Maui News
The Shops at Wailea’s inaugural Slack Key Festival draws musicians and enthusiasts
The Shops at Wailea hosted its inaugural Slack Key Festival last weekend. Proceeds raised during the festival are going toward the Hawaiʻi Community Foundation’s Maui Strong Fund.
HIDOE distance learning hub to open in Lahaina next week
The Hawaiʻi State Department of Education will be offering a distance learning hub for K-8 Lahaina students starting Tuesday, Sept. 19, 2023 at Citizen Church located at 4275 Hine Way in Lahaina. The learning hub will provide distance learning students with in-person opportunities for teacher support and peer socialization, as well as access to meals, recess, social-emotional learning and other resources. Two additional learning hubs in the works for West Maui students
Ludacris and Larenz Tate join efforts to support Maui first responders after wildfires
The Ludacris Foundation, the nonprofit organization founded by actor-rapper Chris “Ludacris” Bridges joins with the Tate Bros Foundation founded by his close friend and actor Larenz Tate, to extend their support to the Maui community following last month’s devastating wildfires. This week, they announced the launch of their “Maui County First Responders Feeding Program Fund.”
Curated casting event for American Idol happening Oct. 8 at the Maui Family YMCA
The Maui Family YMCA will host a special curated in-person casting event to meet American Idol producers and sing for the chance at a VIP virtual audition with an executive producer. The event will take place on Sunday, Oct. 8, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Maui Family YMCA located at 250 Kanaloa Avenue in Kahului.
Maui Strong Support Groups, Sept. 26 in Wailuku
Mental Health America of Hawaiʻi hosts Maui Strong Support Groups Tuesday, Sept. 26, 2023 at the J. Walter Cameron Center in Wailuku.
New appointment process for Maui residents submitting DNA for ID of fire victims
A new process is in place for Maui residents wishing to submit DNA to be used in the identification of family members who are unaccounted for and may be fire victims.
Post-wildfire mapping and assessment of Maui’s leeward reefs, Sept. 14
As the community begins the recovery process after the devastating Lahaina and Upcountry wildfires, groups like the Maui Nui Marine Resource Council, are turning to the ocean to gather baseline conditions of coral reefs before impacts like fire-related runoff occur.
Private nonprofits can learn about disaster assistance funding at September briefings
Private nonprofits and government organizations seeking Federal Emergency Management Administration public assistance funding can learn more about how to apply at informational briefings this month on Maui and online.
Safety of Maui drinking water after the August wildfires is the focus of UH research
The team has collected water samples from Kula and Lahaina that are being tested for contaminants in labs on Maui and Oʻahu. Ten samples had been tested as of Aug. 27 and about 60 more are headed to the labs.
US Energy Secretary tours Lahaina, pledging federal help to improve electric infrastructure, become more resilient
US Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm came to Maui to offer federal help for energy recovery from the fires and tout the US Energy Department’s $95 million grant to Hawaiian Electric for grid infrastructure improvements and wildfire mitigation.
Results: 2023 Kū Mai Ka Hula competition
Winners have been announced for the 16th Annual Kū Mai Ka Hula Competition, held on Saturday, Sept. 9 in Castle Theater at Maui Arts & Cultural Center.
DOH releases preliminary, unvalidated data from Maui air sampling following wildfires
The Hawaiʻi Department of Health received access today to preliminary, unvalidated data of baseline air sampling conducted by the US Environmental Protection Agency in Lahaina and Upcountry Maui.
Three more Lahaina wildfire disaster victims identified Monday, bringing the total to 60
The Maui Police Department released the name of three more victims from the Aug. 8 Lahaina fire. Police today confirmed the identity of: Bibiana “Bhing” Lutrania, 58; Glenn Yoshino, 75; and Rafael Imperial, 63. All three are from Lahaina.
Island Energy Services and partners donate 100K more bottles of water to help with Maui wildfire recovery
Island Energy Services announced a second shipment of more than 100,000 bottles of Arrowhead Mountain Spring Water in three 40-foot shipping containers to provide ongoing assistance to those impacted by the Maui wildfires. This follows an initial shipment of more than 67,000 bottles of donated water last month.
HVCB appoints Scott Pauli as Executive Director of Island of Hawaiʻi Visitors Bureau
The Hawai‘i Visitors and Convention Bureau announced the appointment of Scott Pauli as Executive Director for the Island of Hawai‘i Visitors Bureau, an island chapter of HVCB. Over his career, he held various leadership positions at luxury resorts on O‘ahu, Maui and the island of Hawai‘i.
HIDOE bus service for Lahainaluna High students to Kūlanihākoʻi High to begin on Sept. 14
The Hawai‘i State Department of Education will begin free bus service on Thursday, Sept. 14, for Lahainaluna High students to their temporary school site at the Kūlanihākoʻi High School campus in Kīhei.
Kīlauea eruption has stabilized, alert level dropped from warning to watch
The Keanakākoʻi viewing area is closed due to unsafe air quality. A plume of volcanic smoke contains sulfur dioxide, other gases and shards of volcanic glass that pose a significant risk, according to the Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park Service.
DOH: Trace amount of toluene detected in Upper Kula water system
The presence of toluene was detected after the Upper Kula Wildfire in August of 2023. This strongly suggests its presence was an artifact of the wildfire impacting the surface water source for the Upper Kula Treatment Plant, according to the DOH. Further monitoring is planned by MDWS at the Upper Kula Treatment Plant.
Remembrance marking 22 Year Anniversary of 9/11
A remembrance service was held at the Kahului Fire Station on Maui, marking the 22 year anniversary of Sept. 11, 2001, and honoring the 2,977 people who lost their lives in the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and onboard United Flight 93.
Gov. Green appoints Keith Amemiya as Chair of Sports Task Force
Keith Amemiya has recently been appointed as chair of Governor Green’s Sports Task Force, which is under the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism.
