In Case You Missed It

A Flood Watch is in effect through Tuesday afternoon as a cold front makes its way down the island chain.

The deadline to apply for federal disaster assistance has passed; however, Hawaiʻi residents and businesses have been granted a 45-day grace period, until Thursday, Jan. 25, to submit their US Small Business Administration disaster loan applications for property damage caused by wildfires. 

UPDATE: Michelle Kwik was located and transported to the Maui Memorial Medical Center for evaluation, according to Maui police.  The Maui Police Department thanked the public for their assistance in locating Kwik, who was reported missing by her family on Jan. 6, 2024.

Suspension of service disconnections for all Hawaiian Electric customers on Maui has been extended through at least March 5, 2024, in accordance with the extension of Gov. Josh Green’s emergency proclamation. Maui customers who are financially challenged by the devastating wildfires will not have to worry about potential disconnection of their electric service, according to the announcement.

The collective effort, called the “Maui Interim Housing Plan” commits to securing a pool of 3,000 housing units with 18-month commitments to provide a stable place for households displaced by the Maui fires, currently residing in short-term hotels.

A 71-year-old Maui woman and her dog are safe after the vehicle they were in plunged off the Kahekili Highway on Friday.

To help support the recovery efforts in the Maui community, PUMA Golf has teamed up with local Maui artist, Wailani Artates, to design a Limited Edition “L” golf cap inspired by Lahainaluna High School’s “L” on the hill above the school.

The Maui Police Department has released short videos highlighting missing persons cases that are being investigated by the department’s Cold Case / Missing Person Detail unit. Over the past month, the department has highlighted 16 missing individuals, including four who were reported missing after the Aug. 8, 2023 wildfires in Lahaina.

A team of University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa researchers are asking Maui residents to participate in a study to analyze the short- and long-term health effects of exposure to the deadly wildfires that destroyed Lahaina and parts of Kula. Registration begins Jan. 5, 2024.

The 7th Maui Songwriters Festival, The Sentry golf tournament and an Old Dominion concert are among the events to start the New Year on Maui. Find our comprehensive listing HERE.

The site is designed for 600 students and features 30 planned classrooms. As of Christmas, 17 classrooms were already in place. The entrance to the 10 acre site is via Akahele Street below the Kapalua Airport.

Maui District Family Court Judge Adrianne N. Heely Caires was selected as one of 60 courageous judges to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the founding of The National Judicial College.

During the period from 7:30 a.m. on Sunday, Dec. 31, 2023 (New Year’s Eve) to 7:30 a.m. on Monday, Jan. 1, 2024 (New Year’s Day), the Maui County Fire Department responded to brush fires in Haʻikū, Kula, Makawao, Wailuku, two in Kīhei and one on Molokaʻi. All fires were extinguished quickly, with no damages reported. […]

Maui Public Art Corps, in partnership with the County of Maui + Hale Hō‘ike‘ike at the Bailey House/ Maui Historical Society, has released a request for proposals for participatory public art projects. The deadline to apply is Feb. 4, 2024. 

Hana Hou Hospitality announced its Māla Ocean Tavern is set to reopen in February of 2024. The restaurant is one of five West Maui establishments run by the group, two of which were destroyed by the Aug. 8, 2023 wildfire in Lahaina.

Maui County closed Baldwin Beach Park and Lower Pā’ia Park (Baby Beach) due to the shark encounter.

This is the third shipping container within the last two weeks discovered during routine tariff inspections to have contained illegal fireworks. To date, the task force has seized nearly 105,000 pounds of illegal fireworks since its inception about five months ago.

The USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory issued an information statement on Friday evening reporting elevated unrest and increased seismicity to the south of Kīlauea’s summit. The HVO reports that Kīlauea is not erupting, but that the increased unrest started at around 1:10 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 29, 2023, and is continuing.

Amos Lonokailua-Hewett has been selected as the new administrator of the Maui Emergency Management Agency, effective Jan. 1, 2024. He brings to the position 25 years of service with Maui Fire Department before retiring in 2019 as a battalion chief.

The Hawai‘i Department of Health has received a report of a travel-related dengue case in Hawai‘i, on the island of O‘ahu, in an individual who had recent travel to countries where dengue is commonly found. The last confirmed case of locally acquired dengue in the state was in 2016.