Kahului Airport Runway Rebuild Narrows to Two Options, Costing Up to $1B
Hawaii’s Department of Transportation has narrowed reconstruction plans for Kahului Airport’s aging main runway to two options — a $604 million temporary runway approach or a nearly $1 billion permanent parallel runway. Both options would begin around 2031 and take approximately four years to complete. Runway 2-20, built in 1942 and the only Maui runway […]
Kaanapali Beach Erosion Debate Pits Hotel Owners Against Managed Retreat
Kaanapali Beach has significantly narrowed over decades, and a new nonprofit backed by hotel and condo owners is proposing a sand restoration project to rebuild it to 1988 conditions. The plan faces opposition from advocates who argue structures should be moved back rather than the beach artificially rebuilt. Kaanapali Beach has visibly narrowed since the […]
Maui Recruits Ham Radio Volunteers Ahead of Active Hurricane Season
Maui County is working to expand its pool of licensed amateur radio operators before hurricane season, starting with a free public training event at UH Maui College. Ham radio provides a communication backup when phones, cellular, and internet services go down during emergencies. Maui County hosted a free all-day ham radio demonstration and licensing event […]
UH Lands $2.2M NIH Grant to Study Long-Term Maui Wildfire Health Impacts
University of Hawaiʻi researchers received a $2.2 million NIH grant to continue a multi-year study on the long-term health and well-being effects of the 2023 Maui wildfires. The next phase will survey 1,200 Maui residents, including displaced survivors, to shape future disaster recovery and public policy. The NIH grant funds the next phase of the […]
Maui Seeks More Ham Radio Operators Before Peak Hurricane Season
Maui Emergency Management Agency is recruiting and training new amateur radio operators ahead of an anticipated active hurricane season. A free all-day event at UH Maui College on Saturday offers licensing information and live demonstrations. A free amateur radio training event runs 8 a.m.–6 p.m. Saturday at UH Maui College in Kahului, open to all […]
Hawaii Supreme Court Revives Maui Lani Grading Permit Legal Challenge
The Hawaii Supreme Court ruled that a cultural group can proceed with its claim questioning whether Maui County had valid ‘good cause’ to extend a grading permit at the Maui Lani Phase 9 development site. The case, centered on a sand dune complex with ancestral Hawaiian burial sites, will now return to Circuit Court for […]
Olowalu Coastline Resilience Plans to Be Revealed July 9 in Maalaea
The Nature Conservancy and UH will unveil conceptual designs on July 9 for adapting the Olowalu-Ukumehame coastline to sea-level rise and erosion. The plans are tied to a 2027 Honoapiilani Highway inland realignment project. A public hybrid presentation on July 9 at Maui Ocean Center Sphere will debut nature-based coastal resilience designs for the Olowalu-Ukumehame […]
Molokai’s Only Hotel Highlights Island’s Intentional Anti-Tourism Stance
A traveler reviews Hotel Molokai, the island’s sole traditional hotel at $260/night, highlighting how local community resistance has kept large-scale tourism development minimal on Molokai for decades. Molokai has only one traditional hotel — Hotel Molokai — after other resorts closed by the 2000s due to local opposition. The island’s community has long resisted mass […]
Central Maui Recycling Center Closes June 30 as County Seeks New Site
Multiple sources report that the University of Hawaii Maui College Recycling Center in Kahului will permanently close on June 30, 2026, after the county’s agreement with UH Maui College to use the Wahinepio Avenue site expires. The county is actively searching for a replacement Central Maui location and has outlined interim recycling alternatives for residents. […]
Maui Fire Dept. Issues July 4th Fireworks Rules, Sales Locations & Safety Tips
Multiple Maui news outlets reported that the Maui County Department of Fire and Public Safety has released official guidance ahead of the Fourth of July holiday, covering where and when fireworks will be sold, legal use hours, and safety reminders. Consumer fireworks sales run June 29 through July 4 at designated tent locations, and residents […]