Maui County Committee Advances Water Deal to Unlock 1,000+ Native Hawaiian Homestead Lots
A Maui County Council committee unanimously approved a bill authorizing a water infrastructure agreement with the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands to develop three new groundwater wells in Waiʻōhuli. The project would supply up to 1.7 million gallons per day to support construction of more than 1,000 homestead lots across Central Maui. The Water and […]
Kihei Brush Fire Extinguished; Separate Pukalani Structure Fire Also Reported
Maui County’s Emergency Management Agency issued multiple alerts on September 4, 2026 covering two separate fire incidents on Maui. Multiple MEMA alerts documented the Kihei brush fire from initial report through containment, while a separate structure fire was reported in Pukalani the same day. A brush fire broke out at 1:31 PM near Halekuai and […]
Lahaina Fire Survivors Hit New Snag: USPS Treating Rebuilt Homes as New Developments
Multiple reports from Hawaii Public Radio highlight a new obstacle facing Lahaina wildfire survivors who have rebuilt their homes: the U.S. Postal Service is classifying rebuilt properties as new developments, requiring cluster mailboxes instead of restoring individual home mail delivery. Maui County and federal officials are pushing back, arguing the policy is both impractical and […]
Maui Council Committee Backs New Wells for Native Hawaiian Homesteads
A Maui County Council committee unanimously advanced Bill 97 (2026), which would allow the state to drill three new groundwater wells in Waiʻōhuli dedicated entirely to Native Hawaiian homestead lots. The bill moves to the full Council for a first reading. The three proposed wells would have a combined capacity of 1.73 million gallons per […]
Category 4 Hurricane Lowell Threatening Hawaii Early Next Week
Hurricane Lowell, currently a Category 4 storm with 155 mph winds, is tracking toward Hawaii and could bring dangerous winds, heavy rain, storm surge, and surf to the western islands by Monday night. Kauai County faces the most direct risk, with hurricane watches expected to be issued as early as Saturday. Lowell is approximately 610–625 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Four Seasons Wailea Opens Hawaiian Royal Heritage Garden for Guests
The Four Seasons Maui at Wailea has unveiled ‘The Queen’s Garden: Uluhaimalama,’ a botanical courtyard honoring Queen Lili’uokalani developed with Hawaiian cultural practitioners. The self-guided experience features six educational stations and plants historically connected to the monarch. The Four Seasons Maui at Wailea has opened a new permanent cultural attraction in its interior courtyard honoring […]