Maui News

South Maui Council Member Tom Cook will host a town hall meeting 6 p.m. June 27 at the Maui Economic Development Board’s Malcolm Center.

An Emmy Award nomination is honoring “Trilogy: It’s in the Heart,” a short documentary film commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Coon family’s Maui-based sailing tours.

Ever heard of ‘kitten season’? It’s not just a myth. As summer heat blankets the island, animal shelters often become a bustling hub of adorable chaos, with new litters bursting onto the scene more frequently between April and October.

Officials shared several important updates for Lahaina residents including: lifting the Unsafe Water Advisory for a portion of Lahaina, amending sewer service status for certain parcels, fully reopening the first disaster zone and assisting with the installation of three mobile outdoor warning sirens.

The Hawai‘i Department of Transportation advises highway users of traffic slowdowns and possible delays along Honoapi‘ilani Highway (Route 30) and adjacent roadways early Friday morning as heavy equipment will be transported from the Pulehunui Industrial Park to the state’s Ka La‘i Ola temporary group housing site in Wahikuli.

A global hospitality company on Wednesday announced plans to build its first Hawai‘i location – on the controversial site of the former Coco Palms resort on the East Side of Kaua‘i, which has stood derelict since its destruction via hurricane in 1992.

The Unsafe Water Advisory for Lahaina was amended to remove area L-6B, including properties primarily along Honoapiʻilani Highway and Ainakea Road, from Wahikuli Road to Kaniau Road. Water serving buildings and homes in area L-6B is declared safe for unrestricted use effective June 12, 2024.

Alongside Maui County Council Chair Alice Lee and Council Budget, Finance and Economic Development Committee Chair Yuki Lei Sugimura, Mayor Richard Bissen on Wednesday afternoon signed into law an approximately $1.263 billion Fiscal Year 2025 budget. The document boosts housing for residents, especially those who were displaced after the 2023 August wildfires, supports wildfire recovery and resiliency, bolsters social service programs and delivers core services.

Gas prices statewide continue being steady as national prices continue to decrease according to the AAA Hawaiʻi Weekend Gas Watch. The statewide average price for regular unleaded is $4.76, which is the same as week. The national average gas price is $3.46, two cents lower than last week. 

Nine months after the Lahaina wildfire disaster an estimated 75% remained in temporary housing, according to a report published by the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement. Some of the permanent housing is away from Maui, but the report did not have precise information about those who’ve moved away.

The US Environmental Protection Agency recently completed drinking water sampling in the wildfire-impacted areas of Lahaina, which is a critical step in helping the County of Maui restore drinking water services to the community. 

Kelis Kaleopaʻa (HAW) and Kaniela Stewart (HAW) won titles in the Local Motion Surf Into Summer At Home In The Hawaiian Islands, over a heavily-contested field on Wednesday. Ala Moana Bowls provided three-to-four conditions for Kaleopaʻa and Stewart, alongside their longboard contingent, to showcase style and poise under pressure, according to the World Surf League. In the end, it was South Shore sweep for the two competitors as Waikīkī’s reigning WSL Longboard Champion, Kai Sallas (HAW) and American Samoa’s Sive Jarrard (ASM) earned runner-up finishes. PC: Tony Heff Photography / WSL

Ten scholarships of $1,000 were presented to graduates of high schools on Maui by the Maui’s Sons and Daughters of the Nisei Veterans / Maui AJA Veterans Scholarship Program.

The Clyde Wakida Scholarship Fund was established through donations from friends and family after the August fire.  This year the Fund awarded five recipients, each receiving $2,000. Recipients were: Carla Mae Agrade, Judy Dela Cruz, Blessy Calapit, Cecelia Steiner and John Tumpap.

The three weeks of Camp Discovery start on Monday, July 8, 2024, with families having the option to register for individual weeks or all three weeks together. Each camp will take place at Will Smith Imua Discovery Garden in Wailuku and will cater to preschool-age children, between the ages of 3 and 5. Camp registration fees are weekly, with assistance available for families facing economic challenges and/or affected by last year’s fires.

The guest, who wishes to remain anonymous, was visiting the property on Wednesday, June 12 to celebrate his son’s 21st birthday. Just before 4 a.m., the guest activated the bonus wheel with three 7s across the payline. The lucky player was in disbelief to see the wheel land on the progressive jackpot after wagering $5 to score a $1,569,632.91 payout.

With the roar of heavy machinery nearby, US Army Corps of Engineers officials showed how rapid progress is underway in transforming the once gently sloping grassland above Lahaina into a graded expanse needed to install 169 temporary modular homes for wildfire survivors.

On Wednesday, Maui United Way announced the seven local-Maui nonprofits who are recipients of their new ʻOhana Mental Health Grant — an effort to meet the ongoing mental health needs in the aftermath of the wildfires. 

Returning for its 20th year, the STEMworks Excite Camp program wrapped up its four days of student activities on June 6. The day camp, which started in 2000 and focuses on the intersection of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) and Hawaiian knowledge and culture, welcomed 19 middle school girls this year from across Maui County, including students from Hāna, Molokaʻi, and Lānaʻi. The free summer program aims to support and inspire young women, especially those of Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander descent, to pursue post-secondary education and careers in STEM while staying connected to Hawaiʻi. 

Maui Bus service in parts of Central Maui will be rerouted and specific area bus stops will not be in service Saturday, June 15, 2024, when a portion of Kaʻahumanu Ave. will close for the 2024 Nā Kamehameha Commemorative Pāʻū Parade and Hoʻolauleʻa, the County of Maui Department of Transportation announced.