• August 16, 2022, 5:00 pm
    Intermittent clouds
    Intermittent clouds
    87°F
    humidity: 58%
    wind speed: 9 mph S
    © 2022 AccuWeather, Inc.
    More forecast...
     

  • Submission Deadlines

    Advertising

    Thursday 4pm

    August 11, 2022

    Content

    Friday 4pm

    August 12, 2022

    To print on:

    Wednesday

    August 24, 2022

  • Join us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter Follow us on Google Plus Subscribe via RSS

Government

Molokai Program Among $6.6M for Local Projects

Friday, March 18th, 2022

Congressman Kahele News Release

Congressman Kaialiʻi Kahele announced $6,686,000 in Community Funded Projects for Hawaii’s second congressional district. The funding, which was included in the federal government funding package that passed through the U.S. House of Representatives last week, is expected to be signed into law by the President this week.

Among nine projects, one is specific to Molokai. Maui Economic Opportunity will receive $100,000 for the Kaohi Program, which offers in- and out-of-school activities and will target 100 Molokai youth ages 11 to 18 years old to reduce alcohol, tobacco and drug use. 

“These Community Funded Projects, secured by my office and granted to deserving non-profit organizations, state and county agencies, will support locally led priorities such as protecting our environment, educational opportunities for our keiki and addressing healthcare disparities in our rural communities.…

Posted in , , commentsAdd your comment

Safe Travels to End, Indoor Masks Stay

Wednesday, March 9th, 2022

By Catherine Cluett Pactol

The State of Hawaii took some big steps to continue ending COVID mandates last week. Gov. Ige announced the Safe Travels program, which requires vaccination proof, negative COVID test results or quarantine options upon entering the state, will end on March 25. Additionally, state and county employees will no longer be required to show vaccination status or negative test results. However, masks will continue to be required indoors, Ige said. 

The state’s current emergency period is set to end on March 25, sunsetting many of the remaining COVID requirements. Beginning at 12:01 am, Mar. 26, passengers arriving from domestic points of origin will not have to show proof of a COVID-19 vaccination or a pre-travel negative test result.…

Posted in , , commentsAdd your comment

Strategy for Economic Prosperity

Wednesday, March 2nd, 2022

Community Contributed

By Keani Rawlins-Fernandez, Maui County Council, Molokai

The county is in the midst of updating its fourth Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS), “an economic roadmap to diversify and strengthen regional economies,” for publication later this year.  

This update occurs every five years, as a result of the Economic Development Administration (EDA) Reauthorization Act of 2004. Maui County has completed three CEDS, in 2004, 2010 and 2016. 

The CEDS is intended to create a local-based strategy for economic development and an environment for economic prosperity and resilience. 

Maui County has historically contracted the Maui Economic Development Board (MEDB) who achieved the objective of completing the required analysis and report by working with a network of connected businesses, suppliers and associates in specific fields that are all located in the same geographical area.…

Posted in , commentsAdd your comment

Discuss Molokai Water Use and Demand

Thursday, February 24th, 2022

Townscape News Release

Learn about Preliminary Water Use and Demand for Molokai’s water systems. At two meetings open to Molokai residents, we will be presenting water use information for public and private water systems on the island, our methodology for projecting future water demand, and sharing our preliminary water demand projections. The Molokai Water Use and Development Plan is being updated by a collaboration between Townscape, Inc., an environmental and community planning company, and the County of Maui Department of Water Supply, Water Resources and Planning Division.

We will offer this presentation at two different meeting times. Our presentation will be the same at each meeting, and open discussion time will follow the presentation.…

Posted in , , , , , , commentsAdd your comment

Molokai Monk Seal Shot Dead

Wednesday, December 22nd, 2021

A young female seal known as “L11” found dead on Molokai on Sept. 19 is confirmed to have died from a gunshot wound to the head. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced the results of its postmortem analyses Tuesday.

“Specifically, we found a bullet fragment in association with evidence of severe, lethal trauma,” NOAA stated. “We are waiting on test results to see if L11 had any diseases, but we do not expect the results to change these conclusions.”

