Maui News

The Board of Land and Natural Resources increased a fine against the owners and operator of the luxury yacht, Nakoa, to $1,818,85.97 on Friday, to account for biological and cultural damages, as well as “emotional distress to the community.”

With National Small Business Week (April 29-May 3) coming up, a number of workshops and programs are available to small businesses of Maui to build skills and connections. Co-presented by Maui Economic Development Board, workshops include helping sub-contractors to work with government; teaching how to use Quickbooks for business; building a capability statement; and exploring the work of the Maui Food Innovation Center.

Gov. Josh Green, M.D. nominated, and the Hawai‘i State Legislature confirmed, three new members to the Hawai‘i Community Development Authority Board.

May Day is Lei Day in Hawaiʻi nei, and Queen Kaʻahumanu Center will celebrate with the community on May 4 from 11 a.m to 1 p.m.

The Construction Industry of Maui today announced that it donated $26,000 to Maui High School this past week to benefits its high school construction vocational programs. The funds raised at CIM’s first annual golf tournament last September, a total of $50,500, includes the $26,000 disbursement to Maui High School. The second annual golf tournament is scheduled for Sept. 28 at The Dunes Maui Lani Golf Course.

Applications are being accepted for directors to head two new County of Maui Departments – the Department of ʻŌiwi Resources and the Department of Housing.

Travel services provider, CLEAR, will begin offering its optional identification verification services at Kahului Airport on Tuesday. The new airport vendor will allow travelers who subscribe for a fee to CLEAR, to use a dedicated line to verify their identity using biometrics such as an eye scan or fingerprint, instead of having to show a government-issued photo I.D. Passengers will still need to be screened by TSA.

Maui Public Art Corps in collaboration with the County of Maui and Hale Hōʻikeʻike at the Bailey House / Maui Historical Society will host its third “Hui Mo‘olelo Film Festival” from 3 to 5 p.m. on Saturday, April 27. The event is FREE and will be held at ProArts Playhouse in Kīhei. The public is invited to this premiere of a new collection of animated film shorts that celebrate Maui history, culture and sense of place.

The Ka La‘i Ola interim housing development for wildfire survivors in West Maui received a significant boost today as the Hawai‘i Community Foundation through its Maui Strong Fund, announced a $40 million grant to local nonprofit HomeAid Hawai‘i.

The Kahakapao Access Road, also known as the Makawao State Forest Reserve Access Road, on Maui will face a two-month closure starting next week to undergo infrastructure improvements related to storm drainage and debris mitigation. The work is scheduled from May 2 through June 28, 2024.

In 2023, Matson contributed $6 million in cash, services and equipment support to organizations in Hawaiʻi, Guam/Micronesia and the South Pacific, with the largest concentration of giving in Maui disaster relief and community support at $1.7 million.

Rotarians on Maui and Oʻahu—and in Japan—donate energy storage systems to ʻOhana Hope Village, an emergency housing project in Puʻunēnē, through Project Empower.

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.