Maui News

Maui Matsuri is celebrating its 22nd annual Japanese Festival with the Children’s Festival portion of the event planned for 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, May 18 at the Queen Kaʻahumanu Center.

Maui Planning Commission members finished hearing public comments and then added their own Tuesday to a draft environmental impact statement for Ledcor South Maui’s plans to build as many as 975 homes.

A kona low developing to the north will bring the potential for heavy rain and thunderstorms over the state today through at least Friday. The highest chance for excessive rainfall appears to be over Oʻahu and possibly Maui County starting tonight, and persisting through Thursday. The focus for heavy rainfall then likely shifts toward Kauaʻi on Friday; however, these details could change, and all areas should be prepared for the possibility of flash flooding, according to the NWS.

“It was a beautiful purple and greenish tinge visible to the naked eye for about 5 minutes,” Brenda Trowbridge shared on social media. The Nā‘ālehu resident captured the images with a 3-second exposure on her iPhone between 4:26 and 4:31 a.m. on May 11, before the astronomical twilight.

As Deputy Director of Transportation for Airports, Otaguro will be responsible for management of the 15 airports in the State Airports System. This includes operation, upgrade, and maintenance of airfield and terminal infrastructure to meet Federal Aviation Administration safety standards and customer experience expectations.

The state of Hawai‘i will receive $79,928.66 in a settlement with Wireless Carriers, announced the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs (DCCA) Office of Consumer Protection on May 10.

The Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation welcomed a new class of adult corrections officers at a graduation ceremony at the Mission Memorial Auditorium on May 10, 2024. Its 13 graduates from Basic Corrections Recruit Class 24-02 completed training and will begin their careers as corrections officers in facilities across the state.

A collaborative project to protect against erosion, reduce flood risk, mitigate axis deer damage, and improve water quality is being implemented in an 11-acre area mauka of Kīhei. 

History was made on Saturday night as the Seabury Hall Girls Track and Field team earned a come-from-behind state championship title in the inaugural 4×800 meter relay on Oʻahu. 

Akakū Upstairs returns Thursday, May 16, with a free screening and discussion of the short film, “The Green Wave: Maui,” which showcases threats the Hawaiian islands are facing and solutions local communities are implementing, from rainforest conservation to ocean preservation.

Update: The National Weather Service has extended the Flood Advisory for Maui until 7:15 p.m. At 4:03 p.m., radar showed heavy rain over west Maui between Kahakuloa and Honolua Bay, with rain falling at a rate near 2 inches per hour. Additional heavy showers were nearly stationary over windward Haleakalā near Ke’anae. Some locations that will experience flooding include: Haʻikū-Paʻuwela, Huelo, Kēōkea, Paʻuwela, Pāʻia, Kaupō, Hāna, Waiheʻe, Kahakuloa and Honokōhau.

A new study from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa shows that chlorine mixed with petroleum in water can potentially produce inadvertent byproducts harmful to human health.

Elizabeth Whitehead and Estrelita Bradford, who both celebrated their 80th birthdays this year, were recognized at the Lahaina Honolua Senior Club’s Older American Luncheon on Monday, May 13, at Maui Economic Opportunity in Wailuku.

Petty Officer 2nd Class Wendell Hidalgo, a sailor from Maui, Hawaiʻi, serves in Japan aboard a forward-deployed US Navy warship. Hidalgo graduated from Maui High School in 2019.

This action is taken to honor law enforcement officers who have lost their lives in the line of duty while protecting others. 

Due to unpredictable weather conditions and forecasted adverse weather that may create unsafe road conditions, the Wednesday evening Disaster Recovery Community Update meeting is canceled this week, May 15, 2024. Motorists are advised to exercise caution should hazardous conditions occur.

“Last October, the Administration requested $23.5 billion for disaster recovery,” the senators wrote. “Since then, the need for recovery resources in our communities have grown and evolved. The nation has also witnessed additional crises, including the tragic collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Maryland. This funding is essential for our constituents to move forward in rebuilding their homes, lives, businesses, farms and communities.”

Gov. Josh Green, M.D., proclaimed May as Wildfire Mitigation and Risk Reduction Preparedness Month. The proclamation comes nine months after the Aug. 8, 2023 wildfire that destroyed much of historic Lahaina Town and claimed the lives of more than 100 people.

To help increase local menu offerings in school lunches, three dozen public schools on Maui, Moloka‘i, Hawai‘i Island and Kaua‘i will be offering fresh local poi as an accompanying lunch menu item to students and staff this month in honor of May Day. 

A total of 24 local entrepreneurs and small business owners attended the May 9 Maui TechOhana and were wowed by the inspiring work and technology of the Maui Food Innovation Center (MFIC). Ian Stewart, Entrepreneurship & Business Development Specialist, Pāʻoihana Program, and Douglas Paul, Chef Instructor gave an engaging presentation of the Center’s work including a video tour of the facility and samples of their success stories.