Ka Lā ‘Ōnohi Mai O Ha‘eha‘e under the direction of Nā Kumu Hula Tracie & Keawe Lopes of Oʻahu took the overall title at the 60th Annual Merrie Monarch Festival, in Hilo Hawaiʻi. From Maui, the seven men of Hālau Kekuaokalā‘au‘ala‘iliahi, under the direction of Nā Kumu Hula Haunani & ʻIliahi Paredes of Wailuku, took first place honors in the kāne kahiko and earned 4th place in the kāne ʻauana division. Their combined effort earned them the Overall Kāne title for the second year in a row. From Maui, the seven men of Hālau Kekuaokalā‘au‘ala‘iliahi, under the direction of Nā Kumu Hula Haunani & ʻIliahi Paredes of Wailuku, took first place honors in the kāne kahiko and earned 4th place in the kāne ʻauana division. Their combined effort earned them the Overall Kāne title for the second year in a row.

Following a nine-month closure, for slope stabilization work, ‘Īao Valley State Monument on Maui is scheduled to reopen on May 1, 2023. The DLNR Division of State Parks announced the reopening saying it will also mark the fourth Hawai‘i state park to require advance reservations for out-of-state visitors. 

Maui has four hālau competing in the 2023 Merrie Monarch Hula Festival, as the event concludes this evening at the Edith Kanakaʻole Stadium in Hilo, Hawaiʻi. Friday night the competition featured kahiko or ancient hula. Tonight, groups will perform ʻauana or modern hula, followed by results from the 60th event.

Nearly 500 frontline healthcare workers at Kaiser’s Maui Health System have voted to ratify a new three-year contract, ending a nearly two-month strike.

Limited choices for obstetrics options on Maui has caused concern among those who continue to care for pregnant women on the island. 

Agnes Renee Leihiwahiwaikapolionāmakua Thronas Brown was named Miss Aloha Hula 2023 at the 60th Annual Merrie Monarch Festival on Thursday night at the Edith Kanakaʻole Stadium in Hilo, Hawaiʻi. This is the third year in a row that the hālau from Pūʻahuʻula, Koʻolaupoko, Oʻahu took top honors in the soloist competition. Maui’s own Karlee Pōhaikealoha Rita Chong-Kee of Hālau Kekuaokalāʻauʻalaʻiliahi, under the direction of Nā Kumu Haunani and ʻIliahi Paredes, brought home the 4th place award.

Overall, the team’s findings suggest that “Molokini is being overused, and that management is needed to improve not only ecosystem health but the visitor experience,” said Russell Sparks, DLNR Aquatic Biologist.

The 2023 Nā Kamehameha Commemorative Pā‘ū Parade and Ho‘olaule‘a is scheduled for Saturday, June 17, 2023, celebrating the theme “E ala e nā kini o ka ʻāina!” – Arise all people of the land! The deadline to submit an application is May 26, 2023. 

The Lahaina Restoration Foundation will commemorate the Lahaina Banyan Tree’s 150th anniversary with a birthday party at the historic site on Earth Day, Saturday, April 22, 2023 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The DLNR has directed the removal of cat-feeding stations located at a Hawai’i Island shopping center, following complaints that the endangered Hawai‘i state bird, the nēnē (Hawaiian goose), are being negatively impacted by the consumption of cat food and close contact with feral cats.  

Pro surfer, Ian Walsh of Maui hosts the 19th Annual Ian Walsh Menehune Mayhem at Ho’okipa Beach Park, May 13-14, 2023.

The state Department of Land and Natural Resources issued an update saying the reopening of ʻĪao Valley State Monument is postponed until further notice.

For a list of upcoming events, concerts, shows and entertainment for April 13-19, find our comprehensive listing HERE.

Students at Kīhei Charter School are hoping to become the first “zero waste” public school in the state, and in doing so, potentially become a model for other schools and the community at large.

Hawaiʻi Wildlife Fund co-founder Hannah Bernard is happy with the successes of her groups on Maui and Hawaiʻi islands, including the scores of volunteers who help to clean up marine debris. The nonprofit educational organization is part of a broad movement to protect endangered species, such as the Hawksbill and green sea turtle, and to take measures to maintain clean coastal waters. Maui Now writer Gary Kubota talks to Bernard about Hawaiʻi Wildlife Fund’s successes and future challenges in this People of Maui series.

Two people who have successfully helped the Maui Invasive Species Committee since its inception are Teya Penniman, acting manager, and Christy Martin, who started with MISC in 2000, but now helps with statewide issues including policy and funding. Maui Now’s Gary Kubota interviewed Martin and Penniman as part of this People of Maui series.

A mile long lei woven by hundreds of volunteers in Hawaiʻi was presented to more than 500 leaders, elders, faculty, students and community of The Covenant Church and School in Nashville, Tennessee on Saturday.

Teressa Deneen Welolani Medeiros Noury of Lahaina, Maui earned the title in the 2023 Carmen Hulu Lindsey Leo Haʻihaʻi Falsetto Contest held Saturday at The Ritz-Carlton Maui, Kapalua.

Locally generated tsunamis are why we must always be prepared. A local tsunami strikes fast and with little time for us to react—devastating waves can travel across the Hawaiian island chain in minutes, and not just in the month of April. If there is a strong earthquake and you are at a location along the coast, “Don’t Fool Around. Get to High Ground!”

A judge has ruled in favor of Hawaiʻi youth plaintiffs in the climate case, Navahine F. v. Hawaiʻi Department of Transportation. The case argues the state transportation system causes high levels of greenhouse gas emissions, violating the youth plaintiffs’ state constitutional rights and public trust doctrine. The case will now proceed to trial.