In Case You Missed It

With the transportation of debris from the Lahaina fire to its permanent site in Central Maui nearing completion, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has begun preparations to restore the land used for the temporary debris location in Olowalu.

For the past five years, Maui County has not composted or diverted green waste from the landfill. Efforts are being made to change that.

Maui County Council members have unanimously approved a state, fast-tracked affordable housing, mixed-use development called Kaiahale ‘o Kahiluhilu.

The event had been announced last month as the 2026 PGA Tour season opener to be held Jan. 8-11 at the Plantation Course. The event had an estimated economic impact of $50 million per year on Maui. The tour did not elaborate on the status of the event past 2026, but noted that ongoing drought conditions, water conservation requirements, agronomic conditions and logistical challenges were the main factors in the event not being held this year on Maui.

The winners have been announced for the 18th Annual Kū Mai Ka Hula Competition, held on Friday, Sept. 12 and Saturday, Sept. 13 in Castle Theater at Maui Arts & Cultural Center.

The Hawai‘i Board of Land and Natural Resources on Friday unanimously approved a proposed $30,448.67 settlement agreement with Kapalua Kai Sailing, Inc., for the grounding of its vessel, Hula Girl, inside Maui’s Honolua-Mokulē‘ia Bay Marine Life Conservation District, on Jan. 31, 2025.

More than 870 people filled the historic grounds of Maria Lanakila Catholic Church on Sept. 6 for the inaugural Lights for Lahaina, a free, community-shaped event of reflection, healing and resilience.

The Department of Hawaiian Home Lands conducted an orientation Saturday for beneficiaries on the Maui residential waitlist interested in the upcoming award of more than 1,100 residential project leases on the Valley Isle. Maui’s residential waitlist currently has more than 3,900 applicants.

Brandi Saragosa, Chief Operating Officer at the Maui Food Bank shares some thoughts in observance of Hunger Action Month in September. In this op-ed piece she said, “It is a reminder that none of our neighbors should go hungry. It’s a time to raise awareness about food insecurity and to stand together as a community so everyone has access to nutritious food.”

The University of Hawaiʻi Maui College is offering a free eight-week carpentry pre-apprenticeship training beginning next Monday, Sept. 15 and running through Friday, Nov. 14. The tuition value is $6,000.

Op-Ed: Lahaina Strong’s De Andre Makakoa shares his thoughts on the rising trend of pop-up markets in Hawaiʻi saying they provide a positive shift for the local economy.

The project to bury electric wires underground along Lahainaluna Road is estimated to cost $11 million per mile, which a Hawaiian Electric official said will be covered by a U.S. Department of Energy grant.

Most commercial boat companies on Maui were just recovering from the COVID pandemic’s six-month shutdown of tourists, when the 2023 Lahaina fire led to visitors being told initially to stay away, a message that still lingers two years later.

Fallen hero, Maui Police Officer, Suzanne O was remembered as compassionate and genuine during a memorial service on Friday at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center. The service followed a procession where fellow officers and community members gathered to pay their respects.

Mourners gathered along the route to pay their respects prior to the service Friday at the Castle Theater. A live stream courtesy of Hawaii News Now is available here:

The state says there will be a transition period to allow residents of Pu‘uhonua o Nēnē, the temporary shelter set up for houseless Lahaina fire survivors, to move into the kauhale or find alternate housing.

Maui County Council members unanimously gave initial approval Tuesday to a measure that would establish paid parking zones at South Maui beach parks, a move to give residents first priority access to some of the island’s most popular beaches.

Maui Family YMCA has applied for a Certificate of Occupancy for the new West Maui YMCA Resource Center.  Renovations to the 6,500-square-foot facility located at  226 Kupuohi Street in Lahaina have been completed and have successfully passed all required inspections.  The Center is anticipated to open in mid-September.   

County attorneys have been careful not to reveal their legal strategies but say they believe the bill is legally sound.

A Maui judge found that the state has established probable cause to try a man accused of murder in the shooting death of beloved Maui Officer Suzanne O, on Aug. 15, 2025 in Pāʻia. The decision came after two days of testimony from five witnesses during a preliminary hearing, with a detective, an officer and a forensic pathologist testifying on Friday.