AARP Hawaiʻi today announced grants totaling $625,000 from AARP Foundation that will go to local organizations providing relief assistance to older victims of the recent Maui wildfires.

This Giving Tuesday, UH Foundation stands with Maui and is devoting 100% of fundraising efforts to helping the UH ‘ohana bolster Maui’s recovery following the Aug. 8 wildfires.

Hula Grill Server Tiana Pante has released a children’s book titled, “Kimo’s Hula Pie Adventure,” with all proceeds from book sales to be donated to T S Restaurants’ Legacy of Aloha Foundation to support fellow employees impacted by the Maui wildfires. 

The Hawaiʻi Department of Transportation is notifying motorists of upcoming closures for the week of Nov. 20, on Honoapiʻilani Highway as part of the West Maui Temporary School Facilities project.  

“I want to see that grow out of this situation we’re in today. Let us find the people who bind us together. Let us find the strength in our lāʻau (plants), in our community. Let us find the koʻi (adze) that define the future and shape our world as we’re going to see it; the kālaimoku (high official), the kālai waʻa (canoe carver)—all of those people. They’re in our community. I can stare into this audience and see all the individuals, and that’s what gives me comfort,” said Kaipo Kekona.

Maui Mayor Richard Bissen acknowledged: “Housing was an issue on Maui and in West Maui before Aug. 8, and it became, obviously, a bigger issue after that.” “Our duty as government is to present the other options that people have. Let’s talk of creating a land trust,” said the mayor. That was one of the topics that was also explored at the Native Hawaiian Convention.

The House Interim Wildfire Prevention Working Group, Environmental Remediation Working Group, and Shelter Working Group will each meet on Friday to take public input on their respective draft report.

Today, four-time GRAMMY Award Winners and Rock & Roll Hall of Famers, The Doobie Brothers, have released a new single “Lahaina” along with a music video to provide aid and support to Maui following the August 2023 wildfire disaster.

County of Maui Disaster Area Restrictions will be lifted from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Monday and Tuesday, Nov. 20 and 21, for owners and residents with vehicle passes in Zones 7B, 7C, 7D and 7E.

The same day as four wildfires sparked on Maui, including the Lahaina fire, firefighters were also battling seven hurricane wind-driven fires on Hawaiʻi Island.

Initially, the questionable structural integrity of the parking structure combined with the concern for possible hazardous materials in the water prevented a comprehensive search by the Maui Police Department. Pumping will occur at night during low tide when water levels in the garage are lower.

For residents who receive a letter from FEMA indicating ineligibility for assistance, this fact sheet offers guidance on appealing FEMA’s decision.

The wildfires and their destructive aftermath created a prominent backdrop in the discussions about Lahaina. Three Lahaina residents reflected on nostalgic moments as they shared their earliest memories of Lahaina. This is Part 1 in a 3 part series.

Today marks Day 3 of the 22nd Annual Native Hawaiian Convention, taking place at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center in Kahului.  The four-day event was moved to Maui this year to uplift its voices and people following the Aug. 8 wildfires.  

Organizers of the Kōkua for Maui program announced the upcoming shopping and craft fair events, inviting the public to extend their aloha to Maui businesses impacted by the devastating August wildfires. 

The Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement invites Lahaina residents to participate in a discussion on a Debris Removal Program, happening Thursday, Nov. 16 at 5:30 p.m. in the McCoy Studio Theater at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center.

The first meeting takes place on Thursday, Nov. 16, 2023, at the Kula Elementary School cafeteria. The meetings continue at 6 p.m. every Thursday in November and December as debris cleanup progresses, with the exception of holidays, such as Thanksgiving, Nov. 23, 2023. 

The US Environmental Protection Agency is nearing the end of processing hundreds of thousands of lithium-ion batteries from burned electric/hybrid vehicles and solar battery energy storage systems from the Maui wildfires and shipping them to Nevada for recycling.

Today marks Day Two of the 22nd Annual Native Hawaiian Convention, taking place at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center in Kahului.  The four-day event was moved to Maui this year to uplift its voices and people following the Aug. 8 wildfires. 

For entertainment this week on Maui, there are performances by the Great American Jazz Piano Competition finalist Jeff Hellmer & Friends, three-time Nā Hōkū Hanohano winner Kevin Brown and Maui Prep actors in Beauty and the Beast, as well as a Winter Craft Fair and the 50th Maui County Senior Fair.