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Fourteen people were displaced after an early morning fire on Hopoe St. in Lahaina. The fire was reported at 4:05 a.m. on Friday, March 22.

Hawaiian Electric reports that power has been restored to all customers in Kula as of 6:40 p.m. The outage was due to a large tree on power lines.

Waihou Spring Forest Reserve and trail will reopen to residents and visitors on April 1, seven months after its emergency closure due to damage caused by the August 2023 wildfires and high winds.

Kaiser Permanente will close its mobile health vehicle site at the Royal Lahaina Resort today, and move all equipment to the new modular Lahaina clinic, which will open its doors to serve Kaiser Permanente members on Thursday, March 28.

The non-seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for Maui Island was 5.8% in February 2024, compared to 6.2% the previous month, and 2.9% at the same time in 2023. The data was included in a new report released today from the Hawaiʻi Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism. 

Queen Kaʻahumanu Center celebrates the grand opening of UpperKutz Barber Shop this Saturday, March 23, starting at 10 a.m., featuring music, desserts, exclusive discounts and exciting raffles. The new barber shop is located on the second floor across from Fun Factory and next to Hot Topic.

The US House today passed, on a bipartisan vote of 286-134, a $1.2 trillion measure to fund the government through September. The spending package was sent to the US Senate ahead of the midnight deadline and prevented a partial shutdown of the federal government.

Maui County Council members gave final approval Friday morning to an intergovernmental agreement for the state to purchase the 6.2-acre Haggai Institute for affordable long-term rental housing.

Renowned Hawaiian musician Weldon Kekauoha will headline the upcoming Music Showcase on Friday, March 29 at The Ritz-Carlton Maui, Kapalua as part of the 32nd annual Celebration of the Arts event.

Tiara Fernandez, who began her career at Maui Ocean Center as an intern nearly 10 years ago, has been named the aquarium’s new Director of Education.

The Molokaʻi Affordable Housing Alliance is utilizing a portion of the grant to support the planning, design and obtaining of essential furnishings for six new tiny homes for kupuna in the Nā‘iwa Agricultural Subdivision.

A list of local artists have been added to the lineup for the upcoming “98 Degrees & Friends: Restoration of the Heart of Maui Fundraising Concert,” taking place Saturday, April 6, 2024 at 6 p.m. the Neal S. Blaisdell Arena in Honolulu.

Commissioners credited Chief Ventura for successfully managing equipment upgrades, recruitment and retention of employees, oversight of capital improvement projects, spearheading the department’s wellness program, collaborating with nonprofits for enhanced emergency response, and effective problem solving.

 Council Member Yuki Lei Sugimura will host a community meeting on Wednesday, March 27 at the Mayor Hannibal Tavares Community Center in Pukalani from 6 to 8 p.m. The focus of the meeting will be on a potential water source development agreement between the County of Maui and Free Market Ventures, LLC.  

A World Peace Event concert takes place this Sunday, March 24 at 3 p.m. at the historic ʻĪao Theater in Wailuku. The event features the music of slack key master Jeff Peterson and Tibetan flautist Nawang Khechog with the 3D film Tibetan Illusion Destroyer by Maui’s own Emmy Award filmmaker Dr. Tom Vendetti.

In recognition of loyal Toyota Tacoma owners, Toyota Hawai‘i is hosting a Mahalo Giveaway for a chance to win exclusive prizes and a grand prize of free gas for one year. Each entry is a chance to win one of five prize packs valued at $300, which include original Sig Zane apparel, along with Toyota Hawai‘i and Tacoma merchandise. The grand prize will be awarded to the Tacoma owner with the highest mileage on their vehicle.

Haʻikū filmmaker Ryan Luskin’s film “The Sailing Movie” is scheduled for public release this fall. “The Sailing Movie” is the tale of Luskin’s son Saelyn and his right of passage, as he sails with his parents through 16 countries in search of “six essential life skills to thrive on a quickly changing planet.” While the bulk of the project was shot in 2013 in the Caribbean, crucial segments were filmed more recently on Maui.

This year, Melecraft will offer Maui youth a weekend workshop in the heart of Kahului, April 12 and 13, 2024 teaching aspiring artists how to create quality music through an authentic, holistic artistry approach, while learning critical industry skills that empower self-awareness, healthy expression, executive thinking and resilience.

Hopaco Office Outlet will shut down on March 29, according to an announcement on Instagram. For many years, the store selling paper and office supplies has been located at 80 Hana Highway in Kahului.

The average price of gas in Kahului is $4.76, five cents lower than last week, three cents lower than last month, and 14 cents lower than a year ago.