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The Senate Government Operations Committee introduced a short form bill (SB 2930 SD1) that aims to establish two new divisions within the Department of the Attorney General to address fraud, white collar crime, political corruption and sex and human trafficking. The measure would appropriate $834,000 for the operations of the Special Investigation and Prosecution unit and $754,000 to operate the Sex and Human Trafficking unit.

Todayʻs count includes 62 cases on Maui, 148 on Hawaiʻi Island, 55 on Kauaʻi, 14 on Molokaʻi, two on Lānaʻi, and 12 out of state.  There are 414 new COVID-19 cases on Oʻahu.

A juvenile green sea turtle was returned to the ocean on Wednesday after it was rescued late last year and nursed back to health over the past three months.

Officials with the Maui Fire Department tell Maui Now that the incident ended up being a “good intent” call, and upon further investigation, nobody was in distress.

Discussion will include comprehensive information regarding the application, lottery and lease process, and construction updates for Kaiāulu o Kupuohi and Kaiāulu o Kūku‘ia apartment projects developed by Ikaika ʻOhana.

An investigation into a possible vehicle theft in Lahaina, ended with two suspects involved in a rollover motor vehicle accident that forced the temporary closure of the Honoapiʻilani Highway for at least two hours, Wednesday.

Waikapū Country Town is the County’s largest planned residential housing development in decades.  Original plans called for 1,146 market-priced units and 287 residential workforce housing units, with the potential for 146 ʻohana units. If approved, Mayor Victorino’s proposal will increase the total number of residential workforce housing units to 500.

In Maui County, the seven day average for new daily cases dropped to 102. The countyʻs test positivity rate is now 8.8%, and the statewide positivity rate is now 8.4%.

Alexa Jacobs reports that the woman was doing her physical day in the academy when her body temperature reached 107. An update indicates she was transported to a Level 1 trauma center on Oʻahu, and placed on a liver transplant list.

In the wake of a controversial encampment cleanup at ‘Amala Place in Kahului, a Maui County Council committee is considering a proposal that would set standards for houseless sweeps, cleanups, interventions and other such responses. Introduced by Council Member Gabe Johnson, the measure would set procedures for the removal and storage of property located in public places and would require that the county give people 45-day notices before removing encampments.

Police say 28-year-old Penny Schwenke of Oʻahu failed to show up for work on Feb. 9. He was last seen at 5 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 4 at Maui’s Kahului Airport.

The proposed Honokōwai Homestead Community Master Plan development seeks to create up to 356 single-family residential homesteads, 573 new multi-family Residential units, and 252 Subsistence Agriculture homestead lots on approximately 454 acres.

Maui Planning Commission on Tuesday approved a permit to allow Makawao Cemetery to more than double in size to help meet future burial demand.

Maui police arrested two individuals and recovered a wide range of drugs worth an estimated $122,000 in street value, Maui Police Chief John Pelletier announced today.

As of 9 a.m. on Feb. 9, 2022, the latest data available, there are 22 people hospitalized in Maui County with COVID-19, dropping below both the 41 reported during the height of the delta surge in August 2021, and the previous omicron high of 56 reported on Jan. 28, 2022.  This includes nine vaccinated (including one boosted), and 13 unvaccinated. Of the 22 COVID-19 hospitalizations, two are in the ICU (both unvaccinated), and one is on a ventilator (unvaccinated).

The Honoapiʻilani Highway at the Lahaina Bypass is now OPEN in both directions as of 11:29 a.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 9, 2022. The highway was closed since 9:19 a.m. due to a motor vehicle accident reported earlier this morning.

Maui’s volunteer-based ocean water quality monitoring program Hui O Ka Wai Ola celebrated a special milestone: its 100th sampling session since the program began on Maui in 2016.

Saying it took many years and “lots of aloha,” Kaupō community leaders highlighted the significance of their new community resource center on remote, historic Kaupō School grounds, which gained approvals Tuesday at Maui Planning Commission. 

Maui Now’s featured job openings for the week of Feb. 6 to 12, 2022.

Former Senate Majority Leader, J. Kalani English of Maui and sate Rep. Ty Cullen are accused of taking bribes and receiving payment for actions involving cesspool legislation.