Maui News

Evacuations were implemented for businesses near Hanakai Street on Monday night due to a leaky CO2 tank at the Airgas facility in Kahului. The incident was reported at 6:33 p.m. on Sept. 16, 2024.

The Hawai‘i Department of Transportation advises highway users that eastbound and westbound lanes of Kaʻahumanu Ave. (Route 32) between Kāne Street and Lono Ave. will be impacted by water line work for the Maui Palms Hampton Inn project on Thursday, Sept. 19.

More than 20 years after he moved onto his homestead land on Moloka‘i, Woodrow Poepoe has a home to live in, complete with electric lights and running water. Born and raised on Moloka‘i, “Uncle Blue” got a lease from the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands (DHHL) at Nāʻiwa Homestead in 1986 and immediately moved onto his five rural acres. Now in his seventies, he has made do camping and getting along without access to infrastructure.

The winners have been announced for the 17th Annual Kū Mai Ka Hula competition, held on Saturday, Sept. 14 in Castle Theater at Maui Arts & Cultural Center. Eight award-winning hālau from Maui, O‘ahu, Kaua‘i, and the continental US participated this year.

Two visitors were pulled unresponsive from waters on the north side of the ʻĀhihi-Kinaʻu Natural Area Reserve in South Maui on Saturday afternoon. Emergency responders were called to a report of swimmers/snorkelers in distress about 100-150 yards offshore at around 12:02 p.m. on Sept. 14, 2024. Authorities have since identified the victims as a 26-year-old woman and 25-year-old man, both residents of Washington state.

Mayor Richard Bissen and his administration will host community budget meetings throughout Maui County starting next week for residents to share their priorities and provide input on the budget for Fiscal Year 2026, which begins July 1, 2025.

A water service outage affecting a portion of Olinda Road is scheduled from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 17. The outage will impact Olinda Road from Hanamu Road up, including Maluhia Place and Maka Place.

Kīlauea volcano erupted briefly on Sunday night, Sept. 15, 2024, on the middle East Rift Zone in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, according to a new update issued at 11:33 a.m. by the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory.

The Hawai‘i Department of Transportation notifies the public that a training exercise will be conducted at the Kahului Airport from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., Friday, Sept. 20. The Kahului Airport Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighters will conduct an emergency training exercise that tests the response to a simulated aircraft incident on a Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft. The exercise is a requirement by the Federal Aviation Administration.

The Maui Police Department is currently conducting an active investigation into a deadly incident overnight that forced the closure of the Honoapiʻilani Highway in Waikapū for five hours.

Maui County Council members unanimously approved on second-and-final reading a bill for conditional change of zoning from residential to public/quasi-public for Grace Baptist Church. Last year’s wildfire destroyed the longtime church, and members of its congregation are eager to rebuild.

The Maui Police Department will host a child safety seat inspection event within the Maui Marketplace parking lot on Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024, between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. The event will provide a free, no-obligation inspection of child safety seats, ensuring they are installed correctly and functioning properly to keep children safe in the event of a crash.

Support for traditional healing practices, training for navigators involved in traditional Polynesian voyaging, business education for entrepreneurs, assistance for vulnerable populations and funding for neighborhood watch initiatives on homestead lands are just some of the projects that will be advanced thanks to the Office of Hawaiian Affairs Grants Program.

The Friends of Haleakalā National Park seeks National Park Service volunteers for a strenuous two-night service trip in Haleakalā Crater, Friday to Sunday, Oct. 4 to 6, 2024. Participants will tent-camp in the Hōlua Wilderness Area and remove invasive species to protect nēnē habitat.

In a demonstration of community support, the Maui Pono Foundation presented a $5,200 check to Lahaina Intermediate School to fund their Eighth Grade Banquet. This contribution is especially meaningful as Lahaina continues to rebuild after the recent wildfires that devastated the community.

For the first time ever, the Hawai’i Farmers Union United’s convention will be FREE to the public. The 14th Annual event takes place Oct. 4-6, 2024 at the University of Hawai’i Maui College. This landmark event is sponsored by the County of Maui and many other generous private funders. The annual event celebrates the islands’ agricultural heritage and future by bringing together leaders in farming, food systems, and community resilience.

The intrusion of magma that began on Saturday in Kīlauea’s middle East Rift Zone, continues, increasing the potential of an eruption in this region. Accordingly, the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory is raising the Volcano Alert Level for ground-based hazards from ADVISORY to WATCH and the Aviation Color Code from YELLOW to ORANGE.    

Akakū Upstairs returns on Thursday, Sept. 19 with a sneak peek at “Lahaina: Rising from the Ashes,” a film that explores themes of environmental degradation, social injustice, community resilience, and hope and recovery. This documentary is currently in progress with local Director Matty Schweitzer at the helm.

The 5th Annual Maui Men’s March Against Violence will be held on Friday, Oct. 4, 2024, from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Kalana O Maui Building, located at 200 South High St. in Wailuku. This free event invites all community members to unite in the fight against domestic violence, abuse, and violence in the community.

Four teams have been announced for the 8th Maui Classic, an NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament taking place at the Seabury Hall Erdman Athletic Center from Dec. 19 to 20, 2024.