Breaking News

Maui Coronavirus Impacts

Budget bill passes with funds for multiple Maui County projects

The Maui News The Senate and House of Representatives’ money committees have approved the state budget bill, which includes funding for Maui hospital expansion, a new school in Central Maui and axis deer management. The bill includes an operating budget of $8.7 billion in general funds and $16.9 billion through all methods of funding for fiscal year 2023, along with a capital improvement projects budget of $6 billion for fiscal years 2022 and 2023 and $48.9 million in grants-in-aid, according to a news release from the state Legislature on Wednesday. “The state’s financial ...

Thirteen youth poet laureate finalists to perform Saturday

The Maui News Thirteen finalists for youth poet laureate will perform Saturday at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center before the announcement of the selection of the state’s second youth poet laureate. The event, which will be held at 7:30 p.m. in Castle Theater, will be streamed for free on the center’s website and Facebook and YouTube pages. The youth poet laureate finalists range in age from 10 to 19. The event will include appearances and performances by special guests including Lua Bowman, Hawaii’s first youth poet laureate. For the event, the Maui Arts & Cultural Center ...

UH-Maui studies effects of food preservatives on mouth microbes

A small group of University of Hawaii Maui College students and faculty broke new ground last month by exploring the impacts of preservatives found in food on the mouth microbiome, one of the first studies of its kind and among the few peer-reviewed publications out of the program. The ...

Deadline for small business grant applications extended

The Maui News Businesses now have until April 30 to apply for $5,000 grants under the Maui County Small Business Program, the county announced Monday. To qualify, businesses must: • Be registered and active with the state Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs and/or sole proprietors. • Have $2 million or less in gross revenue in 2020 verified by the State of Hawaii G-49 form (general excise/use annual return and reconciliation). • Show a 10 percent decline in gross revenue from 2019 to 2020 verified by the G-49. • Have a commercial location in Maui County. • Show ...

State/In Brief

The Associated Press Alaska-Hawaii summer nonstop flights suspended ANCHORAGE, Alaska — Alaska Airlines says its canceling nonstop flights between Anchorage and Honolulu during the summer months, primarily because of limited staffing. The suspension will last from June until November. Alaska Airlines Public Affairs Manager Tim Thompson said no other major nonstop routes to and from Anchorage were affected, KTUU reported. Alaska Airlines has struggled with staffing levels this month, as pilots protested and the airline said it encountered a backlog in its training program ...

19 complete MPD crisis intervention class

Nineteen people completed training Friday to become part of the Maui Police Department’s Crisis Intervention Team that interacts with people who may be in a mental health crisis. The 19 new members include police officers and dispatchers, as well as employees of the county Department of ...