Maui News

Nearly a year after wildfire overwhelmed Lahaina Small Boat Harbor, exploding fuel tanks and incinerating vessels moored dockside, a quiet Hawaiian blessing ceremony was held Monday for the harbor’s repaired fuel dock, now ready for business.

The County of Maui announced there will be no weekly Lahaina Disaster Recovery Community Update meetingthis Wednesday, Aug. 7, to allow for preparations for Remembrance Week gatherings. 

In a significant move to address the escalating food needs of the Maui community in the aftermath of last year’s devastating wildfires, Maui Food Bank and the American Red Cross have partnered to launch a new fixed distribution center, “Da Market.” This new facility, located at 48 Ulupono Street in Lahaina, spans 4,000 square feet and includes both a warehouse and market area, creating a welcoming and supportive environment for those in need.

Gov. Josh Green, M.D., today announced that the first Maui wildfire survivors have moved into units in the Hale ʻO Lāʻie interim housing project (formerly the Haggai Institute) in Kīhei.

Maui’s contemporary dance company Adaptations Dance Theater (ADT) will present its sixth annual “Bring it Home” dance concert on Aug. 16-18 at the Historic ʻĪao Theater. Showtimes are 7 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and 2 p.m. on Sunday.

As of Friday, 1,372 residential properties in Lahaina had been cleared of ash and debris, representing 98% of the homes destroyed in the Aug. 8, 2023, wildfire disaster, according to Col. Eric Swenson, Maui Wildfires Recovery Field Office commander with the US Army Corps of Engineers.

Humanitarian aid organization, World Vision returns to West Maui this week to host several distribution drives for families affected by last year’s wildfires. During the week of Aug 5, World Vision will host distribution events in Kahului and Pukalani.

Kaiser Permanente Moanalua Medical Center has been named by US News & World Report as a 2024-2025 Best Hospital.

They move on to play Eastvale Little League of Southern California at 11 a.m. HST (2 p.m. PT) on Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024.  They are two wins away from a regional title and a securing a spot in the Little League Baseball World Series in Williamsport Pa. Tuesday’s game will be carried on ESPN.

To celebrate community pride and local culture, cities across the nation have been transforming their area codes into holidays and events. Queen Kaʻahumanu Center is excited to bring this tradition to Hawaiʻi with the launch of 808 Bash, a new signature event for the center. The day’s activities will run from 12 to 9 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 24.

In partnership with Aloha United Way (AUW), Town Center of Mililani on Oʻahu hosts Mililani + Maui – United in Aloha: A Day of Lōkahi on Saturday, Aug. 10, 2024. The community can gather to mark the one-year commemoration of the Aug. 8 wildfires on Maui, the deadliest natural disaster in Hawaiʻi’s history. The center aims to honor the memory of this solemn day and acknowledge the resilience and unity of those affected. The day’s lineup will include donation collections, community resources, keiki activities and cultural entertainment. 

US Sen. Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) delivered remarks on the Senate floor marking one year since the devastating Maui wildfires. In her speech, Hirono paid tribute to the individuals lost in the fires, honored the resilience of those impacted by the fires, and also emphasized the need for Congress to pass a supplemental funding bill to provide the resources that Maui, and other communities across the country impacted by disasters, will need.

HVO’s summit location was ideal for monitoring Kīlauea and Mauna Loa, Hawaiʻi’s two most active volcanoes.

The US Department of Interior has approved $375,000 in funding to the Hawai‘i Department of Agriculture for efforts to prevent the introduction of the brown tree snake (BTS), which is the top invasive species threat to Hawai‘i. The funds awarded to Hawai‘i are part of more than $3.66 million approved by the USDOI to fight BTS.

Spirits were lifted for hundreds of West Maui families this week, as Sacred Hearts School celebrated the blessing of their new temporary campus on Friday.

Crater Road has reopened to through traffic as of 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 3, 2024. The road had been closed since July 27 as a safety precaution as crews continued work to contain the 574-acre Crater Road Fire which began on July 10.

A 62-year-old Pukalani man reported trolling in his boat near the shoreline between the “Pali” lookout and tunnel when he observed a fishing pole bobbing in the water and an unresponsive male nearby. The victim has since been identified as a 23-year-old Kīhei man. 

The Hawai‘i Tourism Authority (HTA) is seeking community partnerships to support natural resources, culture, community festivals, and signature events statewide through June 2025. An information session for interested Maui applicants will be held on Tuesday, Aug. 13, from 5 to 6 p.m. at Kāko‘o Maui Resource Center, Maui Mall.

A “Spiritual and Wellness Health Fair” for Lahaina and Kula wildfire survivors will be held 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Aug. 17 at the Lahaina Civic Center.

Ruth Darlene of Women of Silicon Valley will speak on “Loving Dr Jekyll, Leaving Mr. Hyde… when an intimate partner is a covert abuser” during Rotary Club of Kīhei-Wailea meeting beginning at 11:45 a.m. Aug. 7 at Kīhei Lutheran Church. The church is at 220 Moi Place in north Kīhei.