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The Hawai‘i State Department of Education announced today that, with the support of philanthropists and longtime Hawai’i residents Lynne and Marc Benioff, Chair and CEO of Salesforce, it has distributed $2.5 million to qualifying DonorsChoose projects by Hawai‘i’s public school teachers. Building on this campaign’s success, HIDOE and the Benioffs also announced that another round of support for Hawai‘i’s teachers is planned later in the academic year. 

A fire along the Kūihelani Highway in Central Maui burned 5 acres of brush before being brought under control on Wednesday. The fire was first reported at 11:21 a.m. on Nov. 13, along the highway, west of Waikō Road.

The state of Hawai‘i Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs is alerting the public to a recent wave of real estate investor scams. Scammers are posing as government entities, targeting individuals and businesses with false information in an effort to lure them into fraudulent investment schemes.

The County of Maui Department of Housing is reminding the public that a deadline is approaching on request for proposals seeking affordable housing projects that will be funded by the Affordable Housing Fund in Fiscal Year 2026.

The Efficiency Solutions and Circular Systems Committee will meet on Nov. 18 at 1:30 p.m. with the goal of recommending passage of a bill to establish the Climate Action and Resiliency Plan for Maui County, according to Council Member Keani Rawlins-Fernandez.

The two-lane Puʻunēnē Avenue bottleneck has long been a headache for Central Maui motorists. Traffic slows to a crawl during get-to-school and pau hana times, morning and afternoon, from Wākea Avenue to Kūihelani Highway.

Two charter amendments passed with nearly 60% of the vote. The third, which proposed consecutive terms for board members with no waiting period, was narrowly defeated.

A pilot project to boost soil health on Maui’s only large-scale pineapple farm aims to increase biomass to retain more water—up to 100,000 gallons per acre.

The Hawai‘i Department of Transportation advises highway users that lanes will be closed at the Kaʻahumanu Avenue (Route 32) and Papa Avenue intersection for traffic signal work from 8 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 14 until 6 a.m., Friday, Nov. 15.

The Westin Maui Resort & Spa Kā‘anapali welcomes Ulu Kitchen by Merriman, a new oceanfront dining experience from iconic Chef Peter Merriman’s Handcrafted Restaurants. Ulu Kitchen by Merriman pays homage to Hawai‘i’s rich culinary heritage, blending old-fashioned Hawaiian hospitality with innovative, locally-sourced dishes, all in a stunning setting overlooking Kā‘anapali Beach. 

The new Maui Bus Kahului Transit Center is set to open on Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024, at 18 Vevau St., near Kahului Public Library and fronting Kahului Lani Apartment Complex. All Maui Bus services currently operating from Queen Kaʻahumanu Center will relocate to the new Kahului Transit Center. The final day of service at Queen Kaʻahumanu Center will be Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2024. The announcement comes more than three years after it broke ground in February 2021, and reported delays in project completion. 

The Maui Arts & Cultural Center presents legendary award-winning singer Dionne Warwick in concert in Castle Theater Wednesday, Dec. 4. Tickets go on sale online only at 10 a.m. to MACC members Thursday, Nov. 14 and to the general public Friday, Nov. 15.

Two nēnē born and raised on Maui were killed by cars in separate incidents on Sunday, according to the state Department of Land and Natural Resources. Endangered nēnē are the Hawai‘i’s State Bird. One of the birds was part of a pair that witnesses report were being fed by someone in a stopped car on Amala Place in Kahului. The other nēnē was hit near the air cargo bypass of the airport.  

The Hawaiʻi Department of Health is issuing Guidance for Existing Cesspool Use in Residential Kula, Maui. It was developed in an effort to support Kula residents affected by the wildfires, working to rebuild and reoccupy their homes.

The median price of a single-family home on Maui was $1.3 million in October, down $100,000, or 7.1% from the all-time high of $1.4 million, posted in September, according to monthly statistics from the Realtors Association of Maui.

The Rotary Club of Kīhei-Wailea will be hearing from Adele Rugg, a board member of the Kīhei Community Association, on Wednesday.

As The Sentry returns to Maui for the PGA TOUR’s Opening Drive, tournament officials in collaboration with SERVPRO announced the return of complimentary ticket programs for first responders and military. The Plantation Course at Kapalua will once again play host to the TOUR’s season-opening event from January 2-5, 2025.

A Lā Kūʻokoʻa celebration of Hawaiʻi’s Independence will take place on Nov. 23, 2024 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Queen Kaʻahumanu Shopping Center. The event is hosted by Kamehameha Schools Maui’s Hālau ‘o Kapikohānaiāmālama and KS Kaiāulu.

Family members of the late Maui firefighter Tre’ Evans-Dumaran are seeking $12 million from Maui County for his foundation, estate and family; a memorial for fallen firefighters; and improvements for firefighter safety in a public petition posted online and aimed at Maui County decision-makers.

Dwight Young has been named the commissioner of financial institutions for the State of Hawai‘i Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs Division of Financial Institutions, effective Nov. 1.