Maui Council Ties Apartment-to-Hotel Rezoning Eligibility to Sea-Level-Rise Zones
The Maui County Council’s Housing and Land Use Committee voted 5-4 to use sea-level-rise exposure data as a key factor in deciding which apartment-zoned vacation rental properties qualify for hotel-district rezoning. The committee will reconvene September 9 to continue deliberations. A 5-4 committee vote adopted criteria linking hotel-district rezoning eligibility to how far a property […]
Nonprofit Launches Free Rain Catchment Program for 120 West Maui Fire-Affected Homes
The Hua Momona Foundation is distributing free, portable rain catchment systems and training to 120 West Maui households as part of its ongoing Lahaina wildfire recovery efforts. The renter-friendly kits are funded by a Hawaiʻi Community Foundation grant and are designed to support water resilience and backyard food production. 120 West Maui households will receive […]
Paradise & Lahainaluna High Schools Unite for Wildfire-Community Football Game
Paradise High School (CA) is traveling to Maui to play Lahainaluna High School in the inaugural Unity Bowl, a symbolic football game connecting two communities rebuilt after devastating wildfires. The game is scheduled for Saturday night at Lahainaluna. The Unity Bowl pairs Paradise, CA (2018 Camp Fire) with Lahaina (2023 wildfire) in a first-of-its-kind community […]
Maui County Eyes Subsidized Ferry Service to Lanai and Molokai
Maui County is holding public meetings in mid-September on a proposal to create a county-subsidized ferry system connecting Maui to Lanai and Molokai. The plan includes purchasing Expeditions’ existing Lanai ferry assets and eventually adding vessels for Molokai service. Public meetings are scheduled for mid-September to gather input for a required environmental assessment of the […]
Makawao Forest Reserve Closed Indefinitely After Hurricane Lala Trail Damage
Hurricane Lala left Makawao State Forest Reserve — Maui’s most popular outdoor recreation area — with extensive trail and road damage, prompting an indefinite closure. State crews are prioritizing emergency access routes before addressing trail restoration, with no reopening date set. Makawao State Forest Reserve and Kula Forest Reserve remain closed to the public following […]
Mayor Presses USPS to Restore Door-to-Door Mail for Lahaina Rebuild Residents
Multiple sources report that Maui Mayor Richard Bissen sent a formal letter on September 2, 2026, to U.S. Postmaster General David Steiner urging the USPS to preserve and restore direct home mail delivery for Lahaina residents whose homes were destroyed in the 2023 wildfires and are now being rebuilt. Bissen argues that reconstructed homes on […]
Maui Faces Multiple Hurricane Threats as Lowell, Karina Approach
Multiple sources including Maui County, Maui News, Maui Now, and Mauirecovers reported Thursday that Maui County is simultaneously managing damage from Tropical Storm Lala while bracing for potential impacts from hurricanes Lowell and Karina. Forecasters warn that interacting storm systems are creating higher-than-normal forecast uncertainty, and residents and property owners are urged to stay alert […]
Maui Ocean Center Seeks Renewal of State Water Discharge Permit
The Hawaii Department of Health is proposing to renew the water pollution control permit for Maui Ocean Center, which discharges treated seawater into Maalaea Harbor. A public comment period runs September 2 through October 2, 2026. The state DOH tentatively recommends renewing Maui Ocean Center’s NPDES permit, which governs its discharge of roughly 1.2 million […]
Hāna Highway Runner Event Sept. 12 May Slow Guest Travel
About 450 runners in 75 teams will run along Hāna Highway from Kahului to Hāna on Saturday, Sept. 12, starting at 5 a.m. and officially ending at 2:15 p.m. No lane closures are planned, but drivers should expect runners along the shoulder throughout the day. The Hāna Relay will take place along Hāna Highway on […]
Contractor Fraud Draining Lahaina Rebuild Funds, No Criminal Cases Filed
Dozens of Lahaina wildfire survivors have lost hundreds of thousands of dollars to unlicensed or unreliable contractors since the 2023 fire. Despite at least 10 police reports and multiple state complaints, no criminal charges, fines, or license revocations have been issued. Individual homeowners have lost between $20,000 and $650,000 to contractors who abandoned projects or […]