Kelsey Kukaua Medeiros
Aloha, I am Aloha State Daily’s senior editor reporting on community news. Know of any organizations and people making a positive difference in Hawaii? Please reach out to me at kelsey@alohastatedaily.com.
Originally from Los Angeles, I am Native Hawaiian with roots from Maui, residing on Oʻahu with my husband. Since moving to the Islands in 2019, I have volunteered for various local organizations and schools.
Most recently, I was the associate editor of Pacific Business News for nearly six years. Prior to that role, I served as a copy editor and reporter for a daily newspaper, as well as a freelance writer for a lifestyle magazine, in California. Over the years, I have received multiple awards for my writing. I hold a bachelor's degree in communications from The Master's University, where I played soccer.
I am excited to build ASD as your go-to, reputable and fun news source for Hawaiʻi. Happy reading!
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 Third place, Online Feature Reporting, for “Lahaina fire survivor Cesar Martinez looks to be part of the solution for housing”; First Place, Breaking News Reporting, “Tsunami warning canceled,” by ASD Staff, in the News Media division, open to all print and digital; Third Place, Health Reporting, "With HB1118 advancing, here's a look at the state mandated vaccines for public school kids,"; and First Place, Headlines, by Kelsey Kukaua Medeiros, Stephanie Salmons and Katie Helland, for "Let the toddlers dribble," and “Measles are making headlines but Hawai‘i's top diseases may surprise you."
As of May 2026, ASD articles have also been published in The Office of Hawaiian Affairs' Ka Wai Ola Magazine.
Kelsey Kukaua Medeiros can be reached at kelsey@alohastatedaily.com.
Latest from Kelsey Kukaua Medeiros
HCAN rings in 30 years with fundraiser, renewed future plans
Hawaiʻi Children's Action Network turns 30 this year and recently celebrated champions for children in the community and its work to provide local keiki and families what they need to succeed in the Islands at a decades-themed fundraising gala. At the event, HCAN Executive Director John-Paul Chaisson-Cárdenas also shared the organization’s path forward into the next decade.
Kelsey Kukaua MedeirosSeptember 28, 2026
Aloha Council camp on Kauaʻi damaged by Hurricane Lowell
Aloha Council CEO and Scout Executive Blake Parsons says Camp Alan Faye on the Garden Isle will be “closed for the foreseeable future.” Meanwhile, the nonprofit has partnered with local government agencies, businesses and community volunteers to clear debris and begin the remediation process. Here’s how folks can support recovery efforts and its broader Scouting mission.
Kelsey Kukaua MedeirosSeptember 24, 2026
AIA Hawai‘i Book Club event to highlight climate action
Attendees can expect conversation and collaboration on climate solutions in their own backyard this Saturday, Sept. 26, at Hawaiʻi Nature Center’s Rain Shelter in Makiki. The discussion, which stems from author and climate activist Ayana Elizabeth Johnson’s “What If We Get It Right?,” will be led by Kirsten Oleson, who is a Climate Change Commission member with the Honolulu City and County and a professor of ecological economics at UH Mānoa.
Kelsey Kukaua MedeirosSeptember 23, 2026
Shop Macy’s Waikīkī, round up to raise money for Mālama Maunalua
There’s still time this month to help support community efforts to restore native forests and coral reefs in East Honolulu's Maunalua Bay through a new partnership.
Kelsey Kukaua MedeirosSeptember 20, 2026
West Maui nonprofit rallies to raise funds after hit from hurricanes Lala and Lowell
Kahākūkahi Ocean Academy, which provides local youth free ocean-based education and mentorship, needs to raise $18,000 following the recent storms to repair a damaged classroom before the arrival of its fall school groups in the coming weeks. Here’s how to help.
Kelsey Kukaua MedeirosSeptember 18, 2026
Reader Submissions: Share your ‘favorite local saying’ at Aloha State Daily
Hawai’i is a melting pot of cultures, ethnicities, languages, religions, and even foods, varying to some degree island-by-island. With “My Favorite Local Sayings,” we’re eager to learn what words or phrases you grew up with that you still use today. The goal is to share part of what makes our Isle home so special.
Kelsey Kukaua MedeirosSeptember 17, 2026
Hawaiian Humane Society volunteer finds 'true purpose' helping animals
Kevin Clegg, who first adopted a pet rat from the nonprofit 13 years ago, now volunteers at the organization’s Mōʻiliʻili campus weekly. He shares what initially prompted him to give back to the community, what he likes most about working in adoptions and why if you love animals, it’s a great cause to join.
Kelsey Kukaua MedeirosSeptember 16, 2026
Dine and donate to Kahākūkahi Ocean Academy on Maui this month
Hana Hou Hospitality Group’s Round-up program allows its restaurants’ patrons to round their checks up to support nonprofit efforts on the Valley Isle. This month, the company will donate proceeds to KOA, which is focused on strengthening the mental well-being of Maui keiki through connection to kai and ʻāina.
