BBB: Can credit and debt assistance companies help?

Millions of American are in debt, but debt relief companies have their own issues. American consumers hold more than $16 trillion of debt in the form of mortgages, credit cards, personal lines of credit, home equity lines of credit, student loans and personal loans. When emergencies strike or monthly paychecks don’t always cover bills, countless credit repair and debt relief companies offer to help.

Howling into October at Kukui Grove

LIHU‘E — A young student at the Premier Martial Arts emerged from the dojo to a world of witches, ghouls and other Halloween frights on Wednesday during after-school hours.

Jobless rate decreases in August

LIHU‘E — Steady hiring in key sectors of the island economy helped push the unemployment rate down a full percentage point last month, when compared with the same period last year.

TAX MAN: Aiming a sledgehammer at monster homes

In Honolulu, some people have dealt with the housing crisis by building “monster homes.” As one prominent real estate company has described them, they are large houses built in land zoned for single-family homes.

Lihu‘e Airport bustling in August

LIHU‘E — The number of people getting off domestic flights at Lihu‘e Airport climbed past 78,000 in August, marking the second highest total ever for the month.

SBA Recovery Center opens in Kapa‘a

KAPA‘A — The U.S. Small Business Administration partnered with the Hawai‘i Small Business Development Center to open an SBA Disaster Assistance and Business Recovery Center on Monday in the former Otsuka’s Furniture building on Kuhio Highway in Kapa‘a.