Maui resident Laura Reidell said she knows what it’s like to sleep in her vehicle after not being able to pay for high rent costs during the pandemic. If the council approves a measure called Bill 108 that allows county parking lots to be used for human habitation, Reidell and others said they will have a safe place to sleep. Maui County Council on Friday voted unanimously to approve the bill on first reading. Bill 108 now advances to the second and final reading at full council.

A new law banning the sale, rental, and distribution of disposable polystyrene bodyboards goes into effect on Tuesday, Aug. 9, 2022.

Under the new ordinance that goes into effect on Oct. 1, 2022, only mineral sunscreens based on active ingredients zinc oxide and titanium dioxide will be allowed for sale, distribution or use without a prescription.

West Maui has nine condo complexes at risk of falling into the ocean. The road fronting Kaʻopala Bay, along with water and sewer lines, may soon be under water. And many West Maui county parks are threatened by coastal erosion. That’s why Council Member Tamara Paltin, whose residency seat covers West Maui, recently introduced a proposal to create a managed retreat revolving fund that would help mitigate impacts of shoreline erosion.

An officer with the Maui Police Department said Bernard Brown had “scratch marks from his inner biceps to his forearms.” It was an observation that Detective Michael Vaituulala made when he responded to a harassment complaint made by Brown in the days following Moreira “Mo” Monsalve’s disappearance in January of 2014.

The Hawaiʻi Department of Health has identified one additional case of monkeypox. This brings the total number of cases in Hawaiʻi since June 3 to twelve. The individual is a Maui resident whose case is associated with travel outside of Hawaiʻi.

Maui County home sales fell by more than 50% for condos and 20% for single-family houses last month, as rising mortgage rates and record-high sales prices pushed out buyers. Still, Julyʻs median sales price for single-family homes rose 5% year over year to $1.1 million, according to the Realtors Association of Maui report released Wednesday. Condos were up 11% to $789,500 compared with the same month last year.

Hawaiian singer-songwriter Paula Fuga said she’s always been drawn to “Queen of Soul” Aretha Franklin’s personality and music and looks forward to her “Tribute to Aretha Franklin” concert at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center Aug. 13.

The mural will serve as the temporary construction wall surrounding the future site of The Parlay, a new retro-style tavern at the northeast corner of Main Street and North Church Street in Wailuku. 

On Tuesday, the jury listened to an interview a Maui police detective conducted with Brown following Monsalve’s disappearance in which Brown denied any involvement. In the interview he was recorded saying, “I swear she was fine… I did not hurt her.” He also said, “I hope you find her,” and suggested that perhaps she was out “partying.”

Federal, state and county leaders joined tourism industry leaders in welcoming the resumption of travel from Japan to the island of Hawai‘i with the return of Japan Airlines’ nonstop service between Tokyo (Narita) and Kona.

The story of Hawaiian activist George Helm unfolds in a screening of the film “Hawaiian Soul” at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center on Aug. 18, along with music from his niece and multiple Nā Hōkū Hanohano winner Raiatea Helm.

Hawaiian Airlines today resumed daily nonstop service from Tokyo Haneda (HND) to Honolulu (HNL), reestablishing an important link for Japanese travelers to visit Hawai‘i.

More than 97,000 pounds of marine debris was removed from reefs and beaches of Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument (Northwestern Hawaiian Islands), including 86,000 pounds of ghost nets cleaned from a single reef. 

A new alfresco dining experience, Kiawe Outdoor, offers communal dining, set under the canopy of a 100 year old rubber tree on the grounds of the Royal Lahaina resort.

“We have parks for baseball, pickleball, tennis, and schools, but we’ve never had something for our hālau, yet hula is what we share with the world,” said Mayor Michael Victorino.

A motor vehicle accident resulted in an estimated $200,000 in damage to the Rodeo General Store in Makawao after a brand new vehicle mistakenly drove through the storefront on Monday afternoon.

A 68-year-old man riding a motorcycle died Sunday morning after a moped crossed the center line of Kahekili Highway in Wailuku and hit him head-on, according to the Maui police.

Maui Humane Society is announcing plans to implement an island-wide “Community Cat Count” beginning in early August. The survey will be conducted across Maui as an effort to better understand and effectively manage the cat population as humanely as possible.

The Office of Elections on Maui has released a list of Voter Service Centers and Places of Deposit for election ballots as the Primary Election nears on Aug. 13, 2022.