Maui News

Three members of the Aloha Amplified, Inc. board were selected as featured speakers at the upcoming, Feb. 3, 2026 meeting of the Rotary Club of Lahaina Sunset. Speakers will share highlights and plans for the upcoming Lights for Lahaina 2026 event, which is expanding into a two-day gathering. Board of Directors presenters include Wilmont “Kamaunu” Kahaiali‘i, Linn Nishikawa and Lori Nishikawa.

Home design renderings and floor plans for the Hoʻokumu Hou Single-Family Homeowner Reconstruction Program are now available to view on the Hoʻokumu Hou website, and the application deadline has been extended through August 2026, the County of Maui Office of Recovery has announced.

NOAA is asking Maui’s on-water community to be on the look out for a recently-entangled 40-foot female humpback whale off Lahaina, Maui. Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary’s monitoring team encountered the whale, referred to as Palette, on Thursday, Jan. 22. She was found to be in poor to moderate condition, showing moderate to strong emaciation and widespread carpets of red-colored cyamid amphipods (whale lice) across her otherwise light-colored body. If she is spotted, please call 888-256-9840 to report her location and share photos or videos if possible, but do not approach closer than 100 yards.

The Board of Land and Natural Resources has unanimously approved a new, 25-year lease for Kaheawa Wind Power I, allowing the continued operation of the existing wind energy facility in West Maui.

31,000 frontline registered nurses and health care professionals will begin an unfair labor practice (ULP) strike at Kaiser Permanente facilities across California and Hawaiʻi today. The  strike will affect more than two dozen hospitals and hundreds of clinics, including the Moanalua Medical Center on Oʻahu.

On Maui, the Honolua Hands-On Conservation — Aloha Pūʻu Kukui program is among those receiving support. Through the program, community volunteers work in the upper slopes of Honolua Valley, learning to identify native and invasive plants, plant seedlings and understand the watershed’s role in feeding the reefs of Lahaina and Kāʻanapali.

Maui OnStage will present its inaugural Ghost Light Awards next month to recognize the artists, volunteers and productions that brought theatrical magic to 2025 stage season.

Queen Kaʻahumanu Center welcomes the community to a full year of free events, offering regular opportunities for residents and visitors to enjoy entertainment, cultural programming, and family activities at the center.

Pacific Resource Partnership announced the release of the 2026 edition of the Hawaiʻi Directory of Public Officials, a free comprehensive guide to help residents connect with their elected leaders and stay engaged in the legislative process. 

The Hawaiian Council announced Thursday the launch of a new lending initiative aimed at helping residents establish credit and improve financial stability. The Koa Credit Builder Loan Program offers approved participants a $2,500 loan with a repayment term of up to 30 months. According to the organization, the program charges an interest rate of 8% […]

Students, faculty, staff and community members gathered at University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa on ʻIanuali (January) 20–22 for the fourth annual Hawaiʻi Kuʻu Home Aloha Summit. The event was a gathering centered on culture, place and shared kuleana (responsibility) to Hawaiʻi and its future.

Whale Tales 2026, a Maui-based ocean conservation event, celebrates its 20th anniversary this February at The Ritz-Carlton Maui, Kapalua featuring Nainoa Thompson, Dr. Sylvia Earle, Jean-Michel Cousteau, and more.

Mayor Richard Bissen will join the state’s other three mayors in making presentations Monday afternoon before members of the Senate Ways and Means and House Finance committees at the State Capitol. Aside from Bissen, the other mayors scheduled to appear are Honolulu City and County Mayor Rick Blangiardi, Hawai‘i County Mayor Kimo Alameda and Kaua‘i […]

The County of Maui Office of Recovery invites residents to attend a free presentation on reducing wildfire risk to homes, neighborhoods and communities across Maui Nui at 5 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 11, at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center Morgado Hall in Kahului.

Girl Scouts of Hawaiʻi is launching Girls in Policy, a new, innovative program designed to strengthen girls’ civic engagement, leadership and advocacy skills during the 2026 Hawaiʻi Legislative Session.

Kaiser Permanente Hawaiʻi announced operational plans Saturday for Maui County ahead of an open-ended strike by unionized health care workers scheduled to begin Monday. While the health provider states all medical facilities will remain open, patients on Maui should expect disruptions to pharmacy services at several locations. The United Nurses Associations of California/Union of Health […]

The warning is in effect until 6 a.m. Sunday (Jan. 25) for most eastern, southeastern, southern and interior portions of the island; Hawaiʻi County Civil Defense reports portion of Highway 11 in Puna and Kaʻū as well as Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park are closed because of ashfall.

Pacific Whale Foundation celebrates its 45th anniversary in conjunction with the return of World Whale Day, marking a full week of community, culture, and conservation from Feb. 9-15, 2026 on Maui.

The US Department of Agriculture’s Summer Food Service Program is seeking sponsor organizations on all islands to help provide children in low-income communities with free meals during the summer months.  The SFSP provides nutritious meals that help children to learn, play, and grow during the summer break when many schools are not in session.

Maui Public Art Corps is developing a new pop-up performance rooted in intergenerational community storytelling through Hui Mo‘olelo, its signature public art and storytelling program created in partnership with the County of Maui and Cultural Consultant Sissy Lake-Farm.