Reporter

Blaze Lovell

Blaze Lovell is a reporter for Honolulu Civil Beat. His work focuses on government accountability and ethics.

Blaze’s reporting has exposed improper state spending on Aloha Stadium and loopholes in Hawaiʻi’s contracting and campaign finance laws. Previously, Blaze was part of the inaugural class of the New York Times Local Investigations Fellowship. He’s worked as a reporter and intern at Civil Beat since 2017.

From Pearl City, Blaze attended the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, where he earned a bachelors degree in journalism and played rugby. You can still find him packing down in scrums.

Blaze welcomes equally hard hitting tips. You can reach him at 808-650-1585 or at blovell@civilbeat.org. He rarely checks social media.

Honolulu Spent $450K On Plans For Flood-Prone Stream. Then It Did Nothing Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2026

Honolulu Spent $450K On Plans For Flood-Prone Stream. Then It Did Nothing

The city has been told repeatedly that failing to clear the North Shore stream would lead to catastrophic flooding.

After Kona Lows, Thousands Applied For Aid. Help Can’t Come Fast Enough Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2026

After Kona Lows, Thousands Applied For Aid. Help Can’t Come Fast Enough

Some property owners are paying out of pocket to make their homes livable while waiting for federal funds they hope will come through.

20,000 Tons Of Mud And Nowhere To Put It Craig Fujii/Civil Beat/2026

20,000 Tons Of Mud And Nowhere To Put It

North Shore farmers are feeling left behind in the ongoing cleanup efforts from the Kona low storms.

Teens Suing Kamehameha Didn’t Have Scores To Get In, Lawyer Says AP Photo/Mengshin Lin/2025

Teens Suing Kamehameha Didn’t Have Scores To Get In, Lawyer Says

Attorneys for the plaintiffs say race preference permeates the process.

Fine Print Reveals Who’s To Blame For North Shore Flooding — To An Extent Thomas Heaton/Civil Beat/2026

Fine Print Reveals Who’s To Blame For North Shore Flooding — To An Extent

The answer is unclear, largely due to the patchwork of land use agreements made during Dole’s decades-long land sell-off.

DHHL Considers Tolls For Mauna Kea Access Road Cory Lum/Civil Beat/2019

DHHL Considers Tolls For Mauna Kea Access Road

The proposals have pitted two Native Hawaiian organizations against each other.

Luxury Home Tax Pitch To Fund Hawaiian Homes Flopped. Now What? Marina Riker/Civil Beat/2022

Luxury Home Tax Pitch To Fund Hawaiian Homes Flopped. Now What?

The state Department of Hawaiian Home Lands came away with some funds but will need to look for other revenue sources.

E Waiho ʻIa Nā Inoa O Ka ʻOhana E Hoʻopiʻi Nei iā Nā Kula ʻO Kamehameha Ma Ka Huna No Ka Manawa Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2025

E Waiho ʻIa Nā Inoa O Ka ʻOhana E Hoʻopiʻi Nei iā Nā Kula ʻO Kamehameha Ma Ka Huna No Ka Manawa

E hōʻike ʻia ko lākou mau inoa i nā loio o ke kula a i ka luna kānāwai e hoʻomalu nei i ka hihia.