Maui Discussion

Hawaiian Airlines launched its new, twice-weekly nonstop flights from Honolulu to Orlando on Thursday. The carrier also announced it is increasing service between Hawai‘i and Florida to three weekly flights from June 1 through Aug. 10 to meet summer demand.

This is the second pandemic that DeClerck has lived through, according to family members who say that in addition to surviving the COVID-19 infection earlier this year, the centenarian lived through the Spanish Flu when she was only two years old living in Wailuku.

There were 106 COVID-19 cases reported in Hawai‘i on Saturday, including 23 on O‘ahu, three on Hawai‘i Island, and five in Hawai‘i residents diagnosed out-of-state. There were also 75 cases attributed to Maui, including 31 which are from the past and predate Feb. 18.

The state Department of Education is looking into the possibility of reopening elementary schools for in-person instruction for the final quarter of this school year.

On Maui, hikers have been rescued from places like the “Bamboo Forest” in Kailua, the upper reaches of ʻĪao Valley, and East Maui’s Kaihalulu Beach. A swift water rescue at Waioka in Hāna earlier this month ended tragically when a visitor died in a flash flood event at the location.

For January 2021, Maui County hotels led the state at 21.9 percent occupancy, down 55.1 percentage points from January 2020 (before the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown) and less than the 26 percent occupancy for December 2020, according to the Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority report.

There were 50 new COVID-19 cases reported in Hawai‘i on Friday, including 22 on O‘ahu, 22 on Maui, two on Hawaiʻi Island, and four in Hawaiʻi residents diagnosed outside of the state.

Hawaiʻi was ranked number two on a list of the safest states during the COVID-19 pandemic, second only to Alaska.

All visitors and commercial operators will need to make reservations to enter Waiʻānapanapa State Park in East Maui, beginning on March 1, the state Department of Land and Natural Resources announced.

Governor David Ige has issued an 18th emergency proclamation for COVID-19. It acknowledges vaccinated travelers/quarantine as a future exception, but the state will wait for specific guidance from the CDC before implementing a quarantine exception for vaccinated travelers.

It started as a father-son kayak off the west coast of Maui in Ukumehame to view and photograph Humpback whales.   45-year-old Daniel Sullivan and his 15-year-old son Tristan, of Kula, paddled out on their two-man, 12-foot hard-shell kayak from the west side of the “pali” at around 11:30 a.m. on Tuesday. There was a slight […]

Gov. David Ige issued an emergency proclamation today declaring the County of Maui, which has suffered under drought conditions since March 2019, a disaster area.

Joe Biden was sworn in today as the 46th President of the United States, alongside Vice President Kamala Harris.

A reservation system is expected to begin at East Maui’s Waiʻānapanapa State Park in the second or third week of February according to state leaders who provided an update during a weekend Zoom meeting.

US Congressmen Ed Case and Kai Kahele, both of Hawaiʻi, were among those who voted to impeach the president for “inciting violence against the United States government.”

Two of Hawaiʻi’s congressional leaders have released statements calling for the removal of President Trump through impeachment.

Frustrations Surface Over Maui Restaurant and Bar Rules, and Interpretation for EnforcementFrustrations Surface Over Maui Restaurant and Bar Rules, and Interpretation for Enforcement

This week letters include an opinion that closing down would be devastating to workers and a big thank you to the 17th Christmas Tri-Star Restaurants has provided a holiday lunch.

“Remember that COVID doesn’t discriminate, and it’s possible for someone to have COVID without feeling sick or having symptoms at all. Even if you love someone and trust them, you don’t know who else they might have been spending time with.”

This week’s letters include opinions about the slower speed limit of Pi’ilani Highway, the need for a pedestrian bridge for the new Kihei High School, mask mandate viewed as too draconian, night closure of Kala Road and beautification of Maui.