Civil Beat Staff

Marcel Honore

Marcel Honore primarily covers 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.

Hawaii’s Innovative Plan To Manage Marine Resources Is Being Quietly Rolled Back Nathan Eagle/Civil Beat/2022

Hawaii’s Innovative Plan To Manage Marine Resources Is Being Quietly Rolled Back

The fishing community raised concerns but DLNR says the initiative's broader emphasis on place-based planning will remain in effect.

New DOJ Deal Means Honolulu Handi-Van Riders Can’t Get Stuck On Hold David Croxford/Civil Beat/2022

New DOJ Deal Means Honolulu Handi-Van Riders Can’t Get Stuck On Hold

It remains to be seen whether the city can consistently comply with the new, high standards.

DLNR Nominee Dawn Chang Faces Tough Questions About Her Past Work Courtesy: DLNR

DLNR Nominee Dawn Chang Faces Tough Questions About Her Past Work

Native Hawaiians are split on her nomination to lead one of the state's largest and most impactful agencies.

Advocates Say It’s No Longer Whether Hawaii Should Charge A Green Fee, But How Cory Lum/Civil Beat/2019

Advocates Say It’s No Longer Whether Hawaii Should Charge A Green Fee, But How

Hawaii's new governor supports a visitor-impact fee, and supporters say they're more organized than ever. But it will be up to state legislators to decide.
Congressman Worries Wespac Proposal Is A Gateway To Commercial Fishing In Monument Nathan Eagle/Civil Beat/2017

Congressman Worries Wespac Proposal Is A Gateway To Commercial Fishing In Monument

The regional council wants to allow fishing in protected waters via "customary exchange," drawing the ire of Papahanaumokuakea's Hawaiian stewards.
Why Honolulu Hale Keeps Stealing State Appointees To HART Cory Lum/Civil Beat/2022

Why Honolulu Hale Keeps Stealing State Appointees To HART

The difficulty finding qualified volunteers to fill board seats is another sign of the chaos that has plagued the troubled rail project.
Task Force: Hawaii Needs To Remove Thousands Of Cesspools Sooner Than Planned Cory Lum/Civil Beat/2018

Task Force: Hawaii Needs To Remove Thousands Of Cesspools Sooner Than Planned

Many families can't afford the conversion costs, and coming up with the funds to rid the state of all those cesspools will be daunting.
Data Shows Hawaii Shippers Are Regularly Breaking Speed Limits In Sensitive Whale Zones NOAA/Doug Perrine

Data Shows Hawaii Shippers Are Regularly Breaking Speed Limits In Sensitive Whale Zones

UPDATED: Matson and Pasha Hawaii are ignoring calls to slow down. But other major shippers have heeded requests to protect endangered whales.
Endangered Bird Poised To Get Hundreds Of Thousands Of Protected Acres In Hawaii Courtesy: Bettina Arrigoni/Flickr

Endangered Bird Poised To Get Hundreds Of Thousands Of Protected Acres In Hawaii

Conservationists took the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to court last year to spur action that was overdue for the imperiled native honeycreeper.