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Incumbent Mayor Bissen criticized superPAC spending in support of Sugimura, the council vice chair, who is working to shore up votes and close the gap between her and Bissen from the primary election.
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Incumbent Rep. Elle Cochran, Green Party candidate Pā'ele Kiakona and Democratic nominee Sne Patel are battling to represent West Maui at a pivotal time in the fire recovery.
One major change would eliminate a panel that was created to fill vacancies in volunteer boards and commissions but has been struggling with quorum itself.
Staff say the temporary classrooms, which were built in just 95 days in Kapalua, need repairs — especially since they have to last until at least 2029 when King Kamehameha III's new elementary campus is expected to be completed.
Incumbent Mayor Richard Bissen and County Council Vice Chair Yuki Lei Sugimura both say they would prioritize housing, affordability and keeping locals from moving away, but they differ on how.
Incumbent Richard Bissen appeared to be in the driver's seat for reelection after a decisive victory in the primary, but allegations by the police chief that BIssen was the target of two criminal investigations could make the race much tighter against Maui County Council Vice Chair Yuki Lei Sugimura.
The dispute between the police chief and Bissen's administration is growing with less than a month before the mayor defends his seat in the general election.
Police Chief John Pelletier is currently on paid leave while the commission looks into his oversight of a police unit whose former leader is facing federal bribery charges.
Chief John Pelletier is on leave while the Maui Police Commission conducts an investigation into his oversight of a unit led by a lieutenant who was arrested on federal bribery charges.
The Plantation Golf Course will host the LPGA Tour's 2027 LOTTE Championship in March, the first major pro tournament at the course since the PGA Tour's Sentry was cancelled due to dried-up conditions on the golf course.
Coastal experts say recent storms have created "new crisis spots" along Hawai'i shorelines that were already struggling with long-term erosion.
Some residents of Hale Makamae, the only intermediate care facility for adults with developmental disabilities, are now back at Maui Memorial Medical Center as they await the $65 million renovation and reopening of their longterm facility at Kula Hospital.
But it is Sugimura who has spent more as she tries to close the 5,000-vote gap from the primary election, when Bissen finished ahead of the other nine candidates.
More than 3,400 units are up for hotel zoning that would help them avoid the ban. The Maui Planning Commission said no to most, but it is the Maui County Council that has the final say.
Last week the Environmental Protection Agency rolled back Biden-era greenhouse gas requirements for power plants across the country.
Ferry service is a critical option in a county where residents often travel between islands for jobs, doctor's appointments, shopping and sports.
