Maui News

Maui Arts & Cultural Center again celebrates the musical tradition of Hawai’i’s famous four-string instrument at the 16th annual Maui ‘Ukulele Festival, a free Maui community music event on Sunday, Oct. 8, in the A&B Amphitheater and Yokouchi Pavilion. Gates open at 2:30 p.m. and the concert starts at 3 p.m.

An emotional community meeting was held Friday night at the Lahaina Community Center to provide information to fire surviors — and hope that many people are working to help them.

New lighting solutions designed to help protect native seabirds and sea turtles have been installed at the parking lot managed by Mā‘alaea Triangle Association.

The state Commission on Water Resource Management held a marathon 12-hour meeting Tuesday as it dealt with questions surrounding the State Water Code, the status of deputy Kaleo Manuel, and management of water resources in West Maui.

The Maui Youth Philharmonic Orchestra is gearing up for a series of classes and rehearsals taking place at the Queen Ka’ahumanu Center.

FEMA is hiring. A job fair takes place today, Saturday, Sept. 23, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Lahaina Civic Center.

The County of Maui announced extended hours, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., for the Kāʻanapali Circulator Shuttle Service on Monday and Tuesday, Sept. 25 and 26, to accommodate residents with passes who are seeking reentry into the Lahaina wildfire disaster area.

Sugimura said she encourages property owners who need fire debris removed from their property to share their thoughts with the committee to help the county strike the right balance.

Under the President’s order today, federal funds for debris removal are authorized at 100% of the total eligible costs for a continuous 180-day period of the state’s choosing within the first nine months from the start of the incident period…

The Maui Police Department has narrowed its list of unaccounted for individuals from the Aug. 8 Lahaina wildfire to 22 people. The updated list was released on Friday, Sept. 22, 2023, and includes the following names:

A 24-year-old Kula man suffered fatal injuries when he was struck by a car while walking on the asphalt shoulder of the Hāna Highway in Kahului on Thursday night, police said.

ʻOhana Hope Village is an ambitious undertaking that seeks to transform a 10-acre field in Central Maui, into approximately 90 homes, capable of housing around 500 people.

Longtime community development specialist Toni Rojas has been appointed as Director of Maui Disaster Relief by the Hawaiʻi Catholic Community Foundation. The position was created to support the ongoing efforts of Catholic Charities of Hawaiʻi and the 11 parishes on Maui to aid in the recovery of the Lahaina and Kula communities, which were severely impacted by wildfires on Aug. 8, 2023.

Monday, Sept. 25 marks the beginning of reentry for some two dozen addresses in Zone 1C within the inundation zone on Kaniau Road in Lahaina. As residents and owners are allowed reentry to their properties in the impacted areas of the Maui wildfires, the state Department of Health is sharing information on the health risks and potential emotional impacts involved.

The PGA TOUR announced it will return to fire-stricken Maui in January for the 2024 edition of the tournament now called “The Sentry,” taking place at the Plantation Course in Kapalua.

US Representative Jill Tokuda (HI-02), along with House Natural Resources Ranking Member Raul Grijalva, and Rep. Ed Case sent a letter to Secretary Deb Haaland requesting that the Department of Interior provide support for the environmental recovery and cultural preservation efforts on Maui and Hawaiʻi Island. 

Hawaiʻiʻs congressional delegation is urging the Army Corps to provide the Hawai’i Department of Education with the resources and support it needs to build a school to temporarily replace Kamehameha III Elementary School as quickly as possible. 

The recent finding of a dead coconut rhinoceros beetle on Maui has prompted calls for vigilance among contractors and landowners to prevent the accidental spread of invasive species. This appeal comes at a time when the urgent need to address impacts from the Maui fires may increase the introduction of infested materials from off island.

The report shows Maui lost more than $13 million of visitor spending each day in the weeks following the fire. With the planned Oct. 8 reopening of unaffected West Maui resort areas, economists are not anticipating a rush to travel, but a gradual recovery instead.

Update: The Hāna Highway is now open in both directions. It was closed at around 8 p.m. on Thursday due to a pedestrian accident.