UHERO: Hawaiʻi economy turns a corner, moves beyond recession with modest growth

While coconut palms top the list of CRB’s preferred foods, endangered loulu is also on the menu. Loulu’s small crowns are easier for beetles to penetrate than those of coconut palms, which results in a higher risk of lethal damage or secondary fungal infection. Extinction is a worry.

East Maui residents may drop off appliances, automobile batteries, tires, propane tanks and scrap metal  during a Hāna metals collection event on March 5 and 6, 2026.

The Hideaway at Montage Kapalua Bay has reopened as a reimagined indoor-outdoor cocktail lounge overlooking Kapalua Bay. Featuring warm wood finishes and textural details that reflect the surrounding landscape, the newly enhanced space offers an open-air setting for island-inspired cuisine and cocktails at sunset over the Pacific.

This exclusive camp provides a rare opportunity for Maui’s youth to experience nationally recognized instruction right at home, while also inviting young athletes from across the country to pair world-class instruction with a memorable family vacation on Kāʻanapali Beach. 

US Rep. Jill Tokuda of Hawaiʻi introduced the Tariff Free Farming Act  to lower costs for farmers by eliminating President Trump’s tariffs on essential agricultural imported supplies. 

Hawaiʻi’s economy is moving beyond last year’s mild recession, but the recovery will be gradual, according to the University of Hawaiʻi Economic Research Organization’s first quarter forecast for 2026 released on Feb. 27. Maui is the standout, as ongoing recovery from the disastrous 2023 wildfires will continue to propel rising tourism activity, if at a slower pace than last year.

US Sen. Mazie Hirono of Hawaiʻi joined colleagues in introducing the Strengthening Place-based Access, Resources, and Knowledge (SPARK) Act to spur entrepreneurship and increase access for underserved entrepreneurs nationwide.

MC&A, a destination and event management business across the Hawaiian Islands, announced the hiring of Bobbilyn Jones as Event Rental Sales Manager for the company’s newly launched division, MC&A Event Rentals.

Hawaiʻi Association of College Admissions Counselors in partnership with New Zealand Education will host a New Zealand University Fair on Wednesday, March 4, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. in the Seabury Hall Dining Hall. 

The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory reports that the V3 camera for live streaming of eruptive activity at Kīlauea, is now back online after onsite maintenance. Scientists with the HVO say preliminary models suggest the likely forecast window for the onset of episode 43 lava fountaining is March 6-16.

The Executive Office on Early Learning announced today that applications for its public prekindergarten program for the 2026–2027 school year will open on March 2, 2026.

The Hawaiʻi Department of Transportation is notifying the public of upcoming intermittent road closures at mile marker 19.5 on Hāna Highway (Route 360), for rock scaling work.