Maui News

The Hawai‘i Department of Health’s Maui Food Safety Branch issued a red “closed” placard to a fast food and catering business in Kahului for “multiple critical food safety violations.”

As government leaders are tasked with meeting the critical need for housing in the wake of the August wildfires on Maui, one suggestion has drawn particular interest. For Maui resident, Matt Jachowski, there’s only one answer: utilizing short-term rentals and second homes while seeking federal and philanthropic dollars to fill the rent gap.

The Hawaiʻi State Senate confirmed both Judge Lisa M. Ginoza and attorney Vladimir P. Devens to the position of Associate Justice to the Hawaiʻi Supreme Court.

As Hawaiʻi grapples with a surge in wildfires threatening communities and ecosystems, bipartisan efforts are underway to introduce legislation to tackle prevention and preparedness.

For entertainment this week on Maui, there’s multiple Grammy winner Kalani Pe’a, Amy Hānaiali’i’s annual Christmas concert, a Jazz & Blues Festival, a Jazz Maui event with Louise Lambert Quartet, and a bit of Shakespeare with Jason Feddy. Find our comprehensive listing HERE.

The Hawaiʻi Department of Transportation, County of Maui, and the Federal Highway Administration is installing an emergency stormwater capture system in Lahaina to reduce the environmental impact from silt, ash and other disaster debris potentially entering storm drainage systems.

An ocean search is underway for a missing swimmer off of the “Cliffhouse” area of Kapalua in West Maui. Crews were called to the scene at 3:38 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 20, 2023, in response to a report of a 42-year-old California man, who was washed out in rough conditions after jumping from the rocks into the ocean.

The state Division of Boating and Ocean Recreation plans to introduce legislation again in 2024 to try and address the issue of fairness when issuing permits for surf instruction companies to operate at the popular Kahaluʻu Bay surf spot on Hawaiʻi Island. This comes after a recent lottery, in which with three out of the four companies selected are owned by the same person.

The Department of Water Supply amended the Unsafe Water Advisory for Lahaina to remove areas L-3A and L-3B. Water serving buildings and homes in areas L-3A and L-3B is declared safe for unrestricted use effective Nov. 20, 2023. Community members can search an address using the interactive Water Advisory Map to confirm if their address is outside or within the advisory area. 

Maui Health continued its annual holiday tradition of giving by donating more than 4,600 combined pounds of turkey, vegetarian roast, and rice to the Maui Food Bank. The donation was delivered on Monday, and included nearly 250 frozen turkeys and vegetarian roasts, and a full pallet of 15-pound bags of rice.

Holiday cheer is on its way to Kapalua. All are invited to experience the magic of the festive season as The Ritz-Carlton Maui, Kapalua hosts its Holiday Tree Lighting Ceremony on Friday, Dec. 1 from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.  

Speaker Scott K. Saiki established interim House working groups charged with evaluating specific topics related to the Lahaina wildfire and making recommendations for appropriate legislative action. Todayʻs meeting starts at 2 p.m., and is available via video conference.

Students at Kīhei Charter School raised $5,000 for the Maui Strong organization to help with relief efforts following the Aug. 8 Maui wildfires.

Based on reporting from the airlines, there are no major increases in the number of flights at Hawai‘i airports compared to last Thanksgiving; however, flights are expected to be fuller, meaning the airports will be busier, especially during peak times between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. The busiest travel day is expected to be Wednesday, Nov. 22, followed by Sunday, Nov. 26.

Maui Economic Opportunity Dispatcher Doreen Kepano sent her last MEO bus to pick up a rider on Friday, Nov. 17, as she steps into retirement, ending a 36-year career with the nonprofit organization.

This interim DCMP is funded by the American Red Cross for 90 days and will provide 20 dedicated case managers who will be able to help support up to 700 individuals. Once finalized, the FEMA-supported DCMP will expand to provide support to all survivors for up to two years.

County of Maui Disaster Area Restrictions will be lifted for owners and residents with vehicle passes from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. beginning Friday and Saturday, Nov. 24-25, in Zones 5G, 7F and 7G.

The Hoʻūlu Lahaina Unity Gathering aims to bring the community together in a show of support for those affected by the fires. The group is also calling on the waʻa (canoe) community across Hawaiʻi to join this effort.

Over a thousand people came out on Sunday, Nov. 19 to support Maui at the Neal Blaisdell Center on Oʻahu. Maui vendors participating in the Kōkua for Maui: Shop and Show Aloha event showcased various products from around Maui County, giving many businesses a new opportunity to sell and highlight their work. 

AARP Hawaiʻi today announced grants totaling $625,000 from AARP Foundation that will go to local organizations providing relief assistance to older victims of the recent Maui wildfires.