Catherine Cluett Pactol
General Assignment ReporterCatherine Cluett Pactol is Hawaiʻi Public Radio’s Maui Nui reporter. She lives on Molokaʻi and is HPR’s first full-time employee based on a neighbor island. Having served as a contributing HPR reporter on and off since 2008, she officially joined the HPR newsroom in summer 2023.
Previously, she worked at The Molokai Dispatch, Molokaʻi’s only newspaper, for 15 years and served as its editor for more than a decade. During that time, she led the paper’s small team to win more than 30 Excellence in Journalism awards from the Society of Professional Journalists Hawaiʻi chapter, while also freelancing for magazines and publications across the state. She has a degree in creative writing from Bates College, and her work has been led by a passion for storytelling through community journalism.
Contact her at cpactol@hawaiipublicradio.org.
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Free cold treats delivered door to door in Lahaina neighborhoods have evolved into a creative form of therapy, spearheaded by one Maui resident's desire to foster connection. HPR's Catherine Cluett Pactol has the story.
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A county proposal to phase out about half of Maui's legal short-term rentals will move forward after getting support from the Maui Planning Commission, which voted unanimously to recommend Maui County Council pass the ordinance.
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The mobile preschool plans to use the money to support the Lahaina community through an educational foundation, as well as parenting classes, homeless outreach and family success.
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As of this week, the Crater Road fire on the slopes of Haleakalā has burned nearly 600 acres and remains 80% contained. Upper Kula residents spent several days on high alert for evacuations, bringing flashbacks of last year's fire that burned 19 homes in Upcountry Maui. HPR's Catherine Cluett Pactol reports.
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Some Kula residents are dealing with extensive road damages they say were caused by heavy equipment from the federal fire debris cleanup. HPR’s Catherine Cluett Pactol reports on the continued issues following the Aug. 8 wildfire.
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With some Lahaina homeowners receiving foreclosure notices on homes that burned last year, a public-private partnership has sprung into action to help combat illegal foreclosures. HPR's Catherine Cluett Pactol explains what's happening.
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The ʻOhana Assistance Pilot Project launched on Monday to provide grants of up to $100,000 to Maui County homeowners for the design and construction costs of ‘ohana units.
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In the first step of decision-making on a county proposal to phase out certain short-term rentals, the Maui Planning Commission heard from hundreds of testifiers engaged in the process. HPR’s Catherine Cluett Pactol reports the decision could have wide-ranging impacts on the community.
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Keanu Lau Hee will serve as Hawaiʻi Community Foundation's senior director for the Maui Recovery Effort. She will start on July 16.
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In the first six months after the wildfires, more than $25 million in real estate was sold in Lahaina. HPR's Catherine Cluett Pactol discusses a recent report that says community ownership can offer solutions and protect locally owned properties from investment-driven sales.