Maui News

Hawaiian Electric crews will be conducting overnight work for equipment upgrades using bucket trucks on Honoapi‘ilani Highway between mile markers 23 and 24 near Halelo Street across of the Kā‘anapali Parkway in the West Maui area on Sunday, Sept. 29 at 8 p.m. to Monday, Sept. 30 at 6 a.m. The work is being done to maintain reliable service and involves a pole replacement. Work will impact area traffic during this time. No service interruptions are planned for this work.

In a remarkable recovery following a structure fire that severely impacted its operations on Jan. 23, 2023, Krank Cycles Makawao has announced a new location directly across the street from its old site.

The US Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Park Service are asking the public to be respectful of nēnē (Hawaiian goose) in the wild. Nēnē are the Hawaiʻi state bird and federally listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act.

The Maui Filipino Chamber of Commerce Foundation, in partnership with the County of Maui and the Maui Filipino Community Council, will host the 12th annual Philippine flag-raising ceremony on Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2024, at 10 a.m. in front of the Kalana O Maui Building in Wailuku.

In its ongoing efforts to support Native Hawaiian wāhine entrepreneurs across Hawaiʻi, Kūkolu is pleased to announce two new cohorts as part of its Indigenous Women’s Incubator (IWI) program. Through its IWI program, Kūkolu provides Indigenous women entrepreneurs with the resources, mentorship, and support they need to grow sustainable businesses, fostering economic empowerment and community resilience.

Maui United Way announced the launch of its Mā’ona Food Security Grant, a new initiative aimed at addressing the growing food insecurity challenges faced by residents of Maui County.

Hawai‘i-based television series “Rescue: HI-Surf” is TV’s highest rated fall drama to debut in six years, with its Sept. 22 premiere on FOX television network reaching 4.7 million viewers per Nielsen’s fast national ratings. The John Wells Productions, Warner Bros. Television, and FOX Entertainment co-production hired a local Hawai‘i producer and sourced the vast majority of the crew from Hawai‘i, including 100% of the water unit hires for the series. “Rescue: HI-Surf” continues now in its regular Monday time slot, airing in Hawai‘i at 8 p.m. on FOX affiliate KHON.

The County of Maui Mayor’s Sustainability Speaker Series will feature Chief Joe Alphonse of Tsilhqot’in Nation in British Columbia, Canada, who will speak on indigenous conservation practices on Tuesday, Oct. 1.

All three of University of Hawaiʻi’s four-year universities earned high marks in the US News and World Report 2025 Best Colleges rankings released on Tuesday, including three top-five rankings for UH West Oʻahu, a top-10 national ranking for UH Hilo and UH Mānoa, and a top-20 national ranking for the UH Mānoa Shidler College of Business’ international business program.

Gov. Josh Green, M.D., recognized winners of the Governor’s Awards on Monday. The recognition event was designed to honor state executive branch employees, managers and work teams who exemplify the highest caliber of public service and dedication in serving the people of Hawai‘i. The statewide program is administered by the Department of Human Resources Development.

Maui’s Katherine Patricio was honored recently with the Spirit of the Judiciary Award at the Hawaiʻi State Judiciary’s 2024 Employee Awards Ceremony at Aliʻiōlani Hale, home of the Hawaiʻi Supreme Court. Patricio is a Second Circuit supervisor in the Adult Client Services Branch and has had a distinguished career spanning more than 30 years.

CDL and non-CDL positions are available in Human Services transportation and non-CDL positions in paratransit.  MEO operates The Maui Bus ADA paratransit curb-to-curb transportation and the County of Maui Human Services transportation, which takes qualified riders to their jobs, medical appointments, dialysis, shopping and other destinations.

The Maui Wildfire Exposure Study (MauiWES) is putting on a wellness festival at the UH Maui College Great Lawn this Saturday, Sept. 28 from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. All are welcome to come together for a day of fun and wellness.

Even before a bill’s drafted to rein in Maui’s runaway long-term rental increases, the chair of the Maui County Council’s Housing and Land Use Committee said she’s not considering any legislation that regulates rent.

GEN Korean BBQ House will hold a grand opening Saturday of its first Maui location at the Puʻunēnē Shopping Center in Kahului, the national restaurant chain known for its “grill at your table” experience announced today. A “soft” opening was on Monday.

A brush fire burned 80 acres on Molokaʻi before it was fully contained at around 9:20 p.m. on Tuesday. The fire was first reported at 10:25 a.m. on Sept. 24, 2024 in the area of Naiwa St., south of the Molokaʻi Airport. Fire officials say one small shack was damaged and an abandoned vehicle burned in the fire. The value of damages has not yet been determined.

The County of Maui Department of Fire and Public Safety received the Lahaina Fire Summary of Findings and Conclusions report from the US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives on Monday, Sept. 23, 2024. Maui Fire Chief Brad Ventura was briefed by ATF on the report today, Sept. 25, 2024. 

DOFAW field staffers are planning to use drone technology to apply the citric treatment to control the coqui infestation found at these higher elevations. Aloha ʻĀina Drones, a Hilo-based operation specializing in agricultural and conservation drone applications, is contracted to do the work.

US Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) called for additional disaster relief funding when Congress returns in November. Speaking on the Senate floor, Schatz stressed the need to provide disaster survivors on Maui and in other disaster-impacted communities with flexible, long-term assistance in the form of Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) funding. The said this will enable them to rebuild their homes and communities as quickly as possible.

Kauanoe Batangan has been appointed executive director of the Maui Metropolitan Planning Organization (Maui MPO), the agency responsible for coordinating federal highway and transit investments on the island of Maui. He started in the job Sept. 3.