Maui News

Gov. Josh Green, M.D., announced the extension of the One ‘Ohana Fund registration deadline to May 31, 2024, with completed claim forms now due no later than July 1, 2024. This will provide survivors additional time to determine whether they want to seek compensation from the fund. The previous deadline was April 30, 2024.

University of Hawai‘i Maui College has received a stunning art collection titled “Maui Sugar – the Twilight Years.” The gift, totaling 39 works, comes from long-time Kā‘anapali resident Jo Rockwell. Her prized collection is comprised of paintings by local artists and is believed to be the largest private collection of “sugar art.”

A new program offered by the Hawaiʻi Housing Finance and Development Corporation sets aside funds for nonprofit community development financial institutions (CDFIs) or other nonprofit housing development organizations who build self-help, for-sale housing for those in low- and moderate-income categories.

The proposed facility would consist of up to seven telescopes enclosed in domes that would be constructed on a developed site adjacent to the Haleakalā Observatory and the 15th Space Surveillance Squadron Maui Space Surveillance Complex.

The Hawai‘i Elementary and Middle School Administrators Association (HEMSAA) named Jennifer Pimentel, vice principal at Lāna‘i High & Elementary, as Hawai‘iʻs 2024 National Outstanding Assistant Principal. In the Distinguished Principali category, Molokaʻi’s Daniel Espaniola, principal of Kaunakakai Elementary was a finalist as the Maui District honoree.

The production of maps to track the progress of ongoing eruptions has long been part of the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory mission to inform the public about volcanic hazards in Hawaiʻi. The methods used to collect, interpret, and disseminate map data have been evolving ever since HVO’s founding in 1912, and a digital tool newly available to the public continues that legacy of innovation.

Fresh Help Maui and Maui Eat Local Magazine gathered 100+ food and drink recipes from West Maui’s most loved chefs and restaurants to pay homage through a new project, “The Lahaina Cookbook.”

Student teaching assistant Ryan Chang will earn two associate of applied arts degrees in May (one specializing in culinary arts and the other specializing in baking and pastry). He played a key role in the college’s emergency production of thousands of meals in the aftermath of the August wildfires. 

Maui Huliau Foundation, an environmental education nonprofit serving Maui’s youth, will host their annual Huliau Youth Environmental Film Festival at the Imua Discovery Garden in Wailuku on Saturday, May 4 from 7-8:30 p.m. This outdoor showing will feature eight short environmental films created by Maui students from various schools over the past school year.

Since the Aug. 8, 2023 wildfires, nearly 2,000 individuals are still being housed in hotels on Maui. The Federal Emergency Management Agency reports that currently, 1,969 survivors are sheltered in nine hotels and other sites. The agency provided an update on housing, spending and resources as wildfire recovery nears the nine month mark.

Ryan Hi’ileinani Alo, a 10th grade student at Kamehameha Schools Maui, is a delegate to the Congress of Future Medical Leaders, to be held June 26-28, 2024, just outside of Boston, on the University of Massachusetts Lowell campus.

A field of blooming sunflowers will be the backdrop for the 2024 Sunflower Farm Music Festival on Saturday, May 4 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The Friends of Haleakalā National Park are planning a three-night service trip to Haleakalā Crater, May 25-28, 2024. The volunteer trip is for experienced hikers and backpackers with a desire to help preserve Native Hawaiian ecosystems. Participants will stay in the Palikū patrol cabin and remove invasive species to protect nēnē habitat.

Council Member Tom Cook and Council Vice-Chair Yuki Lei Sugimura announced today that the May 8 community meeting to gather input from the community on a proposed water-delivery agreement has been canceled. The meeting was to be held in conjunction with the Department of Water Supply. 

Maui High School’s Chelsea Konno was named the 2024 Citizen Scholar for Maui County. Also recognized from each public school within Maui County were: Penelope Tupou of Baldwin High School; Hennessy Arroyo of Hāna High & Elementary School; Gizelle Rodrigues of Kekaulike High School; M. Jee Abara of Lahainaluna High School; Hershey Lei Estacio Manuel of Lānaʻi High & Elementary School; and Kilinaheokekai Puhi of Molokaʻi High School.

Gov. Josh Green, M.D., approved the use of $33 million in state funds for the state match plan for the Broadband Equity Access and Development grant program. Eight programs will be funded with this grant which will have a statewide impact on ensuring Hawai‘i’s goal toward universal broadband access. 

The Maui Chamber of Commerce invites product vendors and food truck operators to submit applications for participation in the 2024 Hawaiian Airlines Made in Maui County Festival. Scheduled for Nov. 1-2, 2024, the 11th edition of this annual celebration will take place at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center.

A portion of remote county roadway at Alelele Point near Mile Marker 39 will be closed to all traffic, with the exception of emergency vehicles, between 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday starting May 1, 2024, due to an emergency slope repair project on the makai side of the road, according to a County of Maui Department of Public Works announcement today. The road closure is expected to last five months, the department said. Alelele Point is located on the southeast side of Maui and connects Kaupō and Kīpahulu.

The Maui Nui Marine Resource Council is launching its inaugural Reef-Friendly Landscaping certification course on May 22, 2024.

The Hawaiʻi Supreme Court convened at Kailua High School on Friday, giving more than 300 students the opportunity to observe oral argument in an actual case.