Maui News

Kaʻōnohikaumakaakeawe Kananiokeakua Holokai Lopes was named Miss Aloha Hula 2024 at the 61st Annual Merrie Monarch Festival on Thursday night at the Edith Kanakaʻole Stadium in Hilo, Hawaiʻi. Maui’s own Amedée Kauakohemālamalama Conley-Kapoi of  Hālau Kekuaokalāʻauʻalaʻiliahi, under the direction of Nā Kumu Haunani and ʻIliahi Paredes was the first runner up.

Northbound lanes of Honoapiʻilani Highway are closed at Mile 12 in Ukumehame due to power lines hanging from poles. At 8:42 p.m. on Thursday, April 4, traffic was being contra-flowed using the south bound lanes.

Maui’s median home price rose to $1,303,692 in March of 2024, up 9.5% from 2023 when the median was $1,191,000. The data was included in the latest data released by the REALTORS® Association of Maui (RAM).

The Central Maui Transit Hub is expected to open this month, according to Department of Transportation Director Marc Takamori. The opening will end Maui Bus traffic within the Queen Kaʻahumanu Center.

Council Member Tom Cook announced that he will request further committee review of a resolution for a water-delivery agreement with Free Market Ventures for Upcountry Maui at Friday’s 9 a.m. council meeting.

A 68-year-old Lahaina woman who was struck by a vehicle while crossing the Honoapiʻilani Highway on foot Wednesday night, has died of injuries sustained in the collision.

With Governor Josh Green proclaiming April as Tsunami Awareness Month in Hawai‘i, DTRIC Insurance is reminding residents – especially those in low-lying areas – to be aware of the dangers of tsunamis and to develop preparedness plans.

Maui has four hālau competing in the 2024 Merrie Monarch Hula Festival, as the event’s competition kicks off this evening at the Edith Kanakaʻole Stadium in Hilo, Hawaiʻi. Tonight’s competition features 13 women vying for the title of Miss Aloha Hula 2024. Maui entrants include: Shayla Angeline Kamalei Ballesteros and Amedée Kauakohemālamalama Conley-Kapoi.

As April marks National Child Abuse Prevention Month, the Hoʻoikaika Partnership is excited to host the 4th annual ‘Ohana Fest “Journey to Make Pono” on Saturday, April 6, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Maui Nui Botanical Gardens. This event is designed for families who are eligible for services offered by partner agencies. The event includes activities, community resources, music and giveaways.

Pukalani Elementary and Kalama Intermediate’s robotics teams competed and took top honors in the Japan Cup where teams competed March 23 in the VEX IQ Full Volume challenge at Showa Women’s University in Tokyo. They competed and worked with teams from Japan, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Thailand and Hawaiʻi.

The Department of the Interior’s Office of Native Hawaiian Relations today announced $1 million in funding for Native Hawaiian Organizations through the Heritage Opportunities in Hawaiʻi grant program. The funding is made possible by the Native American Tourism and Improving Visitor Experience Act, which enables Indigenous communities to participate in national tourism goals and strategies.

Gov. Josh Green has approved an amended rule to add pre-rolled cannabis flower products, also known as “pre-rolls,” to what may be produced and dispensed at licensed medical cannabis dispensaries in Hawaiʻi. The new rules go into effect April 5.

More than a dozen Haʻikū residents asked Maui County Council members Tuesday to consider public acquisition of three Paʻuwela parcels for an estimated $6.8 million. The parcels are makai of the Haʻikū Community Center, in the vicinity of Paʻuwela Lighthouse and Kuiaha Bay.

Maui Public Art Corps will host a public blessing and unveiling of a large-scale mural on the exterior of Ceramic Tile Plus & Exclusively Yours, at the intersection of Kahului Beach Road and Ka’ahumanu Avenue, facing Harbor Lights and Kahului Harbor, from 2 to 3 p.m. on Saturday, April 6.

Grammy award-winning Maui High alumnus, Jason Baum, will be one of the keynote speakers for the 15th Annual Hawai’i STEM Conference, taking place on April 4 and 5 at the Hawai’i Convention Center in Honolulu. The Hawai’i STEM Conference is presented each year by Maui Economic Development Board’s STEMworks™ program to inspire Hawai’i middle and high school students to study and pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and math by giving them opportunities to learn directly from industry professionals. 

In the state of Hawaiʻi, $76,644 was raised for Special Olympics Hawaiʻi. This included funds raised by Jersey Mike’s franchises in Wailuku (Maui Lani Shopping Center) and Kahului (Pu‘unēnē Shopping Center) during the month of March.

Hawaiian Telcom has rolled out Secure Network, an enterprise-grade network solution priced and tailored for small to medium businesses. The network provides cyberthreat protection for businesses with limited information technology resources while delivering superior network performance and WiFi, according to an announcement.

The County of Maui Office of Recovery invites residents to participate in an online community survey questionnaire to help shape the creation of the Lahaina Recovery Plan. The survey will be available through May 15, 2024, and can be found on Maui Recovers’ Ola Lahaina page at https://mauirecovers.org/lahaina.

US Sen. Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), a member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, announced Senate passage of her bipartisan resolution designating April 2024 as “National Native Plant Month.”

Approximately 1,200 restaurant, bar and hospitality workers have received one-time $1,000 disbursements from the Kokua Restaurant & Hospitality Fund, according to an announcement from the Hawaiʻi Ag & Culinary Alliance.