In Case You Missed It

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.

A magnitude-3.7 earthquake was reported near the village of Hāna on the Island of Maui at 8:44 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 19. The earthquake was widely felt on Maui, Island of Hawai‘i, and Moloka‘i. Earthquakes in this region are not common but have occurred occasionally. These earthquakes are caused by bending of the crust beneath the islands and associated adjustments related to the weight of the islands. 

Oao Sushi Go celebrated its grand opening on Dec. 8 at the Puʻunēnē Shopping Center in Kahului, Maui. Locally owned and operated by Chef Bernardo Oao Jr., Oao Sushi Go’s story began as a humble food truck serving innovative sushi dishes that quickly garnered a loyal following. The food truck’s success led to opening the first brick-and-mortar location in Wailea. With this second location, Chef Oao brings his vision and flavors of Oao Sushi Go to Central Maui.

By a narrow 4-3 vote, the Board of Land and Natural Resources rejected a request last week from Hololani Resort apartment owners seeking an amendment to 2018 board action for a sheet pile and rock revetment to protect the property from shoreline erosion.

Tanaka Ramen & Izakaya opened its fifth Hawaiʻi location at Maui Mall Village recently, bringing its flavorful menu of ramen, rice bowls, and izakaya dishes to Maui. Located near Center Court, next to Genki Sushi, across from the Regal Cinemas Maui Mall, the new restaurant has seating for up to 40 guests. A soft opening is underway with the official grand opening set for Jan. 6, 2025.

Maria Lanakila Catholic Church reopened last week in downtown Lahaina, resplendent in white Christmas lights and even capped by a three-quarter moon high over its spire in the West Maui night sky.

In response to the detection of the avian flu virus in Hawai‘i’s wastewater and wild birds, state agencies are urging the public to voluntarily pause the interisland movement of poultry and other bird species for 90 days, effective immediately. This recommendation follows the suggestion of Moloka‘i State Senator and farmer Lynn DeCoite and is a proactive measure aimed at mitigating the spread of the virus.