Maui News

Hawai‘i’s next generation of hula dancers will take center stage at the Neal S. Blaisdell Center July 23-25, 2026, for the 51st Annual Queen Liliʻuokalani Keiki Hula Competition & Festival, one of Hawai‘i’s most cherished cultural traditions now under the stewardship of the Hawaiian Council.

The Salvation Army Kahului Corps is calling on the community to help Maui students prepare for the upcoming school year through its annual Adopt a Backpack school supply drive and assistance program.  

The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 1260 has endorsed West Maui small business owner Sne Patel for the House District 14 seat currently held by Republican Rep. Elle Cochran.

Ashley Awakea Lindsey, candidate for Maui County Council – Wailuku-Waiheʻe-Waikapū, announced her endorsement from the Hawaiʻi Regional Council of Carpenters.

About 500 students ages 13 to 18 years old attended the June 20 exploratory event aimed at fostering future generations of aviation professionals.

The funding will be dedicated to accelerating biomedical discoveries through AI and data science to benefit people in Hawaiʻi and the Pacific region, and worldwide.

Lahaina officials and residents will gather next week to bless the newly completed Front Street Railing and Walkway Project, marking another step in the area’s recovery from the 2023 wildfire.

The Spiritual Assembly of the Baha’is of Wailuku has been named the champion of this year’s Adopt-A-Highway Dash for Trash, an annual public service competition sponsored by the State of Hawaii Department of Transportation, Highways Maui District.

Gov. Josh Green has signed into law Senate Bill 2061 as Act 121, marking a “significant milestone in the state’s ongoing efforts to address Hawaiʻi’s housing affordability crisis and expand opportunities for local families to achieve homeownership,” according to an announcement from the Office of the Governor.

A pair of hikers from Austin, Texas, was airlifted from Haleakalā Crater on Monday, June 22, 2026, after experiencing altitude-related difficulties. The man and woman were unable to hike back to the crater rim and contacted National Park Service Rangers for assistance.

This year marks 80 years of service for Hale Makua, which provides a continuum of healthcare services on Maui including skilled-nursing, rehabilitation, care homes, adult day health, home health, and care management. One way that Hale Makua is celebrating this major milestone is at its 6th annual fundraiser golf tournament and online silent auction, where proceeds go toward benefiting its residents, patients and programs.  

The Department of the Attorney General’s Special Investigation and Prosecution Division (SIPD) has charged former City and County of Honolulu employee Dexter Kishida with Theft in the First Degree, Forgery in the Second Degree and Official Misconduct in connection with an alleged scheme that caused the Hawaiʻi Foodbank to expend approximately $800,000 based on false representations that reimbursement funding was available. He was arrested Monday by SIPD on the charges.

Hale Kau Kau, the 35-year-old daily meals program at St. Theresa Church in South Maui, delivered its highest number of meals ever for a month in May, according to President Barry Rosenfeld.

Mayor Richard Bissen will bring Holomua Kākou back to East Maui on Monday, July 27, and Tuesday, July 28, 2026, as part of his ongoing efforts to bring County government directly to Maui County’s rural communities.

The County of Maui Department of Parks and Recreation will celebrate National Park and Recreation Month in July by offering a series of free, family-friendly movies on Maui, Molokaʻi and Lānaʻi.

Hawai‘i’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate rose a tenth of a percentage point to 2.5% in May, up from 2.4% a year earlier, according to data released today by the state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism.

The Maui County Department of Fire and Public Safety announced the promotions of Shane Adolpho, Nikolai Reuss and Jack Smith to the rank of Fire Captain. Jerime Storey, Steven Warther, Brandt Saki, and Avinash Singh were promoted to the rank of Firefighter III. Shaun Walsh was promoted to the rank of Firefighter II.

A magnitude-3.8 earthquake occurred 13 miles south of Hōnaunau-Nāpōʻopoʻo on the Island of Hawaiʻi at a depth of 3 miles below sea level at 6:20 a.m. HST on Monday, June 22, 2026. 

The center combines advanced tissue culture and diagnostics with strong partnerships among farmers, researchers and cultural practitioners; together, they are laying the groundwork for a reliable, local system for ʻuala and Okinawan sweet potato health.

Two subjects at the university’s flagship campus on O’ahu also placed in the world’s top 50. Another four were ranked in the world’s top 150.