In Case You Missed It

Mayor Richard Bissen submitted to the County Council a bill to amend a section of the County Code in an effort to immediately increase the inventory of housing available to survivors of the August wildfires.

In early 2024, the County of Maui Department of Parks and Recreation will begin working on a management plan for 23 acres of newly acquired county land on Maui’s north shore, which includes Wawau Point, often referred to as “Baby Beach.”

There were four tropical cyclones in the Central Pacific Hurricane Center area of responsibility during the 2023 hurricane season, which officially wraps up on Thursday. FILE PHOTO: Dora satellite imagery (8.7.23 7:30 a.m.) PC: NWS/CPHC

The County of Maui is now taking steps to prepare as an approaching Kona low storm system brings the potential for damaging conditions.

The Postal Service’s suggested mailing dates are Dec. 16 for First-Class and Priority mail headed to the mainland. Procrastinators have until Dec. 20 to send their holiday cheer to the mainland via its expedited Priority Express shipping service.

Subpoenas have been served upon the Maui Emergency Management Agency, the County of Maui Department of Public Works, and the County of Maui Department of Water Supply. The timeline for the release of the Phase 1 findings is dependent on the Fire Safety Research Institute gaining access to all facts before completing Phase 1.

Sentry Insurance today announced a new $1 million donation to Maui United Way to provide mental health resources to children who have lived through Maui’s wildfires. The donation adds to Sentry’s previous $1 million in contributions to aid wildfire recovery efforts.

CocoNene’s Maui Biz Ornaments initiative, featuring collectible wooden ornaments of local businesses, channels 50% of sales directly to Lahaina businesses that were affected by the Aug. 8 wildfires.

The Allstate Maui Invitational, the nation’s early-season college basketball tournament, KemperSports, and the college basketball community have rallied to raise $1.7 million for Maui wildfire relief and recovery efforts. 

The Maui AIDS Foundation will host “World AIDS Day – A Concert of Hope,” featuring performances by Eric Gilliom, Vince Esquire, and Anthony Pfluke on Dec. 1 at the Historic Iao Theater.

Award-winning graphic designer and ‘Ōiwi creator, Wailani Artates, announces the launch of lifestyle brand, Only Aloha Here, this weekend on Nov. 25 in her hometown of Makawao. The launch showcases a range of collaborations with local businesses.

An estimated 650 Thanksgiving meals were served on Wednesday under an annual community service partnership between the University of Hawaiʻi Maui College and The Salvation Army.

“It’s crazy, because even though 14 years have gone by, it’s still very, very difficult. So we come and we do these events because we just beg people to make the right decisions. Do not drink and drive. We’re just asking that everybody has a place on their family table every year. So please, please, do not make a decision and change somebody else’s life,” said Andrea Maniago who lost her 16-year-old son Kaio Fukushima to a drunk driver in 2009.

Seventeen live coconut rhinoceros beetle larvae were found Tuesday by an arborist cutting down coconut palm trees in Kīhei. The arborist called the Maui Invasive Species Committee, and reported that he was contracted to remove 12 dead palm trees and found several large larvae in the crown of the first palm tree he cut down.

Imua Family Services welcomes Maui’s children and their families to its third annual Keiki Holiday Festival on Saturday, Dec. 16 from 4 to 8 p.m. at the Will Smith Imua Discovery Garden in Wailuku.

As government leaders are tasked with meeting the critical need for housing in the wake of the August wildfires on Maui, one suggestion has drawn particular interest. For Maui resident, Matt Jachowski, there’s only one answer: utilizing short-term rentals and second homes while seeking federal and philanthropic dollars to fill the rent gap.

As Hawaiʻi grapples with a surge in wildfires threatening communities and ecosystems, bipartisan efforts are underway to introduce legislation to tackle prevention and preparedness.

For entertainment this week on Maui, there’s multiple Grammy winner Kalani Pe’a, Amy Hānaiali’i’s annual Christmas concert, a Jazz & Blues Festival, a Jazz Maui event with Louise Lambert Quartet, and a bit of Shakespeare with Jason Feddy. Find our comprehensive listing HERE.

An ocean search is underway for a missing swimmer off of the “Cliffhouse” area of Kapalua in West Maui. Crews were called to the scene at 3:38 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 20, 2023, in response to a report of a 42-year-old California man, who was washed out in rough conditions after jumping from the rocks into the ocean.

Holiday cheer is on its way to Kapalua. All are invited to experience the magic of the festive season as The Ritz-Carlton Maui, Kapalua hosts its Holiday Tree Lighting Ceremony on Friday, Dec. 1 from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.