Maui News

The Department of the Attorney General is alerting Hawaiʻi nonprofits to a scam involving fake donation checks. Fraudulent donors are reportedly sending counterfeit checks and later requesting a portion of the funds be refunded, before the nonprofit discovers that the check is fake.

Departure from Bora Bora marks the end of a roughly 6-week stay in the islands of French Polynesia.  Rarotonga, Cook Islands,  will be the final destination for the Moananuiākea Voyage leg 14 crew, which began in Tautira, Tahiti more than two weeks ago. 

A coalition of community groups — joined by State Rep. Tina Nakada Grandinetti — today filed an amicus brief asking the  Hawaiʻi Supreme Court to reconsider its recent decision, Bank of New York Melon v. White, that changed the statute of limitations for mortgage foreclosures from six years to 20 years. The coalition notes this is years after the underlying loan note is no longer enforceable.

The County of Maui Office of the Mayor is hosting a grants workshop from noon to 2 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 21, 2025, at Wānanalua Congregational Church, Mother Alice Hall in Hāna.

The 31st Annual Made in Hawaiʻi Festival, presented by Hawaiian Airlines, concluded this past weekend with approximately 70,000 attendees over three days of overwhelming support from the community, visitors, and more than 500 local businesses (via 700+ vendor booths) who came together to celebrate Hawaiʻi’s culture, food, fashion and innovation.

The Maui County Council’s Water and Infrastructure Committee received a briefing Monday afternoon on a bill that would authorize the mayor to enter into an intergovernmental agreement with the US Geological Survey for water resource exploration in West Maui.

Newly formed lands from the 2018 Kīlauea volcano lava flows, known as lava deltas, are creating a potential hazard for Hawaiʻi Island residents and visitors. The recent discovery of a large crack in a lava delta at Kapoho, in the Puna district, demonstrates the enduring instability that newly created land presents and may indicate signs of imminent collapse.

The courtroom was overflowing with police officers who lined the halls just days after losing one of their own in the line of duty.

All County of Maui Division of Motor Vehicles & Licensing offices will be closed on Friday, Aug. 22, 2025, for staff training, according to the County Department of Finance.  All DMVL offices will resume their regular customer service hours on Monday, Aug. 25, 2025.

In Maui County, the non-seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 2.8%, down from the 3.5% rate reported the month before, and the 4.3% rate reported at the same time last year. On Maui Island, the unemployment rate was 2.7%, down from 3.5% in June and down from 4.4% at the same time last year.

The Lahaina Restoration Foundation presents the next concert of its Hawaiian Music Series, featuring a special live performance by the award-winning Kalani Miles. This free, family-friendly event will take place on Thursday, Aug. 28, 2025, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. on the Ocean Lawn at the Sheraton Maui Resort & Spa in Kāʻanapali.

Maui Housing Hui, in collaboration with the University at Albany and the University of North Texas, will host a Talk Story event on Saturday, Aug. 23, 2025, to present new research findings on housing decision-making following the Maui wildfires.

The Maui Fire Department will be conducting wildland live fire training on Aug. 21, 22, 28 and 29 as part of its 41st Recruit Class. This training will be conducted in Waikapū, across from the Maui Tropical Plantation.

UPDATE: (8.18.25 6:43 a.m.): State transportation crews have cleared downed tree branches that were blocking the road at Honomanū near Mile 14 of the Hāna Highway. The incident resulted in the temporary closure of the road from around 4:37 a.m. The road was completely cleared at 6:43 a.m.

According to police, Clembert Kaneholani, 38, was being held on several charges including: first degree murder, second degree attempted murder, two counts of a felon in possession of ammunition, use of a firearm in commission of a felony, place to keep a firearm, and owning/possession of a firearm or ammunition prohibited.

Maui’s young artists are shining at the Hui No‘eau Youth Art Exhibition 2025. The exhibition is bursting with creativity, color and imagination. From bold paintings to intricate sculptures, every piece tells the story of curiosity, learning and self-expression.

The Hawai‘i Department of Transportation (HDOT) notifies highway users that there will be different lane shifts on South Puʻunēnē Avenue (Route 3500) from Tuesday, Aug. 19 through Friday, Aug. 22, for road resurfacing work.

On July 1, 2025, Cabral became the new  leader of Rotary District 5000, representing the Islands of Oʻahu, Maui, Kauaʻi, Lānaʻi, and Hawaiʻi, with over 1,500 members. 

The Outrigger Duke Kahanamoku Foundation, in partnership with the City and County of Honolulu Division of Motor Vehicles, unveiled the design for a new Duke Kahanamoku specialty license plate on Friday during the opening ceremony of the Duke Kahanamoku OceanFest at the Duke Kahanamoku Statue in Waikīkī.

The University of Hawaiʻi Community College System earned an 11th best in the nation ranking among 41 statewide systems, according to a 2025 WalletHub analysis.