State responds to avian flu with voluntary 90-day bird movement pause

Maui Mall Village is celebrating the holiday season with a series of festive events and activities designed to spread joy and support the local community. One of the most significant efforts this year is the Season of Giving: A Holiday Food Drive, in partnership with the Maui Food Bank.

Lahaina Cannery invites the public to celebrate the magic of the season with a free concert by the popular island band High Watah on Dec. 21, 2024. This festive performance marks the grand finale of Lahaina Cannery’s annual Holiday Cheer events.

The 2024 Hawaiʻi Food System Summit, organized by the Transforming Hawaiʻi’s Food System Together initiative, recently wrapped up their third annual event, which drew over 200 attendees.

In response to the detection of the avian flu virus in Hawai‘i’s wastewater and wild birds, state agencies are urging the public to voluntarily pause the interisland movement of poultry and other bird species for 90 days, effective immediately. This recommendation follows the suggestion of Moloka‘i State Senator and farmer Lynn DeCoite and is a proactive measure aimed at mitigating the spread of the virus.

Maui motorists are advised of potential slow downs on Kula Highway (Route 37), on Monday, Dec. 16 and Wednesday, Dec. 18 for routine bridge inspection.

The Department of Law Enforcement Narcotics Enforcement Division is changing the Prescription Drug Monitoring Program to help prevent drug overdoses and deaths from lethal drug combinations.

The Maui Emergency Management Agency invites residents to join the virtual kickoff meeting for the Maui County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update working group on Tuesday, Dec. 17 from noon to 1 p.m.

The state Division of Boating and Ocean Recreation awarded a $9.2 million contract to dredge Pohoiki Bay to Goodfellows Bros., the lowest bidder on the project.

Motorists on Maui are advised of potential traffic delays as modular homes for wildfire survivors are transported from Kahului Harbor to FEMA’s Kilohana temporary group housing site in Lahaina over the next two weeks.

The Hawai‘i Department of Transportation notifies highway users of potential traffic delays beginning Tuesday, Dec. 17 to Wednesday, Dec. 18 as crews check pavement quality on four state highways on Moloka‘i.

Despite the recent dry conditions, rainfall totals for 2024 through the end of November were still near to above average at most of the gages across Maui County. The rain gage at West Wailuaiki Stream had the highest year-to-date total of 198.49 inches (95% of average).

The US Coast Guard completed the medevac of a 52-year-old man from Midway Atoll Thursday.  Coast Guard Joint Rescue Coordination Center Honolulu watchstanders received notification from US Fish and Wildlife personnel at 10 a.m. Tuesday that a contractor fell from a roof and injured his ankle.

With visitors choosing to go elsewhere, Maui County can expect “slow progress” in its economic recovery in the wake of the August 2023 wildfire disaster, according to economics professor Carl Bonham, executive director of the University of Hawaiʻi Economic Research Organization.

Queen Kaʻahumanu Center celebrates this holiday season with 12 Days of Giveaways from Dec. 14-25. 

The Maui Volunteer Coalition for Recovery in partnership with the Ho‘ōla iā Mauiakama Disaster Long Term Recovery Group, is offering a limited number of complimentary POINT Pro subscriptions to Maui’s nonprofit organizations. This initiative aims to strengthen volunteer management systems and enhance capacity to support wildfire recovery efforts.

Maui Land & Pineapple Company, Inc. announced the selection of Kainoa Casco as Vice President of Land Productivity and Asset Management. Casco is responsible for developing and executing strategies to create value by increasing the productivity of unimproved land in West Maui.

With 2024 coming to a close, Kaua‘i Now is looking back at some of the top stories that this year shaped the Garden Island.

Volcanologists use interferograms to detect unrest by observing how the surface of a volcano is deforming in response to migrating magma beneath the ground. But while interferograms can be beautiful and informative, they are also difficult to interpret.

Best chance for impacts — which will include flooding of normally dry beaches, minor coastal erosion and saltwater inundation — will occur especially during the early morning high tides and daybreak from midnight through late Sunday.

Personnel with the Kaua‘i Fire Department, Ocean Safety Bureau, U.S. Coast Guard and other agencies have conducted search operations since Lauren M. Cameron of Anchorage, Alaska, was reported missing Wednesday afternoon.

Moderate to breezy trade winds will continue into the weekend as the high pressure ridge lingers north of the Hawaiian Islands. Drier trade wind weather remains...

The Hawai'i County-owned facility has 300 animals, including 75 birds representing 29 species.

Staff, hospital leadership, legislators and community members attended a groundbreaking celebration for the expansion project, which is estimated to be complete by mid-2026.

Best chance for impacts — which will include flooding of normally dry beaches, minor coastal erosion and saltwater inundation — will occur especially during the early morning high tides and daybreak from midnight through late Sunday.

A relatively dry moderate to breezy trade wind pattern will continue into the weekend as high pressure lingers north of the Hawaiian Islands. Then light winds...

Surf along exposed north and west-facing shores will hold at moderate levels through this evening as a northwest swell lingers, with a gradual decrease...