Kelsey Kukaua MedeirosSeptember 02, 2026
Former news anchor Carol Lin shares memoir ahead of 25th anniversary of 9/11 attacks
Carol Lin, an award-winning journalist who now calls Honolulu home, wrote “When News Breaks: A Memoir of Love and War” for her daughter Chloe, who is navigating life as a young adult. Now, nearly a year since its launch, the book has created space for an online collection of personal stories from 9/11.
Kelsey Kukaua MedeirosAugust 31, 2026
HFUF awards grants to food producers statewide
Hawai‘i Farmers Union Foundation has raised more than $1 million through its Hawaiʻi Flood Response Fund, part of which is headed directly to 162 farmers, ranchers and fishers that were impacted by the Kona Low storms in March. Now, the 501(c)3 is raising support for those affected by Hurricane Lala, while looking at ways to sustain long-term funding.
Kelsey Kukaua MedeirosAugust 28, 2026
Aloha Harvest and Chick-fil-A partnership combats food waste, hunger
The Chick-fil-A Shared Table program turns surplus food into free meals for local organizations and individuals. Aloha State Daily spoke with a couple of the local leaders involved to learn more about the process and overall impact.
Kelsey Kukaua MedeirosAugust 26, 2026
Nonprofit that trains service dogs taps new leader
Former UH Athletic Director David Matlin joined Hawaiʻi Fi-Do Service Dogs in June as executive director, bringing more than 30 years of leadership experience to the role. A dog lover himself, Matlin spoke with Aloha State Daily about what attracted him to the role and his vision for growth.
Kelsey Kukaua MedeirosAugust 22, 2026
River of Life Mission expands homeless ministry
Over the summer, Aloha State Daily visited one of the nonprofit's weekly hub sites in Waikīkī, where guests were treated to haircuts, showers and meals thanks to combined efforts of various church members and community organizations. We talked with leadership about what they've been working on and toward, in light of this year's Point in Time Count findings.
Kelsey Kukaua MedeirosAugust 20, 2026
Pukalani Nazarene Compassion Village combats Maui housing crisis
Led by Rev. Mark Gudmunson, Pukalani Community Church of the Nazarene has a modest congregation of about 70 members who desire to make a big impact in their own backyard and beyond. Learn how the church evolved from being a disaster relief center to delivering affordable housing, while still meeting needs in the community, from Executive Director of Housing Dylan Nails.
Kelsey Kukaua MedeirosAugust 19, 2026
Hawai'i Community Foundation leaders talk Stronger Hawaiʻi Fund, Maui Strong Fund, and more
Keanu Lau Hee, vice president of community resilience and strategic implementation, shares HCF’s approach to investing in communities across the state to meet the greatest needs. HCF CEO and President Terry George reflects on his first year at the helm of the organization and what he’s prioritizing now to make the most impact.
Kelsey Kukaua MedeirosAugust 18, 2026
Made in Hawaiʻi Festival to feature Mākia Market for the first time
Founder Taylor Yuen is a college senior and local entrepreneur who remembers helping at her dad’s booth at MIHF at a young age. This month, her business will participate in the festival, showcasing Hawaiʻi-based student makers — what she describes as a “full circle moment.”
Kelsey Kukaua MedeirosAugust 15, 2026
Play pickleball in Downtown Honolulu to rally for a good cause
Stay out of the kitchen and paddle on at Northwestern Mutual Hawaiʻi’s charity pickleball tournament scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 26. All proceeds will benefit Kapiʻolani Medical Center for Women & Children’s new Martha B. Smith Cancer & Infusion Center, slated to open next year. Individual tickets start at $100 per person, and include round-robin play, lunch and more.
Kelsey Kukaua MedeirosAugust 14, 2026
Exit interview with Mid-Pacific Institute’s president
Mid-Pac’s outgoing president Paul Turnbull, who will have served in the role for 14 years come his departure next summer, reflects on his education career, the school’s new campus improvements, and what students and staff can expect this school year.
Kelsey Kukaua MedeirosAugust 14, 2026
Mary Kawena Pukui Learning Commons unveiled at Punahou School
The new center, named after the Hawaiian historian and scholar who taught at Punahou in the 1930s, replaces the school’s former Cooke Library. Aloha State Daily sat down with President Mike Latham to learn more about Pukui’s history at Punahou and in the broader community, as well as how her legacy continues to shape the next generation of students.
Kelsey Kukaua MedeirosAugust 12, 2026
Palantir protest draws mid-sized crowd to Bishop and Queen streets
Organized by ACLU of Hawaiʻi and Indivisible Hawaiʻi, among others in the community, a peaceful protest was held Monday outside of Pacific Guardian Center, where Palantir Technologies has operated as an unlisted tenant for nearly a year.
Kelsey Kukaua MedeirosAugust 11, 2026
Maui County hosted free community event in Lahaina, three years since the wildfires
Three years after the devastating 2023 Maui wildfires, the Lahaina community gathered in remembrance during an all-day event Saturday put on by the county and its volunteers. This year, Kuhinia Maui featured live music, free activities, meals and more, held at Lahaina United Methodist Church near Front Street.
Kelsey Kukaua MedeirosAugust 09, 2026