Civil Beat Staff

Cassie Ordonio

Cassie Ordonio is a reporter for Honolulu Civil Beat. She joined the news organization as an intern in 2021, having previously interned at the Honolulu Star-Advertiser for a year, covering the Legislature, social issues, education and more.

She also reported for San Francisco-based newspapers El Tecolote, 48 Hills, Ingleside Light and Castro Courier.

Cassie, of Filipino and Chamorro descent, was born and raised in California. She recently graduated from the University of Hawaii Manoa with bachelor’s degrees in journalism and Pacific Islands studies.

Along with working for Civil Beat, she is also one of 22 fellows for AAJA Voices, a mentorship program that aims to increase diversity in journalism while providing mentors from the Los Angeles Times and ESPN to train them.

When she’s not working, she’s on a desperate search for some good horchata or simply trying to keep her house plants alive.

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BOE Chooses Keith Hayashi To Lead Hawaii’s Public Schools Cory Lum/Civil Beat/2022

BOE Chooses Keith Hayashi To Lead Hawaii’s Public Schools

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Hayashi, who has been interim superintendent since Aug. 1, was selected after a tense daylong meeting that was punctuated by protests.

Honolulu Mayor Says A New Mask Mandate Is A ‘Possibility’ Cory Lum/Civil Beat/2022

Honolulu Mayor Says A New Mask Mandate Is A ‘Possibility’

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Hawaii officials are worried about a rise in Covid-19 cases but say policy decisions will depend on hospitalizations.

Why Do These Candidates Want To Lead Hawaii’s Public Schools? Submitted

Why Do These Candidates Want To Lead Hawaii’s Public Schools?

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The Board of Education is preparing to select the next Department of Education superintendent in front of the public.

How This After-School Program Is Trying To Bring Students Back Cassie Ordonio/Civil Beat/2022

How This After-School Program Is Trying To Bring Students Back

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As after-school care providers prepare for the new school year, federal relief funds are helping them recruit more staff to boost capacity.

BOE Will Choose A New Superintendent Next Week After Finalist Interviews Cory Lum/Civil Beat/2022

BOE Will Choose A New Superintendent Next Week After Finalist Interviews

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The interviews and the vote will be open to the public in-person and online in a process aimed at promoting transparency.

Hawaii Extends Mask Mandate For Kids In Summer School Cory Lum/Civil Beat/2022

Hawaii Extends Mask Mandate For Kids In Summer School

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State officials expressed concern as Covid-19 case counts rose for the seventh week in a row.

Hawaii Student Journalists Are Poised To Gain Press Freedom Guarantees Cory Lum/Civil Beat

Hawaii Student Journalists Are Poised To Gain Press Freedom Guarantees

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A bill extending more First Amendment protections to student journalists and their advisers awaits Gov. David Ige’s signature.

Officials Urge Caution After Covid Cases Are Linked To Proms Cory Lum/Civil Beat/2022

Officials Urge Caution After Covid Cases Are Linked To Proms

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The Hawaii Department of Health confirmed several Covid and flu cases after high school proms on Oahu.

Should Astronomers Be Worried About Changes At Mauna Kea? Cory Lum/Civil Beat/2019

Should Astronomers Be Worried About Changes At Mauna Kea?

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The governor is considering a bill to transfer management of Hawaii’s tallest mountain from UH to a new governing authority.