In Case You Missed It

Kīlauea volcano began erupting Thursday afternoon, Jan. 5, following a brief period of increased seismic activity.

Independent Hawaiian culture and language immersion school Ke Kula ʻO Piʻilani today announced a grant award totaling $85,000 that will support the Native Hawaiian community through the Office of Hawaiian Affairs Community ‘Ohana Grant. 

*NOTE: This video and story contains graphic details. Maui police released body cam footage today of an officer involved shooting reported at a home in Central Maui on Dec. 29, 2022.

Maui’s new Mayor Richard Bissen called for sensible spending, explained his stance as a nonpartisan, and embraced traditional knowledge in his inaugural address on Monday evening at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center’s Castle Theater.

Kristine Norita had to watch the New Year’s Eve fireworks from her car as her husband drove her to Hilo Medical Center after going into labor with their fifth child.

As Maui rings in the new year, we take a moment to reflect on 2022–a year that brought highs and lows, challenges and triumphs, and shed light on erosion and the economy. Here are Maui Now’s top 22 stories of 2022…

Mayor-elect Richard Bissen announced the appointments of: Kauanoe Batangan, Deputy Director of Department of Transportation; Koa Hewahewa, Deputy Director, Department of Agriculture; Saumalu Mataafa, Deputy Director of Department of Housing & Human Concerns; Robert Schmidt, Deputy Director, Department of Environmental Management; Wendy Taomoto, Deputy Director of Department of Public Works; and Steve Tesoro, Deputy Director of Department of Finance

Mayor-elect Richard Bissen announced the appointment of Josiah Nishita as deputy managing director, as well as the appointments of first deputies for the Department of the Corporation Counsel and the Department of the Prosecuting Attorney, Budget Director, and Economic Development Director.

Mayor-elect Bissen completed his director appointments with the selection of John Stufflebean to lead the Department of Water Supply, James “Kimo” Landgraf to serve as deputy director.

The Sentry Tournament of Champions returns to The Plantation Course at Kapalua from Jan. 4-8 with 39 of the PGA TOUR’s best officially committing to the TOUR’s annual stop on Maui.

A swarm of small earthquakes beneath the Kīlauea caldera is being attributed to repressurization after the end of the last eruption. There were approximately 25 earthquakes of less than magnitude 2 that occurred between 6 and 9 p.m. HST on Friday, Dec. 30, 2022.

Maui Health employees across each of five facilities continued their annual tradition of giving this year, spreading holiday cheer and hundreds of gifts with 44 Maui County families in need. the distribution was made through Maui Family Support Services’ Adopt-A-Family program.

The Maui County Farm Bureau honored Kai Pelayo, the community affairs manager with Bayer-Maui, as its Member of the Year for 2022.

When Maui resident Donna Domingo started as a cashier at the Maui Lu in Kīhei in the late 1970s, she never thought that one day, she would rise to become the first female president of the Hawaiʻi ILWU Local 142 with 18,000 members statewide, then including longshoremen, hotel workers, and pineapple, sugar, and general trade employees.

The West Maui Improvement Foundation will host an Olowalu Fire Station Fundraising Gala on Friday, Jan. 7, 2023, at the Hyatt Regency in Kāʻanapali.

The Maui Police Department announced it will be conducting firework enforcement operations in addition to sobriety checkpoints over the New Year’s weekend.

For a list of upcoming events, concerts, shows and entertainment for Dec. 22-28, find our comprehensive listing HERE.

US Senator Brian Schatz, chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, secured $530 million in new congressional directed spending, also known as earmarks, in this year’s government funding bill.

Mayor-elect Bissen announced a new round of appointments to his cabinet including: Victoria Hamilton Takayesu as Corporation Counsel; Rogerene “Kali” Arce as Director of Department of Agriculture; Mālama Minn as Director of Parks and Recreation; and Lori Tsuhako as Director of Housing and Human Concerns.

Mayor-Elect Richard Bissen announced more appointments to his cabinet including: Andrew Martin as Prosecuting Attorney; Scott Teruya as Director of Department of Finance; and Jordan Molina as Director of Department of Public Works.