Maui News

Mayor Richard Bissen and Managing Director Josiah Nishita updated Maui County Council members Thursday morning on the status of the county’s request for state funding to help with the staggering costs of rebuilding infrastructure destroyed in the Aug. 8-9 wildfires disaster.

A deadly motorcycle collision on the Maui Veterans Highway on Thursday morning claimed the life of a 33-year-old Kīhei man, police said. It is believed that speed is a factor in this collision, according to preliminary reports.

The Pesticides Branch of the Hawai‘i Department of Agriculture is extending its free pesticide disposal program to the island of Moloka‘i in June. The registration deadline is Wednesday, May 22, 2024 at 4:30 p.m.  So far, the PDP program has collected pesticides on O‘ahu totaling 7,700 pounds, Kaua‘i, almost 4,000 pounds, Maui, more than 7,100 pounds, and Hawai‘i Island, more than 7,300 pounds.

(Update: 4:55 p.m., April 25, 2024) Honoapiʻilani Highway is now completely OPEN. It was closed earlier due to a motor vehicle accident in which a vehicle went over the guardrail, and a separate incident near the Scenic Lookout involving a fire. Police tell Maui Now that the vehicle has been towed and the fire has been extinguished.

Gas prices statewide continue to increase slowly, according to the AAA Hawaiʻi Weekend Gas Watch. The statewide average price for regular unleaded is $4.81, three cents higher than last week. The national average gas price is $3.66, one cent lower than last week. 

The vacation rental unit supply on Maui continued to be impacted by the Aug. 8, 2023 wildfires. The information and data was part of the state Department of Business Economic Development and Tourism’s March 2024 Hawai‘i Vacation Rental Performance Report released today.

Pacific Media Group hosts a Job Fair on Saturday, April 27 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Queen Kaʻahumanu Center in Kahului. There will be 45 businesses looking to hire and raffle prizes for those applying.

The Maui Police Department is warning the public of a recurring scam involving spoofed phone calls targeting members of the community.

In commemoration of Earth Day, Pacific Biodiesel Founders Bob and Kelly King welcomed community leaders and local students on a tour of the company’s new crushing mill and expanded agriculture operations, followed by a blessing of its first sunflower field on Kauaʻi on April 22, 2024.

State Sen. Angus McKelvey (District 6, West Maui, Māʻalaea, Waikapū, South Maui) announced the release of $1,020,000 in funding for vital improvements at Lokelani Intermediate School in Maui. This capital improvement project will address crucial infrastructure needs including parking lot resurfacing, upgrades to gutters and drainage systems, air conditioning enhancements and general repairs.

Maui Preparatory Academy has announced an upcoming financial aid benefit, “Fly Pueo, Fly,” scheduled for 5 p.m. on Saturday, April 27.

(Update: 11 a.m., April 25, 2024) The Maui Veterans Highway is now OPEN in the area of the Central Maui Baseyard. It was closed for three hours while police conducted an investigation following a motor vehicle accident.

The Maui Police Department will be conducting a one-day Coordinated Agency Emergency Preparedness Exercise on the Kīhei Elementary School campus from approximately 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Friday, April 26, 2024.

On Saturday morning, a special pod of “Mantas” was sighted in the waters of Molokini, three miles off Maui’s southern coast. Dubbed the “Molokini Mantas,” the group of nine Hawaiʻi swimmers were en route back to Maui, and upon reaching the Maui shore, they had set a new record for the fastest channel swim from Maluaka to and around Molokini and back.

A Maui man was sentenced Wednesday to life in prison with the possibility of parole for the murder of another man in Kanaio in 2018. In January, a jury found Justin Namauu, 48, guilty in the death of Dennis Pacheco, who was 45 at the time of the incident.

The April Kīhei 4th Friday Town Party will take place at Azeka Shopping Center Mauka on April 26 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

The application deadline is July 1 for a second round of healthcare professionals seeking help in a new Healthcare Education Loan Repayment Program.

Several Maui-based small businesses will participate in Mana Up’s inaugural Aloha Market from April 26-28 in SoHo, Manhattan, New York. The city will host the multi-day Hawai‘i-themed immersive shopping and cultural event, featuring 40 companies.

On Tuesday night, State legislators approved a final version of the State’s Supplemental Budget. This measure includes operating, capital improvement projects (CIP), and grants-in-aid monies for fiscal year 2024-2025 (FY25).

Andaz Maui at Wailea Resort, situated on Maui’s southwestern coastline along Mōkapu Beach, announced the completion of its enhanced room product. Marking the resort’s 10th anniversary, the refresh establishes a new decade for the property and includes a redesign of key components within the resort’s 320 guest rooms, including 35 suites.