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A beachfront home at Rocky Point on Oʻahu collapsed into the sand today, inundated by powerful winter swells.

Maui Health is once again allowing regular visitors for Maui Memorial Medical Center patients, effective today, Monday Feb. 28, 2022.

Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi today announced the end of the City and County of Honolulu’s COVID-19 emergency orders, including the Safe Access O‘ahu program, which will sunset this week at 11:59 p.m. on March 5, 2022.

The State of Hawaiʻi Supreme Court issued a court order temporarily suspending candidate filing for the offices of US Representative, State Senate, and State Representative contests until further notice from the court. The order arises from a challenge of the 2021 State Reapportionment Plan.

The range of potential alternatives includes no air tours over the park in the ATMP planning area, reducing the number of flights, limiting flight routes over sensitive areas, and prohibiting flights on specific days of the week. On average, there are 4,824 flights over Haleakalā National Park per year.   

The latest data represents a total of 3,837 “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 13.5 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.

The DLNR Division of Aquatic Resources said they “believe that opening of all 12 of the BFRAs (four opened as of July 2019), will not adversely affect the overall sustainability of the Main Hawaiian Island Deep-7 fishery, and will be a benefit to local commercial and non-commercial bottom fishers.” 

The 11th Annual Maui 5K is the only fundraising event that supports both private and public schools throughout Maui County, and it’s gearing up for a morning of family fun on Sunday, March 6.

The latest data represents a total of 4,187 “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 14.3 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.

“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.