West Kauaʻi has stories worth telling every day – not only when something goes wrong.
Westside Ledger is an independent online news source dedicated to the communities of West Kauaʻi, with a focus on reporting what is local, useful and rooted in the people who call this side of the island home.
From Kekaha and Waimea to Hanapēpē, ʻEleʻele and the communities beyond, Westside Ledger covers the issues that shape everyday life on the Westside: local news, traffic and road work, weather, water quality, community concerns, small businesses, government decisions and the people working to preserve—and shape—the place we call home.
Reporting From the Westside
I am Amanda Kurth, an independent reporter and Hanapēpē resident with more than a decade of experience reporting for various news outlets.
I stepped away from reporting for several years to have my child, but returning to journalism reminded me why I fell in love with this work in the first place: listening to people, asking questions, making connections and helping communities understand what’s happening around them.
Living in Hanapēpē has also given me a deeper appreciation for West Kauaʻi. Life moves differently here. Our communities carry generations of history, culture, hard work and change—and the people who live here have plenty to say.
Westside Ledger is my kuleana to listen and to give back.
Talk Story
One of the foundations of Westside Ledger is Talk Story, a spotlight on kūpuna, fisherman, a small-business owner, a teacher, a farmer, or someone who has lived on the west side for six months or sixty years. We will be sharing stories, exchanging experiences, listening, and getting to know one another and share it with the community.
This is not reporting from somewhere else about the Westside.
It is reporting from the Westside, for the Westside.
Have Something We Should Know?
Some of the most important local stories do not begin with a press release. They begin with a neighbor noticing something, a business owner raising a concern, a family asking questions or someone simply saying, “You should look into this.”
That is why Westside Ledger wants to hear from you.
If there is an issue affecting your neighborhood, an accomplishment worth celebrating, a question that has not been answered or a Westside story you believe deserves attention, reach out!
This is our community—and its stories deserve to be told.