Maui Food & Dining

The Maui County Council passed a bill on second and final reading Friday to enact a temporary ban on new private swimming pools in West Maui, a measure intended to conserve water for housing and wildfire recovery efforts.

Members of the Hawaiʻi State Legislature’s Keiki Caucus and community advocates on Wednesday, unveiled the 2026 Keiki Caucus Bill Package, comprised of five priority bills that address the health and welfare of Hawaiʻi’s youth.

Starting Friday, Jan. 30, 2026, County of Maui boards and commissions will be launching a new digital platform to allow residents to apply online for vacant seats.

Missing is Matthew Kai’mana Packard-Asai, 19, who was last seen fishing on the rocks near the northern point of Kahili Beach. He is approximately 5 feet 7 inches tall with black hair and wearing a black hat, black shorts and black shirt. 

Members of the bipartisan Hawaiʻi Women’s Legislative Caucus led a panel discussion on Wednesday, in collaboration with the YWCA of Oʻahu to present their 2026 legislative package as part of their continuous work to improve the lives of Hawaiʻi’s women, children, and families.

Pedestrian light poles at Keōpūolani Regional Park are being upgraded after inspections of existing ones showed they have structural deterioration and electrical issues.

Axis deer continue to negatively impact Maui Nui forested watersheds, agricultural land and population centers. To combat these problems, the DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife is inviting eligible private landowners and lessees to apply to the Landowner Incentive Program to achieve appropriate, sustainable population levels.

The County of Maui Department of ʻŌiwi Resources has secured $2 million in highly competitive federal funding through a grant awarded by the National Park Service.

Maui-born MLB All-Star and Los Angeles Angels Manager, Kurt Suzuki, is hosting the Kurt Suzuki Family Foundation’s 7th Annual “A Taste of Hawaiʻi” at the Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea this weekend in partnership with Chef Isaac Bancaco. The event will feature a night of fine culinary experiences and first-class entertainment.

Assigned seating went live Tuesday (Jan. 27) in Honolulu and throughout Southwest’s network, opening the book to the airline’s next chapter; the change followed the final Southwest open seating flight from Honolulu and a gate celebration the night before.

Lahaina Restoration Foundation has announced the availability of $10,000 in scholarship funding for Lahainaluna High School seniors and alumni for the 2026–2027 academic year.

The second installment of real property taxes for Fiscal Year 2025–26 is due by Feb. 20, 2026.

The ʻAhahui Noiʻi Noʻeau ʻŌiwi – Research Institute of Indigenous Performance (ANNO) will host its second biennial conference at Kennedy Theatre at University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, Feb. 5–6.

Depending on performance on written and oral exams, court interpreters are paid $35 to $100 per hour, with a two-hour minimum. A Maui workshop takes place on Feb. 25-26 at the University of Hawaiʻi Maui College.

Hawaiʻi public school cafeterias statewide offered students a fresh, locally grown rainbow salad with lunch this January, highlighting the Department’s continued commitment to farm-to-school efforts and student wellness. The colorful salad featured locally sourced lettuce, cucumbers, watercress and tomatoes, as available, along with carrots and purple cabbage.

The University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa’s School of Nursing and Dental Hygiene was recognized in the 2025 US News and World Report rankings of the nation’s best online programs, released on Jan. 27. UH Mānoa placed No. 62 out of the top 209 online master’s in nursing programs. UH Mānoa was the only nursing school in Hawaiʻi to be ranked for online education.

Hawaiʻi Keiki Caucus — established in 1994 — is a bipartisan collaborative effort among state legislators, community leaders and youth-centered organizations dedicated to advancing policies that improve the lives of Hawaiʻi’s young people.

Zippy’s Restaurants celebrated the grand opening of its fourth location in Las Vegas on Tuesday, bringing to 26 its number of locations across Oʻahu, Maui, Hawaiʻi Island, and Southern Nevada.

The Hawaiian Council is continuing its statewide effort to assist Native Hawaiian beneficiaries applying for the Office of Hawaiian Affairs I Ola: OHA’s Emergency Relief Fund. 

Imua ʻOnipaʻa, a Hawaiʻi-based nonprofit dedicated to building thriving career pathways, is now accepting applications for its March 2026 Career Development Cohort, open to residents across the State of Hawaiʻi.