Maui News

A final environmental assessment has been accepted for the county’s plans to license the Youth Center at the Lahaina Recreation facility to the West Maui Boys & Girls Club.  Because there are membership fees and age limits, the county space would be taken out of protection for public use.  The county proposes to mitigate the […]

Applications and nominations are now being accepted for University of Hawaii-Maui College’s Ka Ipu Kukui Fellows program. The year-long program is designed to develop future leaders to address planning for Maui’s Future.  The program was developed in collaboration between Decisions Maui and Focus Maui Nui and is now in its fourth year.   Ka ipu kukui […]

The state wants to release a Brazilian scale insect to help in the control of the invasive strawberry guava tree that is crowding out native plants on Maui and other parts of the state. Officials with the West Maui Mountains Partnership (WMMP) say strawberry guava has become a dominant species in roughly 2-5 thousand acres […]

Dark energy and a runaway universe will be the topic of a lecture on Thursday, June 24, 2010 lecture at the Maikalani UH Institute for Astronomy on Maui.  Dr. Alex Filippenko will navigate this topic, exploring observations of distant exploding stars, and discussing the origin of dark energy—an area some researchers believe could provide clues […]

Leading economist Paul Brewbaker returns as the featured speaker at the Maui Chamber of Commerce annual installation luncheon on Friday, June 25, 2010 at the Fairmont Kea Lani Hotel.  Brewbaker will discuss the island economy and help attendees navigate through the rest of the year and beyond. The installation event includes recognition of new directors […]

Governor Linda Lingle signed a bill into law yesterday that gives individual counties the authority to limit or ban fireworks.  Act 170 allows counties to enact ordinances that are more stringent than what the state already has in place. The new law also establishes a task force to make recommendations to prevent the illegal importation […]

Members of the Surfrider group on Maui will draw a line in the sand this weekend, symbolizing their opposition to offshore drilling.  The “Hands Across the Sand” event is part of a larger global effort to stop near and offshore drilling. The Maui event includes a rally and beach cleanup at two locations this Saturday, […]

Rotary Clubs of Maui join the Community Work Day Program this Saturday, June 26, 2010 for a revitalization cleanup effort at ‘Iao Valley’s Kepaniwai Heritage Gardens.  Volunteers will gather from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. to restore and refurbish buildings and gardens. Work will include trash pickup and power washing and painting of stone walls, picnic tables, […]

It’s not too late to be a part of the biggest parade on Maui! The parade kicks off the fair weekend and will take place on Thursday, September 30, 2010. There’s still room for participants and float entries, with parade participants getting the added bonus of gaining free entry to the Fair on Thursday evening.  […]

Hawai‘i’s longest-running wine and food event returns to Maui from June 24 – 27, allowing island visitors and residents an up-close look at the latest trends in food, wine, and Hawaiian Cuisine all within the breathtaking setting of the world-renowned Kapalua Resort. Returning host, Master Sommelier Fred Dame will bring several of the world’s most […]

By Wendy Osher Maui Lani opened a new regional roadway recently connecting Wailuku and Kahului.  The mile-long extension of Kuikahi Drive and Maui Lani Parkway allows drivers to travel from the intersection of Waiale Road and Kuikahi Drive in Wailuku, to Kamehameha Avenue near the Dunes at Maui Lani golf clubhouse in Kahului. [flashvideo file=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v80bWPganmE […]

Update 7:15a 6/23/10:  Some smoke still can be seen at the site of yesterday’s fire makai of the Hana Highway in Kahului. There is no threat, there are just some large logs that are smoldering at the center of the already burned area. Firefighters brought the 25 acre brush fire under full containment yesterday afternoon. […]

By Wendy Osher The environmental lawfirm, Earthjustice, filed a lawsuit today on behalf of two community groups on Maui challenging plans for a water treatment plant in Waiale.  The facility is proposed by Alexander & Baldwin, a company that has been fighting for water to sustain sugarcane crops under its Hawaiian Commercial & Sugar Company […]

An investigation into the cause of the Maalaea fire earlier this month that burned an estimated 6,200 acres is now complete.  The investigation has resulted in a classification of the event cause as “undetermined”. The fire was first reported at around 10 p.m. on Monday, June 7th and was burning about quarter-mile mauka of Honoapiilani […]

Governor Linda Lingle today submitted to the State Legislature a list of 39 bills that she is considering for potential vetoes, including the controversial Civil Union Bill (HB444). Reasons given for potential vetos include significant negative impacts on the public, legal or constitutional concerns, potential unintended consequences, and technical flaws in the legislation. Any bill […]

By Wendy Osher The University of Hawai`i Maui College dedicated a new 15 kilowatt photovoltaic system today that is designed to reduce the college’s energy costs.  The non-petroleum based electricity system was installed by 80 students in two sustainable technology classes. [flashvideo file=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6TQd6FJz1wU /] The PV array is already helping to reduce the college’s demand […]

Governor Lingle will announce today a list of bills she is considering for veto.  Today is the deadline to notify the legislature of potential vetoes, but the cut off date to take action is July 6th. Earlier this month, the Governor said she would likely take the full time allowed to consider the future of […]

The county furlough schedule for the fiscal year that begins next week on July 1st, was released by the Mayor’s office today. All County of Maui civil service and appointed employees, excluding uniformed Police and Fire employees under separate collective bargaining agreements that do not include furloughs, will be furloughed 12 days between July 1, […]

(Update: 12p 6/20/10) Pulehu road is now open to traffic following the completion of repairs to damaged MECO poles. ____________________ Pulehu Road will be closed from midnight to around noon today (Sunday, June 20).  The Pulehu Road closure extends from Hansen Road in Kahului to Omaopio Road in Kula. The closure is the result of […]

Hawaiian Airlines today, re-launched a San Diego – Maui route for the first time in two years.  The seasonal flight will add non-stop daily service between the locations and will boos Mau’s air seats by 18,000 during the island’s peak summer travel season. “We’re very pleased to again be offering the convenience of nonstop flights […]