The Maui News

This week, the Maui Police Department and Maui Crime Stoppers seek the public's help in identifying one or more burglary suspects in a case involving Lihikai Elementary School in Kahului. Full Story »

Gov. Linda Lingle late last week released $75 million meant to help fix up many of Hawaii's public school buildings. Nearly every one of Maui County's more than 30 grade K-12 schools will get a piece of the district's nearly $14 million share of the fiscal year 2010 spending. Full Story »

Beachgoers in north Kaanapali may now be noticing signs warning them not to feed the marine life nor catch certain types of fish. Full Story »

Fifty-seven divers from Maui, Lanai and Oahu came out to the third and last Roi Roundup of the year. Roi, ta'ape and to'au compete with native fish, and clearing the reefs of them helps maintain populations of native fish. The introduced species are estimated to consume 146 natives each per year. Full Story »

KAHULUI - Hale Mahaolu is offering a $20,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of whoever started a fire that gutted its senior center building under construction in Kihei. Full Story »

WAILUKU - About 8,000 owners of agricultural lands received letters from the county in September, asking them to verify that they qualify for the lower agricultural tax assessment. Full Story »

KAHULUI Mr. Pineapple - aka Jimmy Hutaff - needs 350 delicious Maui pineapples a day, and when Maui Pine closes down later this year, he doesn't know where he will get them. Full Story »

LAHAINA - State Department of Transportation Director Brennon Morioka said he is well aware of the daily headaches that drivers face while stuck in traffic and waiting at lights as they approach Lahaina on Honoapiilani Highway. He's been mired in it himself, he said. Full Story »

WAILUKU Manuel Cosma Jr. lives in Honolulu and doesn't even know some of the 23 cousins and distant relatives with whom he shares ownership of ancestral land in Hana. But somehow, he ended up as one of the few owners who get the property tax bills. Full Story »

WAILUKU Maui County finance officials are stepping up efforts to collect delinquent taxes, reclassifying some nonfarmers who claim agricultural tax assessments, and taking other steps that could add to the county's revenues ahead of what's expected to be a tight year in 2010. Full Story »

WAILUKU - Asking a judge to go against a plea agreement recommending probation, a man was sentenced to a five-year prison term for stealing liquor from a Kihei grocery store. Full Story »

WAILUKU - The Maui County Council on Friday approved a special permit for the Golden Baseball League to operate a professional team at Maehara Stadium next year. Full Story »

WAILUKU - A 45-year-old man was found guilty of lesser charges of restraining and assaulting his girlfriend as well as charges that he threatened and abused the woman in her Kahana apartment earlier this year. Full Story »

LAHAINA - The LahainaTown Action Committee will once again seek permits to hold Halloween events in Lahaina - an event that attracted up to 20,000 revelers in past years. Full Story »

WAILUKU - Parents angry about school days lost to Furlough Fridays are pressuring state lawmakers to convene a special session to look for another way to close the state's forecasted two-year budget shortfall of more than $900 million. Full Story »

HONOLULU - Twin lawsuits filed by parents seeking to halt Hawaii's teacher furloughs face a pivotal federal court hearing after settlement negotiations foundered this week. Full Story »

WAILUKU --- The Lahainaluna High School football team claimed a share of the unofficial Maui Interscholastic League overall championship by beating Baldwin 28-14 on Friday night at War Memorial Stadium. Full Story »

Just after 4:30 p.m. Friday, the Maui Police Department temporarily closed Hana Highway 360 in Hana near Pua Kaa Park at Mile Post 23 after a tree fell blocking both lanes, the county announced. Full Story »

LAHAINA - Two men were arrested Monday night after Lahaina patrol officers recovered a loaded handgun from the pickup truck they were in, police said. Full Story »

HONOLULU (AP) - A little more than $3 million is being used to pay for various improvements at state hospitals on four islands. The governor's office said Thursday that $1.2 million will go to Lanai Hospital for renovations, construction of a new waiting room and replacement of equipment. Full Story »

Disused stables at Haliimaile are on the Historic Hawai'i Foundation's annual list of the most endangered historic sites in the islands. Since the list was compiled, owner Maui Land & Pineapple Co. has announced it is going out of business. Full Story »

MAALAEA - Small boat Capt. Vincent Finazzo said Wednesday he was unhappy with a proposed state Department of Land and Natural Resources plan to upgrade parks and harbors, in part, by upping his daily mooring fee from $18.50 to $70 a day. Full Story »

KAANAPALI - A 73-year-old Oregon man was pronounced dead Tuesday after he was pulled from the ocean while scuba diving off Kaanapali, police said. Police identified the man as Keith Hansen of Gresham. Full Story »

WAILUKU - The ongoing problem of speeding and unsafe street parking along Eha Street in Wailuku was revisited Tuesday night when area residents complained to top Maui Police Department officials during a community meeting. Full Story »

WAILUKU - Planning consultant Chris Hart has announced he will run for mayor of Maui County in 2010. Hart planned to officially kick off his campaign at this week's First Friday event in Wailuku. Full Story »