Residents are encouraged to attend the County of Maui’s Weekly Disaster Recovery Community Update Meeting at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 12, in the Lahaina Civic Center social hall.

Op-Ed: From fire to fairness: To find solutions to rebuild Maui, we must address tax disparities and land ownership. By Shay and Ian Chan Hodges, Responsible Markets. The path to recovery should include re-evaluating the foundations of our local economy, addressing the concentration of land ownership in non-local hands, and ensuring that any outside owners are actively contributing to — and not just benefitting from — the sustainable rebuilding of Maui County. *****Views expressed in Op-Ed pieces are those of the author’s alone and do not reflect or represent the opinions, policies or positions of Maui Now.*****  

The Lahaina Homeowner Recovery Program is a partnership between Hawai‘i Community Lending and local banks, dedicated to preventing foreclosure and helping 500 Lahaina homeowners rebuild after the wildfire.

The County of Maui Office of Recovery and County Department of Planning will hold the Lahaina Town South Neighborhood Planning Workshop for residents of the area from 3 to 5:30 p.m. Saturday, June 15, 2024, at Lahainaluna High School cafeteria, located at 980 Lahainaluna Road.

Today is the scheduled end date for the Non-Congregate Sheltering (NCS) program for Maui wildfire survivors. State officials issued assurances saying all families in the NCS program who are actively participating in their recovery efforts will continue to receive support until their transition from sheltering to an interim housing solution.

Maui County Council members set aside concerns about displacing two dozen homeless people from Holomua Road and the possibility of a legal challenge, and they decided Friday to restrict public access to a lower portion of the road and close its upper section.

In response to community concerns regarding increased traffic, noise, safety hazards, and dust pollution, the US Army Corps of Engineers and the State of Hawai‘i are implementing alternate construction routes for the temporary housing projects in Lahaina. These changes aim to mitigate the impact on local residents while ensuring the continued progress of these essential housing projects.

The standards for the County of Maui Alternative Debris Removal Program have been approved by the Maui County Council, and applications for the program are currently being accepted. The application deadline is June 15, 2024, to sign up for either the Alternative Debris Removal Program or to obtain an approved Right-of-Entry for the Government-Sponsored Consolidated Debris Removal, per adopted standards.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency will host a series of resume workshops in June, intended to hire residents for long-term positions with FEMA in Maui County.  

A Humanitarian Job Fair for Maui Disaster Relief, offered by Maui Economic Opportunity (MEO) and Employers Options, will be held from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Thursday, June 13, at Queen Kaʻahumanu Center.

The Maui wildfires continue to have pronounced impacts on the economic indicators for all counties, but especially Maui County, according to new information compiled by the state Department of Business Economic Development and Tourism. The information was part of the department’s second quarter 2024 Statistical and Economic Report.

President Joe Biden announced that he has made additional disaster assistance available to the State of Hawai‘i following the Maui fires, increasing the federal cost share for federal assistance to 100% for an additional 90-day period.

The Maui Humane Society’s 2025 calendar will pay tribute to the courageous Maui firefighters and rescuers who bravely faced the devastating Lahaina wildfires on Aug. 8, 2023.

Representatives of fire-related entities from state, national and local levels gathered at Fire Station 14 in Wailea to launch the state’s 8th annual Wildfire and Drought LOOKOUT! campaign on Tuesday.

Two temporary groundwater monitoring wells will be installed at the Temporary Debris Storage site (TDS) in Olowalu. County officials say the installation is part of its commitment along with the US Army Corps of Engineers to protect public health and the environment during the wildfire cleanup.

Residents are invited to attend Mayor Richard Bissen’s Weekly Disaster Recovery Community Update Meeting at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 5, in the Lahaina Civic Center gymnasium.

The County of Maui Office of Recovery and Department of Planning today launched an online version of their Neighborhood Planning Workshops on the “Ola Lahaina” page of MauiRecovers.org. Through the month of June, residents may participate in the online workshop at their convenience from their laptop, tablet or phone. The online workshop is an opportunity for residents who were not able to attend past neighborhood workshops to share their thoughts, or for those who did attend to share more input.

In the wake of the deadly Maui wildfires, the University of Hawaiʻi is working to develop a new wildfire forecast system using artificial intelligence for the state of Hawaiʻi to enhance public safety, preparedness and risk mitigation.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency will host a series of resume workshops in June, intended to hire residents for long-term positions with FEMA in Maui County.  

The Maui Police Department’s fledgling helicopter program experienced some turbulence this week during a Maui County Council committee meeting when questions surfaced about the proposed air unit’s projected costs.