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Court upholds Hawaii’s minimum age of 21 for firearm ownership

A federal court has upheld Hawaii laws prohibiting people younger than 21 from acquiring, purchasing, owning or possessing firearms and ammunition, according to state Attorney General Anne Lopez. Lopez announced Sept. 1 that the U.S. District Court for the District of Hawaii granted the state’s motion for summary judgment, rejecting a Second Amendment challenge filed by an individual, two firearms dealers and the Second Amendment Foundation. The court found a strong historical tradition of restricting firearm acquisition by people younger than 21. State law includes exceptions ...

Repairs to slow traffic on Haleakala Highway, Crater Road

Hawaiian Electric pole replacement work will affect traffic on a portion of Haleakala Highway and Crater Road from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sept. 3. The makai lane between mile markers 0 and 1, between Kekaulike Avenue and Palena Place, will be closed. Flaggers will direct alternating traffic through the area. The bike lane, shoulder and sidewalk also will be closed during the work. Motorists are advised to slow down and use caution. No electrical service interruptions are expected.

Photo of the Day: Getting Comfy

Send your best photos from Maui County to mauiphotos@mauinews.com for a chance to see them featured on our website and in our weekly print edition.

East Maui Water Authority workshop set for Wednesday

The East Maui Water Authority will hold a free grant workshop for fiscal year 2027 at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 2, at Keanae Uka Campground. The workshop was previously postponed because of Tropical Storm Lala. The workshop will guide applicants through the grant process and answer questions. First-time applicants are encouraged to attend or schedule an office appointment. Appointment scheduling and an informational presentation are available at tinyurl.com/42anzwh9. For more information, visit mauicounty.gov/EMWA.

Maui police officer charged with sexual assault

A 12-year veteran of the Maui Police Department was arrested Monday on a $150,000 warrant and charged with four counts of second-degree sexual assault and two counts of third-degree sexual assault, according to the Maui Police Department. As previously reported, MPD veteran Devin A. Schoeppner, 49, of Kahului, has been on administrative leave since May 2025, when he was arrested on a charge of first-degree sexual assault. His department-issued credentials and firearm were removed pending the outcome of the investigation. “Any Maui Police Department employee who violates the law ...

Hearing set on Hoʻonani Village housing project

A public hearing on proposed changes to the Maui Island Plan and Wailuku-Kahului Community Plan for the Hoʻonani Village mixed-use development is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept, 3, online and in the Maui County Council Chamber, according to County Council member Tamara Paltin. The proposed development at Hansen and Pulehu roads would include 1,608 multifamily housing units, including 800 affordable units, along with commercial, recreational and light-industrial uses. The council’s Disaster Recovery, International Affairs and Planning Committee, which Paltin chairs, ...