News Releases

Exciting Things are Happening

Thursday, August 15th, 2024

Molokai History Project News Release

The Molokai History Project has received several educational grants, and we want to use them to provide events for our entire community. Our focus is on the students, with residents and visitors welcome at all events. The students will be asked to delve deep into research about our island. They will learn from our kupuna, and those who are experts, as they work doing what they love. The students will then be asked to share their results, thus creating exciting new ideas and projects for our island. We hope to begin in September and run through April, 2025, with monthly events.…

Maui Fire Dept. Announces Recent Promotions

Thursday, August 15th, 2024

Maui Fire Dept. News Release

The County of Maui Department of Fire and Public Safety, and Fire
Chief Brad Ventura are proud to announce the recent promotions of personnel, including many for Molokai.

Captain Troy Tendo has been with the fire department since 2007, and most recently
was assigned to the Paia Fire Station. He had also worked in Kula, Kihei, Makawao,
Napili, and Lanai. With his promotion, he will move to the Puko’o Fire Station on
Molokai. A 1998 graduate of St Anthony and a 2004 graduate of UH Manoa, Captain
Tendo, his wife Christine Newsom, and his son live in Kula.…

Call for Artists

Thursday, August 8th, 2024

Hawaii Craftsmen News Release

A reminder that the registration period for the Hawaii Craftsmen 58th consecutive
annual Statewide Exhibition is upon us! This is an open call to artists residing in Hawaii
for artworks in the categories of clay, fiber, glass, wood, metal, stone, and mixed
media. This exhibition will be juried by Suzanne Isken, former executive director of Craft
Contemporary in Los Angeles. Entries must be registered online at
HawaiiCraftsmen.org between Aug. 1 and Sept. 2.
This statewide exhibition has been held annually since 1967 and features traditional and
contemporary craft from artists across the state of Hawaii. Hawaii Craftsmen’s 2024
juror Suzanne Isken, served as Executive Director of Craft Contemporary in Los
Angeles from 2011 through 2023.…

Weather Stations Installed in High-Risk Fire Areas

Thursday, August 8th, 2024

Hawaiian Electric News Release

Hawaiian Electric has installed two weather stations on Molokai to provide key information about wind, temperature and humidity to help the company better predict and respond to fire weather conditions.

The project includes the installation of 52 weather stations across Molokai, Maui, Oahu and Hawaii Island. The weather stations, mounted on Hawaiian Electric utility poles, will provide meteorological data that will help the company to decide whether to activate and deactivate a public safety power shutoff, or PSPS. Under the PSPS program, launched July 1, Hawaiian Electric may preemptively shut off power in areas that are at high risk of wildfires during periods of forecasted high winds and dry conditions.…

Homeowner Assistance Fund expands to $21M

Thursday, August 8th, 2024

Maui County News Release

Even more Molokai homeowners may be eligible for mortgage or other qualified housing expense assistance through the Maui County Homeowner Assistance Fund Program. Homeowners on Maui, Molokai and Lanai who were affected negatively by the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic may be eligible for assistance and other resources to help avoid foreclosure.

Eligible homeowners may receive up to $60,000 in assistance through the program’s contracted service provider, Catholic Charities Hawaii (CCH).

The program started in May with an initial allocation of $7 million and recently received an additional $14 million. The additional funding will allow the program to serve between 240 and 570 more homeowners who experienced a financial hardship associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.…

The Molokai Dispatch Wins 5 Awards

Thursday, August 8th, 2024

The Molokai Dispatch News Release

The Molokai Dispatch is honored to have won five Excellence in Journalism awards for its news coverage in 2023. The awards are held annually by the Society of Professional Journalism (SPJ) Hawaii Chapter and presented in newspaper, TV, radio and magazine categories. This year was the first time that the SPJ has combined all newspapers into the same category, rather than separating weekly and daily papers. Winners for 2023 were announced at an awards dinner last week in Honolulu.
Marissa Motas, the Molokai Dispatch’s graphic designer, was awarded second and third place in the News Page Design category for all newspapers statewide for her layouts of “Makahiki Worth the Wait” and “2023 Year in Review: January – June.”…

History Project Receives Bayer Grant

Wednesday, July 31st, 2024

Molokai History Project News Release

The Molokai History Project, located in Kaunakakai, Molokai, received a $9,600 grant from the Bayer Fund, a philanthropic arm of Bayer in the U.S. This grant will be used to focus on education and encouraging students to learn the challenges and rewards of agriculture on Molokai, both in individual farming and large corporate farming. The mutual goals of Bayer Fund and the Molokai History Project are to see the communities we serve flourish. We will now work together in helping to educate, excite and encourage students to join in our effort to explore the history of agriculture from the earliest days so they can find their own pathway to success whatever they should decide.…

Kupu ‘Aina Corps Calls for Molokai Participants

Wednesday, July 31st, 2024

Kupu News Release

Kupu, Hawaii’s leading conservation and youth education organization, today announced that applications are now open for the 2024-25 Kupu ʻAina Corps (KAC) program, which is actively seeking host sites and participants for paid opportunities in sustainability-focused sectors like renewable energy, sustainable agriculture, and climate adaptation on Hawaii Island, Kauai, Maui, Molokai, Oahu.

KAC participants gain up to a year of paid experience in a sustainability-focused profession, while KAC host sites get the chance to train and grow future leaders for their organization. For participants, the fall Cohort 1 will start on Oct. 7, Cohort 2 will start on Nov.…

Schedule Change for Property Tax Payment Window

Wednesday, July 31st, 2024

Maui County News Release

The Molokai Real Property Assessment office at Mitchell Pauole Center will be accepting property tax payments on Mondays and Tuesdays only through Tuesday, Aug. 20.

For property tax payments and circuit breaker questions, call 1 (800) 272-0117 and ask for Real Property Treasury or call direct at (808) 270-7697. Tax payments also can be mailed to County of Maui, Department of Finance, Treasury Division, 110 ‘Ala‘ihi St., Suite 108, Kahului 96732.

For other property questions, call 1 (800) 272-0117 and ask for Real Property Assessment or call direct at (808) 270-7297. Visit our website at mauicounty.gov/rpt or email rpa@co.maui.hi.us…

Upcoming Art Bar

Wednesday, July 31st, 2024

MAC News Release

Join the Molokai Arts Center (MAC) and Molokai artist Perry Buchalter for the next Art Bar at Hiro’s ‘Ohana Grill – “Painting Beneath the Sea.”

Buchalter, who is loved for his creativity and his entertaining teaching style, will be directing you through this painting exercise.

“There is much documentation on how colors begin to disappear the farther they move away underwater. First the vibrant reds and oranges, then yellows, browns, followed by greens, blues, and violets. Come and take a journey as we explore how to paint a simple underwater scene, or more advanced based on your skill level.…