Maui News

The University of Hawai‘i Maui County Extension Youth Development Program is offering Teen Disaster Preparedness training program for youths 13 to 18 years old. The training will be held from 8 a.m. through 5 p.m. March 18-21 at the Kahului Cooperative Extension Community Services building.

County of Maui Department of Water Supply payment windows will be closed Thursday and Friday, March 7 and 8, while its fiscal division is relocated to 1888 Wili Pā Loop in Wailuku (former credit union location). The DWS fiscal division will reopen at 1888 Wili Pā Loop at 8 a.m. on Monday, March 11. Regular payment hours at the new location will be 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily.

Gov. Josh Green, M.D., signed the 10th Emergency Proclamation Relating to Wildfires, which contains amendments from previous versions aimed at increasing the availability of affordable housing for Maui residents, especially those displaced due to the deadly wildfires of Aug. 8, 2023.

The Maui Oceanfront Marathon will be held on Jan. 19, 2025, the Martin Luther King weekend, with a revised course that avoids Lahaina burn zones and ends outside of Launiupoko Beach Park, race organizers announced.

Maui musician Kamalei Kawaʻa secured a spot on Team Chance during the Blind Auditions of NBC’s “The Voice” by singing “Redemption Song” by Bob Marley and the Wailers. Just seconds into his audition, Chance the Rapper turned his chair in the hopes of securing Kawaʻa for his team.

The 43rd Annual Kapalua Wine & Food Festival returns June 6-9, 2024 to Kapalua Resort. Celebrate, learn and experience culinary trends and viniculture with the return of celebrity chef cooking demonstrations and luncheons.

The Office of Consumer Protection is urging Hawai‘i consumers who purchased and are holding unredeemed Outback Steakhouse gift cards, to seek refunds.

US Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), chair of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, secured $394 million in new congressional directed spending, also known as earmarks, in the first half of this year’s government funding bill. Additional earmark funding for Hawai‘i is expected to be included the second half of the funding deal which is set to be announced on March 22.

Upcountry, Maui post offices are nō ka ʻoi when it comes to service. The US Postal Service recently recognized the Kula, Makawao and Pukalani Post Offices as among its very best postal retail offices in the entire nation.

The County of Maui Department of Water Supply reports the north bound lane of Lower Honoapiʻilani Rd. between Nahono Place and Kāʻanapali Shores Place, at the bridge, will be closed from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. today, March 5, due to a service repair. Traffic will contraflow during this time.

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has completed night operations that required road closures in order to inspect a portion of the sewer line system. EPA cleared and inspected sanitary sewer lines on Honoapiʻilani Highway and Keawe St., between Leialiʻi Parkway and Keawe St. in Lahaina. Night operations also took place within the wildfire affected area along the Honoapiʻilani Highway and up Lahainaluna Road.

The County of Maui is seeking the owners of 21 intact vehicles that were removed from the Lahaina wildfire disaster zone for debris cleanup progression. The vehicles were deemed salvageable based on their appearance of little to no visible outer damage to the vehicle, but the County makes no warranty regarding the condition of any of these vehicles.

Proceeds from ticket sales for the Kaua‘i Poke Fest taking place on June 8 this year will support Maui wildfire survivors.

Claude Brousseau PGA Master, Director of Player Development at Wailea Golf Academy, ranked No. 1 Teacher in the State of Hawaiʻi by Golf Digest since 2019 awarded the 2024 Claude Brousseau Golf & Academic Award to 12-year-old, Ethan Jake Abella.

A portable, temporary traffic signal system will be installed at the intersection of Keawe and Kupuohi streets in Lahaina between midnight and 6 a.m. on Wednesday, March 6, to allow safer access to and from Kupuohi Street. The temporary signals are planned to remain in place until a permanent system is designed and constructed.

Timothy Webb, 77, of Kaunakakai, Molokaʻi was reported missing on Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024, by a concerned acquaintance who had not heard from him since December 2023. Webb was last seen at his residence in Kaunakakai on Wednesday, Nov. 22, 2023.    

The Hawai‘i State Department of Education is encouraging families to sign up for its summer learning programs.

Hawai‘i US Sen. Brian Schatz reported Monday that congressional leaders have released billions of dollars in federal funding for critical needs in Hawai‘i.

Hawaiʻi Gov. Josh Green, M.D. received the Resilience in Tourism Award at Forbes Travel Guide’s “The Summit” event, held in Las Vegas, Feb. 28-29. The award commends a leader demonstrating a dedication and focus on building resilience in a meaningful and impactful way.

With almost 500,000 taxpayers in Hawaiʻi expecting a refund this filing season, the Internal Revenue Service reminds taxpayers that recent improvements to “Where’s My Refund?”  on IRS.gov remains the best way to check the status of a refund.