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.
-
Across the state, the Kona low storm left lasting flooding and damage. As HPR’s Catherine Cluett Pactol reports, some Maui communities were hit especially hard. -
A new study from the University of Hawaiʻi shows mental health impacts from the 2023 wildfires are not limited to those in the burn zone. -
A historic shift is coming in how Maui’s water resources are managed, particularly in West Maui. HPR’s Catherine Cluett Pactol shares the big announcement. -
A planned food storage and distribution facility for Maui Food Bank is one step closer to reality. HPR’s Catherine Cluett Pactol reports the project is long-awaited to meet increasing food needs in the community. -
A Maui hat shaper crafts custom-made cowboy hats that are just as much about the experience as they are about the art. HPR’s Catherine Cluett Pactol visited his Makawao shop, Uncle Vic’s, to learn all about it. -
The Maui Planning Commission voted against recommending the creation of two new hotel zones for vacation rentals. The proposal would need to pass by a two-thirds vote at the council in order to move forward. -
A collaborative effort has made native plantings possible at Lahaina Harbor, bringing shade and a sense of place to the burned commercial space. -
While the focus of Lahaina’s recovery efforts so far has been rebuilding homes, commercial property owners are ready to rebuild too, and some are frustrated with the process. HPR’s Catherine Cluett Pactol talked with some of those owners, as well as county officials, to better understand the challenges. -
As we celebrate Mahina ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi, or Hawaiian language month, HPR’s Catherine Cluett Pactol takes us to Molokaʻi, where the language is in good hands with haumāna at the island's elementary school language immersion program. -
The smallest county in the United States may not exist much longer. As HPR’s Catherine Cluett Pactol reports, Kalawao County is preparing for a big transition.
