Maui News

The Hawaiʻi State Department of Transportation reports that 59 people have been killed in traffic related crashes statewide from January through July 27, 2024; a 17% increase from 49 fatalities at the same time last year.

“Lahaina Ondo” is a new bon dance song that honors the Lahaina community by recalling fond summertime memories of everyday life in Lahaina. It is set to be released on all digital platforms Aug. 8 together with a music video. The song and dance will be presented to the Lahaina community and performed publicly for the first time at the special Aug. 10 Lahaina Bon Dance at the Lahaina Cannery Mall.

Members of the Maui County Urban Design Review Board will review plans for construction of Asako Plaza, a new 18,744-square-foot, three-story building at Kehalani Village Center in Wailuku.

The Hawai‘i Police Department announced the identification of a suspect via DNA evidence in the 1991 murder of Dana Ireland. Age 23 at the time of her death, Ireland was kidnapped, raped, and murdered in the Kapoho area of Hawai‘i Island on Dec. 24, 1991. She died the next day at the Hilo Medical Center.

Ruth Griffith of Kaunoa Senior Services and a survivor of the Lahaina wildfires, and volunteer Adele Rugg were honored as Kupuna Advocates of the Year at the 52nd Kupuna Aloha Luncheon on Saturday at the Grand Wailea.

Scheduled utility work will impact area traffic along South High Street between Malako and Aupuni streets in Wailuku from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Aug. 2. Hawaiian Electric will work on utility pole replacements and power line upgrades.

Hua Momona Foundation has announced its musical lineup for the inaugural Maui Music & Food Experience, taking place from Sept. 5-7, 2024. The event will feature a host of acclaimed musicians, including special guest Mick Fleetwood of Fleetwood Mac. This multi-night celebration of music and culinary arts will raise crucial funding for food, housing and mental health support for survivors of the August 2023 Lahaina fire.

Update: (8:21 a.m., July 30, 2024) Cooke was located and found to be in good health.  The Maui Police Department thanked the public for their assistance.

Eight people were displaced following a fire at the Harbor Lights Condominiums in Kahului early Sunday morning. At least eight individuals were displaced and were being assisted by the American Red Cross. One resident was treated for possible smoke inhalation.

Two hālau from Maui brought home multiple awards from 2024 Queen Liliʻuokalani Keiki Hula competition held at the Neal S. Blaisdell Center in Honolulu, July 25-27. The event, now in its 49th year, drew hundreds of participants from 18 hālau across the state, with the largest contingent of 57 dancers coming from Wailuku, Maui.

Hawai‘i Department of Transportation (HDOT) crews will be restriping Honoapi‘ilani Highway (Route 30) between Kapunakea Street and Keawe Street fronting the Lahaina Cannery Mall in preparation for the reopening of the highway at noon on Thursday, Aug. 1.

A 77-year-old visitor was airlifted to safety after he was injured in a 25-foot fall from Puʻu Kauiki while attempting to access Kaihalulu “Red Sand” Beach in Hāna. The man suffered from facial and other bodily injuries consistent with a fall, according to department reports. Crews responded to the call at 1:27 p.m. on Saturday, […]

The Kukui Mall parking lot was overflowing recently, spilling onto busy traffic on South Kīhei Road on a sultry summer night. A closer look revealed the reason: patrons crowding into Cool Cat Cafe, relocated last month to South Maui after wildfire destroyed its longtime Wharf Cinema Center location, across from the famed Banyan Tree in historic Lahaina town.

Hawaiʻi Gas filed an application with the Hawaiʻi Public Utilities Commission on Friday requesting adjustments to utility gas rates on all islands. The rate increase would provide for increased reliability and energy resiliency and cover operational and maintenance costs that have gone up significantly over the past seven years.

Members of the Maui Strikers Mixed Plate 2010 Girls Soccer Team have returned home after finishing first and second in summer tournaments in Oregon.

The Maui Chamber of Commerce is reminding the community that nominations are still being accepted for the Annual Mayor’s Small Business Awards in 2024 and are due on Thursday, Aug. 15, 2024. All nominees and winners will be honored during an event on Sept. 19, 2024.

The monthly test of the all-hazard Statewide Outdoor Warning Siren System is scheduled for Thursday, Aug. 1, 2024, at 11:45 a.m. The siren test will be coordinated with a test of the Live Audio Broadcast segment of the Emergency Alert System.

Since its inception in 2005, this grant program has provided over $376,000 to public schools across Hawaiʻi, funding programs, tools, supplies, and equipment to boost science education. Public schools serving intermediate, high school, and college-grade students on Oʻahu, Maui, and Molokaʻi are eligible to apply.

The prone paddleboard race was the featured competition for an international field of athletes in the last of two race weekends celebrating the 25th Moloka’i-2- O’ahu Paddleboard World Championships.

“By putting AI-enhanced tools directly into the hands of local producers, we’re not just developing new technology—we’re cultivating a more sustainable and resilient agricultural future for our islands,” said Sayed Bateni, project principal investigator and professor in the UH Mānoa Department of Civil, Environmental and Construction Engineering and Water Resources Research Center.