Featured

East Maui Councilmember Shane M. Sinenci said today his proposed charter amendment to create a county Department of Agriculture will be heard on Tuesday at 9 a.m. in the Government Ethics and Transparency Committee. 

There are 27 new COVID-19 case reported in Hawaiʻi today–25 on Oʻahu, and one each on Kauaʻi and Maui–pushing the statewide count to 789 cases in Hawaiʻi over the course of the pandemic.

In this exclusive interview, Maui Now News Director Wendy Osher sits down with Dr. Vijak Ayasanonda from the Maui Memorial Medical Center. Dr. Ayasanonda, who is an emergency room physician at the Maui hospital, answers questions about rapid COVID-19 testing, universal testing at the Maui hospital, and how antibody tests work. 

Maui’s unemployment rate remains the highest in the state with the state Department of Labor and Industrial relations reporting a 34.5% unemployment rate for Maui Island in May.  

“Samples from up to thirty individuals are pooled and tested together in a single tube using sensitive molecular biological detection methods,” explained Dr. O’Carroll. Maui Mayor Michael Victorino said he supports pre-testing before visitors leave their destination, not after arrival.

The Kaua‘i District Health Office was informed today of one new confirmed case of COVID-19 on the island of Kaua‘i, bringing the cumulative total for the county to 22.  The case is not reflected in the state totals for today, which were updated at noon.  Today’s official count from the state Department of Health included 18 new cases of COVID-19 on O‘ahu. 

Maui County Federal Credit Union is holding school supplies and backpack drives at each of its branches in Kahului, Lahaina and Wailuku from June 22 until July 17, 2020. These events will support The Salvation Army Maui’s annual back-to-school efforts to provide backpacks filled with school supplies for Maui’s children in need.

The Security and Disaster Recovery vessels will be ported at Hilo, Kawaihae, Nāwiliwili, and Kahului Harbors and can support emergency operations at Port Allen, Kaunakakai, and Kaumalapau Harbors.

There are 18 new COVID-19 case reported in Hawaiʻi today–all on Oʻahu–pushing the statewide count to 762 cases in Hawaiʻi over the course of the pandemic.

The Hawai‘i Dept. of Health is reporting an additional 18 cases of COVID-19 today, all of which were diagnosed in Honolulu. 15 of these new cases are in Hawai‘i residents and the residency of the other three remains under investigation. 

Maui fire crews douse a 900-square foot brush fire this morning in the Kaiolohia “Shipwreck Beach” area on the island of Lānaʻi.

The US Supreme Court today voted 5-4 in favor of rejecting the Trump administration’s attempt to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program or DACA.  An estimated 4,000 Dreamers live in Hawai‘i. Over 800 Hawaiʻi residents have been granted DACA status over the past 5 years.

The study, led by researchers at the University of Hawaiʻi, found greater fish populations and the return of ulua, omilu and reef sharks. Researchers say it’s sign of a healthy ecosystem, but say the increases are likely temporary and will probably disappear once visitors return to Molokini.  

The current schedule is for Monday, Wednesday and Friday with two round trips each day, departing from: Lahaina at 6:45 a.m. and 3:15 p.m.; and Mānele at 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.

Beginning Saturday, June 20, 2020 the Summit District of Haleakalā National Park will reopen for sunrise viewing through the sunrise reservation system on Recreation.gov.  Sunrise reservations allow access to the Summit District from 3 a.m. to 7 a.m. and can only be used for the day specified on the reservation itself.

The new legislation also seeks to implement the recommendations made by the NTSB on skydiving flights following an investigation into the skydiving plane crash that tragically killed 11 people in Hawai‘i last year. The bill will standardize maintenance and pilot training programs to meet the unique needs of skydiving operations.

There are 5 new COVID-19 case reported in Hawaiʻi today–4 on Oʻahu, and 1 on Hawaiʻi Island–pushing the statewide count to 740 cases in Hawaiʻi over the course of the pandemic. As a result of updated testing information, one case has since been removed from the counts on Oʻahu. To date, 639 people (87.8%) have recovered including 113 in Maui County. There are currently 88 active cases. 

Hōkū Keʻa is one of the first two telescopes set to be decommissioned on UH-managed Maunakea lands. The decommissioning of Hōkū Keʻa is anticipated to be completed in mid-to-late 2023.

The new cameras are installed at the intersections of: Kūihelani Highway/Airport Access Road and Puʻunēnē Avenue/Maui Veterans Highway; Airport Access Road and Dairy Road/Pakaula Street; and, Hāna Highway and Dairy Road.

County officials say the closure will help to address safety concerns and limit traffic in the surrounding area. The roundabout project located at the Maui Lani Parkway-Kamehameha Avenue intersection is scheduled to be completed before the start of school.