In Case You Missed It

Prolific herds of hungry Axis deer continue to wreak havoc in Maui County, damaging farm crops, overgrazing livestock pasture lands, threatening fragile watersheds and even encroaching in heavily urbanized areas like Kahului Airport’s runways and baggage claim areas. Without natural predators in the islands, the deer have flourished unchecked. Now, in part due to an initiative funded by Maui County, some deer are falling prey to hungry humans.

Walls are now in place for the first home to be rebuilt in the Lahaina impact zone since the deadly August 2023 wildfires. It’s a visual reminder of the hope that exists among those wanting to return to their beloved neighborhoods, and an encouraging sign of progress as displaced residents work their way through the permitting and construction process.

A future 60-bed Maui veterans home for the long-term health care of island veterans and their spouses is in the planning stages, with possible locations in Central Maui.

A standing-room-only crowd filled the Maui County Council chambers Tuesday morning to hear the start of debate over Mayor Richard Bissen’s proposed phase-out of approximately 7,000 transient vacation rental units in apartment-zoned districts.

Mayor Richard Bissen’s proposed elimination of transient vacation rentals in Maui County’s apartment-zoned districts is expected to lead to more available long-term rental and for-sale housing, although the high dollar value of apartments in coastal resort areas mean there “may be issues” about their affordability.

The Maui Police Department today confirmed the identity of another victim involved in the West Maui Wildfire incident of August 2023, bringing the total confirmed dead to 102. On Monday, June 24, 2024, the Honolulu medical examiner’s office confirmed Claudette Heermance, 68, of Lahaina succumbed to injuries sustained on Aug. 8, 2023, according to Maui police.

The Hawaiʻi Supreme Court on Thursday issued a landmark decision in the long-running water case over Nā Wai ‘Ehā, “The Four Waters” of Waihe‘e, Waiehu, Wailuku, and Waikapū in central Maui. In a 134-page unanimous opinion authored by Justice Sabrina McKenna, the court ruled in favor of Maui community groups Hui o Nā Wai ‘Ehā and Maui Tomorrow Foundation, who were represented by Earthjustice, and joined by the Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA).

The reported theft and killing of “Eddie,” a well-fed and cared for pet pig, remains under investigation by Maui police, although the matter has been handed over to the Maui County Department of the Prosecuting Attorney.

“They’re not going to be in the right mindset, the families are not going to be in the right mindset, the teachers are not going to be in the right mindset because we are all focused on 8-8,” said Mikey Burke of the upcoming one-year anniversary of the Lahaina wildfire.

Maui County Council Housing and Land Use Committee members unanimously recommended approval Wednesday of a bill to rezone the former Old Laundry Building in Hāna town. Bill 69 would re-establish commercial use for the 21,711-square-foot property, possibly as an art or culturally appropriate music studio.

Hilton Grand Vacations Inc. marked a milestone as it formally recognized the grand opening of Maui Bay Villas, a Hilton Grand Vacations Club, located on 27 acres in South Maui.

Without resuscitation, the future is bleak for Queen Kaʻahumanu Center, with the aging, once premier Central Maui shopping destination caught in a downward spiral — store closings lead to less foot traffic, which beget more loss of business, and so on.

The Department of Hawaiian Home Lands awarded 52 turnkey homes Saturday as part of phase one of the Puʻuhona Homestead lot awards. Puʻuhona is the department’s first project initiated through the $600 million allocation by state lawmakers in 2022 to support a multifaceted approach to reduce the DHHL Waiting List. Of the 52 homes offered in phase one, three- to five-bedroom homes were made available. Homes range in price from $509,800 to $699,000.

With the roar of heavy machinery nearby, US Army Corps of Engineers officials showed how rapid progress is underway in transforming the once gently sloping grassland above Lahaina into a graded expanse needed to install 169 temporary modular homes for wildfire survivors.

A community-led preservation effort safeguards Pōhākea, protecting land, three operating wells and a 750,000-gallon water tank for public benefit. The public purchase enables the reduction of recurrent wildfire risks, enhancement of public access to hiking trails, protection of cultural and scenic resources, and reduction of stormwater runoff and erosion impacting Māʻalaea Bay.

Cool Cat Cafe, a beloved local restaurant that was destroyed in the Lahaina fires, announced its grand reopening at a new location in South Maui. The grand reopening will take place on June 15, 2024, at Kukui Mall, located at 1819 S. Kīhei Road. The restaurant will be open seven days a week from 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Kaiser Permanente Hawai’i opened a new Mom and Newborn Center on Maui, the first of its kind on the Valley Isle. Located at Kaiser Permanente’s Maui Lani Medical Office in Wailuku, the center embraces moms and newborns within 48 hours of being discharged from the hospital. The center adds the convenience of combining postpartum check-ups for both mom and baby in one visit, providing physical and emotional well-being assessments for mom, as well as weight and other health monitoring for baby. The lactation consultant who visits with mom and baby in the hospital will visit the couple again at the Mom and Newborn Center to provide continued support in the breastfeeding process.

“I have family on this side able to take me in because if not I would probably be on the Mainland.” – Ivy Navarro, Lahainaluna alum

Maui County Council members set aside concerns about displacing two dozen homeless people from Holomua Road and the possibility of a legal challenge, and they decided Friday to restrict public access to a lower portion of the road and close its upper section.

In May 2024, Maui’s housing market exhibited stability in single-family home sales while showing moderate increases in median prices, according to the latest figures from the Realtors Association of Maui (RAM). The median sales price for single-family homes rose by 2% compared to May of the previous year, reaching $1,297,500 with the 2024 year-to-date median listed at $1,300,000 for Maui. Compared to last month, the median home price was $1,303,692 in March of 2024.