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.  

Based on reporting from the airlines, there are no major increases in the number of flights at Hawai‘i airports compared to last Thanksgiving; however, flights are expected to be fuller, meaning the airports will be busier, especially during peak times between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. The busiest travel day is expected to be Wednesday, Nov. 22, followed by Sunday, Nov. 26.

This interim DCMP is funded by the American Red Cross for 90 days and will provide 20 dedicated case managers who will be able to help support up to 700 individuals. Once finalized, the FEMA-supported DCMP will expand to provide support to all survivors for up to two years.

The Hoʻūlu Lahaina Unity Gathering aims to bring the community together in a show of support for those affected by the fires. The group is also calling on the waʻa (canoe) community across Hawaiʻi to join this effort.

Over a thousand people came out on Sunday, Nov. 19 to support Maui at the Neal Blaisdell Center on Oʻahu. Maui vendors participating in the Kōkua for Maui: Shop and Show Aloha event showcased various products from around Maui County, giving many businesses a new opportunity to sell and highlight their work. 

This Giving Tuesday, UH Foundation stands with Maui and is devoting 100% of fundraising efforts to helping the UH ‘ohana bolster Maui’s recovery following the Aug. 8 wildfires.

The Hawaiʻi Department of Transportation is notifying motorists of upcoming closures for the week of Nov. 20, on Honoapiʻilani Highway as part of the West Maui Temporary School Facilities project.  

A blessing ceremony was held Friday for the new Wailuku parking garage, as the contractor handed off the new facility to the County of Maui. The four-story, 393-stall parking structure is scheduled to open in early December.  Initially, parking will be free, with the expectation that fees will apply in the future, pending approval by the Maui County Council.

“I want to see that grow out of this situation we’re in today. Let us find the people who bind us together. Let us find the strength in our lāʻau (plants), in our community. Let us find the koʻi (adze) that define the future and shape our world as we’re going to see it; the kālaimoku (high official), the kālai waʻa (canoe carver)—all of those people. They’re in our community. I can stare into this audience and see all the individuals, and that’s what gives me comfort,” said Kaipo Kekona.

Eleven new officers joined the ranks of the Maui Police Department as the graduates of the 94rd Recruit Class. A ceremony was held Friday, Nov. 17, 2023 at the Grand Wailea – A Waldorf Astoria Resort.