#Kula

Curbside trash pickup routes in Kula and Haʻikū/Paʻuwela areas resumes Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2025, after missed routes Friday, according to the County of Maui Department of Environmental Management Solid Waste Division.

The Waihe’e Villager and Kula Islander each see fewer than five riders per hour. Maui County hopes switching these routes to microtransit, which is like a hybrid between Uber and a public bus, will increase efficiency and cut wait times.

Economists say Maui’s tourism industry is “outperforming” other islands as visitors continue to return after the 2023 wildfires, a trend that could help cushion the island from an overall weakening economy.

Residents can do the kind of prep work firefighters would to make their homes defensible, and they can do it long before the threat of fire arrives.

More than 94% of Maui County is under some kind of drought as Hawai’i comes off the third-driest season in the last 30 years.

With a Stage 3 water shortage in effect for Upcountry areas, the County of Maui Department of Water Supply is providing additional information.

The State of Hawaiʻi continues to work on a 10-year management plan for a 3,434-acre parcel of watershed conservation land in Upper Kula that was acquired five years ago from a private trust.

Maui County is moving closer to installing gates on the road, but residents and emergency officials aren’t sure it will deter people from starting fires.

The hale pāpaʻi program has been running since August 2024 and the one-week free class offered in conjunction has attracted more than 400 students, 70 of whom were high school students this summer, according to Talia Purdy of the school’s academic affairs support staff. 

Of the 446 applications already filed, 76% are for the first-time homebuyer program, reflecting the impact of the August 2023 wildfires on renters and the ongoing struggle of residents to afford a home in today’s pricey market.

Neighbors remember Kula Lodge and Restaurant’s tasty breakfasts, the cozy lodge setting and the generosity they showed after the 2023 wildfires. Kula Lodge’s owners say the restaurant is a “complete loss.”

Hawaiian Electric’s efforts since the Aug. 8, 2023 wildfires on Maui are part of its $350 million, three-year Wildfire Safety Strategy that is projected to reduce fire risk by 68% to 72%.

The mass evacuations, business closures and frequent warnings from government officials about Tuesday’s tsunami warning reflect the serious approach to potential disasters two years after the deadly fires on Maui.

Imagine an outdoor classroom on the green grassy slope of a volcano, where the teacher is on horseback, and the students are learning about the soil, water and plants around them. This imaginary classroom is real—it comes to life once a year during the “Agriculture in the Classroom” Field Trip, an annual educational event put on by Maui County Farm Bureau.

Habitat for Humanity Maui celebrated the dedication of two newly constructed homes to Native Hawaiian families in Kula earlier this year. These homes mark another milestone in Habitat Maui’s ongoing commitment to building strength, stability and self-reliance through shelter.

Removing black wattle is important to fire mitigation in Kula because the invasive species burns fast and it chokes out more fire-resistant native species.

Hawaiian Electric will continue to use unmanned aircraft, or drones, for aerial inspections of its infrastructure in Nāpili and Pu‘ukoli‘i on Thursday, May 8, as well as in Kula on Friday, May 9, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on both days, weather permitting. 

New Kula Ball Fields’ parking lots will close for asphalt maintenance and repairs on Thursday, May 1, through Friday, May 2, 2025, and again on Friday, May 9, 2025, according to the County of Maui Department of Parks and Recreation. 

Hawaiian Electric will continue to use unmanned aircraft, or drones, for aerial inspections of its infrastructure in various areas of Upcountry Maui on weekdays throughout the month of April, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., weather permitting. The inspections will take place in parts of Olinda, Piʻiholo, Kula, Kēōkea and ʻUlupalakua.

Upcountry residents have relied for years on cesspools, which are required under state law to be eliminated by 2050.