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Maui still has not totally bounced back from the job losses due to the August fires. A year ago in October, Mauiʻs unemployment was only 3.7%.

Seventeen live coconut rhinoceros beetle larvae were found Tuesday by an arborist cutting down coconut palm trees in Kīhei. The arborist called the Maui Invasive Species Committee, and reported that he was contracted to remove 12 dead palm trees and found several large larvae in the crown of the first palm tree he cut down.

Council member Gabe Johnson expressed his support Wednesday for the Lahaina Strong Hui, which is currently calling for action from State and County administrations to address the urgent sheltering crisis in Lahaina caused by the Aug. 8 wildfires. 

County of Maui Disaster Area Restrictions will be lifted for owners and residents with vehicle passes from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. beginning Friday and Saturday, Nov. 24-25, in Zone 6D. This includes portions of Limahana Circle.

Student enrollment at the University of Hawaiʻi Maui College increased by 7.1% this fall, contributing to UH’s overall 1.2% rise in student enrollments across its 10 campuses.

Imua Family Services welcomes Maui’s children and their families to its third annual Keiki Holiday Festival on Saturday, Dec. 16 from 4 to 8 p.m. at the Will Smith Imua Discovery Garden in Wailuku.

The Maui Hotel & Lodging Association delivered 16,800 pounds of rice throughout Maui, Molokaʻi, and Lānaʻi for the Thanksgiving Holiday. This year marked the 30th Annual Turkey & Rice Holiday Gifting event.

As government leaders are tasked with meeting the critical need for housing in the wake of the August wildfires on Maui, one suggestion has drawn particular interest. For Maui resident, Matt Jachowski, there’s only one answer: utilizing short-term rentals and second homes while seeking federal and philanthropic dollars to fill the rent gap.

The Hawaiʻi State Senate confirmed both Judge Lisa M. Ginoza and attorney Vladimir P. Devens to the position of Associate Justice to the Hawaiʻi Supreme Court.

As Hawaiʻi grapples with a surge in wildfires threatening communities and ecosystems, bipartisan efforts are underway to introduce legislation to tackle prevention and preparedness.

For entertainment this week on Maui, there’s multiple Grammy winner Kalani Pe’a, Amy Hānaiali’i’s annual Christmas concert, a Jazz & Blues Festival, a Jazz Maui event with Louise Lambert Quartet, and a bit of Shakespeare with Jason Feddy. Find our comprehensive listing HERE.

The Hawaiʻi Department of Transportation, County of Maui, and the Federal Highway Administration is installing an emergency stormwater capture system in Lahaina to reduce the environmental impact from silt, ash and other disaster debris potentially entering storm drainage systems.

Hawai‘i Vacation Condos by Outrigger has named Henry “Hap” Judd as general manager of Nāpili Shores Maui; and Jordan Whitmire as general manager of both Waipouli Beach Resort & Spa Kauaʻi, and Lae Nani Resort Kauaʻi.

An ocean search is underway for a missing swimmer off of the “Cliffhouse” area of Kapalua in West Maui. Crews were called to the scene at 3:38 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 20, 2023, in response to a report of a 42-year-old California man, who was washed out in rough conditions after jumping from the rocks into the ocean.

The state Division of Boating and Ocean Recreation plans to introduce legislation again in 2024 to try and address the issue of fairness when issuing permits for surf instruction companies to operate at the popular Kahaluʻu Bay surf spot on Hawaiʻi Island. This comes after a recent lottery, in which with three out of the four companies selected are owned by the same person.

The Department of Water Supply amended the Unsafe Water Advisory for Lahaina to remove areas L-3A and L-3B. Water serving buildings and homes in areas L-3A and L-3B is declared safe for unrestricted use effective Nov. 20, 2023. Community members can search an address using the interactive Water Advisory Map to confirm if their address is outside or within the advisory area. 

Maui Health continued its annual holiday tradition of giving by donating more than 4,600 combined pounds of turkey, vegetarian roast, and rice to the Maui Food Bank. The donation was delivered on Monday, and included nearly 250 frozen turkeys and vegetarian roasts, and a full pallet of 15-pound bags of rice.

Holiday cheer is on its way to Kapalua. All are invited to experience the magic of the festive season as The Ritz-Carlton Maui, Kapalua hosts its Holiday Tree Lighting Ceremony on Friday, Dec. 1 from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.  

Speaker Scott K. Saiki established interim House working groups charged with evaluating specific topics related to the Lahaina wildfire and making recommendations for appropriate legislative action. Todayʻs meeting starts at 2 p.m., and is available via video conference.

Students at Kīhei Charter School raised $5,000 for the Maui Strong organization to help with relief efforts following the Aug. 8 Maui wildfires.