Maui News

Jon Gersonde has been named general manager at The Ritz-Carlton Maui, Kapalua. He brings three decades of distinguished experience and leadership expertise to this important role at one of Maui’s most iconic resorts.

Pre-nursing students residing on Maui have the opportunity to enroll in a free Fall 2024 exam preparation course for the Test of Essential Academic Skills, which is the admission exam for nursing schools.

Lava’s Sportsbar & Karaoke in Wailuku celebrated its 5-year anniversary Sunday and raised $6,410 for Maui Economic Opportunity from a BBQ Plate Fundraiser as part of the celebration.

In an effort to mitigate future wildfire events, two of Maui’s first wildfire detection cameras have recently been deployed in Upper Kula, where 20 homes and 300 acres were lost during last year’s wildfires on Aug. 8.  

Work has been rescheduled to Wednesday, Aug. 28 for paving on the north side of the lot and Thursday, Aug. 29, on the south side of the lot from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., weather permitting. 

County of Maui Office of Economic Development Director Luana Mahi was placed on leave with pay on Aug. 20, 2024, pending further investigation. In March 2024, Mayor Richard Bissen, in consultation with the Department of the Corporation Counsel, authorized the Finance Department to conduct an internal audit of grants administered by the OED due to concerns brought to the attention of the administration.

The Maui Hotel & Lodging Association raised over $54,000 for Maui high school graduates and college students on Friday during its annual golf tournament.

A proposal to turn a former mango farm in north Kīhei into a nearly 15-acre light industrial project advanced Wednesday to the full Maui County Council with a recommendation for passage on first reading.

Hui O Ka Wai Ola released a new report on coastal water quality at dozens of locations from Honolua Bay to ‘Āhihi-Kīna’u Natural Area Reserve. The report summarizes changes—both improvements and declines—in water quality over eight years of data collection and confirms that measurements at sites in the Lahaina area remain within normal ranges.

Maui County hotels continue to be affected by last year’s wildfires, according to the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority’s July 2024 Hawai‘i Hotel Performance Report.

The Hawai‘i State Department of Education (HIDOE) announced that 20 previously suspended school bus routes in Central Oʻahu will be reinstated starting Monday, Aug. 26. Service is being restored for approximately 604 student riders enrolled at seven schools. Last week, 34 routes were restored for 1,200 students.

A preliminary magnitude 4.7 earthquake was reported at 12:52 a.m. on Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024 about 9 miles south of Fern Forest on the South Flank of the Kīlauea Volcano on Hawaiʻi Island. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued a statement saying there was no tsunami expected, however some areas may have experienced shaking.

Due to the threat of a Tropical Storm Hone this weekend, as well as anticipated high winds, the Aug. 23 Kihei 4th Friday Town Party has been canceled.

Student artwork that had adorned 1,000 lineal feet of mesh barrier fencing in Lahaina was removed last week to make way for a sewerline project supporting interim housing units and 29 homes on Fleming Road, the County of Maui announced. The artwork has been placed in storage for future use, including an installation at the Lahaina Civic Center later this year.

The County of Maui Open Space Fund contributed $6.2 million, and the State Legacy Land Conservation Program contributed $1 million toward the conservation purchase, which was announced in June.

The Central East Maui All-Stars suffered a slim 4-3 loss to Lake Mary Little League of Florida, the Southeast region representative on Wednesday, Aug. 21, 2024, ending their World Series run in Williamsport, Pa. Florida moves on to play Nevada after the Mountain team was defeated 5-2 against Texas earlier in the day. The winner of Florida vs. Nevada will advance to the US Championship game on Saturday against Texas.

Hawaiʻi Institute of Marine Biology researchers have known that humpback whales create “bubble nets” to hunt, but they discovered that they manipulate the bubble net to maximize their food intake in Alaskan feeding grounds. 

The US National Science Foundation and the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation have announced a $644,758 grant to the Kaua‘i Forest Bird Recovery Project to support on-the-ground efforts in its battle against avian malaria.

With the forecast of possible stormy weather this weekend and its potential impact to Hawaiʻi, Hawaiian Electric advises its customers to review their emergency preparedness plans and be ready for possible outages.

This month, over a dozen Sacred Hearts School teachers each received $500 Teachers Need Us (TNU) grants sponsored by OluKai’s Ama OluKai Foundation to purchase basic supplies for their classrooms.