Maui News

As the holiday season draws near, The Salvation Army Hawaiian and Pacific Islands Division is calling on the community to help make the season brighter for those in need. Volunteer bell ringers are urgently needed to staff the iconic Red Kettles across Hawaiʻi in November and December, and everyone is invited to lend a hand.

Conservationists are taking their first “baby steps” toward the dream of Summit-to-Sea restoration of the reef at Olowalu.

The Hawai‘i Department of Transportation advises motorists that eastbound and westbound lanes of Kaʻahumanu Avenue (Route 32) between Kāne Street and Lono Avenue will be impacted by water line work for the Maui Palms Hampton Inn project next week.

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 and the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Kilohana site, both in Lahaina.

Maui emergency crews responded to a report of a shark attack incident in the area known as “Sand Piles” at Waiehu on Maui at around 7:08 a.m. on Friday, Nov. 1, 2024. The 61-year-old male patient was transported in critical condition to the Maui Memorial Medical Center Emergency Room with injuries to his leg, authorities tell Maui Now. He remains at the hospital where he is receiving further care.

The Lahaina-led nonprofit organization, Kaibigan ng Lahaina, is set to host a free “Lahaina Palengke Night” with business and community fellowship from 5 to 8 p.m. Saturday at Princess Nahi’ena’ena Elementary School. Parking is free, but limited.

County of Maui offices, including the Office of Recovery – West Maui at Lahaina Gateway and the Recovery Permit Center at the County of Maui Service Center in Kahului, will be closed on Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024, for the Election Day holiday.

Catholic Charities Hawai‘i’s Rob Van Tassell will retire as president and chief executive officer on Jan. 6, the nonprofit’s board of directors announced Wednesday. He will be succeeded by current Chief Operating Officer Tina Andrade, making her the first female and Native Hawaiian leader of the organization.

Maui visitor arrivals in September are up dramatically, compared to last year, a month after the August 2023 wildfires, according to a monthly report by the state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism. But the rebound has not reached pre-pandemic levels.

The technology will be deployed across all islands in Maui County and will provide flexible evacuation zone planning, artificial intelligence (AI)-powered traffic modeling, multi-threat planning and modeling and an emergency alert mobile app.

The monthly test of the all-hazard Statewide Outdoor Warning Siren System is scheduled for today at 11:45 a.m. The siren test will be coordinated with a test of the Live Audio Broadcast segment of the Emergency Alert System.

More than 350 supporters gathered at the Wailea Beach Resort–Marriott, Maui, on Saturday, Oct. 26 for Maui Economic Development Board’s Ke Alahele Education Fund Benefit Dinner & Auction. Proceeds from the event will directly support MEDB’s STEM programs, which provide students here at home with learning opportunities spanning from kindergarten to college and beyond, shaping future generations of innovators and leaders.

Access to Keōpūolani Park facilities will be temporarily restricted to competition use only on the morning of Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024 to host the HHSAA State Championship event. The park will re-open for full public access at noon the same day.

A 44-year-old Kahului woman was pulled unresponsive from a vehicle after it was involved in a rollover accident on West Kuiaha Rd. in Haʻikū on Thursday morning. A 2-year-old girl, who was a passenger in the vehicle, did not sustain injuries as a result of the collision. Both were extricated by good Samaritans.

The month of October saw Kevin Yu, Matt McCarty and Nico Echavarria become the most recent players to qualify for The Sentry via their PGA TOUR victories, while J.T. Poston, who previously qualified for The Sentry by finishing in the top 50 of the FedExCup, also returned to the winner’s circle.

The County of Maui Department of Parks and Recreation announced brief closures scheduled next month for several County pools in Central Maui.

From Nov. 1-30, Maverick Helicopters will be collecting toys at its Maui Terminal at Lelepio Place, Kahului, to benefit the children of Lahaina.

Hundreds of nurses and other healthcare workers will walk off the job for three days beginning 7 a.m. Monday, impacting care from essential staff at Maui Memorial Medical Center, Kula Hospital and Lāna‘i Community Hospital. Maui Health released a statement Thursday afternoon that negotiations are ongoing, but it has contingency plans to continue operations if there is a strike.

Storytellers from Hawaiʻi discuss the significance of the iconic nightmarchers, which are spectral bands of ancient warriors seen by locals and tourists alike.

The next Wailuku First Friday town party is set for Nov. 1, from 6 to 9 p.m., on Market Street. In celebration of community generosity, several Wailuku town merchants and event vendors have announced that proceeds from their sales will be donated to local organizations.