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.

Luke Fallout Continues With Third Target In Bribery Investigation Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2024

Luke Fallout Continues With Third Target In Bribery Investigation

Lt. Gov. Sylvia Luke has continued to amend her campaign filings to include more previously unreported contributions.

New Acting Lt. Gov. Chosen As Luke Takes Leave Of Absence Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2025

New Acting Lt. Gov. Chosen As Luke Takes Leave Of Absence

The announcement comes a day after Luke’s lawyer acknowledged that she is a target in a bribery investigation. State Comptroller Keith Regan is named acting LG.

Hawaiʻi Lawmakers Shelve Petition To Further Probe $35K Paper Bag Case  Craig Fujii/Civil Beat/2026

Hawaiʻi Lawmakers Shelve Petition To Further Probe $35K Paper Bag Case 

House Speaker Nadine Nakamura tabled the citizen petition with little advance notice or discussion.

Auditor Issues Urgent Warning About Key Hawaiʻi Homeless Program Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2024

Auditor Issues Urgent Warning About Key Hawaiʻi Homeless Program

A Civil Beat investigation prompted a review, which found problems in the homeless program requiring “immediate attention.”

Family Suing Kamehameha Schools Can Stay Anonymous For Now AP Photo/Mengshin Lin/2025

Family Suing Kamehameha Schools Can Stay Anonymous For Now

Their identities will be revealed to the school’s attorneys and the judge presiding over the case.

Aia Ke Ō Nei Ka ʻOhe Nānā He Kanakakolu Mika — No Ka Manawa Courtesy TMT International Observatory

Aia Ke Ō Nei Ka ʻOhe Nānā He Kanakakolu Mika — No Ka Manawa

Aia ke nānā hou ʻia nei ka papahana TMT no ke kākoʻo kākoʻo pekelala, e pono nō naʻe e hoʻokō ʻia he keʻehina hakulau hope loa me ke kākoʻo ʻole ʻia e ke kālā ʻauhau.

Neglected North Shore Plantation Waterways Fueled Damaging Floods Satellite image ©2026 Vantor

Neglected North Shore Plantation Waterways Fueled Damaging Floods

Sugar and pineapple acreage was sold off over the years, divided into hundreds of smaller plots for farming and housing. After the deluge, everyone is pointing fingers.

Hawaiʻi Land Board Approves Acquiring Wahiawā Reservoir As Costs Increase Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2024

Hawaiʻi Land Board Approves Acquiring Wahiawā Reservoir As Costs Increase

A budget request from Gov. Josh Green puts the new price tag on repairs to the dam and reservoir, which rose to dangerous levels during the recent Kona low, at more than $60 million.

Flying Blind: Honolulu Officials Held Off On Evacuations As North Shore Flooded Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2026

Flying Blind: Honolulu Officials Held Off On Evacuations As North Shore Flooded

By the time emergency management officials told people it was time to evacuate in Waialua and Haleʻiwa, some residents had already been swimming for their lives.