300 ACRES BURNED IN KIHEI BRUSH FIRE

A brush fire burned 300 acres since it was first reported at 12:26 this (Sunday) afternoon. As of 8:30 tonight, the fire was not yet under control. The blaze burned vacant land located mauka of the Piilani Highway in South Maui. 45 firefighters were aided by 4 helicopters conducting water drops, 6 water tankers (provided [...]

WAILUKU MAN INDICTED FOR ELECTRONIC ENTICEMENT OF A CHILD

The Attorney General’s office today indicted a Maui man for the 1st degree Electronic Enticement of a Child. 37-year-old Chris Shizuo Mabe of Wailuku is accused of using the internet to solicit a law enforcement officer who he allegedly believed was a 14-year-old girl. The Attorney General’s office issued a news release today saying Mabe [...]

ROYAL ORDER ON MAUI PLANS KAMEHAMEHA DAY COMMEMORATION

The Royal Order of Kamehameha Kahehili Chapter IV on Maui will commemorate the birth of Kamehameha The Great on Thursday June 11, 2009. The royal society annually observes the day with reverence paying special attention to the significance of Kamehameha’s role in Hawaiian history. The march down Kaahumanu Avenue is a procession as opposed to [...]

MAUI COUNCIL PASSES 2010 BUDGET UNANIMOUSLY ON 2ND & FINAL READING

The Maui County Council unanimously passed the FY2010 budget on second and final reading this morning.  The budget is $8.8 million less than the Mayor’s $573 million proposal, which translates to a 1.5% difference. Budget Chair Joe Pontanilla described the budget as austere and tight for both county departments and nonprofits, but also noted the [...]

KULA HOSPITAL GEARS UP FOR 100TH ANNIVERSARY: SEEKS PHOTOS, STORIES FOR CENTENNIAL BOOK

Kula Hospital is gearing up to celebrate the 100th anniversary in 2010, and as part of that celebration, the Kula Hospital Auxiliary is sponsoring a 100th centennial coffee table book. Alberta Canha is the project coordinator. “We are working on highlighting historical and current information, stories, and photos about Kula Hospital and the surrounding community,” [...]

MAKENA WASTEWATER PLANT GOES SOLAR

The private sewage treatment plant at the Makena Resort is on its way to becoming the first net-zero energy wastewater treatment and reclamation plant in the state. A blessing was held today as Dowling Company unveiled the 549 panel system.  A second phase of the project calls for an additional 498 photovoltaic panels which will [...]

PUBLIC INPUT SOUGHT ON SOLAR TELESCOPE ATOP HALEAKALA

Public meetings will be held in June to discuss the proposed Advanced Technology Solar Telescope atop Haleakala on Maui.  The National Science Foundation is considering funding the construction of the telescope that would be 142.8 feet high and 84 feet in diameter.  The solar telescope would be located atop the summit on lands managed by [...]

USGS: CLIMATE CHANGE THREATENS ENDANGERED HONEYCREEPERS

A new report released by the U.S. Geological Survey says climate change could pose a threat to Hawaii’s endangered Honeycreeper population. According to the study, increased temperatures in Hawaii’s mountains would likely result in deadly non-native bird diseases creeping up the mountains. Researchers say current populations enjoy cool, high-elevations where mosquitoes do not thrive; but [...]

HORSE RIDER SUFFERS FATAL FALL AT HALEAKALA NATIONAL PARK

Authorities identified the man who died in a fatal fall near the crater yesterday as long-time Maui resident and experienced horseman, Edward Wilson. A visitor reported the incident at around 1 p.m. on the Halemau’u Trail in the Summit District of Haleakala National Park. County spokesperson Mahina Martin said the man fell approximately 100 feet [...]

PHONE SERVICE RESTORED TO UPCOUNTRY MAUI FOLLOWING FIREY CRASH

Phone service to thousands of residents and business in Upcountry, Haiku and Paia, Maui was restored by 4 o’clock this afternoon (Sunday, May 24, 3009). The outage was sparked by a fire that started when a vehicle hit a propane tank on Lower Kula Road yesterday afternoon, igniting a house fire and resulting in damages [...]

