Maui News

Motorists are advised of potential traffic delays due to an upcoming single lane closure in Lahaina, taking place March 6-7, 2025. Guardrail work relating to improvements for the Kaiāulu o Kūkuʻia Affordable Housing project call for a lane closure at the intersection of Honoapiʻilani Highway (Route 30) and Kapunakea Street.

Motorists are advised of potential traffic delays as modular homes for wildfire survivors are transported from Kahului to the state’s Ka Laʻi Ola housing site in Lahaina.

Maui Economic Opportunity blessed a new electric-powered bus and Level 2 charging stations Thursday morning as the nonprofit that runs the Maui Bus paratransit and the county’s specialized Human Services transportation systems laid the foundation for an EV future.

County of Maui Department of Public Works is now accepting building permit exemption declarations for shipping containers in the County Industrial zoning district.

The clearest near-term risk is federal layoffs, which could result in a loss of more than 2,000 local jobs, fully offsetting growth in construction and the lift from local tax cuts. Together with other federal policies, this places the Hawaiʻi economy at risk of recession over the next few years, UHERO reports. 

David Morimoto is being promoted to Vice Chair and Chief Operating Officer; and Dayna Matsumoto is being promoted to Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer.

Plastic is the most prevalent marine pollutant, and plastic surfaces are the fastest growing habitat in the ocean. Researchers at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa recently discovered that many species of fungi from Hawaiʻi’s nearshore environment have the ability to degrade plastic, and some can be conditioned to do it faster.

The County of Maui’s Automated Planning and Permitting System (MAPPS) will be offline and unavailable from 6 p.m. Hawaiʻi Standard Time Friday, March 7, to 7 a.m. Monday, March 10, 2025, while the system is upgraded as part of planned software maintenance. 

State Sen. Angus McKelvey and US Rep. Jill Tokuda are rebuking the administration of President Donald Trump for the loss of thousands of federal jobs as part of an effort to shrink government bureaucracy.

At the urging of University of Hawaiʻi President Wendy Hensel, the UH Foundation is working to raise private donations to support graduate students whose funding has been interrupted due to recent federal executive orders.

On Thursday, March 6, acclaimed singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Ron Artis II will headline the evening along with ʻukulele master Kalei Gamiao. On Friday, March 7, Akoni Palomino will bring his signature blend of Hawaiian and reggae rhythms to the series. Both performances will take place from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

The Makawao Boys and Girls Club building at the Eddie Tam Memorial Center complex in Makawao will temporarily close for a reroofing project from March 10-31, 2025, according to the County of Maui Department of Parks and Recreation.

Eighteen months after the Aug. 8, 2023, wildfires, there were 202,738 visitors to Maui in January 2025. The number of visitors to Maui in January 2025 was higher than January 2024 (175,005 visitors, +15.8%), but below January 2019 (233,422 visitors, -13.1%).

The Ritz-Carlton Maui, Kapalua has launched the Kapalua Wine & Chef Series at Banyan Tree, offering exclusive monthly culinary experiences. Each event pairs award-winning wines with creative dishes from top chefs, including MICHELIN-starred talent.

The 43-year-old victim has since been identified as Janinekara Sturgeon of Kahului.  As of Friday, Feb. 28, 2025, the 41-year-old Kahului man arrested in conjunction with the case was charged with first degree murder.  He remains in police custody with no bail.

AlohaCare awarded academic scholarships to 11 students on Oʻahu, Maui and Hawaiʻi Island, who are pursuing an education in healthcare and social services. As part of its mission to support local workforce development, AlohaCare’s Giving Program provided scholarships ranging from $2,500 to $5,000 for a total of $50,000.

The Hawai‘i Department of Health has confirmed a new travel-related case of dengue virus on Oʻahu, bringing the total number of dengue cases in the state for 2025 to two. The affected individual in this current case was exposed to the virus while traveling in a region where dengue is common.

This bill was created to address potential negative impacts of the federal funding freeze imposed by the United States Office of Management and Budget on Hawai‘i’s federally qualified health centers, along with programs offering childcare, social services, subsidized housing, and homelessness assistance. 

The University of Hawaiʻi has partnered with Google to provide AI training to its students and employees across its 10-campus system at no cost.

The State of Hawaiʻi and the City and County of Honolulu, in partnership with Hawaiʻi Foodbank, have officially launched their 2025 employee food drives to help fight food insecurity across the islands. Together, the state and city have set a goal of providing 515,000 meals to Hawaiʻi residents in need.