Mele Makeke lights up Black Friday

LIHUE — The line of people waiting to get into Mele Makeke snaked past Bread & Deli Connection and down the entrance leading to the now-closed Macy’s on Friday at the Kukui Grove Center.

TAX MAN: Deferred maintenance leads to degraded services

One of the problems that has plagued Hawaii governments at all levels is “deferred maintenance.” Simply put, it means there’s stuff broken and there isn’t presently money to fix it, so it has to stay broken until some future time when the money is available.

TAX MAN: Brush up on our legislative history

In my role with the Tax Foundation of Hawaii and in private practice as a lawyer, I often have occasion to visit the Capitol website, capitol.hawaii.gov, to do research. The more I have gotten to know the site, the more I understand that it has a great deal of resources to do legislative research.

State OKs Spectrum’s Kauai application

HONOLULU — The state’s Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs on Monday approved the Spectrum Oceanic LLC Application for Renewal of Cable Franchise for the County of Kauai.

Hawaiian Airlines to offer locals-only discounts

Hawaiian Airlines today is introducing a new locals-only program that could reshape the competitive neighbor-­island landscape much in the way that Southwest Airlines’ bodacious long-running $39 one-way fares did after the carrier entered Hawaii’s interisland market.

TAX MAN: Charging convenience fees for our kids

Back in the Dark Ages when I was going to public school here in Honolulu, I could get my school lunch for a quarter. An extra half-pint carton of milk was a dime. Nowadays, a school lunch costs $2.75 for most kids, and for those who qualify for low-income treatment, it costs 40 cents.

Projected air seat declines underscore tourism softening

Total trans-Pacific airline seats for Hawaii’s top U.S. market are projected to drop in November and December, with losses widening at the start of next year and remaining evident into April, according to Hawai‘i Visitors & Convention Bureau market data.

Young Brothers seeks rate hikes

The cost to ship most cargo between islands in Hawaii could jump 20 percent on average, and in instances up to 45 percent, next summer under a plan by the state’s regulated interisland tug-and-barge operator.

Tahiti Nui celebrates 61 years

LIHUE — Christian and Nanea Marston, and Tahiti Nui, were recipients of a Kauai County Council congratulatory certificate during the council’s meeting at the historic County Building on Wednesday.

1,800 hotel workers strike at Hilton Hawaiian Village

HONOLULU — More than 1,800 hotel workers went on an open-ended strike Tuesday at the Hilton Hawaiian Village Waikiki Beach Resort, and their union, UNITE HERE Local 5, says they will not return to work until they have a new contract.