Featured

Haleakalā National Park  is increasing access to park trails, by opening the first 2.5 mile section of the Keoneheʻeheʻe “Sliding Sands” Trail for use from Friday to Sunday.

The Department of the Prosecuting Attorney recently reported two positive COVID-19 cases, according to Maui Deputy Managing Director Josiah Nishida.  Both individuals are asymptomatic and in self quarantine until released by the Department of Health, which is monitoring them daily.

At about 2 p.m. Maui Community Correctional Center (MCCC) inmates in one module refused to go back into their cells.  Staff immediately activated their emergency response teams to deescalate the situation.  It was quickly contained and order restored by 2:45 p.m.   Maui Police were called to standby for assistance as a precaution.

A Hoapili Hale (Maui) employee, who was asymptomatic and took the test as a requirement for a new job, last worked on Aug. 31 and received a positive test result that night. The person has worked in the courtroom, always wearing a mask and adhering to CDC guidelines.

There were four deaths linked to COVID-19 in Hawai‘i today, including three fatalities on O‘ahu and one on Hawai‘i Island, bringing the state total since the pandemic began to 74. There were 181 new COVID-19 cases in Hawai‘i today including 157 on O‘ahu and five on Maui and 19 on Hawai‘i Island.

The County of Maui Department of Water Supply will begin mandatory Stage 1 water restrictions for its domestic water system serving residents of Upcountry and West Maui beginning Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2020. Official public notice of a declaration of a water shortage was published today.

A total of 10 employees at Maui Police Department’s Wailuku Station have tested positive for COVID-19 since the first case was reported at the department on Aug. 27. All 10 of the COVID-19 positive individuals work out of the Wailuku Police Station and are a combination of sworn and civilian employees who have limited contact with the general public.

Hāna-Maui Resort (formerly Travaasa Hāna) announced it will be joining the Hyatt family, with Hyatt assuming management under the Destination Hotels brand.

A 60 year-old paddler was rescued on Monday off the coast of Kahului by crews form the Coast Guard and the Maui Fire Department. 

Health officials on Maui have identified a cluster involving the convergence of people at a restaurant and bar in West Maui. It is unclear where the source of the infection came from, but health officials are asking anyone who was at The Dirty Monkey on Aug. 22, to self quarantine for 14 days through Sept. 5, 2020.

“We had a little bit of a rocky rollout. Everyone has been brought up to speed on how they need to label the vials and I think we’ve learned from that experience.  The good news is that the 1776 tests are a small fraction of all of the tests we’ve done so far,” said Mayor Caldwell.

The new $755,500 Kula Park Playground, located off of the intersection of Kula Highway and Calasa Road, will open to the public at noon on Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2020.

Hamada Suisan Co. Ltd., the owner of a Japanese-flagged fishing vessel, was charged in federal court today with allegedly aiding and abetting the attempted export of shark fins out of Hawaiʻi in violation of the Lacey Act.

There were seven deaths linked to COVID-19 in Hawai‘i today, marking the deadliest day for the state since the pandemic began.  There were 133 new COVID-19 cases in Hawai‘i today including 107 on O‘ahu, one on Maui and 24 on Hawai‘i Island and one resident out of state.

A large brush fire that started Sunday afternoon in Puʻunēnē is now 95% contained as of 10:19 a.m. on Monday, Aug. 31, 2020. The area burned remains unchanged at approximately 1500 acres.  “Provided the lack of any significant rainfall through the summer months, fuels have become very dry across portions of the state. These dry conditions combined with breezy trades and relative humidity’s dipping below 45 percent through the afternoon hours will support extreme fire behavior today.”

Governor David Ige announced today that state Health Director Dr. Bruce Anderson and Public Safety Director Nolan Espinda will be retiring from their respective posts in September.

Founded in a 50-square-foot commercial kitchen in Kīhei, Hawaiʻi Commercial Foods has been manufacturing and selling its salads for well over two decades. Its product line has grown from one item – kim chee – to now 46 products including such favorites as pickled onion, namasu, pasta salad, grab-and-go ready-to-eat salads, mac-potato salad, wakame salad and takuan.

Multiple fire units are on the scene of a brush fire in Puʻunēnē.  The fire was reported at around 1 p.m. 

There were 200 new COVID-19 cases in Hawai‘i today including 174 on O‘ahu, four on Maui and 22 on Hawai‘i Island. There was also one more death linked to COVID-19 on O‘ahu, bringing the state total since the pandemic began to 63. Maui has four additional cases for a cumulative total of 334.

“This modified process enforces travel quarantines and protects our communities from the spread of COVID-19. This new procedure is a welcome step toward a more efficient, streamlined process to speed up traveler processing at airports,” said Mayor Michael Victorino.