Maui News

Members of the public are invited to attend one or more of three scoping meetings May 13-15. The proposed facility would consist of up to seven telescopes enclosed in domes that would be constructed on a developed site adjacent to the Haleakalā Observatory. on FAA-managed land.

There were 206,049 visitors to Maui in March 2024, down significantly compared to 276,485 visitors (-25.5%) in March 2023 and 271,934 visitors (-24.2%) in March 2019, according to preliminary data from the state Department of Business Economic Development and Tourism.

Marriott’s Maui Ocean Club celebrated the opening of the Manaʻolana Garden with a blessing ceremony on Monday, as part of the recovery and reforestation efforts in Lahaina. The grow hub, created in partnership with Treecovery, hosts 125 locally sourced fruit tree saplings that will be replanted in West Maui. 

The Maui Fire Department will be conducting wildland live fire training, May 1-30 (weekends excluded) as part of our ongoing incumbent training program. This training will be conducted in Waikapū, across from the Maui Tropical Plantation. Smoke associated with this training will be visible between the hours of 8 a.m. and 2 p.m. each day.

The meeting will feature an update on Lahaina Harbor from the state Department of Land and Natural Resources, an update on debris clearing from the US Army Corps of Engineers and information on the status of drinking water sampling from the US Environmental Protection Agency.

Last year, over 56,000 wildfires burned 2.6 million acres, destroying over 4,300 home and commercial structures across the United States, according to the National Interagency Fire Center. None were as catastrophic as the Lahaina wildfire on Aug. 8, 2023, which included over 2,300 residences destroyed on Maui.

The center is located at the County of Maui Service Center, 110 Alaihi St., Suite 207, and is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Representatives from 4LEAF Inc. are on hand to answer any questions residents may have regarding the streamlined emergency permitting process.

The proprietors of 808 Deli have embarked on a sweet new chapter with the launch of 808 Sugar HI, offering an array of handcrafted treats like custom cookie and gelato sandwiches, sundaes, handmade milkshakes and more.

The Maui Filipino Chamber of Commerce is accepting nominations for its 2024 Gintong Pamana Leadership Awards. The awards recognize outstanding members of the Maui Filipino community who have demonstrated exceptional leadership, professional excellence and a commitment to community service.

Most visitors see Hawai‘i as a safe and secure destination, according to the latest Visitor Satisfaction and Activity Survey released by the Hawai‘i Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism. The survey complied answers to questions of visitors from the United States, Canada, Japan, Oceania, Korea and China who visited Hawai‘i in the fourth quarter of 2023.

The County of Maui Office of Recovery and Department of Planning will hold a neighborhood planning workshop for Wahikuli residents to share their thoughts on topics specific to the area with county staff from 3 to 5:30 p.m. Saturday at the Lahainaluna High School Cafeteria.

A 28-year-old Kula man suffered critical life-threatening injuries in a motorcycle crash on Makawao Avenue Sunday night.

As Lahaina transitions into a new phase of recovery, HI-EMA is pleased to announce the relocation of the DRC to the Hyatt Regency Maui Resort and Spa at 200 Nohea Kai Drive, effective Monday, April 29. In addition, HI-EMA is introducing the new Community Resources Center at the Royal Lahaina Resort.

Gov. Josh Green, M.D., announced the extension of the One ‘Ohana Fund registration deadline to May 31, 2024, with completed claim forms now due no later than July 1, 2024. This will provide survivors additional time to determine whether they want to seek compensation from the fund. The previous deadline was April 30, 2024.

University of Hawai‘i Maui College has received a stunning art collection titled “Maui Sugar – the Twilight Years.” The gift, totaling 39 works, comes from long-time Kā‘anapali resident Jo Rockwell. Her prized collection is comprised of paintings by local artists and is believed to be the largest private collection of “sugar art.”

A new program offered by the Hawaiʻi Housing Finance and Development Corporation sets aside funds for nonprofit community development financial institutions (CDFIs) or other nonprofit housing development organizations who build self-help, for-sale housing for those in low- and moderate-income categories.

The proposed facility would consist of up to seven telescopes enclosed in domes that would be constructed on a developed site adjacent to the Haleakalā Observatory and the 15th Space Surveillance Squadron Maui Space Surveillance Complex.

The Hawai‘i Elementary and Middle School Administrators Association (HEMSAA) named Jennifer Pimentel, vice principal at Lāna‘i High & Elementary, as Hawai‘iʻs 2024 National Outstanding Assistant Principal. In the Distinguished Principali category, Molokaʻi’s Daniel Espaniola, principal of Kaunakakai Elementary was a finalist as the Maui District honoree.

The production of maps to track the progress of ongoing eruptions has long been part of the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory mission to inform the public about volcanic hazards in Hawaiʻi. The methods used to collect, interpret, and disseminate map data have been evolving ever since HVO’s founding in 1912, and a digital tool newly available to the public continues that legacy of innovation.

Fresh Help Maui and Maui Eat Local Magazine gathered 100+ food and drink recipes from West Maui’s most loved chefs and restaurants to pay homage through a new project, “The Lahaina Cookbook.”