Photo of the Day: Pili up Kaupakulua
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.
County launches Molokai deed restriction pilot program
The Maui County Department of Housing has launched a voluntary deed restriction pilot program for Molokai aimed at preserving long-term housing. The program is offering grants of up to $100,000 to qualified applicants who agree to a voluntary 25-year deed restriction. To be eligible, homeowners must earn less than 140% of the county’s area median income, occupy the property as their primary residence and own no other residential property. Homes must be located on Molokai, classified as owner-occupied under Maui County Code and free of other mortgages, deed restrictions and tax ...
County MAPPS system to be offline May 8-10 for maintenance
The Maui County Automated Planning and Permitting System will be unavailable from 6 p.m. May 8, to noon May 10 due to scheduled software maintenance and upgrades. During the outage, users will not be able to access the online platform, which is known as MAPPS and used to apply for permits, plans and business licenses, request services, pay invoices and search public records. Following the upgrade, users will see several improvements to the system. A new “view” menu will be added to the top navigation bar on the MAPPS Customer Self Service home page, allowing quicker access to key ...
County highlights federal aid programs for storm recovery; important deadline on May 14
The Maui County Office of Recovery is urging residents and business owners affected by March’s kona low storms to take advantage of two federal disaster assistance programs, with in-person help available across Maui County. Representatives from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the U.S. Small Business Administration are staffing recovery centers to assist those with property damage or financial needs tied to the storms. “Whether you need FEMA assistance or an SBA disaster loan, we encourage you to visit these centers,” said John Smith, administrator of the Maui County ...
Nightly closure of Piilani Highway in Kaupo revised
To accommodate drivers in the area, the Maui County Department of Public Works has adjusted its closure for a section of the Piilani Highway in Kaupo to start two hours later than originally planned. The section is now closing from 8 p.m. to 4 a.m. May 5-8 for road repairs. The plan was to close the route starting at 6 p.m. nightly on those days. The East Maui closure is just past mile marker 28. Motorists are asked to avoid the area during nighttime work hours. The closure is needed due to geotechnical work for the department's Waiopai Embankment Repairs project.
Hawaiian monk seal gives birth on Waikiki beach
A 15-year-old Hawaiian monk seal named Kaiwi gave birth at sunset Sunday on Kaimana Beach on Oahu, prompting state wildlife officials to remind the public to maintain their distance with the critically endangered species. The birth of the pup marks the fourth time Kaiwi, who was born on ...