Maui News

The first floor of the Wailuku Garage opened to the public for parking today, Tuesday, Jan. 16, with a two-hour time limit on parking between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Parking will be free, initially, with the expectation that fees will apply in the future, pending approval of the PARK MAUI program by the Maui County Council.

Whale Tales returns to The Ritz-Carlton Maui, Kapalua as a signature event Feb. 16-18, 2024.

The Department of Health announced today the first influenza-associated death in a Hawaiʻi resident under the age of 18 during this influenza, or flu season. The child was an Oʻahu resident. Out of respect for the family’s privacy, no further information about the child is being released.

Rain and flooding resulted in rescues and road closures on Maui Tuesday morning. Around 8:45 a.m., Maui Fire Department’s Air One rescued two people from their vehicle, which was trapped in fast rising floodwaters along South Kīhei Road near Kaonoulu Street. Another three people in vehicles stalled in floodwaters were taken to safety on foot by fire department personnel.

The Piʻilani Highway in Kaupō is closed from Mile 19 to Mile 21 due to flooding. As of 8:33 a.m., Maui police have closed South Kīhei Road from North Kīhei Road to Kūlanihākoʻi Street due to flooding at multiple intersections. Motorists should avoid the area.

The National Weather Service has extended the Maui Flood Advisory until 10 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2024. At 7:06 p.m., radar indicated heavy rain over East Maui, with the heaviest rain falling along the southern slopes of Haleakalā. Rain was falling at a rate of 0.5 to 1 inches per hour.

The runway at Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport (KOA) on the Island of Hawaiʻi has reopened and flights have resumed this morning. Air travelers are asked to check with their airline for any potential schedule impacts. The runway was closed overnight while crews worked to repave a 10 foot by 20 foot section of runway that was cracked. Transportation officials say the state was scheduled to reconstruct the entire 11,000-foot runway this year, but recent rains resulted in cracks and accelerated pavement degradation on the runway.

As of 5 p.m., power has been restored to all customers, according to Hawaiian Electric Company.

On the Big Island summits, southwest winds of 50 to 70 mph will increase to 60 to 80 mph Tuesday. On the high summit of Haleakalā on Maui, southwest winds will build to 45 to 55 mph tonight and increase to 50 to 60 mph Tuesday.

The volunteers worked at Paeloko Learning Center, a Native Hawaiian education center in Waihe’e that provides hands-on learning opportunities through educational field trips, cultural workshops, and environmental restoration projects.

Fire debris removal begins in Lahaina on Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2024 under a collaborative effort between the County of Maui, the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the US Army Corps of Engineers.

Sober driving advocates will once again introduce legislation this session seeking to lower Hawaiʻi’s legal blood alcohol concentration level for driving from 0.08 to 0.05 percent. This is the fourth consecutive session that the Hawai‘i Alcohol Policy Alliance has supported such a bill.

Fresh lei and flowers draped the Stone of Hope Monument fronting the Kalana O Maui building today as Maui reflects on the vision of Martin Luther King Jr. Today is a holiday, honoring the civil rights leader, who fought against inequality, seeking justice for all. 

The public has one month left to participate in a short, eight-question survey on the next president of the University of Hawaiʻi.

The state Department of Transportation will be conducting road work this week that will result in lane closures at various locations. Lane closure schedules may change at any time without further notice. All projects are weather permitting.

Lisa M. Ginoza and Vladimir P. Devens were sworn in as Associate Justices of the Hawaiʻi Supreme Court by Chief Justice Mark E. Recktenwald at Aliʻiōlani Hale on Friday.  

The temporary traffic signal near Cut Mountain will allow vehicles hauling fire debris to cross the Lahaina Bypass. The crossing will only be for debris removal vehicles and is not open to the public. The signal will be manually controlled during work hours.

Another cold front approaches the islands from the northwest, bringing up another round of unstable showers starting tonight and lasting through Wednesday.

The CSI Camp 2024 is scheduled for June 24-28, 2024, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. This Camp is limited to 10 students and is offered at no cost to participants.

The US military service academy nominees include two students from Maui: Kaleikaumaka Roback (Kamehameha Schools Maui) and Chandler Tumaneng (Baldwin High School and US Naval Academy Preparatory School).