Free Thanksgiving meals available on Maui

• By Timothy Hurley
• Nov. 22, 2023

There seem to be plenty of free options this week, thanks to a cornucopia of food donations and volunteers. Read more

Windward showers rise; northerly swell declines

• By Timothy Hurley
• Nov. 21, 2023

Windward and mauka showers are expected to pick up on Oahu and Kauai today as Monday’s breezy tradewinds back off to moderate levels, according to the National Weather Service. Read more

Lahaina fire creates unknowns for Maui whale season

• By Timothy Hurley
• Nov. 6, 2023

At least 80 boats moored in Lahaina Small Boat Harbor were destroyed by the Aug. 8 inferno, including 45 commercial permit holders, a group that represents 50% or more of Maui’s tour boat operators. Read more

Officials aim to release alala on Maui

• By Timothy Hurley
• Nov. 5, 2023

Following recent failed releases of the Hawaiian crow into the bird’s historical home of Hawaii island, officials are aiming for better success on the island of Maui. Read more

Family celebrates as Hawaii woman stuck in Gaza gains her freedom

• By Timothy Hurley
• Nov. 2, 2023

Family members of Ramona Okumura were celebrating Wednesday after the 71-year-old aid worker originally from Hawaii was whisked out of war-torn Gaza to safety in Egypt. Read more

New landfill for Lahaina fire debris gets OK

• By Timothy Hurley
• Oct. 28, 2023

At issue is what to do with the ash and debris left behind after the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency finishes its ongoing work removing hazardous materials. Read more

Hazardous waste from over 85% of Lahaina properties removed

• By Timothy Hurley
• Oct. 27, 2023

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said Thursday that it has removed hazardous waste from over 85% of the burned properties in Lahaina. That includes more than 1,300 parcels. Read more

Hawaii family working for auntie’s safe return from war-torn Gaza

• By Timothy Hurley
• Oct. 26, 2023

Ramona Okumura, a prosthetics expert, was volunteering with Palestine Children’s Relief Fund in Gaza when the war broke out Oct. 7. She has been stuck there ever since. Read more

Panel is urged to restore West Maui stream flows

• By Timothy Hurley
• Oct. 25, 2023

The largely Native Hawaiian audience told the commission that restoring stream flows not only is important to bring back aquatic life and support cultural practices, but to protect homes from wildfires. Read more

Toxic runoff could threaten reefs off Lahaina

• By Timothy Hurley
• Oct. 23, 2023

Bolstered by a $200,000 National Science Foundation rapid-response grant, a team of UH researchers is gearing up to sample the coral reefs near Lahaina to assess the impact of toxic ash from the fire. Read more

Mala Wharf in Lahaina reopens today

• By Timothy Hurley
• Oct. 14, 2023

The opening of the popular ramp comes as Maui County lifts affected burn area-access restrictions in and around Mala Wharf and the U.S. Coast Guard ends safety zone limits on ocean access near Mala. Read more

Historic royal palms in Wahiawa threatened by invasive rhino beetle

• By Timothy Hurley
• Oct. 12, 2023

It’s against the law to harm the historic palms that line Royal Palm Drive in Wahiawa, as they are protected by the city’s Exceptional Tree Program. Read more

American Lung Association’s chief doctor warns of fire exposure

• By Timothy Hurley
• Oct. 11, 2023

The American Lung Association’s chief medical officer Tuesday encouraged West Maui residents who are returning to the Lahaina burn zone to wear protective gear. Read more

Kaleo Manuel reinstated to state Water Commission post

• By Timothy Hurley
• Oct. 10, 2023

The state Commission on Water Resource Management reinstated First Deputy Kaleo Manuel on Monday, nearly two months after he was reassigned in a controversial move following the catastrophic Lahaina wildfire. Read more

Maui Council urges governor to reinstate former water official

• By Timothy Hurley
• Oct. 7, 2023

The Council, by a 7-2 vote, approved a resolution urging Gov. Josh Green “to uphold the Constitution of the State of Hawai‘i and the State Water Code by immediately reinstating Marvin Kaleo Manuel.” Read more

EPA declares end to consent decree requiring upgrades at Kapolei landfill

• By Timothy Hurley
• Oct. 6, 2023

The EPA has announced the completion of required upgrades to the Waimanalo Gulch Sanitary Landfill, ending a dozen years of federal scrutiny and oversight. Read more

Longtime union negotiator Joan Lee Husted advanced conditions for teachers

• By Timothy Hurley
• Oct. 5, 2023

Joan Lee Husted was one of the founders of the Hawai‘i State Teachers Association, its chief labor negotiator and the face of the union for more than three decades. Read more

University of Hawaii cloning pioneer Ryuzo Yanagimachi dies at 95

• By Timothy Hurley
• Oct. 3, 2023

Ryuzo Yanagimachi, a renowned University of Hawaii fertility researcher who created the technique to develop the world’s first cloned mouse, died last week at the age of 95. Read more

Developer contributed to Lahaina disaster, lawsuit claims

• By Timothy Hurley
• Oct. 1, 2023

The suit, one of at least 30 lodged against Hawaiian Electric over the disaster, was filed Wednesday in Maui Circuit Court by Ke‘eau­moku Kapu and U‘ilani Kapu, a Lahaina couple who ran the Na ‘Aikane o Maui Cultural Center on Front Street before it burned down. Read more

Outlook good to restore historic buildings in Lahaina

• By Timothy Hurley
• Sept. 30, 2023

The team found that many of the stone or masonry commercial buildings on Front Street likely can be restored to the condition they were in before the disaster. Read more

HI-EMA clarifies that sirens can be used to warn of fire

• By Timothy Hurley
• Sept. 28, 2023

A review of outdoor warning siren protocols following the Lahaina fire disaster has led the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency to reiterate that fire is indeed one of the hazards that can prompt siren activation. Read more