Maui News
Hundreds attend Hawaiʻi Wildfire Summit held on Big Island
The Hawaiʻi Fire Department this week teamed up with partners from across the state at the Hawaiʻi Wildfire Summit, a multi-agency gathering held on Hawaiʻi Island to tackle the pressing challenges of wildfire prevention and preparedness.
One lane closed at South High Street and Kolo Place for night work, March 3-5
One lane in the northbound direction on South High Street will be closed for two nights from 8 p.m. to 5:30 a.m., the next day, from Monday, March 3 through Wednesday, March 5. The closure is necessary for striping and paving work following an emergency sewer line repair in the area on Thursday, Feb. 27.
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Tokuda leads letter in calling for reduced rent for Maui fire survivors in FEMA housing
US Rep. Jill Tokuda (HI-02) led the Hawai‘i congressional delegation in requesting FEMA Region 9 to waive the collection of fair-market value rent from survivors of the Maui fires participating in FEMA’s Direct Housing program. Currently, survivors are expected to receive their first rental bill on March 1 and have until March 11, 2025, to appeal the decision on the rental amount.
Cruise ship passenger off Hawaiʻi medevaced due to stroke episodes
The Coast Guard medevaced a cruise ship passenger who experienced multiple strokes 300 miles offshore Kailua-Kona, Hawaiʻi, Thursday.
Maui hospitality workers lauded at 2025 Nā Poʻe Paʻahana Awards
The Hawai‘i Lodging & Tourism Association on Wednesday celebrated the exceptional contributions of the state’s hospitality workforce in front of an audience of 750 people at the 32nd Annual Na Po‘e Pa‘ahana Awards at the Sheraton Waikīkī.
Mayor Richard T. Bissen, Jr. to present 2025 State of the County Address on March 7
The public is invited to attend the 2025 State of the County Address, which will be presented by Mayor Richard T. Bissen, Jr. from 5 to 7 p.m. Friday, March 7, at Maui Arts and Cultural Center’s Castle Theater. Doors open at 4 p.m. An RSVP is requested but not required for in-person attendees.
One lane closed at Honoapiʻilani Highway and Kapunakea Street intersection for guardrail work
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.
More homes will be hauled to Lahaina
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.
MEO electric bus and charging station blessed in Puʻunēnē
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.
DPW accepting building permit exemption requests for shipping containers in industrial districts
County of Maui Department of Public Works is now accepting building permit exemption declarations for shipping containers in the County Industrial zoning district.
UHERO forecast: Federal cuts raise risk of Hawaiʻi economic downturn
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.
Central Pacific Financial Corp. promotes Morimoto to COO and Matsumoto to CFO
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.
Mānoa: Mighty marine fungi degrade plastic, can be trained to do it faster
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.
Software upgrade planned for Maui’s Automated Planning and Permitting System
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.
McKelvey and Tokuda push back against Trump Administration federal job cuts
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.
Helping UH students affected by funding freezes, executive orders
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.
The Ritz-Carlton Maui hosts March double-header for Kapalua Concert Series, March 6-7
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.
Boys & Girls Club building at Eddie Tam Memorial Complex in Makawao to close briefly March 10-31 for roof work
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.
Visitor arrivals to Maui up after 2023 wildfires, but down from pre-pandemic levels
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 unveils Kapalua Wine and Chef Series beginning in March
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.
