Maui News

The Lahaina Restoration Foundation invites the community to experience E Hoʻi Ka Nani I Mokuʻula (Let the Glory Return to Mokuʻula), the free 360-degree immersive film experience presented at Maui Ocean Center’s The Sphere. The next screening will take place on Friday, July 10, 2026 at 6 p.m., with doors opening at 5:30 p.m.

The County of Maui Department of Planning invites community members to learn about the Special Management Area (SMA) boundary assessment project for the island of Maui by attending the Maui Planning Commission meeting at 9 a.m. Tuesday, July 14, 2026.

The Maui County Council has passed Resolution No. 26-112 today in honor of Faith Lynn Kealohapauʻole “Aloha” Paredes for her historic achievement as Miss Aloha Hula 2026.

Grant funds totaling $100,000 have been made available for West Maui in the county’s fiscal year 2027 budget, which took effect Wednesday, Council Member Tamara Paltin announced.

Grant awards will help address disaster-related recovery needs that may not be covered by insurance, federal assistance programs, or other sources of aid.

Catholic Charities Hawai‘i has named Cassandra Rayne Gross as its Vice President – Finance, where she will be responsible for overseeing all aspects of finance and fiscal administration across its statewide operations.

Finance Manager Allison Springer was named Maui Economic Opportunity Employee of the Quarter for performing the essential but unheralded behind-the-scenes work of financial compliance and payments for the grants that fund the work of MEO.

Businesses registered in the third quarter — July through September — can now file their annual reports, which must be filed by midnight Sept. 30 to avoid a late filing penalty fee.

The Hawaiʻi Department of Health is urging pet owners to check their pantries after a recall was issued for two lots of Pedigree High Protein Chopped Chicken & Duck Flavor wet dog food due to the potential presence of metal and plastic fragments.

In the study, scientists used drone photography to measure the body length of free-swimming dolphins, which revealed a decline in the number of calves.

Disaster teams on the ground are ready to support shelters, provide meals and other disaster recovery supplies as soon as it is safe to do so after the storm moves away from the islands.   

SB 2580 moves to modernize and elevate Hawai‘i’s film industry by broadening access to our film tax credit and expanding resources for production. SB 2907 strengthens Hawai‘i’s blue economy through the establishment of a centralized office within the Hawai‘i Technology Development Corporation.

The Maui Police Department requests the public’s assistance with any information on the whereabouts of Andrea Varrichione, 55, of Haʻikū.

Kapalua Golf owner and President of TY Management,  Mr. Tadashi Yanai, recently donated $500,000 to the nonprofit Aloha Puʻu Kukui, a major commitment to continuing the restoration work of the West Maui Puʻu Kukui Watershed Preserve —a critical resource for the island’s environmental health. This latest gift brings the total contribution to Puʻu Kukui Watershed to $1.5 million since 2024. These funds directly support essential on-the-ground efforts, including invasive species removal and the reforestation of native species across the preserve. 

The state Department of Transportation will be conducting road work this week that will result in lane closures at various locations. Lane closure schedules may change at any time without further notice. All projects are weather permitting.

Astronomers using the W. M. Keck Observatory on Maunakea, Hawaiʻi Island, have confirmed two-thirds (21 of 31) of the most ancient quasars from the Euclid mission, including two of the most distant ever observed.

More than 90 members and friends of Maui’s nine Rotary Clubs gathered at the Lahaina Cannery Mall Food Court and Stage area recently to celebrate the induction of the 2026–27 club presidents and honor the service of the outgoing presidents.

The Battle of Hanapēpē occurred just over a century ago, when 16 Filipino strikers and four police officers died in a violent clash over a labor strike in Hanapēpē. It is considered by many a foundational and tragic episode in Hawai‘i’s labor rights history.

After reaching a milestone of three decades with the County of Maui, County Director of Personnel Services Cynthia Razo-Porter has announced she is retiring, effective July 31, 2026.

“This study puts numbers to what our communities have long understood — that losing our reefs means losing the recreational opportunities, cultural practices and quality of life that define what it means to live in Hawaiʻi,” said Hawaiʻi Department of Land and Natural Resources Division of Aquatic Resources Administrator Brian Neilson.