#august wildfires

The Maui Planning Commission heard more than seven hours of often impassioned testimony Tuesday, then deliberated nearly three hours before recommending that the Maui County Council approve a bill to phase-out of thousands of short-term rentals in apartment districts, mostly in South and West Maui.

The Maui County Council has approved extending the construction completion date to September 2029 for Waikapū Development Venture’s 80-unit affordable workforce housing project south of Wailuku town.

After voting unanimously last month to restrict public access to Holomua Road because of concerns about the threat of brush fires and public safety in Pāʻia, Maui County Council members heard opposition earlier this week from homeless advocates arguing that closing the road would displace people who have nowhere else to live.

The County of Maui filed a third-party complaint on Wednesday in the Circuit Court of the Second Circuit, State of Hawaiʻi, against Verizon Wireless, T-Mobile US, Spectrum Mobile, and AT&T related to the August 2023 Maui wildfires.

Student teaching assistant Ryan Chang will earn two associate of applied arts degrees in May (one specializing in culinary arts and the other specializing in baking and pastry). He played a key role in the college’s emergency production of thousands of meals in the aftermath of the August wildfires. 

As Maui residents look ahead to rebuilding after the devastation of the August wildfires, there’s another danger awaiting them — fraudulent construction contractors.

The dedication and blessing of the temporary campus for Kamehameha III Elementary School, makai of Kapalua Airport, was a milestone for the community of Lahaina on Monday as residents took another step in recovering from the August wildfires.

Commissioners credited Chief Ventura for successfully managing equipment upgrades, recruitment and retention of employees, oversight of capital improvement projects, spearheading the department’s wellness program, collaborating with nonprofits for enhanced emergency response, and effective problem solving.

The aftermath of the August wildfires continue to impact Maui County hotel performance, the Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority reports, but the county still leads the state in revenue per available room in February because of comparatively higher average daily room rates.

Maui Nui Marine Resource Council will host the February edition of its “Know Your Ocean Speaker Series” featuring Susan Frett of Pacific Whale Foundation, on Feb. 7 at 5:30 p.m. via Zoom.

Executives with Hawaiian Airlines and Alaska Airlines discussed their recently announced merger agreement during a fireside chat hosted by the Maui Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday.

Slappy Cakes Maui, announces its return after a brief hiatus. The restaurant celebrates a decade of serving the West Maui community and welcomes back residents with gratitude.

“We are balancing the need for prompt action with the need to ensure the County of Maui retains a strong financial standing, and we look forward to scrutinizing the mayor’s proposal,” said Council Chair Alice Lee.

Mayor Richard Bissen submitted to the County Council a bill to amend a section of the County Code in an effort to immediately increase the inventory of housing available to survivors of the August wildfires.

Council member Nohelani Uʻu-Hodgins announced that the Government Relations, Ethics and Transparency Committee will meet at Lahaina Civic Center on Wednesday at 5 p.m., to receive testimony on a resolution for a comprehensive recovery and resiliency plan in response to the August wildfires.

Council member Nohelani Uʻu-Hodgins announced today that the Government Relations, Ethics and Transparency Committee will meet in the Council Chamber on Monday, Sept. 18 at 9 a.m. and on Sept. 27 at The Westin Maui Resort and Spa in Kāʻanapali, to discuss a resolution to develop a comprehensive recovery and resiliency plan in response to the August wildfires.