Katie Helland
I’m excited to help bring a brand new source of news to the state. In my coverage, I look forward to sharing stories that will help you plan fun things to do for date nights and spend family time in Hawaii. I also hope to share stories about the people behind events and organizations, as well as their interests in music, hula, film, comedy and more.
I started working at the city newspaper when I was still in high school through summer internships. Since then, I have worked for the community newspaper in my college town, as well as The Santiago Times when I lived abroad in Chile. Most recently, I worked for Pacific Business News in Honolulu.
At ASD, I can’t wait to talk story, which is how reporters hear some of the best news tips! Hawaii has such an incredibly rich culture. And for me, it is home.
SPJ Hawai‘i 2025 Excellence in Journalism Awards: First Place, Best Overall News Site, for “Aloha State Daily,” by the ASD Newsroom, in the Internet Division; and First Place, Headlines, by Katie Helland, Kelsey Kukaua Medeiros, and Stephanie Salmons for "Listen to the Mike Love song people quit their jobs over."
Katie Helland can be reached at katie@alohastatedaily.com.
Latest from Katie Helland

Grammy winner Kalani Peʻa shares daily routine and inspiration
This four-time Grammy winner and singer and songwriter shares how music starts with coffee and an appreciation of the place Peʻa calls home.
Katie HellandFebruary 14, 2025

Francis Pimmel makes to-scale model voyaging canoes in Mililani
He builds to-scale models for museums, resorts and private collectors.
Katie HellandFebruary 13, 2025

Honolulu wraps buses with local art
Three buses have new exterior designs as part of a series of public art installations that connect places across Oʻahu with indigenous, Native Hawaiian stories.
Katie HellandFebruary 12, 2025

Grammy-Award winner Kalani Peʻa takes unique maile lei to red carpet
Maui resident Kalani Peʻa wore a lei dipped in gold and crafted in Honolulu to the Grammy Awards. Aloha State Daily takes you behind the scenes of the red carpet look created by Maui Divers Jewelry.
Katie HellandFebruary 08, 2025

Hōkūleʻa stops at Ko Olina, Pōkaʻī Bay
This crew member of Hōkūleʻa describes how sailing in the middle of the open ocean feels a lot like “camping,” she said.
Katie HellandFebruary 06, 2025

And the Oscar goes to ....
This line-up of movies nominated for Academy Awards will take the big screen at local theaters across Oʻahu, leading up to the 2025 Oscar Season.
Katie HellandFebruary 05, 2025

Hawai‘i artist wins Grammy
This local singer and songwriter won a fourth consecutive Grammy award for “Kuini,” the artist’s most recent album.
Katie HellandFebruary 04, 2025

Government agencies weigh future for Kalaupapa settlement
The future of an isolated peninsula where thousands of patients with leprosy, now known as Hansen’s disease, were sent to live in isolation from the rest of the world, is in development. Its last patients are now between 83 and 100 years old.
Katie HellandJanuary 31, 2025

You know you want a pet plant ...
Residents of Hawai‘i can adopt ʻihi, koʻokoʻolau and native hibiscuses at locations across the state in February. The Native Hawaiian plants are free for local families.
Katie HellandJanuary 30, 2025

How do you feel about chopsticks?
Aspiring playwrights, Kumu Kahua Theatre is looking for individuals to write up to 10 pages about someone’s first experience with chopsticks, which can “end with either success or failure,” according to the prompt.
Katie HellandJanuary 28, 2025

Year of the snake promises “change”
The year of the snake will bring change, which can include new jobs and travel, according to this Feng Shui expert, who consults with individuals at Feng Shui Arts & Gifts in Chinatown.
Katie HellandJanuary 27, 2025

Library exhibit commemorates Kalaupapa Month
This university professor from the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo is helping students learn about the history of Kalaupapa Peninsula, where about 8,000 people with Hansen’s disease were sent to isolate from the rest of the world.
Katie HellandJanuary 25, 2025

How a book changed Donna Blanchard’s career
While on vacation, she read a book that changed the trajectory of her career. Today, she is the managing director of Kumu Kahua Theatre.
Katie HellandJanuary 24, 2025

7 ways to celebrate Lunar New Year in Waikīkī
Lion dances, calligraphy and stars are just some of the attractions for celebrations for the Year of the Snake! International Market Place and Royal Hawaiian Center are some of the groups hosting celebrations.
Katie HellandJanuary 22, 2025

Local radio station brings back music festival after hiatus
The 28th annual KWXX Hoolaulea will take place in Hilo on Jan. 18, after a hiatus due to permit issues.
Katie HellandJanuary 18, 2025

Hawaii-based nonprofit donates $1.5 million to arts, culture
Hawaii Community Foundation is giving funds to nonprofits across the state to help make arts and culture accessible to local families.
Katie HellandJanuary 17, 2025

It really is “black and white” for these movies
This movie theater company with locations across Oahu is bringing classics back to the big screen in 2025.
Katie HellandJanuary 16, 2025

‘Singin’ in the Rain’ in Honolulu
This movie theater company with locations across Oahu is bringing musicals back to the big screen in 2025.
Katie HellandJanuary 16, 2025

Seven Samurai to storm Honolulu movie screens
Ben-Hur, Lawrence of Arabia and Seven Samurai are among the classics that Consolidated Theatres will screen in 2025.
Katie HellandJanuary 15, 2025

Cirque du Soleil's 'Auana: Behind the scenes of Waikiki's new show
Cirque du Soleil has a new show in the heart of Waikiki.
Katie HellandJanuary 15, 2025

“ 'Auana” through Cirque du Soleil’s new Waikīkī show
Meet the cultural creative producer behind Cirque du Soleil's new show in Waikīkī
Katie HellandJanuary 15, 2025