Maui News

The Pūlama nā ‘Ohana team from Maui Behavioral Health Resources has been working in the community for the past several months to provide assistance to those effected by the Maui wildfires.

Mental Health America of Hawaiʻi’s 4th Annual Maui Suicide Prevention Mini Conference, “Resilience, Renewal and Recovery,” is scheduled for Jan. 25, 2024, from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the King Kamehameha Golf Club in Wailuku.

The Hawaiʻi State Judiciary announced that Daylin-Rose Heather has been named Deputy Administrative Director of the Courts effective Jan. 3, 2024. 

Pacific Whale Foundation, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to protect the ocean and its wildlife, invites passionate filmmakers and artists to honor World Ocean Day 2024 with submissions for the 8th Annual World Whale Film Festival.

Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen “promised” Thursday that Olowalu will not be the final site for the estimated 400,000 cubic yards of fire debris to be removed from the Lahaina burn zone.

The Hawaiʻi Bankers Association welcomes Linda Ezuka as Executive Director. She fills the vacancy left by Neal Okabayashi, who is retiring after serving as HBA’s Executive Director since June 2017.

In Kahului, the average price of $4.76 is five cents lower than last week, the same as last month and 30 cents lower than a year ago.

To help support the recovery efforts in the Maui community, PUMA Golf has teamed up with local Maui artist, Wailani Artates, to design a Limited Edition “L” golf cap inspired by Lahainaluna High School’s “L” on the hill above the school.

Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary welcomes back koholā (humpback whales) and volunteers for the 2024 Sanctuary Ocean Count scheduled for Jan. 27, Feb. 24, and March 30. 

Hawaiian Historical Society has received $25,000 from the Office of Hawaiian Affairs as part of the Kākoʻo Grant Program awards. This award is intended to strengthen community organizations, like HHS, in order to strategically plan for the future of better serving its Native Hawaiian communities.

Since the inception of the Laptop Relief Program, there has been an overwhelming response of nearly 1,000 applications from displaced Maui residents seeking replacement devices.

The Maui Police Department has released short videos highlighting missing persons cases that are being investigated by the department’s Cold Case / Missing Person Detail unit. Over the past month, the department has highlighted 16 missing individuals, including four who were reported missing after the Aug. 8, 2023 wildfires in Lahaina.

The Round Table Pizza franchise announced a $100,000 donation to Maui United Way to aid its ongoing recovery efforts in the wake of the catastrophic fires that swept through the island in August. The donation is the collective effort of Round Table Pizza and its franchisees, in addition to parent company FAT Brands’ charitable organization.

Known for his relief work around the world, renowned Pritzker-Prize-winning architect Shigeru Ban of Japan came to Maui to build a prototype of his sustainable temporary housing solution. His one-of-a-kind, unique engineering utilizes paper tubes as a structural system.

Regular weekend gatherings at the Hyatt Regency Maui and Royal Lahaina Hotel have become part of the healing process for survivors of the August wildfires on Maui. In partnership with Hui Ho‘omalu and Laukanaka, Kamehameha Schools, Maui Arts & Cultural Center, and the hotel shel­ters, the Office of Wellness and Resilience has been coordinating the gatherings since early October.

Throughout January, veteran-owned Fire Dept. Coffee is donating a portion of its coffee and shirt sales to support the 18 Maui firefighters who lost their homes during the Aug. 8 fires.

Maui Land & Pineapple Company, Inc. announced the appointment of two new Independent Directors to its Board, effective Jan. 1, 2024: Catherine Ngo, a seasoned leader at the intersection of finance, technology, and law; and Maui native Ken Ota, a successful local entrepreneur with over 30 years of experience in the construction industry and water infrastructure. 

“He saved lives that day and for this l believe John [Miyamoto] deserves to be Employee of the Month,” said his nominator, who remained anonymous.

Central Pacific Financial Corp., the parent company of Central Pacific Bank, has appointed Robert Nobriga, effective Jan. 1, as a member of its board of directors for both companies.

The Maui Oceanfront Marathon, which includes a 5K, Mom’s 6-miler and half-marathon, is back for its 16th running on Jan. 14 with new race courses.