Maui Business

Planned Parenthood of the Great Northwest and Planned Parenthood of Hawai‘i have announced a new partnership for improved healthcare, educational and advocacy services for men, women and teens in Hawai‘i. The two entities have signed an agreement to initiate the process of merging.

Goodwill Industries of Hawai‘i is offering free tax preparation services to the public through the end of March. To qualify for the service, individuals must earn $53,000 or less per year and not own a home or business.

Maui Brewing Company will be throwing a fundraising event to benefit the Monk Seal Foundation at its Kahana brewpub on Friday, Feb. 27, from 6 to 10 p.m. Fifty percent of all profits sold during the evening will go towards the foundation.

Medical Director of Maui Diagnostic Imaging Dr. Andrew Kayes has been named the Intersociety Private Practice Representative for the American College of Radiology.

The US Environmental Protection Agency announced recently that Energy Star-certified clothes dryers are now available through major retailers at prices comparable to standard dryers.

Pleasant Holidays is offering new vacation packages to Hawai‘i with reduced airfares and exclusive hotel resort offers. The travel company says its added value and reduced rates can save travelers up to $800 per day year-round on deals that include round-trip airfare.

Wailuku’s current gas price average is $3.21 per gallon, declining 11 cents from last week and 46 cents from last month. Prices are averaging $1.01 less than the same period last year. Wailuku saw a record high for regular gas at $4.98 per gallon on May 9, 2011.

Ohana Fuels raised over $7,500 for Imua Family Services through its “Fuel Up. Do Good” Program during the last quarter of 2014. A portion of proceeds from fuel sales at all Maui locations supported Imua Family Services continuing efforts.

Maui’s residential electric rate is at a four-year low. The island’s effective rate is 31.5 cents per kWh. A typical 600 kWh bill is $198.78, which is $21.46 lower than last month and the lowest since February 2011.

The board of directors at Hawaiian Electric Industries Inc. sustained a quarterly cash dividend of 31 cents per share as of Feb. 10, 2015. The dividends are payable Mar. 10, 2015, and to shareholders of record at the close of business on Feb. 24, 2015. The share is equal to an annual rate of $1.24 per share.

The Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs and the State Boards and Commissions issued a $5,000 fine to Hawai‘i Pacific Solar LLC for employing an unlicensed contractor during a job contracted with the DOE.

Hawaiian Airlines is leading the nation in on-time flights for the 11th consecutive year, according to a report released by the US Department of Transportation. The local airline’s punctuality streak began in 2004. The largest local airline in the islands averaged 91.9 percent of its flights on-time for 2014, earning the best performance ranking in 11 of 12 months in the year.

Improvements spanned the 22-acre Wailea property, and included: the $5.1 million rebuild of Kō restaurant; the debut of the Willow Stream Spa in January 2014; the renovation of each one-bedroom suite with new contemporary designs; and refreshed décor at the resorts two-story villas.

Haleakalā National Park began accepting applications for guided astronomy and hiking tour permits on Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2015. The permits, or Commercial Use Authorizations (CUAs), will be valid for up to two years. Applications must be received by the end of Tuesday, Mar. 10, 2015.

The State of Hawai‘i has completed a major upgrade to its information technology system to utilize cloud technology in managing and supporting over 16,000 employees statewide. The Human Resources Management System Upgrade Project was completed on Jan. 20, 2015, resulting in a modernized system with vital backup capabilities and greater efficiency.

Three new physicians have joined the recently opened Maui Memorial Medical Center in Maui Lani to provide much-needed emergency on-call services. Dr. Robert Millan Dy (gastroenterologist), Dr. David J. Engle (neurosurgery), and Dr. Don Wilton Hill (oncology/hematology) have joined other physicians working in the MMMC Outpatient Clinic.

Nearly 2,000 community college students in Hawaiʻi were offered automatic admission to any of the four University of Hawaiʻi four-year campuses.

Dr. Ernest Lee has joined the otolaryngology team at Maui Medical Group, bringing extensive medical and surgical experience in ear, nose and throat disease and disorder treatment.

Hawaiian Airlines has announced the reopening of its Premier Club lounge at Kahului Airport after renovations to upgrade member accommodations. The newly completed lounge features free high speed Wi-Fi service, ample power outlets, cable TV, flight information displays, complementary snacks and refreshments, as well as a variety of reading materials.

Target will open two new stores in Hawai‘i on Wednesday, March 4, at 8 a.m. Target’s first location on Maui is opening in Kahalui at 100 Hookele St. The new O‘ahu store in Kailua will be the the island’s third.