Before then, he worked as an editor or reporter at the Los Angeles Times, San Francisco Examiner and San Jose Mercury News (twice). Prior to becoming a professional journalist, Nakaso was a reporter and the top editor at the San Jose City College student newspaper before becoming a reporter and the top editor at the San Jose State University Spartan Daily newspaper. He attended San Jose City College and San Jose State University simultaneously to get as much newspaper experience as possible. During his college years, Nakaso had six professional newspaper internships, including two at the Los Angeles Times and was hired as a full-time reporter two weeks into his second internship at the Times.
At the Star-Advertiser, Nakaso covers a wide range of stories but has focused on coverage of homeless issues since 2015. He is currently assigned to the Star-Advertiser's Capitol bureau.
About 3,500 homes, in addition to businesses, schools and other properties were damaged or destroyed in the catastrophe that forced thousands into shelters. But the numbers on a white board cannot measure the emotional toll on survivors. Read more
On Thursday the DOE announced that “workforce shortages” prompted the suspension of 108 routes in Central Oahu and East Hawaii island affecting nearly 2,900 students. Read more
Strong beliefs by some Native Hawaiians who refuse to vote or even acknowledge U.S. authority may be contributing to Hawaii’s history of low voter turnout. Read more
Four days after the swab, Albert Lauro Jr. killed himself at his home in Hawaiian Paradise Park on July 23, three decades after Dana Ireland, 23, was raped and killed. Read more
Hawaii’s most notorious unsolved crime — the assault and rape of 23-year-old Virginia visitor Dana Ireland, who was left for dead on Christmas Eve 1991 — took an unexpected turn with the suicide last week of a 57-year-old Hawaiian Paradise Park man whose DNA was found in Ireland’s body and at her crime scenes three decades ago. Read more
For years, an unidentified suspect known only as “Unknown Male #1” had been linked to the case because of unidentified DNA found at the crime scene three decades ago. Read more
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“The town is gone,” said Mona Stevenson, a lifelong Lahaina resident. “It was devastating to see the places where I walked my whole life. Everything we had is gone.” Read more
Maui County organized 50-passenger vehicles to take residents on 90-minute trips five times a day from Friday through Sunday to get a more comprehensive look at Lahaina for the people who lived there. Read more
In the August 2022 Hawaii primary, 853,874 people registered to vote. But only 39.8% of them — or 340,159 — bothered to cast ballots. Read more
Hawaii voters overwhelmingly prefer mail-in voting — now in its third election cycle — over lining up at polls to vote in person. Read more
Green has continued to express his support for Biden while three of his predecessors — former Govs. John Waihee, Ben Cayetano and Neil Abercrombie — have called for Biden to step aside. Read more
A flatbed truck on Wednesday carried two more newly built 100-square-foot tiny homes to a new “kauhale” going up at Kalihi’s Cedar Church as the state, counties and a hui of builders and developers work together to create more communities for low-income and homeless people on Oahu by the end of the year, with two more planned for the Hilo and Kona sides of Hawaii island in 2025. Read more
Some 480,000 registered voters across Oahu should receive their primary election ballots in the mail sometime next week — which can be mailed back or dropped off by Election Day on Aug. 10 to vote for preferred candidates. Read more
Case, a Democrat who represents urban Honolulu, offered no alternative candidate. Read more
Some 250 senior citizens mingled with 23 first-time and veteran political candidates Wednesday ahead of an Aug. 10 primary election where every vote will be critical, especially due to an expected low voter turnout. Read more
“Difficult times and realities require difficult decisions,” Case wrote Thursday in a statement. “This is one of those times, realities and decisions. My guidepost is what is the best way forward for our country. Read more
Gov. Josh Green on Monday signed a host of bills aimed at protecting Hawaii’s environment, including ones to better manage tourism and to study coastal erosion on Oahu’s North Shore that could serve as a template for the rest of the islands. Read more
Three former Hawaii Democratic governors on Saturday called for President Joe Biden to withdraw his bid for a second term following Biden’s poor debate performance against former President Donald Trump just over a week ago. Read more
Cayetano told the Star-Advertiser that he and Abercrombie had been discussing Biden’s debate performance then enlisted Waihee in joining them to call for the president to end his campaign. Read more
Waikiki Vista represents the newest approach between the state and city to get more homeless people off the street, especially adults who have children and are willing to work. Read more
The most promising opportunities would be to clear obstacles for more “niche” clusters of businesses related to tourism — or for water-based industries such as aquaculture, according to UHERO. Read more
