Catherine Cluett Pactol
Maui Nui 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.
-
A new youth-to-youth crisis line just launched in Hawaiʻi to support mental health for young people — and 12 trained youth from Maui are volunteering. HPR’s Catherine Cluett Pactol has the story. -
The island of Molokaʻi observed Makahiki until the early 1900s, when cultural practices began to wane. But the community spearheaded efforts to revive the traditions, and it’s been held annually since 1981. -
Tiger sharks are typically solitary wanderers, and it wasn’t clear to scientists how they came together to reproduce. But as HPR’s Catherine Cluett Pactol reports, groundbreaking research from the University of Hawai’i reveals new secrets about how it works. -
More than 900 Maui fire survivor households are waiting in limbo for a decision on whether FEMA housing assistance will be extended beyond the end of February. HPR’s Catherine Cluett Pactol has more. -
Five decades ago, a group of Hawaiian activists landed on Kahoʻolawe in an attempt to stop the U.S. military’s bombing of the island. HPR’s Catherine Cluett Pactol sat down with Molokaʻi’s Walter Ritte and shares his memories of that decisive movement. -
Hundreds of keiki across Maui County got a special gift this holiday season. HPR's Catherine Cluett Pactol has the story about a giveaway that’s become an annual tradition. -
A children’s book about Kahoʻolawe written and illustrated by Native Hawaiians has been earning national praise. HPR’s Catherine Cluett Pactol caught up with the author. -
Maui Mayor Richard Bissen has signed a measure that would phase out thousands of vacation rentals. That followed a vote by the Maui County Council. HPR's Catherine Cluett Pactol has more. -
Lahaina Filipino organization Kaibigan ng Lāhaina has entered into a partnership with Maui Land & Pineapple Company to lease a 7-acre parcel in Lahaina for agriculture and learning. -
More than a year and a half of contentious discussion over short-term rentals in Maui County is nearing a final decision. HPR’s Catherine Cluett Pactol has more.
