Maui News

“With deep reverence for the County of Maui and its people who three years ago faced deadly and devastating wildfires, the Maui County Council sends its renewed blessings and support for recovery and healing,” Chair Alice L. Lee said.

As Lahaina marks three years since the Aug. 8, 2023 fire, Maui artist Rafael Pereda is unveiling “Lahainaluna,” a deeply personal new painting created over the past year in honor of the community he has called home for more than two decades.

Probable cause was found Thursday during a preliminary hearing for 40-year-old Congressional candidate Kirill Basin of Kīhei, who is accused of two counts of first degree terroristic threatening for an incident reported Saturday at Keawakapu Beach in South Maui.

Three years after the Maui Wildfire Disaster, Mayor Richard Bissen and his administration report a continued focus on housing recovery and business rebuilding efforts. The response remains a focal point as the community recovers from one of the most complex megafires in US history.

The Hawaiʻi Department of Transportation is notifying the public that one lane on Crater Road (Route 378) will be closed beginning on Monday, Aug. 10 for permanent striping work. Traffic will be alternated in the open lane.

Homes are gradually being rebuilt, while some businesses impacted by the wildfires have since reopened. Yet for thousands of survivors, the emotional impact of Aug. 8, 2023, continues every day.

West Maui keiki ages 5 to 15 are invited to participate in the inaugural Kā‘anapali Keiki Fishing Tournament End of Summer Bash on Saturday, Aug. 22, at the Kā‘anapali Golf Courses Water Features.

Mākena Golf & Beach Club (Mākena) brought families and community members together in July through two engaging events that celebrated recreation, cultural connection, and community wellbeing.

Southwest Airlines celebrated the launch of new nonstop service between Las Vegas and Hilo on Thursday, creating the first regularly-scheduled nonstop link between East Hawaiʻi and the “Ninth Island” with fast connections to nearly 80 places served nonstop by Southwest from Las Vegas on nearly 280 departures a day.

The board seeks a mission-driven executive with extensive senior leadership experience, demonstrated organizational and financial management expertise as well as a deep understanding of Native Hawaiian history, culture, values and contemporary issues.

After hearing nearly three hours of public testimony Wednesday, a Maui County Council committee recessed without voting on two resolutions that would refer proposed bills to the Maui Planning Commission to rezone additional apartment-district properties into newly created hotel districts.

Batangan said the townhall will include a presentation from the Department of Planning on the Central Maui Community Plan, which is being updated with public input to guide development and preservation of Central Maui over a 20-year period. A representative from the Maui Emergency Management Agency is also scheduled to speak on hurricane preparedness, he said.

An 18-year-old Maui resident was injured yesterday, Thursday, Aug. 6, 2026, after falling in the area known as Twin Falls in Hoʻolawa Valley. 

To mark the three-year anniversary of the Kula fire, the grassroots nonprofit Mālama Kula will host a community work day from 9 a.m. to noon Aug. 8, helping a property that was affected by both the Kula wildfire as well as the Kona Low floods. 

The Hawai‘i Department of Health Food and Drug Branch is alerting residents to a recall issued by Sun Noodle for its Sura Tanmen Hot and Sour Flavor Premium Japanese Noodles & Soup Base.

Lights for Lahaina will return Sept. 11-12, bringing the community together to honor Lahaina’s history, resilience and hope for the future. Admission is free.

Gov. Josh Green announced that the One ʻOhana Fund has offered the full $175 million in compensation to families of the 102 people who died and to individuals who suffered serious physical injuries in the Aug. 8, 2023, Maui wildfires.

Michael Vaituʻulala, 53, a lieutenant with the Maui Police Department, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud, according to an announcement today from the United States Attorney Ken Sorenson.

The Hawai‘i Education Association recently awarded scholarships to three Maui educators: Arica Lynn, Erin Rodrigues and Stephanie Keseday.

Hawaiʻi Resilience & Recovery Funder Collaborative grows out of Maui’s yearlong recovery model to bring 35+ funders onto one shared application.