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“This is a historic win for Maui Prep,” said Coach Cheyne De La Garza in a phone interview with Maui Now on Saturday night. “It’s the first team state championship at the school, and just the second boys state championship in basketball in 40 years for Maui,” he said, noting that Lahainaluna won the title in 1982.

On Maui, Great Whale Count site leaders collected data from 11 sites during 15-minute intervals between 8:30 and 11:45 a.m. A total of 94 whale sightings were seen during the 8:30 to 8:45 a.m. time period, the most of any time period throughout the day’s count.

Of today’s 345 cases, there are 295 cases identified as confirmed, and 50 probable cases were added to the count.  The confirmed cases included: 197 on O‘ahu (+32 probable); 30 on Hawai‘i Island (+14 probable); 29 on Maui (+5 probable); 18 on Kaua‘i; 1 on Molokaʻi (-1 probable); one on Lānaʻi; and 19 Hawai‘i resident diagnosed while out of state.

Fifty endangered and threatened species in the Hawaiian archipelago are included in a draft recovery plan published by the US Fish and Wildlife Service. This covers 35 plants, 13 invertebrates, and two birds.

All of Maui County’s Public Health Emergency Rules are being repealed, effective March 1, 2022, according to an announcement by Maui Mayor Michael Victorino this afternoon.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released updated masking guidelines today and unveiled a new COVID-19 Community Level tool to help communities decide on what prevention steps to take based on the latest data.

Emotions are running high in the Ukrainian and Russian communities on the Big Island.

Of today’s 311 cases, there are 247 cases identified as confirmed, and 64 probable cases were added to the count.  The confirmed cases included: 153 on O‘ahu (+42 probable); 28 on Hawai‘i Island (+13 probable); 34 on Maui (+4 probable); 18 on Kaua‘i (+2 probable); 0 on Molokaʻi; three on Lānaʻi; and 14 Hawai‘i resident diagnosed while out of state (+3 probable).

Former Office of Hawaiian Affairs Trustee Mililani Trask of Hilo was selected by the OHA Board of Trustees to serve as the new OHA Trustee for Hawaiʻi Island. She fills the vacancy created by the resignation of former trustee Keola Lindsey on Feb. 1, 2022.

To diminish beach loss, and facing the prospect of no more sand, the homeowners and the experts are looking at potentially shoring up a “natural rock groin” on the west side, according to the Department of Land and Natural Resources.

The Maui Police Department is mourning the loss today of Terry Jones, the Chief’s Executive Secretary, who was killed in a motor vehicle crash this morning while pursuing a suspect who reportedly stole her purse, police said.

The speed limit on North Kīhei Road will be reduced permanently from 45 mph to 35 mph, between the Māʻalaea Power Plant access and Sugar Beach, effective Friday, Feb. 25, 2022.

The Internal Revenue Service is reminding taxpayers that the fastest and easiest way to check on tax refunds is by using the “Where’s My Refund?” tool on IRS.gov or through the IRS2Go mobile app.

The latest data represents a total of 5,044 “active” cases statewide over two weeks. This is below the delta peak of 11,500. Maui County’s seven day average of cases is now 17.2 cases per 100,000. This is below the delta peak of 57.6 per 100,000 reported on Aug. 25, and the 412.1 per 100,000 reported on Jan. 21, 2022.

Some residents backed a plan to cap Maui’s transient accommodations, while industry testifiers questioned whether a ceiling would have unintended legal and financial consequences during a Maui County Council committee meeting Wednesday.

Kula Highway is now open. All lanes are open as of 8:33 a.m. on Thursday, Feb. 24, in both the mauka and makai directions.

Maui Now’s featured job openings for the week of Feb. 20 to 26, 2022.

The nearly one-month closure of the boy’s dormitory at Lahainaluna High School comes amid an investigation into alleged misconduct.

Todayʻs count includes two cases on Maui, 12 on Hawaiʻi Island, 10 on Kauaʻi, one on Molokaʻi, 0 on Lānaʻi, and 18 out of state.  There are 91 new COVID-19 cases on Oʻahu.

Wailuku River and Maliko Bay sites had the highest number of samples exceeding state health standards, with 27% and 36% of their samples exceeding standards respectively, according to the Surfrider Foundation report.