Maui News

Maui visitors in January more than doubled year over year, and U.S. Mainland travel to Hawaiʻi continues to rival or top pre-pandemic monthly numbers, according to recent reports released by the state. 

Maui Now’s featured job openings for the week of Feb. 27 to March 5, 2022.

Maui Fire Chief Bradford Ventura today announced the promotion of 15 individuals to various ranks within the department.

“While there is no specific, credible threat to Hawai‘i at this time, we encourage all organizations—regardless of size—to heed the Department of Homeland Security’s recommendations and adopt a heightened posture when it comes to cybersecurity and protecting their most critical assets,” said Frank Pace, Administrator, Hawai‘i Office of Homeland Security.

More than 70 people gathered this morning at the Kalana O Maui Building in Wailuku as Maui Mayor Michael Victorino proclaimed today as Ukraine Solidarity Day throughout the County of Maui.

The Department of Hawaiian Home Lands awarded 14 recipients with grants totaling $859,375 through its Community Development Program.

Of today’s 166 cases, there are 134 cases identified as confirmed, and 32 probable cases were added to the count.  The confirmed cases included: 61 on O‘ahu (+22 probable); 19 on Hawai‘i Island (+5 probable); 16 on Maui (+5 probable); 11 on Kaua‘i; 0 on Molokaʻi; 0 on Lānaʻi; and 27 Hawai‘i resident diagnosed while out of state.

As part of President Joe Biden’s plan to address the pandemic, the US Postal Service has delivered more than 270 million free COVID-19 rapid-at-home test kits to 68 million American households.

The Kīpahulu Campground will officially reopen on March 16, 2022. To stay in the campground, campers will need to utilize the new online reservation system on Recreation.gov, starting March 16. 

A new real estate company that helps people own their second luxury home is rolling out a welcome mat in Maui, but some residents are already pushing back, saying they’re timeshares in disguise that will ruin neighborhoods.

Maui County’s Plastic Disposable Foodware Ordinance No. 5084 went into effect today. The ban was supposed to take effect in the new year, but implementation was postponed for two months amid COVID-related supply chain delays.

Rescuers were unable to save the life of a woman who became caught in a rip current at Koki Beach in East Maui on Tuesday afternoon.

In conjunction with the end of Mahina ‘Ōlelo Hawai‘i (Hawaiian language month) in February, the Hawai‘i Department of Transportation announces Hawaiian names and words on new or replacement highway signs shall include kahakō and ʻokina in conformance with Hawaiian language resources. This policy is effective immediately.

Mayor Michael Victorino will host a brief ceremony to proclaim Wednesday, March 2, as Ukraine Solidarity Day in Maui County.  Members of Maui County’s Ukrainian community will receive the proclamation after the reading.

Governor David Ige today announced an end to the state’s Safe Travels Hawaiʻi program for domestic travel when the state’s current emergency proclamation related to COVID-19 ends on March 25, 2022; but he left the door open to potentially extend the state’s indoor mask mandate.

In response to a petition from the Center for Biological Diversity, the US Fish and Wildlife Service said this week it plans to regulate US commercial fisheries’ incidental killing of seabirds, which now is about 7,000 per year.

Whatʻs on the minds of Maui residents? This version of Maui Nowʻs letters includes topics about “nonsense” drink tax research, underage drinking, loss of beach access, need to repair Kula bike lanes, church steeple repair campaign, Humane Society animals being shipped to other islands and promotion for Russian vodka during invasion of Ukraine.

Applications for high-quality, free prekindergarten programs are now being accepted by 11 public charter schools statewide, including Kualapu‘u Charter School on Molokaʻi.

Blue Hawaiian Helicopters, Blue Hawaiian Activities, and LifeSave KuPono partnered with the Maui Food Bank to pack more than 500 food boxes for kūpuna who reside at Hale Mahaolu Senior Residences on Maui, Moloka’i and Lāna’i. 

Starting this week, MIRA Image Construction will be doing underground utility work on West Vineyard Street in Wailuku, between Church and High streets.