In Case You Missed It

A total of 1,935 whales were observed across all islands, during the second Ocean Count and Great Whale Count for the 2026 season. On Maui, 847 whales were observed, the most of any location.

On Friday night, President Donald Trump announced the US Military began major combat operations in Iran in what is being called Operation Epic Fury. The announcement drew criticism from the Hawaiʻi Congressional delegation over lack of Congressional authorization.

The updated rules follow the Maui County Council’s approval of Bill 158 in January, which amends the County Water Code to address water waste, promote responsible water use and ensure a reliable and sustainable water supply.

Attorney General Anne Lopez provided a scheduled, biweekly update on Friday, concerning the ongoing investigation into possible public corruption. This comes after a Feb. 13 briefing in which she vowed to update the public every two weeks on the department’s progress.

Hawaiʻi’s economy is moving beyond last year’s mild recession, but the recovery will be gradual, according to the University of Hawaiʻi Economic Research Organization’s first quarter forecast for 2026 released on Feb. 27. Maui is the standout, as ongoing recovery from the disastrous 2023 wildfires will continue to propel rising tourism activity, if at a slower pace than last year.

The County of Maui Department of ʻŌiwi Resources is awarding funding to 11 local projects through the competitive County of Maui grants program.  

Maui’s ‘Oko’a Farms is one of 43 Hawai’i farms enrolled in the Transition to Organic Partnership Program, which is trying to help as many farmers as it can before the program ends this year, cut short by federal changes.

Military officials have given no indication they’re considering pulling back the project, and many residents felt like their voices were once again being ignored.

The Office of the County Auditor transmitted a County of Maui Fraud Risk Assessment to the County Council and Mayor on Wednesday.  The Assessment was prepared by Spire Hawaii LLP, an independent contractor of the Office of the County Auditor. 

Kamaliʻi Elementary School in Kīhei recently welcomed nationally recognized mathematics education author Allison Hintz back to campus. The visit celebrated Kamaliʻi’s innovative, student-centered, and place-based approach to mathematics teaching and learning—work that is now being shared nationally.

Multiple Maui properties and employees earned accolades including the Wailea Beach Marriott, the Westin Maui Resort & Spa, the Westin Nanea Ocean Villas, the Ritz-Carlton Maui Kapalua, the Hampton Inn & Suites, Marriott’s Maui Ocean Club, and the Fairmont Kea Lani.

The proposal comes at a time when Maui County is hoping to one day take over the private system used to divert streams in East Maui.

The newly built Trilogy VI replaces the original catamaran of the same name — a cherished vessel lost in Lahaina Harbor during the catastrophic Lahaina wildfires in August 2023. Carrying forward the name was a deliberate choice, honoring the legacy of the past while looking confidently toward the future.

Subaru Telescope’s powerful new Prime Focus Spectrograph (PFS) has been given the Hawaiian name ʻŌnohiʻula, merging the instrument’s scientific mission of “perceiving the realm of our origins” with the cultural heritage of Hawaiʻi.

The ʻiʻiwi likely hatched in the winter/spring of 2015-16 and is a minimum of 10 years old, which is rather amazing considering the typical lifespan of ʻiʻiwi is, maybe, half of that at 3 to 5 years.

The military will be holding public meetings this week to gather input about the project that already has met with past opposition by some community groups, Maui Mayor Richard Bissen and the County Council.

The videos, hosted by Alaka’i Lastimado, features authors and scholars who have explored the land, water, culture and community for The West Maui Book Series.

The Hawaiʻi Department of the Attorney General held a press briefing on Friday to address an ongoing investigation into possible public corruption.

A proposal in the State Legislature calls for lifting the current ban on private shoreline hardening to allow minimal use to help property owners.

The Hawaiʻi Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that insurance companies cannot intervene in the $4 billion Maui wildfire settlement, removing a legal hurdle for thousands of survivors awaiting compensation.