Maui News

An invasive, stinging ant called the Little Fire Ant (LFA) has been discovered on a farm in Waihee, on Maui.  Agricultural officials say it appears that the ant infestation is confined to a ½-acre area on the farm and the Hawai’i Department of Agriculture (HDOA) is preparing an eradication program.  Although this ant species has […]

The State Commission on Water Resource Management (Commission) is preparing to address the instream flow standards for 16 surface water hydrologic units in east Maui.  This comes one year after the Commission’s decision to establish measurable instream flow standards for five priority hydrologic units in the same region.  Surface water hydrologic units are comparable to […]

A group of concerned citizens will hold another rally on Maui this Thursday to drum up support for a special legislative session aimed at repealing the state’s furlough Fridays at public schools. The Save Our Schools campaign will be circulating a petition calling for the special session.  Event organizer Liza DeLaRosa Walker called the furloughs […]

A structure fire in South Maui was brought under control shortly before 7 o’clock this morning (Wednesday, October 14, 2009). The incident was reported at 5:45 a.m. at a single story condominium building under construction at 64 Ehiku Street.  The 4,500 square foot building was unoccupied and was intended for use as a community hall […]

Members of the Maui Fire Department will demonstrate their “Jaws of Life” technology and other tools of the trade as part of an educational event planned for Fire Prevention Week on Maui. The Fire Prevention Bureau of the County of Maui Department of Fire and Public Safety planned the activities as part of Fire Prevention […]

Two interisland airlines are joining forces to offer service under a joint venture agreement announced today.  Under the joint venture between Mokulele Airlines and Mesa Air Group, Inc., the companies will provide inter-island air service under both the Mokulele and go! brands.  The combined service will create Hawaii’s second-largest inter-island airline. Existing reservations booked on […]

Maui Police positively identified the charred remains of a woman found following a home fire in Ulupalakua over the weekend.  Dental records were used to positively ID the woman as 49-year-old Cheryl Lynn Ledbetter of Olympia, Washington. The early morning fire at the Kini Drive residence was first reported at 1:13 a.m.   Fire crews found […]

The state kicked off its stop flu at school campaign today with more than 68,000 students expected to participate at 334 school clinics across the state between now and December 3rd, 2009.  The H1N1 flu vaccination clinics, meantime, are scheduled to begin in mid-November with parental consent forms to go out the week of October […]

Falsetto Master and Hawaiian Music legend Uncle Richard Ho’opi’i was honored with a day in his honor.  The announcement came during the Annual Richard Ho’opi’i Leo Ki’e Ki’e Falsetto held at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center.  Click video to view. [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=akApEtb42tI[/youtube] Filmed live at the McCoy Studio Theater on the grounds of the beautiful […]

Honolulu’s Rail Transit Project reached what is being called a “critical federal milestone” today.  The Federal Transit Administration (“FTA”) approved the project application to enter Preliminary Engineering. U.S. Senator Daniel K. Inouye, who made the announcement said, “The competition for Preliminary Engineering among our nation’s cities is fierce.  This approval is, in large part, a […]

The list of Finalists for the Mayor’s Small Business Awards has been released. This year’s event, “1930s to 2009, Looking Back – Moving Forward,” celebrates the era that many of Maui’s time-honored mom-and-pop businesses got their start. Nominees in the small business category with 11-50 employees include: The Dunes at Maui Lani, David Gleason; Island […]

Maui Fire personnel recovered the charred remains of a female at a home fire in Ulupalakua early Saturday morning, October 10, 2009. Preliminary reports indicate no foul play, however investigators from the Fire and Police departments are investigating the incident to determine if it was criminal or suspicious in nature. Authorities say the deceased is […]

Services have been set for two brothers and their cousin who were victims of a single-car crash last week in Waihee. Brothers Na’ilima Jacob Henry Kana, 20, and Jared Kalamaku Kana, 17, along with their cousin Tyson Kepo’ikai Latham, 20, will be laid to rest at a small cemetery in Keanae. The three succumbed to […]

UPDATED @ 2:19 P.M. 10/7/09 WEDNESDAY The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center and the State of Hawaii Civil Defense Agency CANCELLED the Tsunami WATCH effective at 2:19 p.m. Based on all available data there is no destructive tsunami threat to the state of Hawaii.  Therefore, the tsunami watch for Hawaii is cancelled. The initial advisory was […]

Maui Police are nearing the end of an investigation that began several hours ago in Lahaina.  At 6:45 this evening (Tuesday, October 06, 2009), authorities from the department’s Special Response Team approached a vehicle that was being monitored, and found a lone suspect expired within the vehicle from a self-inflicted wound. Earlier this afternoon, the […]

The damages from a home fire in Kihei over the weekend are estimated to be in the $6 million range. Batallion Chief Jeff Schaffer with the Maui Fire Department said the fire caused extensive damage to the 2-story dwelling, but the cause remained under investigation. The multimillion dollar structure had a total 6,000 square feet […]

A group of entertainers on Maui have joined forces to help raise funds for tsunami and earthquake relief in Samoa.  Members of the Maui-based band “Off Tomorrow” who are originally from American Samoa, launched the “Samoa Tomorrow” fundraising effort to bring awareness and relief to those affected by the September 29, 2009 events. The band’s […]

A six-acre brush fire in Olinda Friday is being attributed to a downed power line.  The incident was reported at 12:27 p.m. on Friday, October 2, 2009.  County officials say a large tree limb fell onto a power line, which then ignited grass along an access road in the area. Strong, swirling winds, then pushed […]

The Maui County Water Resources Committee will meet on Monday, October 5, 2009, to deliberate a proposed bill allowing water from the Hamakuapoko Wells to be utilized for Upcountry customers during times of drought. Representatives from the Department of Water Supply, and Health Department were invited to discuss residents’ concerns related to water quality of […]

A deadly crash in Waihee Wednesday night claimed the life of a third person.  Authorities say the back seat passenger from the single car collision died Sunday afternoon, October 4, 2009 at 12:35 p.m.  The victim was identified as 17-year-old Jared Kalamaku Kana of Waihee.  Jared was the younger brother of the driver, 20-year-old Nailima […]