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In the spirit of the upcoming Halloween holiday, the University of Hawaii Maui College is host a Pumpkin Patch event on Saturday, October 23rd at the Agricultural Department complex next to the Maui County recycling facility off Wahinepio Drive.  There will be seven pumpkin varieties to choose from with options ranging in size from ornamentals […]

Maui County Council Member Sol Kahoohalahala has announced his backing of former Mayor Alan Arakawa in his run for the county’s top job.  Kahooholahala who came in fifth in the mayoral primary, is the second of Arakawa’s opponents from the primary to announce his support—the other was Randy Piltz who placed third. Kahoohalahala said he […]

(Posted by Wendy Osher) The state’s visitor industry is showing signs of economic recovery.  Visitor arrivals in August increased 11.8 percent and spending increased 30 percent compared to last year.  That translates to an additional $250 million in visitor spending for Hawaii’s successful summer travel season. The positive performance is being attributed in part to […]

By Wendy Osher The third place finisher in the primary race for Mayor has announced his support for one of the candidates advancing to the general election in November.  Retired electrical contractor Randy Piltz, who was among the 11 primary candidates in the crowded race for mayor, is now backing Alan Arakawa saying his beliefs […]

By Wendy Osher Former Maui Planning Director Jeff Hunt will be leaving Maui next month to take on a job as the director of Long Range Planning for the County of Santa Barbara in California.   The new job includes a $3.5 million budget with the responsibility of supervising 18 planners and updating the Comprehensive Plan […]

A Maui man suffered fatal injuries in a two-car collision on the Haleakala Highway on Maui. David K. Dutro, 75, of Puklanai, suffered life threatening injuries from the crash and died shortly after being transported to the Maui Memorial Medical Center. The accident was reported at 11:26 a.m. on Sunday, August 29th, on the Haleakala […]

(Update: 3:51 p.m. 7/12/10) Maui police are investigating the cause of a structure fire in Kahului that destroyed an Ano Street home this afternoon.  The fire was first reported at 11:58 a.m. on Monday, July 12, 2010 at 408-A Ano Street in Kahului.  When officers arrived on scene, the structure was engulfed in flames.  The […]

By Wendy Osher Residents on the Upcountry water meter list would have more time to complete improvements under an amendment that advanced out of committee today.  The Council’s Water Resources Committee approved an amendment that gives water meter awardees a five year window to complete necessary improvements instead of the current two year parameter. Committee […]

Baldwin High School Principal Natalie Gonsalves was placed on directed leave pending an investigation.  Department of Education District Superintendent Bruce Anderson said the action was taken on Thursday, May 20th, but details surrounding the investigation were not available for release.  Gonsalves has been the Principal at the school for four years.  Vice-Principal Philip Gilbert was […]

(Update:  2:45 a.m. 5/20/10) A Lahaina man died after being struck by two vehicles on the Honoapiilani Highway last night.  Authorities identified the man as Rene Humberto Quijada.  The accident was reported at 8:59 p.m. just north of mile marker 23 near Wahikuli Beach Park. Quijada was initially struck by a 2007 Suzuki sedan, and […]

(Update: 8:15 a.m. 5/21/10) May 21, 2010 – 8:00 a.m. EVENT:   The National Weather Service in Honolulu has CANCELED the WIND ADVISORY for MAUI COUNTY. EFFECTS:  Winds at Haleakala summit have diminished to under 30 mph, the threshold for a wind advisory. PRECAUTIONARY MEASURES:   PERSONS SHOULD REMAIN CAUTIOUS OF THE DIMINISHING WINDS. (Update: […]

After six weeks, eight district meetings and 27 meetings in the council chambers, the Maui County council approved on first reading yesterday its version of the 2011 fiscal year budget.  The vote was unanimous at 8-0. Budget Committee Chair Joseph Pontanilla said the budget committee recommendation decreases the Mayor’s proposed $530 million by an estimated […]

By Wendy Osher A Fundraiser will be held for Maui High School Teacher Mike Siopes tonight (Thursday, May 06, 2010) at Ruby’s Diner at the Queen Ka’ahumanu Shopping Center.   Siopes, who has been with the DOE for 17 years, was recently diagnosed with the rare Neuroendocrine Cancer and is being treated at Duke Medical Center […]

Two American Red Cross emergency shelters remain on standby due to a brush fire in West Maui that remains active.  Shelters were opened last night at the War Memorial Gym in Wailuku and later at the Lahaina Civic Center in West Maui.  Three people who were evacuated from their homes spent the night at the […]

“I think this morning was quite difficult for me to just listen to some of the testimony, especially when the bulk of the testimony came from a good number of our own departments,” said Molokai council member Danny Mateo. “It bothered me to hear some divisions talk about: ‘if the proposals says as it is, […]

“When I listened today to the different departments and their reasons for restoring funding, their reasons make sense; however in this time of three years of constant cuts, still we see from property taxes and the general fund that it is diminishing,” said councilmember Wayne Nishiki. “We in Maui County have not laid off one […]

By Wendy Osher The passage of Senate Bill 2650 on Wednesday is expected to save jobs from being cut on the neighbor islands and preserve face to face contact for welfare and Medicaid recipients.  But officials with the Department of Human Services are opposed to the bill because it stalls their efforts at streamlining services, […]