Maui News

Case, a member of the U.S. House Committee on Appropriations responsible for all federal discretionary spending, highlighted Native Hawaiian projects and initiatives in a $1.7 trillion omnibus funding measure recently approved by Congress and signed into law by the president. 

As Maui rings in the new year, we take a moment to reflect on 2022–a year that brought highs and lows, challenges and triumphs, and shed light on erosion and the economy. Here are Maui Now’s top 22 stories of 2022…

Mayor-elect Richard Bissen announced the appointments of: Kauanoe Batangan, Deputy Director of Department of Transportation; Koa Hewahewa, Deputy Director, Department of Agriculture; Saumalu Mataafa, Deputy Director of Department of Housing & Human Concerns; Robert Schmidt, Deputy Director, Department of Environmental Management; Wendy Taomoto, Deputy Director of Department of Public Works; and Steve Tesoro, Deputy Director of Department of Finance

Saying that DHHL beneficiary demand for homesteading opportunities is “very high,” Villages of Leialiʻi 1-B units would go toward beneficiaries currently on the waitlist for a residential lease on Maui. Approximately 3,891 beneficiaries were on the wait list for a residential homestead as of June 30, 2021, the report said.

Mayor-elect Richard Bissen announced the appointment of Josiah Nishita as deputy managing director, as well as the appointments of first deputies for the Department of the Corporation Counsel and the Department of the Prosecuting Attorney, Budget Director, and Economic Development Director.

Video footage from across Central and South Maui shows fireworks being set off to ring in the New Year.

Mayor-elect Bissen completed his director appointments with the selection of John Stufflebean to lead the Department of Water Supply, James “Kimo” Landgraf to serve as deputy director.

The Sentry Tournament of Champions returns to The Plantation Course at Kapalua from Jan. 4-8 with 39 of the PGA TOUR’s best officially committing to the TOUR’s annual stop on Maui.

Molokaʻi Community Health Center has received Community Project Funding in the amount of $1,664,000 from the recently passed $1.7 trillion federal spending bill for the expansion of dental services.

More than 1,000 children’s books with favorites from Dr. Seuss, Llama Llama and more were presented to Maui Economic Opportunity Head Start preschoolers as the beneficiary of the Barnes & Noble Holiday Book Drive.

A swarm of small earthquakes beneath the Kīlauea caldera is being attributed to repressurization after the end of the last eruption. There were approximately 25 earthquakes of less than magnitude 2 that occurred between 6 and 9 p.m. HST on Friday, Dec. 30, 2022.

Owners, guests, and associates of Marriott’s Maui Ocean Club raised more than 7,000 pounds of food for local families, while the Hyatt Residence Club Maui, Kā’anapali Beach collected and donated more than 500 pounds of food.

AARP Hawaiʻi’s Zumba Gold online exercise classes are on Thursdays at 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. starting Jan. 12 through Feb. 25.

The gift cards for lower-income kūpuna in Maui County was funded with a $20,000 donation from AlohaCare.

Maui Health employees across each of five facilities continued their annual tradition of giving this year, spreading holiday cheer and hundreds of gifts with 44 Maui County families in need. the distribution was made through Maui Family Support Services’ Adopt-A-Family program.

The Department of Public Safety announced the selection of four new wardens, including Liane Endo as warden of the Maui Community Correctional Center, effective Jan. 3, 2023.

The Maui County Farm Bureau honored Kai Pelayo, the community affairs manager with Bayer-Maui, as its Member of the Year for 2022.

The water service outage will affect 100 homes and 60 businesses and 100 fire hydrants. Water service will be out tentatively for six hours from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 30, 2022, in order to make necessary repairs. The affected area will begin at South Kīhei Road between the Kīhei boat ramp and Kamaʻole Beach Park 1.

Finalizing the acquisition was the last step before establishing a North Shore Preservation Zone to include Baldwin Beach Park, Baby Beach (Wawaʻu Point), plus 4 acres of shoreline between Mama’s Fish House in Kuʻau and Hoʻokipa. 

The Maui Police Department is proud to announce the promotion of Nicholas Krau to the rank of Lieutenant, scheduled to take effect on Jan. 16, 2023.