News Releases

Releases that pertain to the Molokai and Hawaiian communities.

Bayer Employees Donate Food Statewide

Wednesday, October 19th, 2022

Bayer Hawaii News Release 

Two weeks ago, Bayer Hawaii employees from the company’s Oahu farms presented 846 pounds of donated food collected by employees from Kunia, Haleiwa and Upper Kunia to the Hawai’i Food Bank in Oahu. Bayer employees donated more than 1,891 pounds of food in total across Oahu, Maui and Molokai. Molokai’s donation totaled 515 pounds.  

The food was collected by Bayer Hawaii employees as part of a larger statewide initiative held in September. Bayer works every day toward its vision of Health for All, Hunger for None. That’s why employees on Oahu, Maui and Molokai partnered with local foodbanks for Hunger Action Month to collect non-perishable food items to support members of the community who are experiencing food insecurity.…

Maui County Scholarship

Wednesday, October 19th, 2022

Jerman Foundation News Release 

Josh Jerman of Hawaii Life Real Estate Brokers is once again offering the Josh and Souk Jerman Foundation Scholarship to encourage college-bound students to use their education to benefit Maui County.

Now in its 19th consecutive year, the Josh and Souk Jerman Foundation Scholarship program provides academic scholarships to local high school seniors who will attend an accredited four-year college or university. To date, the program has awarded more than $58,000 in scholarships to Maui, Molokai and Lanai students who have displayed a passion for returning to Maui County after college to contribute to the community.

Since its inception, the Foundation has awarded $1,000 scholarships to up to five recipients. In acknowledgment of students’ resilience in the face of adversity over the past two years, the Foundation will now award $1,000 scholarships to 10 recipients in 2023. …

New Play Structure at MEO Preschool

Wednesday, October 19th, 2022

MEO News Release 

Children attending eight Maui Economic Opportunity Head Start preschool sites are enjoying new play structures in a $506,000 renovation project completed two weeks ago.

The new play structures are open air with a lower profile and provide for better safety and supervision of children, compared to the old tower structures, some of which were put up as far back as 2005.

Six new play structures were installed beginning in August at Head Start sites at the Eddie Tam Complex in Makawao, Kihei Elementary School, Princess Nahienaena Elementary School in Lahaina, Luana Gardens in Kahului, UH-Maui College in Kahului and MEO Molokai offices in Kaunakakai.…

County Energy Cost-Savings Program

Wednesday, October 19th, 2022

Maui County News Release 

Maui County taxpayers can expect to benefit from $73 million in energy and water conservation cost savings from a 20-year energy cost savings agreement with contractor Johnson Controls.

“This is a fiscally responsible project that saves taxpayer dollars, creates local jobs, reduces our carbon footprint, and, importantly, frees up clean water that we can use for affordable housing,” Mayor Michael Victorino said. “Reducing dependence on fossil fuels means we are taking money out of an oil tanker and keeping it right here, investing in jobs for our residents.”

The contractor expects the project will create more than 40 local jobs for the engineering, project management and maintenance support.…

Nonprofit Formed to Manage Ranch

Wednesday, October 19th, 2022

Sust’ainable Molokai News Release

Mahalo, Molokai, for your feedback and participation in the 13 meetings about community ownership of Molokai Ranch this year. The facilitation team has listened to your feedback and done our best to adjust our processes.

Firstly, we have a website! Please visit molokaihertitagetrust.org to learn more and stay updated.

Secondly, it’s go time! We are aiming to finalize the bylaws of the Molokai Heritage Trust, the nonprofit formed to manage the ranch lands, by the end of the year. The bylaws will help guide how our community makes decisions about Molokai Ranch lands. This includes who can be part of the board and organization as well as how the board governs itself.…

Candidate Hui Tour to Molokai

Thursday, October 13th, 2022

‘Onipa‘a 2022 News Release 

‘Onipa‘a 2022, a hui that unites Council candidates Noelani Ahia, Nara Boone, Jordan Hocker, Gabe Johnson, Robin Knox, Tamara Paltin, Keani Rawlins-Fernandez, and Shane Sinenci, announced the launch of their district tour. The Molokai event will be on Oct. 27 at 11:30 a.m. at the Molokai Canoe Club.

‘Onipa‘a 2022, is a people’s movement, arising out of a decade of grassroots organizing, acknowledging hard-fought advancements that could be lost this election without voter participation.

Two years ago, for the first time in Maui County history, the Council gained a progressive majority of five members, which resulted in extensive legislation to manage tourism and reduce vacation rentals,  promote long-term, affordable housing opportunities for residents, create a department of agriculture to increase food security, address climate change and sea level rise impacts, care for our unsheltered ‘ohana, fund farmers’ microgrants and promote local businesses, increase transparency and accessibility by transitioning Council meetings online, and more. …

Teen Donates Children’s Books to Molokai Head Start Keiki

Wednesday, October 5th, 2022

Teen Donates Children’s Books to Molokai Head Start Keiki

MEO News Release

A West Virginia high school senior reached across the mainland and the Pacific to Kaunakakai to hand 20 Maui Economic Opportunity (MEO) Head Start children the classic book “If You Give a Mouse A Cookie” on Wednesday, Sept. 28.

The books were given to all 20 students in the Head Start program by Rania Zuri of Morgantown and her Fifty Nifty Head Start book donation project, part of the LiTEArary Society, her nonprofit whose mission is to end book deserts for children in Head Start programs nationwide.

Also, early childhood education plays a pivotal role in shaping a child’s development, making programs like Head Start and daycare centers essential in laying a strong foundation for lifelong learning.…

Agricultural Micro Grant Available

Wednesday, October 5th, 2022

MEO News Release 

Molokai farmers and ranchers have an opportunity for funding assistance. Applications for the popular Agricultural Micro Grant Program 3.0 – which offers up to $25,000 to Maui County small farmers and ranchers – will be available beginning Monday, Oct. 17.

The $3 million Maui County-funded program, administered by Maui Economic Opportunity’s Business Development Center, is open to operating farms on less than 12 acres and livestock ranches up to 40 acres possessing a county business or state general excise license as of July 1, 2022. Preference will be given to women and Native Hawaiians.

Grants may be used to directly impact the availability of locally-grown produce, livestock and poultry and other related products.…

Temporary Pool Closure Upcoming

Wednesday, October 5th, 2022

Maui County News Release

Pool guard trainee testing will be conducted Oct. 20 at the Cooke Memorial Pool on Molokai. The pool will be closed to the public from 9 a.m. to noon for the physical swim test of pool guard trainees, the Department of Parks and Recreation announced. The facility will reopen from 1 to 4 p.m. that day for lap and recreational swimming.

The department appreciates the public’s patience and understanding.

For more information, call Duke A. Sevilla at (808) 270-6135 or send email to duke.sevilla@co.maui.hi.us.

For general Maui County parks information, visit mauicounty.gov/parks.…

Catch the Reading Wave

Thursday, September 29th, 2022

Friends of Molokai Public Library News Release 

The Molokai Public Library, working with all the island elementary schools and homeschoolers, is challenging all Molokai third graders to “Catch the Reading Wave.”

When they join the challenge, each third grade student will be given a bag of books to take home to build a personal library. Activities online and in classrooms will involve reading and thinking about what they have read, to build their reading skills. Challenging activities include identifying if a book is fiction or nonfiction, finding main ideas, defining words by using the dictionary that comes with the bag, and treasure hunts within the books.…