#Upcountry

Maui police said they arrested an individual this week in connection to multiple home break-ins but provided few details, including the name of the suspect.

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.

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 88-unit temporary housing complex for fire survivors has taken 1 1/2 years longer to build that expected, and risen in cost from $14 to $20 million, but the need for it has not diminished.

Some farmers lost thousands of dollars in products when their generators couldn’t keep their operations going. But even the hardest-hit businesses and their neighbors say shutting off the power is a good measure to prevent another tragedy like the 2023 wildfires in Lahaina and Upcountry.

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.

Planning officials say some residents are waiting for the bill to pass in order to rebuild their properties.

The balance of power on the council could come into play on critical issues that include the mayor’s proposal to phase out thousands of short-term vacation rentals.

The Ah Hees are days away from their final inspection and plan to spend Thanksgiving surrounded by loved ones more than a year after they were displaced by the August 2023 fire.

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

“There’s very, very traditional ways to fight fire. And with the weather that we’re facing now, we have to sometimes think outside the box, how it’s going to impact communities faster,” Maui Fire Chief Brad Ventura said.

“It’s distressing to all of us, even if it’s not coming right in our nearest vicinity, it’s still triggering, as it would be for anybody, either in Lahaina or Kula, that went through what we went through last year,” said Melissa James of The Ohana Animal Inn in Kula.

“They’re not going to be in the right mindset, the families are not going to be in the right mindset, the teachers are not going to be in the right mindset because we are all focused on 8-8,” said Mikey Burke of the upcoming one-year anniversary of the Lahaina wildfire.

The 22nd annual Maui Matsuri named Warren S. Unemori Engineering Inc. as this year’s Business Award recipient for its commitment to the community, which has been a reflection of core values passed down through generations.

 Maui County Council Member Yuki Lei Sugimura will hold two talk story sessions Upcountry this week.  The first session takes place tonight (Feb. 6) at the Kula Elementary School cafeteria from 6 to 7 p.m.  Sugimura will also hold her monthly Talk Story with Yuki Lei outreach program, Feb. 10, at the Upcountry Farmers Market from 7 to 11 a.m.

Starting at 9 a.m. tomorrow, a shower trailer with one shower stall and one washer and dryer will be available for public use in the parking lot of Anytime Fitness at 24 Kiopaa St. in Makawao.

Pukalani Terrace Center, in partnership with the Boys and Girls Clubs, is launching an inaugural back-to-school drive for Upcountry keiki now through July 16.

Upcountry residents can expect road closures for roadway reconstruction projects in Haʻikū and Makawao beginning Monday, Feb. 4