Maui News

Initially created to address the needs of the Leialiʻi community in Lahaina after the August 2023 fire, the Kānaka Anti-Displacement Fund aims to preserve the security of Native Hawaiian households on Hawaiian Home Lands, helping them achieve generational housing stability. 

ʻEwalu Industries has been awarded $200,000 from Harold K. L. Castle Foundation to support the CREATE Hawaiʻi (Creative Routes Empowering Apprentices Toward Employment) Youth Apprenticeship, a workforce initiative preparing high school students for careers in creative media and storytelling. 

Maui welcomed 223,227 visitors in February, an 11.5% increase over the same month last year as the island’s tourism industry continues its recovery 2 1/2 years after the Lahaina and Upcountry wildfires.

As Maui County faces renewed impacts from severe flooding following the devastating 2023 wildfires, Maui United Way (MUW) has activated its Maui Nui Resilience and Emergency Response Fund, a flexible funding mechanism designed to support both immediate response and long-term recovery efforts across Maui and Molokaʻi. 

The Construction Industry of Maui is doubling down on the island’s future, announcing a $44,000 donation to University of Hawai‘i Maui College to fund 12 scholarships for students in the construction vocational program. The funds were raised during organization’s annual golf tournament, and are aimed at removing financial barriers for students pursuing careers in skilled […]

Maui police have since identified the victim in Sunday’s fatal stabbing incident as James Moser, 64, of Kīhei.  The Maui Police Department extended condolences to Moser’s family and friends.

Temporary closures are scheduled at several County of Maui ballfields and pools. Softball fields 2 and 3 and soccer field 5 at Keōpūolani Regional Park will be closed while lighting fixtures are replaced starting Wednesday, April 1, through Aug. 26, 2026. All County pools will close from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Thursday, April 30, 2026, for pool guard in-service training.

The Hawai‘i Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity is reminding travelers attending the Merrie Monarch Festival in Hilo next week that quarantine restrictions remain on the transport of ʻōhiʻa from Hawai‘i Island due to the fungal plant disease, rapid ʻōhiʻa death, which is devastating to native forests. The Merrie Monarch Festival takes place from April 5 – 11.

County of Maui offices, facilities and services will be closed or modified on Good Friday, April 3, 2026.

The deadline to submit artwork for the annual Maui Matsuri Art Contest has been extended to April 16. The Maui Matsuri Art Contest – sponsored by HouseMart Ben Franklin Crafts Maui – is for eligible students who can win up to $100 in cash prizes.

“For years, the Olowalu area has faced a critical gap in emergency response coverage. When seconds matter most, distance can mean the difference between life and death. This new fire station will change that reality. Once completed, it will allow our firefighters to respond to emergencies in this region at least 15 minutes faster than from the nearest station in Lahaina. That is not just an improvement—that is lifesaving,” said Chief Bradford Ventura.

The County of Maui Department of Public Works is restricting general public access to Kapaʻakea Cemetery in Kaunakakai, Molokaʻi, following significant impacts from the March 2026 kona low storms.

Coach Soichi Sakamoto Pool in Wailuku will close from 9 a.m. to noon on Thursday, April 2, 2026, for pool guard recruitment testing, according to the County of Maui Department of Parks and Recreation.

The research reveals that the collision, which began 440 million years ago, has ignited star formation up to 10 times the normal rate while dramatically scrambling the chemical composition across both galaxies.

The Friends of Haleakalā National Park is accepting applications for three $2,000 scholarships aimed at Maui County students pursuing careers in biology, ecology or conservation.

Department will conduct precautionary sampling and testing of nearshore waters — as well as flood-carried mud and sediment — to understand contaminant levels in the environment; personnel also actively monitoring mosquito populations and taking targeted action in impacted areas.

Citizen scientists on Hawai’i Island observed 37 humpback whales March 28; a total of 435 whales were observed from shorelines at 37 sites throughout the islands.

“These rankings highlight the exceptional work and commitment of our faculty, students and staff,” said University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Interim Provost Vassilis Syrmos in a university release. “They showcase the university’s global standing and reinforce that [University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa] offers outstanding educational opportunities and experiences for both our local community and those joining us from around the world.”

The Walmart Foundation highlighted relief efforts in Kahului and on Molokaʻi in announcing a commitment on Friday of up to $250,000 in grants to Hawaiʻi Community Foundation and Lāhui Foundation to support disaster relief and long-term recovery across Hawaiʻi.

Due to the storm the Kīhei Charter School Lūʻau has been rescheduled from April 11 to Saturday, April 25, 2026.