Maui News

Lance DeSilva, Forest Management Supervisor, DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife said he hopes to get things settled down by Wednesday, “But we’ll stay out here as long as we have to,” he said.

Shoppers at the all-day event can expect discounts on a wide range of products including fashion, electronics, home goods, and more from their favorite retailers. Participating stores will set up special sidewalk displays to showcase their best summer deals.

In an action inspired by last month’s birth of a monk seal on Mokulua island off of O‘ahu’s windward coast, the Board of Land and Natural Resources approved the temporary closure of wildlife sanctuaries statewide when necessary to protect endangered or threatened species.

The Rotary Club of Kīhei Wailea has received a $21,000 grant from the Rotary D5000 Foundation Maui Fires Relief Fund to support Maui Rescue Mission mobile units. In the aftermath of the Maui wildfires, the mission stepped up its efforts by extending services to the Olowalu camp. It also began offering laundry services to Puʻuhonoa o Nēnē shelter.

With the one-year anniversary of the Lahaina and Upcountry wildfires drawing near, business owners are pausing to reflect on their resilience and ability to withstand adversity, including losses of life, property and livelihood.

The Rotary District of Hawaiʻi (D5000) contributed $10,000 to the Lahaina Restoration Foundation to shift a “winter wonderland” event in December from its usual location at the Lahaina Banyan Tree to the Royal Lahaina Resort in Kāʻanapali.

University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa researchers are undertaking a five-year, $3.8 million study of government’s response to the Lahaina wildfire disaster and its impact on residents.

Maui Council Member Yuki Lei Sugimura, who represents the Upcountry area says the anxiety for residents near the Haleakalā Crater Road fire is heightened due to their prior experience with the destructive wildfires in 2023. Sugimura commented on the structure and organization in determining potential evacuations, saying, “They are doing a lot more than we ever knew a year ago.”

Lahaina wildfire survivors will have an opportunity to participate in a Remembrance Ride to see recovery efforts for their beloved town within weeks of the one-year anniversary of the Aug. 8, 2023, wildfire disaster.

Firefighters battling the Haleakalā Crater Road fire have been challenged by difficult terrain, lava fields on the mauka side of the fire, soft soil when cutting firebreaks, swirling winds and low humidity. Maui fire officials note that while each fire is different, they have identified new technologies and organization that have helped to keep agencies better connected.

State and federal agencies are keeping a close eye on H5N1, the influenza A strain associated with highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) that has infected dairy cows in multiple states, as well as four people who worked closely with the infected cows.

The Taco Bell Foundation has awarded grants to two local nonprofit organizations: $30,000 to Boys & Girls Club of Hawaiʻi and $17,200 to Junior Achievement of Hawaiʻi.

Eli Kamakani Caires of Upcountry, Maui voyaged to the winner circle for his performance at the invitational underclassmen Chris Sailer’s Football Kicking Camp held at Notre Dame High-school in Northern California this past weekend.

Akakū Maui Community Media, along with sister access stations ‘Ōlelo on Oahu, Hō’ike on Kaua’i and Nā Leo on Hawai’i Island, won two Hometown Media Awards at the Alliance for Community Media national conference in San Jose, California in late June, for a collaborative effort to broadcast a statewide vigil following the Aug. 8. 2023 Maui wildfires.

The 13th Annual Paddle Imua crowned its champions this Sunday, July 14 following a race down the famed Maliko Run off the north shore of Maui. Paddle Imua is a multi-discipline paddling race which, in the spirit of the Hawaiian word “Imua” (meaning ‘to move forward’), aims to raise funds for Imua Family Services’ Camp Imua program – a 48-year Maui tradition which provides a week-long recreational summer camp experience for children with special needs. 

The Coast Guard and the County of Kaua‘i suspended its search at 2 p.m., Sunday, for two people who went missing after a helicopter crashed one-quarter mile off the Na Pali Coast, Thursday.

Dreams of homeownership came true for a young Maui family when Na Hale O Maui Executive Director Cassandra Abdul presented Codie and Pelemarie Chong with the keys to their new home on Meheu Circle in the Traditions at Maui Lani, Friday.

Earlier this week, members of the Hawaiʻi State government attended the National Forum on Education Policy in Washington D.C.

The 14th annual Hawai‘i Food & Wine Festival (HFWF) announced on Tuesday a sweepstakes for one lucky winner, with a grand prize valued at over $10,000. The deadline to enter for a chance to win is July 23.

Operating since 2006, Kaheawa Wind 1, Maui’s first wind farm, was recently selected to the Final Award Group for the Stage 3 request for proposal (“RFP”) from Hawaiian Electric to continue operations at the existing wind farm. The facility has a production capacity of 30 megawatts of power, serving approximately 17,000 homes annually and is located in Ukumehame above Mā‘alaea Harbor.