Maui News

In the 10th month following Maui’s historic wildfires, Mayor Richard Bissen will travel to Washington, D.C., on the evening of Friday, June 14, to Sunday, June 23, 2024, to provide federal partners with updates on recovery and encourage continued support for disaster relief efforts.

The Hawai‘i Department of Transportation advises highway users of closures and delays on Kaʻahumanu Ave. (Route 32) and adjacent streets Saturday morning, June 15, for the Nā Kamehameha Commemorative Pā’ū Parade. Kaʻahumanu Ave. will be closed in both directions between Lunalilo Street and Kahului Beach Road (Route 3400) from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. The parade begins at 9:45 a.m. at Baldwin High School and ends at Queen Kaʻahumanu Center.

Update: A pedestrian who was struck by a vehicle in Kahului on Friday, has since succumbed to his injuries and died while at the Maui Memorial Medical Center early Saturday morning. Police have identified the pedestrian as Randal Takatani, 65, of Kahului.

A preliminary magnitude-4.1 earthquake occurred 9 miles east-southeast of Nāʻālehu on the Island of Hawaiʻi at around 1:43 p.m. on Friday, June 14, 2024. Scientists with the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory issued an information statement saying the earthquake is part of the seismic swarm under the Pāhala area, which has been going on since 2019. Earthquakes in this region have been observed at least as far back as the 1960s.

An informational meeting is planned for Molokaʻi’s Nā‘iwa Homesteaders on Monday, June 17, 2024 starting at 6 p.m. The meeting will take place at Kulana ʻŌiwi, the conference room for the Office of Hawaiian Affairs and the Department of Hawaiian Homelands on Molokaʻi.

Misty, a 10-month-old Catahoula dog, was trapped in the fissure for eight hours before her rescue.

Mayor Richard Bissen today announced the appointment of Richard E. Mitchell as Director of the County of Maui’s newly created Department of Housing, which launches July 1, 2024. The new Housing Department was created when Maui County residents voted to pass a ballot measure in November 2022 that called for bifurcating the Department of Housing and Human Concerns.

The Hawaiʻi State Department of Education today released a report summarizing input and opinions from a series of community feedback opportunities on the rebuild plan for King Kamehameha III Elementary School. A total of 291 community members including faculty/staff, current school family members, alumni, and interested community members completed feedback surveys, delivered via three formats – at a staff/faculty meeting, at an open community meeting, or online. 

US Sen. Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) announced more than $18.9 million in funding for the Honolulu Board of Water Supply’s “Kalaeloa Seawater Desalination Project.” The funding for this project will go toward designing and building a desalination facility that will remove dissolved mineral salts in seawater to obtain fresh drinking water, creating a new sustainable water source on Oʻahu.

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.