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 Oahu with my husband. Since moving to the Islands in 2019, I have volunteered for various local organizations such as 808 Cleanups, Keiki O Ka Aina’s Board and Stone, March of Dimes Hawaii and more.
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 Hawaii. Happy reading!
Kelsey Kukaua Medeiros can be reached at kelsey@alohastatedaily.com.
Latest from Kelsey Kukaua Medeiros
Local high school students learn to cook under Chef Thomas Wong
As part of a scholarship-supported summer culinary cohort at Kapi‘olani Community College’s Culinary Institute of the Pacific, Wong — who is from Oʻahu and is now based in California as a professor at Culinary Institute of America at Greystone — created this custom curriculum to challenge teens in an intensive five days of training. Teamwork, timeliness, organization and having a good attitude were among the lessons learned by students.
Kelsey Kukaua MedeirosJuly 02, 2026
Hawaiʻi says ‘No can’ to Great American State Fair in Washington, D.C.
Hawaiʻi government officials will not be present at the Great American State Fair, put on by Freedom 250 now through July 10, along with at least 10 mostly Democratic-led states citing cost, staffing and for some, political reasons. Gov. Josh Green says no funds were earmarked for the fair by the state or Congress and instead, has thrown support behind local celebrations.
Kelsey Kukaua MedeirosJune 29, 2026
David Earles to step down from Junior Achievement of Hawai‘i
Earles, who has called the Islands home for nearly 30 years serving in various leadership roles across the nonprofit sector, plans to move to Nevada with his family after more than four years at the helm of JAH. The organization, which provides financial literacy and entrepreneurship programs to K-12 students statewide, is looking to hire its next president and CEO. The deadline to apply is Friday, July 3.
Kelsey Kukaua MedeirosJune 26, 2026
Kumu Hula Kalani Viloria heads hālau in California
Since 2023, Kumu Hula Kalani Viloria and wife Hiwa Gacutan-Viloria have operated Kapiliwaiokeao, a hālau in Southern California that offers traditional and contemporary hula classes to haumāna (students) ages 3 and older. Viloria shares more about his upbringing in dance and the Hawaiian culture, the hālau’s evolution and recent hōʻike, future goals, and more.
Kelsey Kukaua MedeirosJune 26, 2026
GoFundMe warns new Hawaiʻi law will impact nonprofits
Hawaiʻi's Act 205, which goes into effect July 1, requires written consent from nonprofits using GoFundMe, among other online charitable fundraising platforms, to keep its accounts active online and able to receive donations. GoFundMe VP Amanda Brown Lierman shares what local organizations need to know about the company’s process.
Kelsey Kukaua MedeirosJune 25, 2026
Mid-Pacific Institute looks for next leader
The private school in Mānoa Valley has launched its search for president. The deadline to apply is Sept. 4, with the school hopeful to announce its new president on July 1, 2027. Outgoing president Paul Turnbull will head to North Carolina for a new role next summer.
Kelsey Kukaua MedeirosJune 24, 2026
Maui-based clothing shop now open at Kāhala Mall
Waiwaolani, a Native Hawaiian-owned alohawear business featuring prints of Hawaiʻi’s native species, has expanded to Oʻahu with the opening of its first retail store on the island.
Kelsey Kukaua MedeirosJune 23, 2026
Amy Miller reflects on five years at Hawaiʻi Foodbank
The nonprofit's president and CEO shares more about the operations and ongoing partnerships at the food bank with warehouses, staff and support on both Oʻahu and Kauaʻi. Her top priority is to expand the organization’s mission of nourishing ʻohana and ending hunger.
Kelsey Kukaua MedeirosJune 23, 2026
Free meals fuel keiki for the summer
Aloha State Daily visited Salt Lake Elementary School’s summer program during lunch time, where about 120 Kindergarten through 6th grade students enjoyed a ready-to-eat meal with milk, some even going back for seconds. The school serves as one of 20 meal sites across Oʻahu and Kauaʻi through the Hawaiʻi Foodbank’s SUN Meals program, which partners with the state DOE’s Hawaiʻi Child Nutrition Programs, Hawaiʻi Children’s Action Network, and more.
Kelsey Kukaua MedeirosJune 20, 2026
Boys and Girls Club of Hawaiʻi celebrates 50 years of legacy
The nonprofit, which includes several after-school clubs and centers across Oʻahu and Kauaʻi, is celebrating 50 years of caring for youth. Aloha State Daily caught up with president and CEO Paddy Kauhane to learn more about its programming and plans for expansion over the next 50 years.
