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Hawaiian Telcom and its employees set a new record for their annual United Way fundraising campaign in the company’s 140 anniversary year, raising more than $210,000 for Hawai‘i’s four United Way organizations: Kaua‘i United Way, Aloha United Way on O‘ahu, Maui United Way and Hawai‘i Island United Way.  Of the total, nearly $40,000 was designated for Maui relief efforts.

Maui Economic Opportunity distributed 45 refurbished laptops, provided by AT&T and the nonprofit Human-I-T, to families in need on Maui and Moloka‘i last month.

United Airlines hosted a Christmas Carnival for the keiki of Lahaina on Maui in December.  This year, the airline brought the festivities to Maui to spread the joy of the holidays to more than 150 keiki and their families.  

More than 100 youth and administrators from three local nonprofits gathered at Queen Ka‘ahumanu Center on Dec. 18 as the guests of honor of Ledcor Maui. The festive event was the culmination of a month-long gift drive by Ledcor Maui called Makana no nā Keiki (Gifts for Children), which raised $100,000 for Maui youth. 

For the 10th year in what has become an annual tradition, Jim Falk’s Valley Isle Motors hosted more than 200 children and their families on Wednesday and presented each child with a new bicycle and helmet as an early Christmas present. 

The funding received will be utilized to strengthen the general operations of ʻAha Pūnana Leo, Inc., furthering its mission and focusing on the importance of language revitalization.

There was no tsunami generated by a 4.1 magnitude earthquake reported at 4:27 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 23, 2023 about 8 miles southwest of Volcano on Hawaiʻi Island at a depth of 17 miles below sea level.

From a sustainable waste management system to a mental health app for parents and kids to stay in touch, over 100 teams submitted game-changing ideas, developed valuable business skills and received a chance to win up to $25,000 for their school.

Gas prices in most of Hawaiʻi dropped again over the past week and were overall lower for 2023 than last year, according to the AAA Hawaii Weekend Gas Watch.

The disaster left all the restaurants’ 120 employees without jobs, and at least 60 of them also lost their homes and vehicles. Determined to help their Maui ʻohana, the Corpuels set up a GoFundMe campaign that has since raised over $150,000 in support of employees and their families.

The new Atelier Art Gallery in Kīhei celebrates its opening on Dec. 28 with a “Chromascapes” art exhibition and ribbon cutting ceremony.

The Holiday Lane Closure Restriction runs from Monday, Dec. 18, through Tuesday, Jan. 2. Only closures with demonstrated need (e.g., necessary for safety or to avoid lengthy construction delays) have been approved and are on this list. There will be no lane closures on Monday, Dec. 25 in observance of Christmas Day.

In observance of Christmas Day and New Year’s Day, County of Maui offices will be closed Monday, Dec. 25, 2023, and Monday, Jan. 1, 2024.

In observance of Christmas Day and New Year’s Day, County of Maui disaster-related resources will have a modified schedule. 

Artists are welcome to submit entries to the DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife in the 2024-25 Hawai‘i Wildlife Conservation and Game Bird Stamp annual art contest. The wildlife conservation stamp is a requirement for Hawai‘i state hunting licensees. The game bird stamp is required for anyone intending to hunt game birds. Both stamps will also be available to stamp collectors.  

In exchange for two years of full-time service in Hawaiʻi, high-demand healthcare professionals will qualify for loan repayments up to a maximum of $50,000 per year. The eligible amount varies depending on the profession, location of practice, and educational indebtedness.

The Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority Board of Directors has approved an immediate six-month action plan for 2024 to help address major challenges confronting residents, small businesses, visitor industry providers, Maui’s economy, and families seeking housing following the August wildfires.

Fairmont Kea Lani announced the grand opening of Hale Kukuna, a living space dedicated to sharing Hawaiian culture with all. Unveiled through a Moku Ka Piko ceremony led by the resort’s manager of Hawaiian culture, Kamahiwa Kawaʻa, and Kumu Luana Kawaʻa, Hale Kukuna opened on Thursday, Dec. 21, 2023.

FEMA will pause operations at the Lahaina Disaster Recovery Center on Maui and the FEMA Helpline on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.

The Maui Relief TANF Program has provided an array of assistance – from housing to clothing – to more than 450 families with children and about 1,700 individuals impacted by the Aug. 8 wildfires in the two months since the program began.