This past Saturday, proprietors of five distinct food trucks commemorated the bittersweet grand opening of their new home, Maikaʻi Market, in Kahului.

Lahaina Strong Fishing for Dignified Housing Hui will hold a rally and march in Kā‘anapali today. Organizers say their primary demand is for the conversion of units on the Minatoya list and the reclamation of housing inventory.

There were 181,301 visitors on Maui in February 2024, and visitor spending was $443.1 million, according to new data released by the state Department of Business Economic Development and Tourism. That’s down from the 220,741 visitors in February 2023 when visitor spending was $540.1 million; and also down from February 2019, when there were 221,603 visitors and visitor spending was $413.2 million.

The Department of Land and Natural Resources estimates it will cost approximately $30 million to repair and rebuild fire-ravaged Lahaina Small Boat Harbor. Meanwhile, a bill to provide state funding for maintenance dredging at small boat harbors statewide has advanced to the Finance Committee in the House of Representatives.

The 21st Institute on Violence, Abuse and Trauma Hawaiʻi International Summit on Preventing, Assessing & Treating Trauma Across the Lifespan will take place from April 8 – 11 at the Hawai‘i Convention Center in Honolulu.

The Hawaiʻi Housing Finance and Development Corp. has closed on the purchase of the former Maui Sun Hotel in Kīhei from Haggai International Institute for Advanced Leadership Training, the state agency announced Thursday.

The Office of Hawaiian Affairs announced the upcoming launch of the OHA Kanaaho Grant, providing critical support to homeowners and renters in the wildfire impact zones of Lahaina and Kula. Under the program, a one-time $9,000 grant can be awarded to eligible homeowners who experienced hardship; and a one-time $4,000 grant can be awarded to eligible renters who experienced hardship.

The Senate Ways and Means committee unanimously approved House Bill 679 Senate Draft 2 and House Bill 2610 Senate Draft 2, to allocate funding to address ongoing and escalating costs to non-congregate sheltering, development of temporary and permanent housing, and other needs.

The Internal Revenue Service further postponed until Aug. 7, 2024, various tax-filing and tax-payment deadlines for individuals and businesses affected by the Aug. 8, 2023, wildfires in Hawaiʻi. Previously, the deadline was Feb. 15, 2024.

Maui County Council members have referred a bill to the Maui Planning Commission for a conditional change of zoning from residential to public/quasi-public for Grace Baptist Church, which was destroyed Aug. 8 in the Lahaina wildfire.

With more than 3,000 wildfire displaced residents on Maui still living in hotels, Gov. Josh Green says there are enough units available now through rental and direct lease programs that he expects to have the remaining residents transitioned out to longer-term solutions by July 1, 2024.

Krank Cycles will open a new shop next month in Lahaina, according to an announcement.

Gov. Josh Green, M.D., will address the state of Hawai‘i to provide the latest information on housing plans for wildfire-displaced Maui residents during a press conference at 12:30 this afternoon at the state Capitol.

The new funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency will help restore the David Malo Circle and Pi‘ilani Elderly Homes and Community Center facilities to pre-disaster design and function.

A group of students affected by the August 2023 Lahaina wildfire have written and illustrated their own book, which has been published with help from Lahaina Arts Guild.   Honokōwai Learning Hub was formed shortly after the fires. This group was dedicated to supporting keiki and providing a creative outlet for their emotions and a safe, […]

The Maui Mahiʻai Disaster Relief Grant Program offers up to $22,500 in grant funds for 10 small farmers and ranchers on the island of Maui who have been affected by August 2023 Maui wildfires. These grants are designed to provide emergency disaster funding and education and may be used to directly increase agricultural resilience against natural disasters and to assist in recovering market losses.

The Lahaina Strong group is planning a rally for dignified housing on Saturday, March 30, at 4 p.m. in Kāʻanapali. The event continues the call for government leaders to use their executive powers now to achieve dignified housing for fire survivors in West Maui.

The dedication and blessing of the temporary campus for Kamehameha III Elementary School, makai of Kapalua Airport, was a milestone for the community of Lahaina on Monday as residents took another step in recovering from the August wildfires.

“This year in response to recovery efforts, and the creation of three new departments and one new division, we’re facing a $429.2 million increase to the FY 2025 budget,” said Mayor Bissen. “This is 33.9% increase from last year’s council approved budget of $1.268 billion. This is due in large part to the new revenue streams addressing our emergency recovery needs.”

The organization has more than 50 outdoor community fire cats in its care, and is seeking to find new homes for them through the Operation Fire Cat Placement Program.