News

DLNR schedules Maui hearings on conservation district rule changes

Local News October 13, 2026

The state Department of Land and Natural Resources will hold public hearings on Maui on Oct. 28 and 29 on proposed changes to rules governing land use and permitting within Hawaii’s Conservation District. The Oct. 28 hearing will run from 5 to 7:30 p.m. at Lahaina Intermediate School. The Oct. 29 hearing will be from 5 to 7:30 p.m. at Kahului Community Center. The proposed amendments to Hawaii Administrative Rules Chapter 13-5 would update rules covering approximately 2 million acres of public and private conservation lands statewide. Changes would address conservation criteria, ...

Free renter’s rights training set for Oct. 21

Local News October 13, 2026

Maui Housing Hui will offer a free renter’s rights training from 5 to 7 p.m. Oct. 21 at Lahaina Brewing Co. at Kula Malu, 30 Kupaoa St., Suite 101, Pukalani. The training is open to tenants and landlords and will cover housing rights, disaster recovery responsibilities, ways to address housing issues and resources for navigating landlord-tenant concerns. Free dinner and child care will be provided. For more information, email mauihousinghui@gmail.com. Editor's note: This report has been updated to correct the date of the training.

Lahaina man gets 60 years in child sexual assault case

Local News October 13, 2026

A 49-year-old Lahaina man was sentenced to 60 years in prison Monday for sexually assaulting a child over a period of nearly four years, beginning in 2014. Roberto Omar Morales Andrade was sentenced in Maui Circuit Court after a jury found him guilty of eight counts of first-degree sexual assault and eight counts of third-degree sexual assault following a two-week trial in July. The jury deliberated for less than two hours before returning a unanimous verdict on all counts. At trial, the jury heard evidence Morales Andrade used a position of trust to isolate and repeatedly sexually ...

Motorcyclist killed in Wailea crash Sunday night

Local News October 13, 2026

A 44-year-old Wailuku man died in a motorcycle wreck on Wailea Alanui Drive in Wailea on Sunday night, according to the Maui Police Department. The crash occurred at about 9:36 p.m. on Wailea Alanui Drive, just south of Okolani Drive. The preliminary investigation found the man was going north on a 2015 Harley-Davidson when he lost control of the motorcycle, veered to the right and struck a curb. He was ejected from the motorcycle and pronounced dead at the scene. Police said the man was not wearing a helmet. Speed is suspected to have been a factor in the crash. The ...

Photo of the Day: No place like home

Local News October 13, 2026

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.

Coral core traces 253 years of change at Olowalu Reef

Local News October 12, 2026

A 253-year-old coral core from Olowalu Reef has given researchers a record of environmental changes off West Maui dating to about 1760. The study, published in the journal Coral Reefs, was led by researchers from the University of Hawaii Sea Grant College Program, UH Manoa’s School of ...