Maui News

The County of Maui Department of Human Concerns Immigration Services Division office in Wailuku will be closed Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2024, for staff training. It will reopen during normal operating hours Wednesday, Sept. 4, when it will begin accepting new US passport applications on an appointment-only basis. 

The public comment period is open through Sept. 15 on the remediation project for a fuel spill that occurred at Haleakalā’s summit on Maui last year. A lightning strike occurred on Jan. 29, 2023, that resulted in the emergency generator fuel spill. Contractor personnel working on the Maui Space Surveillance Complex site discovered the leak […]

The Hawai‘i State Department of Education announced that nine previously suspended school bus routes in East Hawaiʻi Island and Upcountry Maui will be reinstated starting Monday, Aug. 26, restoring service for nearly 200 student bus riders at nine schools. 

The County of Kauaʻi announced that its Homeowner Assistance Fund program has closed after successfully assisting 369 Garden Isle homeowners prevent foreclosure since its launch in November 2021.

The National Weather Service has issued a Tropical Storm Watch for the Big Island with the latest forecast track bringing the center of Hone near the South Point from Saturday night into Sunday morning. The NWS reports Hone will then strengthen to a Hurricane late Sunday as it passes south of Oʻahu and Molokaʻi.

HawaiiUSA Federal Credit Union is celebrating the one-year anniversary of its Life Matters Collective, an inaugural partnership showcasing both long-standing business partnerships and valued community partners of Hawaiʻi’s largest credit union.

Funding has been depleted for a Hawai‘i Community Foundation program that provided an array of support for individuals and couples without dependent children and non-citizens who were directly impacted by the Aug. 8, 2023, wildfires.

The Central Pacific Hurricane Center is monitoring Tropical Storm Hone, located far east-southeast of the state, and currently tracking westward. “While it is too early to determine the exact impacts, a transition to a wet and windy period is likely over the weekend through early next week as this tropical storm approaches and moves into the area,” according to the National Weather Service.

A total of five vehicles were damaged during an afternoon fire in the parking lot located at 69 Hobron Ave. in Kahului on Thursday. The fire was reported at 1:16 p.m., and was contained at 1:34 p.m. Maui Fire Department public information officer, Chris Stankis said the fire caused an estimated $106,500 in damage to the vehicles involved. The damaged vehicles belonged to patrons or employees of businesses at the site.

Public comments are due Sept. 9 on a draft environmental assessment for the Honolua to Honokōhau Management Plan, a project by the state Department of Land and Natural Resources State Parks Division to help with planning for the 244-acre coastline on the north shore of West Maui.

A new AARP workshop is giving tips on resources and services to help Maui residents stay rooted on Maui in the long run.

Jon Gersonde has been named general manager at The Ritz-Carlton Maui, Kapalua. He brings three decades of distinguished experience and leadership expertise to this important role at one of Maui’s most iconic resorts.

Pre-nursing students residing on Maui have the opportunity to enroll in a free Fall 2024 exam preparation course for the Test of Essential Academic Skills, which is the admission exam for nursing schools.

Lava’s Sportsbar & Karaoke in Wailuku celebrated its 5-year anniversary Sunday and raised $6,410 for Maui Economic Opportunity from a BBQ Plate Fundraiser as part of the celebration.

In an effort to mitigate future wildfire events, two of Maui’s first wildfire detection cameras have recently been deployed in Upper Kula, where 20 homes and 300 acres were lost during last year’s wildfires on Aug. 8.  

Work has been rescheduled to Wednesday, Aug. 28 for paving on the north side of the lot and Thursday, Aug. 29, on the south side of the lot from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., weather permitting. 

County of Maui Office of Economic Development Director Luana Mahi was placed on leave with pay on Aug. 20, 2024, pending further investigation. In March 2024, Mayor Richard Bissen, in consultation with the Department of the Corporation Counsel, authorized the Finance Department to conduct an internal audit of grants administered by the OED due to concerns brought to the attention of the administration.

The Maui Hotel & Lodging Association raised over $54,000 for Maui high school graduates and college students on Friday during its annual golf tournament.

A proposal to turn a former mango farm in north Kīhei into a nearly 15-acre light industrial project advanced Wednesday to the full Maui County Council with a recommendation for passage on first reading.

Hui O Ka Wai Ola released a new report on coastal water quality at dozens of locations from Honolua Bay to ‘Āhihi-Kīna’u Natural Area Reserve. The report summarizes changes—both improvements and declines—in water quality over eight years of data collection and confirms that measurements at sites in the Lahaina area remain within normal ranges.