are still on alert during high hurricane winds.

A portion of Front Street in Lahaina will be temporarily closed on Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026, to accommodate the Lights for Lahaina Light March.

Kaua‘i Island Utility Cooperative was able to restore more than 6,000 customers as of 4:30 pm Wednesday in portions of Kapa‘a, Līhu‘e, Kōloa, Po‘ipū, Waimea and Kapaʻa. Both Kaua‘i Veterans Memorial Hospital and Samuel Mahelona Memorial Hospital are energized, and crews were working to restore power to Wilcox Medical Center last night. Approximately 25% of KIUC’s members have power restored, compared to 10% from Tuesdayʻs report.

(Update: Sept. 15, 2026): The victim has been identified as Steven Palama, 74, of Kalāheo.

State and county teams continue to assess damage as access is restored. After signing the document on Kauaʻi, Green submitted an expedited request to President Donald J. Trump for a Presidential Major Disaster Declaration following Hurricane Lowell, seeking immediate federal assistance for Kauaʻi and Maui counties.