Maui News

Approximately 16 tons of illegal fireworks were seized in a shipping container late last week in Honolulu as part of enforcement efforts conducted by the state’s Illegal Fireworks Task Force.

James Campbell Company LLC, a $5.3 billion, nationally diversified real estate company based in Hawaiʻi, announced the appointment of Kevin Penn as the company’s new chief executive officer, effective Jan. 8, 2024.

Nearly two years after conservationists believed all seven kiwikiu birds translocated to the Nakula Natural Area Reserve on Maui had died, a single honeycreeper from the group was located and confirmed to be alive.

Governor Josh Green, M.D., named State Representative and former State House Vice Speaker John Mizuno as the Governor’s Coordinator on Homelessness.   

Maui police issued an update on Tuesday, Dec. 26, 2023, saying Maelynne Mollena was located and found to be in good health.  The Maui Police Department thanked the public for their assistance.

With ongoing recovery efforts and an estimated 6,000 people still in search of longer-term living arrangements, greater emphasis is being placed on encouraging property owners to offer their available units as long-term housing for survivors and their families.

US Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) announced that Hawai‘i will receive $3.9 million in new federal funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to support the ongoing recovery effort on Maui following the fires in August. To date, Hawai‘i has received more than $412 million in federal funding for the response to the fires.

The Core Four Business Planning’s first series of 2024, presented by Maui Economic Opportunity’s Business Development Center, starts Tuesday, Jan. 9,, and runs twice weekly through Thursday, Feb. 8.

The bonds will provide critical funding for various public buildings and facilities, elementary and secondary schools, community college and university facilities, public libraries, parks, and highways, among other public improvement projects. 

An estimated four acres of brush burned in an afternoon fire along the Maui Veterans Highway west of the Maui Raceway Park between Kahului and Kīhei on Tuesday.

A family of five was displaced during an afternoon house fire in Olowalu, and their family dog is deceased as a result of the incident. The fire resulted in the total loss of the structure, valued at $395,000.

This year’s series of wildfires on Maui, Hawai‘i Island, and O‘ahu raised awareness about this threat to a new level. It is reflected in the proposed budget Governor Josh Green, M.D., submitted to the state Legislature on Monday. 

Bills 121 and 125 will be considered on second and final reading to support the new Office of Recovery and authorize the mayor to enter intergovernmental agreements for public-assistance grants from the state Emergency Management Agency.

The initiative is to commence during the 2024 federal fiscal year and enables Hawai’i government agencies to receive consultation, capacity-building support and ongoing mentoring to increase competitive employment  for people with disabilities. 

Slappy Cakes Maui, announces its return after a brief hiatus. The restaurant celebrates a decade of serving the West Maui community and welcomes back residents with gratitude.

The Maui Veterans Highway was reopened around 2:40 p.m., according to a spokesperson with the Maui Police Department. The brush fire was reportedly contained around 3:36 p.m. The Maui Fire Department will release specifics following their response.

The Women’s Community Correctional Center held a graduation ceremony Wednesday, Dec. 13, 2023, for women who earned a certificate from the Kapiolani Community College Culinary Arts Program as well as women who earned a certificate from the Windward Community College Psycho-Social Developmental Studies Program.

Rat lungworm larvae are present in snail slime when the snails are exposed to stress, according to findings from University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa researchers.

US Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) led 10 of her colleagues in introducing the Impact Aid Infrastructure Partnership Act, legislation that would provide a total of $1 billion over four years for Impact Aid Construction Grants to address the significant backlog of facility needs at federally impacted school districts.

In one of the largest philanthropic donations of its kind in Hawaiʻi, 282 acres was donated in Waimea on Hawaiʻi Island for affordable housing.