#amala place

A morning fire at an office trailer on Amala Place in Kahului caused $150,000 in damage Thursday. The incident was reported at 5:08 a.m. at a commercial recycling business.

A group of unsheltered residents living on Amala Place in Kahului sued the county in 2021, saying they weren’t given enough notice and weren’t granted a hearing to make their case before the sweep.

Two nēnē born and raised on Maui were killed by cars in separate incidents on Sunday, according to the state Department of Land and Natural Resources. Endangered nēnē are the Hawai‘i’s State Bird. One of the birds was part of a pair that witnesses report were being fed by someone in a stopped car on Amala Place in Kahului. The other nēnē was hit near the air cargo bypass of the airport.  

A Maui judge rejected the County of Maui’s request to dismiss a lawsuit filed against it by residents of a “houseless encampment” at Kanahā during “sweeps” conducted late last year. The County of Maui plans to appeal, and is asking that the matter be reviewed by the Intermediate Court of Appeals.

In the wake of a controversial encampment cleanup at ‘Amala Place in Kahului, a Maui County Council committee is considering a proposal that would set standards for houseless sweeps, cleanups, interventions and other such responses. Introduced by Council Member Gabe Johnson, the measure would set procedures for the removal and storage of property located in public places and would require that the county give people 45-day notices before removing encampments.

A lawsuit has been filed against the mayor and County of Maui arguing that the seizure of houseless peoples’ shelters and belongings at ‘Āmala  Place near Kanahā Beach Park without first providing a hearing “violated their constitutional rights.”

The County of Maui produced a video in an effort to reassure the public that actions taken during the ‘Āmala Place cleanup “were sympathetic to care for those in need.”

The county led cleanup effort of ‘Āmala Place in Kahului resulted in the removal of 58 tons of solid waste and 54 derelict vehicles this week, but not all are happy with the process and its impact on the unsheltered homeless individuals who were living in area encampments.

Since the cleanup began on Monday, social workers were able to assist eight individuals to move into shelter with support services, and 11 have moved out of the area. As of Wednesday, county officials say five occupants remain temporarily camped on “privately owned land.” Two are planning to move into shelter on Thursday and the other three will relocate by Friday at the landowner’s request, according to a county press release.

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.

County officials say the temporary closure is needed to safeguard public safety during the area’s planned clean-up that will require heavy equipment to remove derelict vehicles and solid waste from the area.  

A couple attempting to recover a stolen vehicle on their own led to a dangerous confrontation and multiple arrests according to Maui police.

An estimated 1,305 gallons of wastewater overflowed along Amala Place in Kahului on Thursday morning, Feb. 9, 2017.

Using protective gear and Self Contained Breathing Apparatuses or SCBA, three firefighters entered the Island Grocery Depot building in Kahului and located a gas leak coming from the refrigeration equipment over the chiller boxes.

Newly installed gates on the west side of the park on Amala Place, and at Kaʻa Street, will be locked overnight. This means that all vehicles must be removed from the park before closing, otherwise vehicles will be towed.

A Haʻikū man charged with second degree murder in connection with the death of a man at Kaʻa Point in Kahului, pleaded not guilty in Wailuku District Court yesterday.

A preliminary hearing concluded today for a Haʻikū man charged with second degree murder in connection with the death of 39-year-old Michael Colby at Kaʻa Point in Kahului on March 19, 2016.

Friends have renewed their plea for tips in the unsolved murder of Michael Colby at Kaʻa Point on Maui, and have posted a $10,000 cash reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction in the case.

The victim of an apparent homicide on Maui was identified by police today as Michael Colby, 39, of Kahului.

Water officials say contractors are replacing and upgrading waterlines on Hobron Avenue and ʻĀmala Place, with work set to begin at 9 p.m., on Thursday, Sept. 26, and conclude by 5 a.m. on Friday, Sept. 27.