In Case You Missed It

Maui police released a timeline of activity on Tuesday evening surrounding the recent IED investigation on Maui and the arrest on Saturday of a Kahului man.

TY Management Corporation welcomes the opening of Kapalua Village, the first privately funded temporary housing community for Kapalua golf course and other Kapalua-based employees who were impacted by the devastating Lahaina, Maui wildfires. The opening of Kapalua Village coincides with the one-year remembrance of the wildfires and the first group of families is scheduled to move in this month.

Maui police issued an update today saying their investigation into the improvised explosive device (IED) incident that occurred in Pukalani on Aug. 8, 2024 remains active. Police said that they are unable to share investigative details at this time because they do not want to compromise the investigation; however, authorities anticipate being able to release information in the near future.

“I’ve never said any race is a given,” West Maui state Rep. Elle Cochran said Saturday night. “A race is a race and people need options and I believe in all that. And who knows? I mean our whole town has been torn upside down. I don’t know where people’s heads are at or what they’re thinking. We’re just so divided right now. I mean really, our town is very divided.”

“I’m hopeful and it seems to be everybody in the community recognizes that she and I have very different views,” said Tom Cook, who was leading his primary race with Kelly King by a narrow margin late Saturday night.

The state’s fourth summary report was released just before 7:30 a.m. on Sunday. n the Maui races, the results were unchanged from the 1:30 a.m. third summary report released for Maui County overnight. The full results are posted here.

“Everybody’s staying very, very focused about the issues happening around Lahaina,” said Archie Kalepa, a veteran waterman with deep roots in West Maui. “Everything’s somehow in some shape or form connected to politics. It’s more important than ever for us to be vigilant, to be voting, to make sure we continue to get the support that Lahaina needs.”

To cap off Friday’s community-inspired events honoring Lahaina, upwards of 500 people attended “Puana Aloha no Lahaina” at the Lahaina Civic Center on Friday night.

Closings of condominium sales have dropped by double-digit percentages in the three months since Mayor Richard Bissen announced a proposal to phase out thousands of short-term rentals in apartment-zoned districts, according to monthly statistics from the Realtors Association of Maui.

The Central East Maui Little League majors have secured a spot in the Little League World Series after defeating Eastvale Little League of Southern California on Friday 2-1 for the West Region title. The 12U boys from Maui will play in the opening round of the Little League World Series in Game 2 on Wednesday at 9 a.m. (3 p.m. ET) against Salem, NH, the New England regional team.

“We’re all kind of maneuvering through our grief differently,” said Trixy Nuesca-Ganer, who lost her uncle David Nuesca Jr. in the fire. “Some have been able to move on and let him be at rest and peace. I think collectively we just try to remember the good things and not focus on the loss.”

“It’s going to be a long process,” said Kā‘eo Blas, reflecting on one year since a fire burned down his home and much of Lahaina town. “Sometimes you think it gets better but it’s always there. It’s like losing somebody you love. You still get the memories, they’re still in your heart, but they’re not there. It’s not the same.”

“It was never a question that we were going to rebuild, we love it here,” said Andre Fehlmann, who has lived on the island for 11 years. “Even more so now that we have experienced the entire community all together — that’s probably the biggest plus that came out of all of this, that we know that people are there.”

As state, county and federal leaders gathered to reflect on the one year mark since the devastating Maui wildfires, Gov. Josh Green, M.D. announced he signed papers to “purposefully transition” Mokuʻula from the state to Maui County for its cultural restoration.

On Aug. 7, the eve of the anniversary of the 2023 wildfires that destroyed 3,071 homes, two more families from Lahaina received keys to temporary homes at the La‘ikū housing site.

The Office of Hawaiian Affairs will release the first of five digitized historic Lahaina collections on its Papakilo Database on Aug. 8, 2024, one year to the day after the devastating Maui wildfires. The collection is the result of a collaborative partnership with the Lahaina Restoration Foundation.

Matson has committed to donating $5 million in cargo transportation services to state- and county-supported Maui recovery projects, including housing. The Ka La‘i Ola project by HomeAid Hawaiʻi, the state, Maui County and Hawai‘i Community Foundation, is the first to benefit from Matson’s assistance. HomeAid Hawai‘i and its contractors are on track to complete the first 270 units by December 2024 and the remaining 180 units by the first quarter of 2025. Starting Aug. 9, 2024, Ka La‘i Ola will be welcoming ‘ohana in phased openings. 

Like a flame-thrower fueled by hurricane-force winds, the Lahaina wildfire raced mauka to makai, reducing whatever stood in its path to smoke, ash, concrete blocks and twisted metal. Then it reached the town’s iconic Banyan Tree.

In a significant move to address the escalating food needs of the Maui community in the aftermath of last year’s devastating wildfires, Maui Food Bank and the American Red Cross have partnered to launch a new fixed distribution center, “Da Market.” This new facility, located at 48 Ulupono Street in Lahaina, spans 4,000 square feet and includes both a warehouse and market area, creating a welcoming and supportive environment for those in need.

Gov. Josh Green, M.D., today announced that the first Maui wildfire survivors have moved into units in the Hale ʻO Lāʻie interim housing project (formerly the Haggai Institute) in Kīhei.