VEHICLE IGNITES SPARKING HOME FIRE IN MAKAWAO, MAUI

A vehicle accident on Lower Kula Road that occurred shortly before 5:00 pm today ignited a propane tank and resulted in both the vehicle and a house to catch fire. Fire officials report that the home was vacant at the time. An individual believed to be in the vehicle was critically injured as a result [...]

HAWAII UNEMPLOYMENT RATE DROPS TO 6.9 PERCENT IN APRIL

Hawaii’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate fell to 6.9 percent in April—down point-2 percent from the month before.  State records show there were 44,400 unemployed people in the state. Labor director Darwin L.D. Ching said that while the department is encouraged by the decrease, the road to recovery is not traveled quick or easily. Molokai had [...]

SURVEY COULD INFLUENCE FUTURE STREAM FLOWS FOR E. MAUI FARMERS

A survey being distributed to East Maui farmers could influence water designations for future instream flow standards.  The Maui County Farm Bureau began distributing the survey several months ago in the hopes of obtaining information on water usage and needs.  The information from the survey will help the farm bureau in its communications with the [...]

KAUNAKAKAI PRINCIPAL ESPIRITU WINS $25,000 TOKIOKA AWARD

A neighbor island principal from Molokai was given top honors for excellence in leadership for public education.  Kaunakakai Elementary School Principal Janice Espiritu earned the Island Insurance Foundation’s 6th Annual Masayuki Tokioka Award at a ceremony on Oahu this week. Espiritu’s winnings total $25,000, including $10,000 in cash and $15,000 for a school project of [...]

DR BEACH NAMES KAUAI’S HANALEI BAY #1; MAUI’S HAMOA #5

Kauai’s Hanalei Bay was named the number 1 beach in the annual list released by Florida professor Stephen P. Leatherman, also known as Dr. Beach. Meantime, Maui’s Hamoa Beach on the East side earned top five ranking in the latest list which assessed 50 criteria including water quality, safety and amenities. The 19th Annual list [...]

LOW WATER PRESSURE EXPECTED IN LAHAINA FRIDAY NIGHT

Water customers in Lahaina town may experience low water pressure beginning at 10 o’clock tonight (Friday, May 22, 2009) and lasting until 5 o’clock tomorrow morning (Saturday, May 23, 2009).  This is due to work on the first phase of the Honoapiilani Highway Realignment Project.  Customers are asked to conserve water during the work period, [...]

MAUI’S KAUMAHINA COMFORT STATION TO CLOSE TEMPORARILY

The Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) will close the comfort station at Kaumahina Wayside along the Hana Highway for a month in June for flooring improvements.  The wayside will remain open but the comfort station will be closed from June 1 through June 30, 2009.  Portable toilets will be provided in the parking [...]

KIHEI SITE OF 3RD WASTEWATER OVERFLOW IN LESS THAN WEEK

A third wastewater spill since Friday was reported in Kihei.  The latest incident occurred at around 11:45 Tuesday morning (May 19, 2009).   Approximately 933 gallons of wastewater overflowed when a suction connection broke while operators were disconnecting a pump at the Kihei Wastewater Reclamation Facility.  A small amount of the wastewater entered a storm drain [...]

CIRQUE POLYNESIA OPENS JUNE 2 AT THE HYATT MAUI

The new Cirque Polynesia show opens on Maui next month. The 75-minute show at the Hyatt Regency’s Monarch Showroom, features a blend of contemporary entertainment and human ability inspired by Polynesia. The cirque performers include two of the world-renowned sixth and seventh generation, flying Wallenda family members performing a wire act 40-feet in the air.  [...]

5 MILLION POUNDS OF SCRAP REMOVED FROM HANA LANDFILL

A total of 474 truckloads made their way along the narrow, 52-mile roadway from Hana to Central Maui, removing about 2,500 tons of material that had piled up at the landfill over the past 12 years. Through a 12-month contract with the County of Maui Department of Environmental Management (DEM), SOS Metals Island Recycling, LLC [...]