Kelsey Kukaua MedeirosJune 19, 2026
Bicentennial of Catholicism in Hawai’i: Cathedral restoration, community events planned through 2027
Wednesday marked the kick-off of celebrations honoring the first Catholic missionaries who arrived in the Islands in 1827 and will culminate in a grand bicentennial convocation on July 7–9, 2027. Catholic leaders in Hawaiʻi unveil their planned events and invite the community to join in jubilee! Also, learn more about the fundraising efforts to complete the restoration of the Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of Peace in Downtown Honolulu.
Kelsey Kukaua MedeirosJune 18, 2026
Tickets still on sale for Goodwill Goes Glam!
Sip, shop and watch a fashion show produced by Valerie Joseph at the 15th annual Goodwill Goes Glam! — Goodwill Hawaiʻi’s signature fundraiser set for July 16 to 18 at the Blaisdell Exhibition Hall. All proceeds stay in the Islands to help bolster the nonprofit’s workforce development programs.
Kelsey Kukaua MedeirosJune 17, 2026
Waimānalo entrepreneur organizes curated monthly pop-up markets
This month’s Puʻuhonua Mākeke — which is scheduled from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, June 20, at Puʻuhonua O Waimānalo — will feature 24 local vendors, raffles and prizes, lei and pāpale making workshops, and its signature free eggs and bread for the first 100 ʻohana. Organizer Lehua Kanahele-Santos, who owns Kanahele Roots and Pohinahina Kinis, talks about the heart behind the mākeke and her businesses, and what’s in store next.
Kelsey Kukaua MedeirosJune 16, 2026
Molokaʻi or Molokai, and why? ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi speakers, community share manaʻo
Aloha State Daily revisits the Molokaʻi or Molokai debate over the spelling and pronunciation of the place name — with or without an ʻokina — initially for our own house style guide used across the website. Here’s what we learned from community members statewide.
Kelsey Kukaua MedeirosJune 13, 2026
Nonprofit aims to scale programs to serve more ʻohana
Family Promise of Hawaiʻi Executive Director Ryan Catalani discusses findings from the most recent Point in Time Count and how the organization serving families on Oʻahu and Maui plans to be part of the solution to end homelessness.
Kelsey Kukaua MedeirosJune 12, 2026
Award-winning food and travel series stops in Hawaiʻi
Chef Mark “Gooch” Noguchi, co-founder of nonprofit Chef Hui; pro surfer Nathan Florence; and Haleʻiwa-based musician Jack Johnson, who also runs the Kōkua Learning Farm through Kōkua Hawaiʻi Foundation; among others, showcased Hawaiʻi cuisine, culture and community on Huckberry’s series, “DIRT,” hosted by Josh Rosen. The episode, which culminates with a meal at the North Shore learning farm, dropped on May 28 and has garnered thousands of views already.
Kelsey Kukaua MedeirosJune 11, 2026
Retired veteran promoted to executive role at U.S. Vets Barber’s Point
Tamah-Lani Noh recently stepped into the role of executive director at U.S. Vets Barber’s Point, a branch of a nationwide nonprofit that serves veterans in need of housing, workforce development and case management, and more. Noh shares what drives her approach to leadership and her vision to create a homelessness prevention hub.
Kelsey Kukaua MedeirosJune 10, 2026
FEMA fraud co-conspirator sentenced to two years in prison
Daylyn Harris, who pled guilty for stealing disaster relief monies related to the Lahaina and Pacific Palisades wildfires, will face two years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay back more than $60,000 to FEMA.
Kelsey Kukaua MedeirosJune 09, 2026
Hawaiʻi 4-H livestock events teach youth real-life skills
Local youth from across the state have started showcasing their business and leadership skills after months of caring for steers and heifers, goats, pigs, poultry, and more, while learning how to sell them to buyers. Representatives for The University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa’s College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resilience share with Aloha State Daily more about how Hawaiʻi 4-H livestock programs are preparing students for work, as well as what to expect at the free community events this summer.
Kelsey Kukaua MedeirosJune 08, 2026
Mālama ʻāina every Saturday morning with Kuilei Cliffs
Nonprofit Kuilei Cliffs meets weekly at its namesake located on the makai slope of Lēʻahi, or Diamond Head, in Honolulu. From 8 to 11 a.m. on Saturdays, volunteers work to remove invasive species, and overgrown grasses and tree branches, for current and future generations to enjoy more green space and ocean views.