The seal’s death marks the third confirmed intentional killing of a monk seal on Molokai in 2021, with several other seal deaths investigated on the island this year. …

Posted in , , , commentsAdd your comment

‘Aina Kupuna Bill

Wednesday, December 15th, 2021

County of Maui News Release

Mayor Michael Victorino has signed Bill 118 — the ʻAina Kapuna bill — that establishes a mechanism to provide long-time Maui families with tax relief for inherited real property in a Special Management Area. Introduced by Maui County Council Vice-Chair Keani Rawlins-Fernandez of Molokai, the bill intends to protect kamaʻaina from being taxed out of family land due to real estate speculation by outside investors.

“I am in strong support of tax protection for our long-time Maui families,” said Mayor Victorino. “At the same time, I am recommending further review of the Maui County Code to determine if there are unintended consequences that may threaten the viability of this tax relief program.…

Posted in , , commentsAdd your comment

Emergency Proclamation to Help with Drought Funding

Wednesday, November 17th, 2021

By Catherine Cluett Pactol

In the second year of a severe drought that has dealt a blow to local farmers and ranchers, many on Molokai can attest to the damage that hungry deer have wrecked on their gardens, homesteads, pastures and crops. The governor just signed a second emergency proclamation that will help with funding to cover damages, said Sen. Lynn DeCoite of Molokai, who pushed for a renewal of a drought proclamation issued in January of this year, which expired after 60 days. 

“This proclamation helps open pathways for a swift response by all levels of government — County, State and Federal — along with private land owners to address the dire deer situation that has continued to be a public health and safety concern across Maui County,” wrote Sen.…

Posted in , , commentsAdd your comment

Join a County Board or Commission

Thursday, October 14th, 2021

County of Maui News Release

The County of Maui is seeking applicants to fill multiple vacancies on county boards, commissions, councils and committees. There are currently two vacancies on the Molokai Planning Commission, among dozens of other opportunities to make an impact on local policy. 

There is one vacancy on each of the following: Affirmative Action Advisory Council, Civil Service Commission, Maui County Cultural Resources Commission, Real Property Tax Review Board, and Salary Commission. 

There are two vacancies on each of the following: Animal Control Board, Board of Ethics, Board of Variances and Appeals, Board of Water Supply, Fire & Public Safety Commission, Hana Advisory Committee to the Maui Planning Commission, Liquor Control Adjudication Board, Liquor Control Commission, Maui Planning Commission, Molokai Planning Commission, Paia-Haiku Advisory Committee to the Maui Planning Commission, Police Commission, Public Works Commission, South Maui Advisory Committee to the Maui Planning Commission, Kula Agricultural Park Committee, Commission on Healing Solutions for Homelessness, Maui County Arborist Committee, and Maui Redevelopment Agency. …

Posted in , , , commentsAdd your comment

Join the Conservation Planning Committee

Wednesday, October 6th, 2021

County of Maui News Release  

Applications to fill Molokai, Lanai and East Maui seats on the Conservation Planning Committee are being accepted until Oct. 15 at 4:30 p.m., Councilmember Michael J. Molina, chair of the council’s Government Relations, Ethics and Transparency Committee, announced.  

“The Conservation Planning Committee provides recommendations to the mayor, council and county agencies prior to acquiring parcels for land conservation purposes using Open Space, Natural Resources, Cultural Resources and Scenic Views Preservation Funds,” Molina said. “It is important we have representation from community members in our remote locations as lands in those areas are best known by its nearby residents.”…

Posted in , , , , commentsAdd your comment

Open Letter to Congressman Kahele

Thursday, September 16th, 2021

As one of many Molokai residents who voted for you to represent us in Congress, I’m sad to hear that you not only voted for the nearly three quarters of a trillion-dollar FY 2022 U.S. military budget but also to increase it by an additional $24 billion. With so many issues facing Molokai and every island, I’m sure your voters could think of far better ways to use those funds. Don’t let the good work you’re doing for Hawaii be overshadowed by indebtedness to weapons manufacturers. You can win elections without them. Please learn from Afghanistan, Iraq, etc., a lesson we should have learned from Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia: no amount of money spent on instruments of death can translate into victory of any sort beyond Wall Street.…

Posted in , , , commentsAdd your comment