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Kapalua Golf owner and President of TY Management,  Mr. Tadashi Yanai, recently donated $500,000 to the nonprofit Aloha Puʻu Kukui, a major commitment to continuing the restoration work of the West Maui Puʻu Kukui Watershed Preserve —a critical resource for the island’s environmental health. This latest gift brings the total contribution to Puʻu Kukui Watershed to $1.5 million since 2024. These funds directly support essential on-the-ground efforts, including invasive species removal and the reforestation of native species across the preserve. 

The state Department of Transportation will be conducting road work this week that will result in lane closures at various locations. Lane closure schedules may change at any time without further notice. All projects are weather permitting.

Astronomers using the W. M. Keck Observatory on Maunakea, Hawaiʻi Island, have confirmed two-thirds (21 of 31) of the most ancient quasars from the Euclid mission, including two of the most distant ever observed.

More than 90 members and friends of Maui’s nine Rotary Clubs gathered at the Lahaina Cannery Mall Food Court and Stage area recently to celebrate the induction of the 2026–27 club presidents and honor the service of the outgoing presidents.

The Battle of Hanapēpē occurred just over a century ago, when 16 Filipino strikers and four police officers died in a violent clash over a labor strike in Hanapēpē. It is considered by many a foundational and tragic episode in Hawai‘i’s labor rights history.

After reaching a milestone of three decades with the County of Maui, County Director of Personnel Services Cynthia Razo-Porter has announced she is retiring, effective July 31, 2026.

“This study puts numbers to what our communities have long understood — that losing our reefs means losing the recreational opportunities, cultural practices and quality of life that define what it means to live in Hawaiʻi,” said Hawaiʻi Department of Land and Natural Resources Division of Aquatic Resources Administrator Brian Neilson.

Mālama Wao Akua (Caring for the Realm of the Gods) returns this fall, inviting Maui artists to celebrate the native plants, animals, and watersheds of Maui Nui through art.

The Hawaiʻi State Archives, a division of the Department of Accounting and General Services (DAGS), makes two contributions to America250, the nationwide initiative commemorating the 250th anniversary of the United States in 2026.

Today, Maui United Way has awarded $900,000 in Community Resiliency Grants to 13 nonprofit organizations that serve Maui, Molokai and Lānaʻi. The grants provide three years of funding and support to strengthen essential services, build organizational capacity and support long-term community resilience. 

More than four years after Maui County set aside $200,000 to create an overnight parking program for people living in their vehicles, the pilot program has yet to provide a safe haven for homeless people.

Festivals of Aloha is now accepting contestant applications for two of Hawai‘i’s premier celebrations of Hawaiian falsetto singing, inviting talented vocalists from across the islands and beyond to honor one of Hawai‘i’s most treasured musical traditions.

Theatre Theatre Maui (TTM) is presenting Disney’s “The Little Mermaid Jr.” as its 34th summer youth musical on July 16 through July 19 in Lahaina at the Lahainaluna High School “Hale Pāʻina” Cafeteria. This program is sponsored in part by the Wave of Harmony Foundation in partnership with the Gilbert & Aileen Kam Chuck Charitable Trust. 

The Maui Economic Development Board hosts its Ke Alahele Education Fund Benefit Dinner & Auction on Saturday, Aug. 29, 2026, at the Wailea Beach Resort – Marriott, Maui. Celebrating the theme, Pathways to Our Future, the evening will support MEDB’s mission to expand STEM education opportunities and inspire the next generation of innovators throughout Maui Nui.

Mākena Golf & Beach Club (Mākena) will host a benefit dinner “Kupu ka niu, kupu ke kanaka” – The niu sprouts, the people grow – on Saturday, Aug. 8, 2026, from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Mākena’s Nāulu Farm. The event will bring the community together in support of Maui Food Bank’s Da Mobile Market, which expands access to fresh, nutritious food in underserved communities including West Maui, Upcountry, and Hāna. 

The AlohaCare Foundation awarded $54,000 in scholarships to 12 students across six islands pursuing careers in health or social services. Recipients from Maui include: Jasmine Jackson-Richmond and Kalem Ringlen, as well as Kaiya Dunnam Enos of Molokaʻi and Kelly Raqueno of Lānaʻi.

The latest cohort of the J-1 Visa Teacher Program represents the largest group for the Hawaiʻi State Department of Education. At the start of the new school year, 237 teachers will join the approximately 365 current J-1 visa teachers in classrooms across the state, teaching a variety of subjects in elementary and secondary schools. 

The annual award recognizes organizations across the state that excel in fostering positive work environments, supporting employee development, and upholding strong values. Maui Resort Rentals was selected based on employee feedback.

“It’s one of my favorite aspects of politics is the fact that all of these folks get to run no matter how realistic their candidacies are. And sometimes they bring up really important issues, and sometimes they help shift the nature of what the mainstream candidates are talking about,” political scientist Colin Moore said. “And sometimes it’s just really entertaining.”

This funding initiative will invest in projects focused on five moku (district) and hui (group of) moku: Kona Kauaʻi, Waiʻanae (Oʻahu), Molokaʻi, Central Maui and Kohala (Hawaiʻi Island). Up to $1.4 million is available within each moku/hui to support projects that reflect community-identified priorities and advance long-term resilience.