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State: High visitor satisfaction for Hawaiʻi visitors overshadows effects of inflation
The most recent Visitor Satisfaction and Activity Survey released Friday surveyed visitors from the U.S. West, U.S. East, Canada, Japan, Oceania, Korea, and China who visited Hawai‘i from October to December 2022. More than 60% of visitors from all markets indicated they were “very likely” to return to Hawai‘i in the next five years, a news release from state DBEDT said.
Suit claims Grand Wailea owners avoided pay, benefits for hundreds in ‘fraudulent scheme’
A worker at one of Maui’s largest private employers, Grand Wailea, A Waldorf Astoria Resort, filed a class-action lawsuit Friday alleging owners of the luxury hotel giant misclassified hundreds of spa and salon workers, groundskeepers, facilities maintenance personnel and window washers as independent contractors in a “fraudulent scheme” to avoid pay and benefits at two of its landmark hotels, the Grand Wailea and Beverly Hills Waldorf Astoria.
Seabury student selected to represent Kahului at prestigious environmental summit
Seabury Hall junior Dean Tapler has been selected to represent Kahului as a National Youth Delegate to the 2023 Washington Youth Summit on the Environment at George Mason University in Washington, D.C.
Maui County sees largest vacation rental supply, average daily rate in the state
Maui County last month had the largest vacation rental supply and average daily rate of all four counties, according to a state report released Thursday.
Statewide release of wasp to fight damaging coffee borer beetle inches closer to launch
The statewide release of a small wasp to battle the devastating berry borer beetle — which causes millions in Hawai’i coffee crop damage — moved another step closer to taking flight.
Helicopter defuels luxury yacht grounded at Honolua as some critique state’s response
The U.S. Coast Guard with the help of a private contractor removed several barrels of diesel Thursday from a 94-foot-long luxury yacht that ran aground Monday in Honolua Bay and began leaking fuel in the marine life conservation district. Meanwhile, Mauians took to social media to decry the state’s alleged lack of mooring rule enforcement that could have prevented the incident and to critique the slow response time from state and federal officials that worsened the situation.
Sen. Hirono tours General Dynamics HSI-Electric Boat facility
US Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) toured General Dynamics HSI-Electric Boat with HSI-Electric Boat leadership on Wednesday. The company provides installation, maintenance, troubleshooting and repair services for US Navy ships and nuclear submarines, commercial shipping vessels, wind turbines and conventional power generation operations, refineries, and medical facilities.
Maʻemaʻe Toolkit updated to encourage accurate representation of the Hawaiian Islands
Maʻemaʻe (cleanliness, purity) represents the idea that descriptions and portrayals of Hawai‘i should be clean, attractive and pure, and therefore without misrepresentations or inaccuracies.
Hospice Maui invites the public to a Lunch and Learn presentation, March 24
Hospice Maui hosts a Lunch and Learn community presentation on Friday, March 24, from 12 to 1 p.m.
Call-to-Artists released for “Glow in the Garden” juried exhibition
A call-to-artists is now LIVE for a new juried exhibition at the 6-acre Will Smith Imua Discovery Garden in Wailuku. The deadline to apply is April 14, 2023.
Kīhei 4th Friday Town Party, Feb. 24
The monthly Kīhei 4th Friday event takes place on Feb. 24, 2023 from 6 to 9 p.m. at Azeka Shopping Center Mauka in South Maui. The public is invited to enjoy live music, food booths and trucks, art, crafts, and shopping.
Hawaiʻi House adopts rule changes to improve transparency, standards of conduct
The House of Representatives adopted rule changes in the Rules of the House of Representatives of the 32nd legislature, including the operating procedures for the House Committee on Standards of Conduct, and the House Administrative and Financial Manual.
Hundreds of Maui County healthcare workers leave jobs to strike as hospitals feel ripple effect
Even though she’s not represented by the union on strike, Angela Weldon, a charge nurse on the hospital’s fifth floor, joined the demonstration on her day off to show support. Weldon said the strike is being felt across the hospital. “Hells yeah it’s going to have an impact,” she said. “I have to go to work tomorrow night and I’m scared.”
Defueling of grounded luxury yacht at Honolua Bay on Maui begins today
The US Coast Guard is using a private contractor, to begin defueling the 94-foot-long luxury yacht, Nakoa, which grounded on Monday outside the Honolua-Mokulē‘ia Bay Marine Life Conservation District.
Walking tours, open house planned for West Maui Community Corridor plan
Several walking tours and an open house community meeting are scheduled to receive new ideas for improving affordable and workforce housing, transportation options, and overall connectivity between Lahainā and Kā‘anapali for the West Maui Community Corridor Transient Oriented Development Plan.
Pentagon official embarrassed by Haleakalā fuel spill on Maui; contract secured for excavation
A contract has been secured to excavate the contaminated soil around a generator at the summit of Haleakalā where an estimated 700 gallons of diesel fuel spilled at the Maui Space Surveillance Complex late last month.
A Pentagon official flew in to Maui on Wednesday, apologizing for the incident, and expressing embarrassment by the fact that it occurred.
Full story by Wendy Osher at mauinow.com.
Maui County leads Hawaiʻi Hotel Performance Report in January 2023
Maui County hotels led the state in the latest Hotel Performance Report for January 2023, with RevPAR of $429, ADR of $635, and occupancy of 67.6%.
Earthjustice files lawsuit to protect sea turtles, sharks, whales
Earthjustice filed suit today on behalf of the Conservation Council for Hawai‘i and native Hawaiian cultural practitioner Mike Nakachi seeking protection of a host of threatened and endangered Pacific Ocean species from harm.
The Nature Conservancy selects Emily Fielding as Hawaiʻi Marine Conservation director
Fielding helped establish efforts to strengthen and accelerate co-management, including the Maui Nui Makai Network, the ‘Opihi Partnership, Hui O Ka Wai Ola, and Maui Hikina Huliamahi.
New research shows humpbacks widespread in Papahānaumokuākea
For years, it was commonly thought that humpback whales did not have a presence in the Papahānaumokuākea National Marine Monument, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association. That changed in 2006, when scientists recorded a whale song remotely, but not much was known about abundance at the time A new paper reports an abundance of […]





