Maui News

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.

The Hawai‘i Department of Transportation advises highway users of traffic modifications on Honoapi‘ilani Highway and Nāpilihau Street beginning at 8 p.m., Thursday, June 13 to 6 a.m., Friday, June 14. During the nighttime closure, crews will install a temporary traffic signal to replace the traffic signal mast that was shortened on June 1.

Lei Day pup PO5 (Paʻaki) is six weeks old today, and the young pup is officially weaned, according to an update provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Fisheries division. NOAA Fisheries also confirmed that Paʻaki is a female—which is hopeful news for continued Hawaiian monk seal population recovery.

The Maui County Council has approved extending the construction completion date to September 2029 for Waikapū Development Venture’s 80-unit affordable workforce housing project south of Wailuku town.

The Pride Flag hung by the County of Maui as a celebration of national June Pride Month was illegally removed twice after it was raised during a Proclamation and flag ceremony last week outside the County building, organization leaders with Aloha Maui Pride said. The County filed two police reports and is continuing its ongoing investigation, the organization reports.

The Hawai‘i State Department of Health reminds the public to be vigilant due to high levels of COVID-19 activity in Hawai‘i. The DOH Respiratory Disease Dashboard shows COVID-19 disease activity level is in the red, or high activity level, indicating the virus is circulating at high levels compared with historic trends. This high level means that recommended precautions are more important for reducing risk.

The deadline to apply for the County of Maui real property tax relief program for long-term rentals to individuals directly impacted by the August 2023 Maui wildfires has been extended to 4 p.m. June 30, 2024.

A community-led preservation effort safeguards Pōhākea, protecting land, three operating wells and a 750,000-gallon water tank for public benefit. The public purchase enables the reduction of recurrent wildfire risks, enhancement of public access to hiking trails, protection of cultural and scenic resources, and reduction of stormwater runoff and erosion impacting Māʻalaea Bay.

The Rotary Club of Lahaina Sunset announces the recipients of the five “Go for the Green” $2,500 Scholarships. These scholarships were offered to select high school graduates who reside in West Maui, Molokaʻi or Hāna.

Sea level in Waikīkī is projected to rise up to about one foot by 2050 and nearly six feet by 2100 due to climate change, prompting University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa researchers to create architectural renderings that illustrate possible adaptation strategies.

In April 2024, sculptor and architect Matthias Neumann created an 8 x 8 x 11 foot sculpture on the front lawn of the Makawao Public Library inspired by the story of Hui Mo‘olelo participant Kim Thayer of Mauna Kahālāwai Watershed Partnership and Scott Fisher, Director of ʻĀina Stewardship at Hawai’i Land Trust.