Civil Beat Staff

Marcel Honore

Marcel Honore primarily covers the environment and rail for Civil Beat — and he’s always on the lookout for ways to describe the local transit project other than “cash-strapped,” “beleaguered” and “financially challenged” in his reports.

A native of Los Angeles, Marcel moved to Oahu in January 2013 and spent nearly five years covering transportation for the Honolulu Star-Advertiser. He also served as the paper’s main correspondent covering the Hokule’a’s three-year worldwide voyage, sailing aboard the canoe on several of its international legs.

Prior to his Hawaii arrival, Marcel worked at the Palm Springs, California, Desert Sun, where he covered city government and immigration issues. His investigations into arsenic-tinged drinking water, foul odors emanating from a contaminated-soil facility and other environmental challenges affecting that region garnered several awards, including a 2011 California Newspaper Publishers Award.

Marcel started his journalism career as a graduate student at Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism, where he served as a Washington, D.C., correspondent for The Seattle Times and the Santa Barbara News-Press. While at Northwestern he also worked at the Associated Press’ Caracas, Venezuela, bureau covering policies under then-President Hugo Chavez.

Marcel should be a much better surfer than he currently is. He sincerely apologizes for dropping in on your wave.

Harrowing Eyewitness Accounts Cast Doubt On Official Lahaina Fire Narrative Courtesty of Beth Zivitski/2023

Harrowing Eyewitness Accounts Cast Doubt On Official Lahaina Fire Narrative

Those who fled the fire by car tell of being blocked or funneled into narrow gridlocked streets. The county has not said when it will release a detailed report on what happened.

Hawaiian Electric Suggests It’s Not To Blame For Lahaina Devastation Ku‘u Kauanoe/Civil Beat/2023

Hawaiian Electric Suggests It’s Not To Blame For Lahaina Devastation

The company now says its power lines were de-energized prior to the destructive afternoon fire that tore through town.

Investors Sue Hawaiian Electric For ‘Misleading’ Them About Potential Liability For Wildfire David Croxford/Civil Beat/2023

Investors Sue Hawaiian Electric For ‘Misleading’ Them About Potential Liability For Wildfire

The latest suit targets top HEI leaders who said they believed the company had addressed environmental conditions in the field.

Maui County Blames HECO For Fires In Latest Lawsuit Against Utility Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2023

Maui County Blames HECO For Fires In Latest Lawsuit Against Utility

UPDATED: The county says HECO should have better managed its lines and shut off the power ahead of the winds. But the county has also been sued for not doing enough.

State Told Maui Emergency Office It Should Consider Sounding Sirens Before Fire Spread David Croxford/Civil Beat/2023

State Told Maui Emergency Office It Should Consider Sounding Sirens Before Fire Spread

Maui's former top emergency personnel nonetheless insisted the sirens weren't a viable response.

Hawaiian Electric Faces Heavy Legal, Financial Pressure After Lahaina Fire Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2023

Hawaiian Electric Faces Heavy Legal, Financial Pressure After Lahaina Fire

The company faces scrutiny for not shutting down the power prior to the fire. Lawyers have wasted no time filing lawsuits.

The Maui Agency That Could Answer Pressing Wildfire Evacuation Questions Has Been MIA Christina Jedra/Civil Beat/2023

The Maui Agency That Could Answer Pressing Wildfire Evacuation Questions Has Been MIA

MEMA hasn't participated in media updates, and officials haven't offered specifics on what happened leading up to the deadly blaze.

HECO Kept The Power Flowing In Lahaina Even As Poles Toppled Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2023

HECO Kept The Power Flowing In Lahaina Even As Poles Toppled

The Hawaii utility has acknowledged the growing danger of wildfires and made some changes. But lawsuits are already pointing to the live power lines as a cause in Maui.

Maui’s Top Emergency Officials Were Off Island As Wildfires Hit Lahaina Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2023

Maui’s Top Emergency Officials Were Off Island As Wildfires Hit Lahaina

Local leaders say they were caught by surprise because the scale of Tuesday's fire was unprecedented. But the warning has been sounded for years.