In Case You Missed It

Both the Sabers in Division I and the Pine Lasses in Division II will bring back nearly the same squads that have led them to consecutive Maui Interscholastic League titles in recent years.

Reverend Monsignor Terrence Watanabe, Pastor of Saint Anthony of Padua Church in Wailuku, announced today the closure of St. Anthony High School effective school year 2026-2027. While the high school division will cease operations, the school plans to continue serving students from preschool through eighth grade using a new multi-age classroom model.

Gov. Josh Green, along with state emergency management and public safety officials, provided an update on the severe weather impacting Hawaiʻi. State offices and the Department of Education Schools on all islands will be closed on Monday, Feb. 9, 2026.

The Paia Inn and several other properties owned by Michael Baskin were listed in a bankruptcy auction slated for March. However, a trustee appointed to the case last week said it’s yet to be determined whether the properties will be sold or if there would be a reorganization.

The state already has spent $1 million to dredge the incoming channel, and now it is spending another $2.2 million to pave the access road, redo the parking lot, renovate the bathroom, add signs and put in a leach field.

Hawai’i Water Service says it’s losing money at current rates, which have been in place for 17 years, and has spent nearly $33 million to improve the Kapalua system since 2021.

Jeffrey Worthen, 61, of Lahaina, Maui, pled guilty Tuesday in federal court to wire fraud and making a false statement to the US Coast Guard. Sentencing is set for June 15, 2026.

Owners of a grounded vessel are hoping to get the boat removed from the Kīhei shoreline today. The vessel, Na Nahiku, ran aground on the shore fronting 131 S. Kīhei Road fronting the Kīhei Youth Center on Monday, Feb. 2, 2026.

The advisory council reviewed over 600 projects worth $2 billion before selecting the final 75 for recommendation, including several measures to improve hazard prevention and awareness after the 2023 Lahaina wildfires.

Scientists studying coqui frogs found a compelling relationship between vegetation habitat and population density. The study also found that habitat removal makes citric acid treatment more effective.

“It’s pretty wild. I always tell people I have a friend that’s a pro snowboarder who grew up in Maui,” said professional surfer Cody Young.

This hearing is limited to Hawaii Water’s request for a rate increase. It does not address the ongoing broader dispute about water management in the Kapalua region of West Maui. The commission previously stated that it does not have the legal authority to make determinations about water allocation and priority uses of water.

On the last Saturday of January, February, and March, volunteers gather at their designated coastal sites on the islands of Oʻahu, Molokaʻi, Hawaiʻi, and Kauaʻi to tally observed species and help scientists assess whale distribution and abundance in the sanctuary.

P. Denise La Costa, a Maui community leader and business owner, announced that she is running for Maui County Mayor.  The news was shared during a press conference Thursday, fronting the County Building in Wailuku.

The Department, which serves over 103,000 meals per day to students statewide, plans to operate up to two regional kitchens on Oʻahu, two on Hawaiʻi Island and one each on Kauaʻi, Maui and Molokaʻi. Standalone production kitchens will continue at Hāna High & Elementary, Kaʻū High & Pāhala Elementary, Lānaʻi High & Elementary and Nāʻālehu Elementary schools.

Farmers and ranchers say prices have gone up after a year of Trump’s tariffs, making their operations even more costly on an island where everything has to be shipped or flown in.

Mayor Richard Bissen told state lawmakers Monday that his administration has shifted its focus from immediate wildfire recovery to housing delivery and large-scale infrastructure investments, forecasting the construction of approximately 3,000 affordable and workforce homes by 2030.

The Hawaiʻi State Department of Education announced that a new, statewide priority placement process for Kaiapuni Education (Hawaiian language immersion programs) will open on Feb. 2, 2026, marking an important step toward greater consistency, clarity and equity for families seeking Kaiapuni options for their children. The application window will close March 13, 2026.

More than a century after her death, the story of a saint who served those with Hansen’s disease and died on Moloka’i is being told anew—through science. Chaminade University’s Forensic Sciences Unit is helping evaluate her remains, uniting Marianist mission and modern forensic expertise to bring history to life in service to the community.

NOAA is asking Maui’s on-water community to be on the look out for a recently-entangled 40-foot female humpback whale off Lahaina, Maui. Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary’s monitoring team encountered the whale, referred to as Palette, on Thursday, Jan. 22. She was found to be in poor to moderate condition, showing moderate to strong emaciation and widespread carpets of red-colored cyamid amphipods (whale lice) across her otherwise light-colored body. If she is spotted, please call 888-256-9840 to report her location and share photos or videos if possible, but do not approach closer than 100 yards.