In Case You Missed It

The agreement was hammered out in December following a three-day strike. The union wields significant power with 930 members — more than half of the 1,650 employees at Maui Health’s three hospitals.

Kīhei residents Ashley and Justin Ody welcomed baby girl Isla, known affectionately as “Baby Ody,” on New Year’s Day. She’s the couple’s first baby, and also the first baby of the New Year at Maui Memorial Medical Center.

In 2024 PUMA GOLF created a limited-edition Lahaina Maui golf cap with proceeds going directly to Lahainaluna High School through the Maui United Way, to help with community efforts from the tragic fires that ravaged the island one year ago. Last year’s Lahaina Maui Cap, which prominently featured the Lahaina “L,” on the front panel, raised almost $40,000 for LHS after selling out in quick order, so the folks at PUMA GOLF decided to do it again with a new design. 

A New Year’s celebration turned deadly on Oʻahu when a firework explosion killed at least three individuals and left more than 20 people in serious or critical condition, according to sources. The incident was reported just after midnight at a home on Keaka Drive in the Salt Lake area of Honolulu.

Wildfire recovery, the cancellation of the Maui Fair, housing solutions, and election highlights are among the stories that made our list of top features this year. Here’s a recap of some of Maui’s biggest stories in 2024.

A gifting initiative led by Lahaina teen, Madison “Madi” Goldsmith, and mainland nonprofit, the Lady Savant Foundation is recognizing positivity in the sustained spirit of residents following the 2023 Lahaina wildfires.

A blessing was held last week for the new “Green Streets” project in Mākena, a transformative milestone in sustainable, low-impact development on Maui, according to managers. The public right-of-way project diagonally across from Mākena Landing at the intersection of Honoiki Street and Keone‘ō‘io Road, is a collaboration between Mākena Golf and Beach Club and the County of Maui.

The eruption at Kīlauea volcano that began on Monday, Dec. 23, continues this morning.  Over the past day, vents in the southwest portion of the caldera have continued producing a fan of lava flows covering the southwest portion of the crater floor, with the vigor of lava fountaining increasing over the past day.

In midst of unknowns througout men’s professional golf, Maui’s event has grown stronger

This holiday season, Maui United Way, in partnership with Alaska Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines and the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement, is spreading the spirit of aloha by reuniting four wildfire survivor families with their island home. These families, displaced to the continent following the devastating 2023 wildfires, now have the chance to return to Maui to celebrate the holidays and visit with their loved ones, experience the warmth of home once again. 

Sacred Hearts temporary school now consists of 13 air-conditioned classrooms housed within existing buildings on the leased property, two portable enrichment classrooms, a school office, mental health counseling rooms and maintenance areas.

Kīlauea began erupting again on Dec. 23, 2024. This is the eighth eruption of Kīlauea, and the sixth within Kaluapele, since 2020. These previous eruptions within Kaluapele lasted from less than one week to more than a year in duration. This history of activity, along with continued summit inflation, suggests that eruptive activity may continue to pause and resume in the coming days or weeks.

President Joe Biden signed US Rep. Jill Tokuda’s (HI-02) Lahaina National Heritage Area Study Act into law. Under this law, the National Park Service, in consultation with state and local partners, will study the suitability and feasibility of a National Heritage Area designation for Lahaina.

The Hawaiʻi Supreme Court has unanimously ruled in favor of incumbent South Maui Council Member Tom Cook and against an election challenge by opponent and former Council Member Kelly King.

United Airlines has confirmed a body was found in the wheel well of an aircraft that landed in Kahului, Maui on Christmas Eve. The discovery was made upon arrival at Kahului Airport (OGG) in the wheel well of one of the main landing gears, airline officials said.

The County of Maui has released the final Long-Term Recovery Plan for Lahaina, following a monthlong community engagement series on the draft plan that included feedback from hundreds of residents and local stakeholders.

The eruption of Kīlauea slowed significantly between 3 and 4 p.m. on Monday, and appears to have paused, according to a status update posted by the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory. The eruption started just hours earlier at 2:20 a.m. on Dec. 23, 2024.

The famed Peʻahi “Jaws” surf break along Maui’s north shore drew a spectacular show of talent from experienced big wave surfers over the weekend as safety crews stood by to assist. These images were captured by photographer, Patrick Wardle who shared the images with us.

Kīlauea volcano began erupting within the summit caldera at approximately 2:20 a.m. HST this morning, Dec. 23, 2024, following an increase in seismicity that began beneath the summit just a half hour earlier, at approximately 2 a.m. HST. Multiple fountaining sources are erupting lava flows on the base of Halemaʻumaʻu crater, wiithin Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park.

Twelve-year-old Maui athlete, Micah Diaz earned the gold medal in the Intermediate 80 pound division of the 2024 USA Boxing National Championships on Thursday.  The 7th grader from Lokelani Intermediate School is a member of the South Side Boxing Club of Maui.