Maui News

Approximately 29 nations, 40 surface ships, three submarines, 14 national land forces, over 150 aircraft and more than 25,000 personnel will participate in the biennial Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise scheduled June 26 to Aug. 2, in and around the Hawaiian Islands.

Residents are invited to attend Mayor Richard Bissen’s Weekly Disaster Recovery Community Update Meeting at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 22. The weekly meeting, previously held in the gymnasium, will move to the downstairs social hall at Lahaina Civic Center.

The 2024 central Pacific hurricane season outlook from forecasters at NOAA’s Central Pacific Hurricane Center and NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center, calls for 1–4 tropical cyclones across the central Pacific Hurricane region. A near-normal season has 4 or 5 tropical cyclones, which include tropical depressions, tropical storms and hurricanes.

The US Army Corps of Engineers and its contractors released its blasting plan for the Kilohana temporary housing site today. The contractor will generally blast once a day between 2-4 p.m., weather permitting, Monday through Saturday, for approximately the next 65 days. 

The Federal Emergency Management Agency’s current extension for the non-congregate sheltering (NCS) program is now set for June 10, 2024. On May 31, 2024, the state of Hawaiʻi will cease its feeding operations at NCS designated hotel sites. State officials say they are postured to assist during this period of transition and are actively working on developing strategies and resources to support individuals and families who will be affected by the end of these services.

Kalama Intermediate School seventh-grade student Helia Lorico-Minchin has been awarded the Maui Country grand prize in the 25th annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Peace Poetry Awards.

Maui emergency crews are on the scene of a car fire located on the makai side of North Kīhei Road near the Mile 2 area of Sugar Beach. Maui police were on the scene at around 7:50 a.m. The fire appeared to be isolated to the shoulder area where black smoke and flames were seen coming from a light colored four door sedan.

Members of the Maui County Council’s Budget, Finance and Economic Development Committee have voted unanimously to extend property tax relief to taxpayers at risk of being priced out of their homes by skyrocketing property values.

Work began Monday afternoon to remove 2,500 gallons of fuel from a ferry boat that grounded just off Lahaina last week. The process of getting fuel, batteries, hazardous materials, and other items off the Maui Princess is expected to take a few days.  The boat broke from its mooring further offshore, last Thursday after a part reportedly failed. 

Hui Aloha Playground at Keōpūolani Regional Park will be closed from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. May 21 to 24 while undergoing vandalism surfacing repair.  All adjacent facilities will remain open and accessible with other parking areas available to use. 

Maui County hotels continued to be impacted by the Aug. 8, 2023, wildfires, but still led the counties in April 2024 revenue per available room (RevPAR) due to comparatively higher average daily rate (ADR), according to the Hawaiʻi Hotel Performance Report, issued by the Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority.

The owners of the luxury yacht Nakoa want a formal contested case hearing to fight a $1.8 million fine assessed last month by the Board of Land and Natural Resources.

The past year has brought significant shocks to the housing market in Hawaiʻi. Per the University of Hawaiʻi Economic Research Organization (UHERO), overall transactions in 2023 was only half of what it was in 2021, and fewer single family homes were transacted in Hawaiʻi last year than in any of the last 25 years.

Imua Family Services kicks off its 47th annual Camp Imua summer season starting on June 8. The five-day recreational camp for children with special needs is offered each year at no charge for Maui’s keiki. The magic intensifies this year with globally renowned magician Derek McKee and his “Magic Box” project.

After decades of leasing Kula land from the Von Tempsky family for County of Maui facilities, such as the community center, the County of Maui has negotiated terms to acquire the land beneath the community center and adjacent facilities for public use in perpetuity, according to an announcement today by Mayor Richard Bissen. Budget, Finance, and Economic Development Committee Chair Yuki Lei Sugimura will propose funding for the acquisition at the first reading of the Fiscal Year 2025 Budget on Tuesday, May 21, 2024.

The 22nd annual Maui Matsuri Japanese Festival is planned to take place at the University of Hawaiʻi Maui College campus on Saturday, May 25. The Japanese Festival event is from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. and will include free entertainment, kids crafts, food booths and trucks, crafters, exhibits, hands-on activities, passport activity, and much more.

Overburdened communities in Lahaina, Kahului and Wailuku are the beneficiaries of a $500,000 grant allocated by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the agency announced today.

Seismicity remains above background levels. Ground deformation also continues beneath Halemaʻumaʻu and the south caldera region. Magma has been pressurizing the system beneath Halemaʻumaʻu and Kīlauea’s south caldera region for several weeks.

Fairmont Kea Lani hosts “Behind the Curtain: A Journey Through Hula,” an event dedicated to celebrating and sharing the art of hula, taking place Saturday, June 1, 2024. Through the lens of three Maui-based hālau, guests will hear first-hand what it takes to prepare for the prestigious Merrie Monarch hula competition and experience the beautiful art form as the hālau perform a hana hou of presentations shared during the festival this past April.

Residents are encouraged to attend upcoming community meetings on Maui, Molokaʻi and Lānaʻi to offer feedback on the County of Maui draft wetlands overlay map, which shows approximate locations of wetlands and possible migration areas reflected by passive flooding data.