Kelsey Kukaua MedeirosJune 05, 2026
Local author shares new book with live art
Mililani author Karen Gibson released "My Mother's Alzheimer's Journey From Tokyo to Honolulu to Oblivion" in April. This Friday evening, she’ll be at the Waikīkī Ocean Gallery, inside the Outrigger Reef Waikīkī Beach Resort, for a live painting and talk story session.
Kelsey Kukaua MedeirosJune 05, 2026
Obon season kicks off at Kaimukī Public Library
Aloha State Daily caught part of the Obon Dance Workshop! at Kaimukī Public Library on Tuesday, which attracted all ages learning traditional Bon dances, or Bon odori, led by Hawaiʻi Shin Kobukai amid the Japanese Buddhist summer festival season, which in Hawaiʻi runs now through October.
Kelsey Kukaua MedeirosJune 04, 2026
HANO report highlights current challenges, opportunities for local nonprofits
Melissa Miyashiro, president and CEO of the Hawai'i Alliance of Nonprofit Organizations, shares how its 2026 state of the sector report, “The View From Here: Insights From Hawai'i Nonprofits," came to be, and what conversations she hopes this will spark for the sector, policymakers, the public and more, to take action.
Kelsey Kukaua MedeirosJune 03, 2026
OHA Board decides not to pursue proposed KITV- KIKU acquisition
The Office of Hawaiian Affairs Board of Trustees voted Thursday against funding due diligence for the potential purchase of local television stations KITV Island News and KIKU TV.
Kelsey Kukaua MedeirosMay 30, 2026
Brandi-Ann Uyemura releases first book about Obon festival
In late March, the Kailua-based writer launched children’s book, “I am a Bon Dancer,” inspired by her own experiences with her grandfather attending Obon festivals in Hanapēpē. The author is hosting a couple of events open to the public at Kaimukī Library on May 31 and June 2, with more to be announced.
Kelsey Kukaua MedeirosMay 29, 2026
Volunteer at fire restoration nursery in Kula this Friday
The Rotary Club of Upcountry Maui is hosting a community volunteer service day from 9 a.m. to noon on Friday, May 29, at the Kula Community Watershed Alliance’s Community Restoration Nursery. Participants will plant and propagate Native Hawaiian species, which are helping to restore the Kula burn area from the August 2023 wildfires.
Kelsey Kukaua MedeirosMay 28, 2026
Hilton Grand Vacations, Honolulu Habitat work to finish Waimānalo home
Mitch Yokoyama, general manager of Hokulani Waikīkī, a Hilton Grand Vacations Club, reflects on the rewards of volunteering with HGV Serves, a corporate social responsibility program with several community partners, including Habitat for Humanity International. Yokoyama and colleagues recently joined Honolulu Habitat on a home build project in Waimānalo. Aloha State Daily also checked in with two Honolulu Habitat employees — Shana and Feta Petelo, the mother-daughter team that works directly with local families and volunteers.
Kelsey Kukaua MedeirosMay 28, 2026
New rodeo highlights Hawaiian cowboy heritage on Hawaiʻi Island
“Paniolo Legends Under the Lights” is produced by third-generation paniolo Aki Smith, owner of Paniolo Culture Co. Presented in partnership with 1832 Hawaiʻi Living Co. and Waikōloa Stables, the evening includes rodeo events in the historic arena, a meal from Chef Nakoa Pabre of Umekes, live music and time to talk story with cowboys.
Kelsey Kukaua MedeirosMay 26, 2026
KCC’s summer culinary cohorts to get cooking
Kapiʻolani Community College’s Culinary Institute of the Pacific, in partnership with Culinary Institute of America, is offering two culinary training programs at no cost for high school students and culinary professionals in June. The deadline to apply is through Friday, May 29.
Kelsey Kukaua MedeirosMay 23, 2026
Kumu Earl Kawaʻa, haumana recognized for Board and Stone
Born and raised on Molokaʻi, Kawaʻa has offered Board and Stone to ʻohana across the Islands since 2010. The cultural classes teach families how to carve a wooden board (papa kuʻi ʻai) and shape a stone poi pounder (pōhaku) using only hand tools, while perpetuating Hawaiian traditions, language, moʻolelo and more. Last month, the Hawaiʻi House of Representatives honored him and his team for their dedication to community.
Kelsey Kukaua MedeirosMay 22, 2026