Maui

Thousands of acres of watershed land in the West Maui Mountains are up for sale and state lawmakers are considering buying the property. 

WAILUKU — County officials in Maui are considering a ban on all short-term vacation rentals to combat illegal rental operations on the island.

WAILUKU, Hawaii — Hawaii lawmakers have proposed a state purchase of a watershed in the West Maui Mountains to help preserve the area's native plants, endangered species and drinking water.

WAILUKU — Maui surpassed 3 million annual visitors for the first time since the Hawaii Tourism Authority began keeping records, a new report said.

The National Park Service has announced an increase in visitor entrance fees at Haleakala National Park on Maui and Hawaii Volcanoes National Park on the Big Island. The two parks are among the national parks across the country rolling out higher fees to help pay for infrastructure and maintenance.

WAILUKU — The Hawaii Department of Health posted a water advisory at a Maui beach that tested above a bacteria safety threshold, officials said.

LAHAINA — An insurance company is offering a $50,000 reward to help find a masked man in a full-length black gown who stole more than $1 million in diamonds from a Hawaii jewelry store on Halloween.

NEW ORLEANS — A project to restore coastal dunes on Maui's north shore is getting help from some of the 44 grants awarded nationwide by the National Coastal Resilience Fund, a public-private partnership assisting communities threatened by storms and flooding from rising and warming seas.

WAILUKU — The Hawaii Department of Health notified a Maui neighborhood of a suspected case of a mosquito-borne illness near their residences, officials said.

Climate change could be creating conditions in Hawai'i similar to those in California, where wildfires have devastated parts of the state, according to a University of Hawai'i wildfire expert.

Updated: Nov. 6, 10:06 a.m.

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court seems uncertain about how to decide a closely watched case from Hawaii about the reach of landmark federal clean-water protections.

The Maui County Council was unable to gather enough votes Tuesday to hire its own special counsel as it faces off against Mayor Michael Victorino over the fate of a federal Clean Water Act lawsuit. 

WAILUKU— The state of Hawaii will consider a proposal to establish an online reservation system for guided hikes on Maui's Haleakala Trail, officials said.

WAILUKU — Maui will prohibit commercial activity in parks on Sunday and official holidays.

WAILUKU — Hawaii developers have announced a proposed plan to build housing in central Maui.

WAILUKU — A fungal disease local to Hawaii has not been rediscovered after being found on Maui for the first time earlier this year, officials said.

Updated: Aug, 12, 3:47 p.m.

Maui firefighters on Monday contained the last of three fires that broke out over the weekend, the latest in a series of wildfires the county has fought this summer. There were no injuries or structural damage reported.

WAILUKU — A state trauma registry lists Maui as the location of the highest number of spinal injuries occurring at Hawaiʻi's beaches.