Maui News

The Kahului Post Office hosts its 6th weekend Passport Fair event on Saturday, Sept. 25, for Maui residents and out-of-state visitors who want to apply for new US passports.

The Maui Food Bank is the latest organization to announce receipt of a “significant personal donation” from Amazon Founder, Jeff Bezos.

On Monday, Lt. John Yamamoto of the DLNR Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement and his officers posted a half dozen camps in the bushes next to the beach, warning people they’d need to move today. State officials say the crews encountered at least two illegal campers who were told to leave before the contract crews and heavy equipment moved in.

New research led by scientists at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa reveals the species which dominate experimental coral reef communities shift due to climate change, but the total biodiversity does not decline under future ocean conditions of warming and acidification expected by the end of the century.

The Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi’s State Central Committee, the governing body of the organization, recently passed Resolution 2021-03 (see below) by a unanimous vote, which “encourages all members of the Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi and all members of the public who are eligible, and who do not otherwise have a medical contraindication or hold an objection based on bona fide religious tenets and practices, to get vaccinated against COVID-19 to keep themselves, their family members, and others in the community safe from significant COVID-19 illness.”

Maui Mauka, a nonprofit that nurtures nature-based tourism, is hosting free online Conservation Awareness Training on Oct. 21 from 1 to 4 pm and Nov. 9 from 9 am to noon, via Zoom.

During Hawaiʻi Energy’s Free Bulb Swap promotion, Hawai‘i residents can trade old, inefficient bulbs for LED lighting at participating HouseMart Ace Hardware stores on Maui, O‘ahu and Hawai‘i Island.

Hāna Highway (360) in the area on Nāhiku Road is closed in both directions due to a Motor Vehicle Accident. Maui police ask motorists to avoid the area until further notice. Details are pending release.

There were 280 additional COVID-19 cases in Hawai‘i on Tuesday, including 21 on Maui and one on Molokaʻi.

Educators expressed their concerns about student and teacher safety and well-being, impacts on learning environments, and stresses on teachers. The union also says that on Maui, a lack of free COVID-19 testing in schools means students are being forced to quarantine for days, losing out on instruction.

Maui Now is conducting a survey focused on understanding the opinions and attitudes of community members about Maui County’s economy, leadership, and coronavirus response.

The long-term likelihood of an area being invaded by lava in the future, is estimated in two different ways based on the history of lava flow activity. One approach uses a geologic map to calculate how much land surface was covered by lava during different periods going back into the past; the resulting numbers are called coverage rates. Another approach calculates how frequently lava flows have occurred within specific areas over time; the resulting number is a lava flow probability.

In a letter to Democratic Congressional leaders, the coalition, led by New York Attorney General Letitia James, calls on Congress to pass infrastructure legislation and to allocate funding in the upcoming reconciliation bill that addresses the rapid transition to a clean energy economy, climate change, and the environmental injustices faced by low-income communities, communities of color, and Tribal and indigenous communities.

“We know that kupuna have questions about the COVID-19 vaccine and booster shots. The Telephone Town Hall is one way to give kupuna access to reliable information about vaccines, booster shots and how to get the shots,” said Keali`i Lopez, AARP Hawai`i State Director. “The Telephone Town Hall format allows kupuna who do not have internet access to participate by phone and participants will have an opportunity to ask questions directly of Dr. Kemble.”

The Say Yes! COVID Test At-Home Testing Challenge will provide 125,000 Oʻahu residents who live in eligible ZIP codes with eight rapid antigen tests. The program encourages participants to use the tests twice a week for four weeks, regardless of symptoms, to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and keep the community healthy.

Maui County hotels revenue per available room, known as RevPAR, was $439 for August 2021, a 43.6% increase from pre-pandemic August 2019, according to the latest Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority’s Hawaiʻi hotel Performance Report.

Today, on the 10-year anniversary of the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy repeal, US Senators Brian Schatz (D-HI), Joni Ernst (R-IA) and Todd Young (R-IN) reintroduced the Restore Honor to Service Members Act.

Aloha Petroleum’s inaugural Giving Pump campaign, which donates one cent per gallon to the nonprofit family agency Parents And Children Together, ends Sept. 30.

Kaiser Permanente Hawaiʻi announced grants totaling $400,000 to grassroots nonprofits, including Hui No Ke Ola Pono

The Department of Water Supply is reporting a water outage today in Pukalani from Aina Lani Drive to Keikilani Street because of a break in an 8-inch main waterline. The break occurred in a remote and difficult-to-reach gulch below Kamehameha Schools.