Maui News

The Hawai‘i State Department of Labor & Industrial Relations announced on Thursday that the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for August was 12.5 percent compared to the revised rate of 13.5 percent in July. Initial and weekly unemployment insurance claims also continue to decrease while establishments remain closed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The Maui Police Department currently has five unclaimed bodies at their forensic facility in Wailuku. Officials are requesting assistance from the public in contacting family members of the deceased.

More than 15 Maui businesses, including eight restaurants, have closed their doors for good due to the lack of tourism and other economic woes caused by the coronavirus. Many more Maui businesses are teetering on the brink, as government assistance programs for small businesses dry up and the pandemic drags on. “We are literally hanging on by our fingertips,” said Josh Curi, owner of Da Babooze Bar in Wailuku.

Gov. Ige said, “We’ve asked landlords to be patient until we could start these types of programs to ensure we don’t add to our homeless populations. Most importantly, this program will help strengthen families and allow them to remain in their homes.”

A downtown Las Vegas regular from Hawaiʻi turned her visit to Fremont Hotel and Casino into a nearly $790,000 jackpot playing Aristocrat’s Buffalo Inferno™ slot game on Wednesday, Sept. 16.

There were 160 new COVID-19 cases in Hawai‘i today including 137 on O‘ahu, three in Maui County and 20 on Hawai‘i Island. Hawai‘i’s COVID-19 death toll rose to 107 with the passing of four more O‘ahu residents.

Governor David Ige joined superintendent Dr. Christina Kishimoto with the state Department of Education and Dr. Sarah Kemble, Asst. Hawai‘i State Epidemiologist today in announcing updated COVID-19 guidance for Hawai‘i’s public schools. 

Hawaiian Electric announced Wednesday that it has submitted eight new renewable energy projects to the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) for review. If approved, the projects could produce lower-cost electricity, advance clean energy and phase out coal consumption in Hawai’i – enabling the retirement of the Kahului plant. 

The Hawai‘i State Senate announced that a bill protecting Hawai‘i’s coastal ecosystems was signed into law by Gov. David Ige. The enacted legislation includes a provision to ban further construction of sea walls and coastal hardening projects.

Drive-through COVID-19 testing will take place in West Maui on Monday, Sept. 21, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Lahaina Aquatic Center.

The County of Maui reported testing about 150 individuals on Wednesday at a COVID-19 drive-through testing event at the Mitchell Pauole Community Center on Moloka‘i.

Steve Howard, 57, of Kailua-Kona, a well-known aquarium fisher, was arrested after a bizarre series of events that included a search and rescue operation.  The fish collected had an estimated value of $17,000. 

Governor David Ige this afternoon confirmed that the state’s pre-travel testing program will launch on Oct. 15, enabling travelers to get a COVID-19 test no earlier than 72 hours prior to their flight arrival in Hawai‘i to avoid the 14-day mandatory quarantine if the test comes back negative for the virus.

Aliʻi Kula Lavender Farm in Kula on Maui announced it will be open for two more weekends before it transitions to a temporary closure starting on Oct. 1, 2020.  Starting next month, the farm will be closed to visitors until further notice.  

Update: (1:29 p.m. 9.16.20) Power was restored to some affected customers shortly before 1:30 p.m. The vehicle involved in the crash caused damage to an electric pole, knocking out power to parts of Wailuku.

The Hawai‘i Department of Health issued a red placard to Vietnamese Cuisine Restaurant in Kihei, Maui.  According to the DOH, the restaurant’s kitchen was allegedly infested with roaches among many other food safety violations and health hazards.

Beginning on Monday, Sept. 14, the program received Maui County approval to expand the ground beef purchase program to the island of Molokaʻi to support their ranchers and local harvest facility.

There were 102 new COVID-19 cases in Hawai‘i today including 97 on O‘ahu, four on Hawai‘i Island and one case in a resident diagnosed outside of the state. Hawai‘i’s COVID-19 death toll rose to 103 with the passing of three more O‘ahu residents.

Maui United Way’s 8th Annual Tools for School Drive with sponsorship from HMSA and Pacific Media Group took a different approach to address the emerging needs of keiki in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

With the significant decrease in patient visits, prescription volume, and revenues, Mālama I Ke Ola reports that pharmacy operations were no longer sustainable.