Don Quijote picks retail veteran Sawai president

Ed Sawai has been appointed president of Don Quijote (USA) Co. Ltd.

He has more than 30 years of retail management experience, including recently serving as manager of the Don Quijote store on Kaheka Street in Honolulu.

The chain also has stores in Pearl City and Waipahu.

Bankoh offering college aid to employees

Bank of Hawaii has introduced a college assistance program for its employees to help them get back on the path to obtaining their first four-year degree.

In partnership with Chaminade University, Bank of Hawaii is offering employees access to a bachelor’s degree with tuition reimbursement for up to five classes per year through Chaminade’s Office of Professional and Continuing Education online program.

Through this program, enrolled employees will have the flexibility to choose from selected majors, regardless of whether they relate to their roles at the bank. They also will receive half of their tuition reimbursement prior to the start of each semester to help lessen the upfront out-of-pocket costs. The enrolled employees will have no obligation to stay with Bank of Hawaii after they have earned their bachelor’s degree.

“At Bank of Hawaii, the core of our success remains our dedicated employees, who continuously provide inspiration and innovative solutions as we move toward 21st-century banking,” said Peter Ho, Bank of Hawaii chairman, president and CEO. “While we hope all of our employees enjoy long careers with us, there is no requirement that they stay at the bank following graduation. Our hope is to provide Hawaii with well-prepared individuals who aspire to better themselves and our state.”

Japan has first death tied to ‘Pokemon Go’

A woman died after being run over by a car driven by a man playing “Pokemon Go,” the first known death in Japan linked to the hit smartphone game.

The incident happened Tuesday in the city of Tokushima, police said. The 39-year-old driver was playing the game behind the wheel and hit two pedestrians, and one died from her injuries.

“Pokemon Go” became a social phenomenon following its debut last month, with parks and streets in cities from New York to Tokyo filled with people chasing virtual creatures on their phones. In many public areas in Japan, signs have gone up asking people not to walk while using their smartphones. While the number of daily active users appears to have declined after hitting a peak, there are still more than 30 million people playing the game each day.

The driver of the car in Tuesday’s incident, who was taken into custody after the accident, told police that he had been playing “Pokemon Go” and hadn’t seen the two pedestrians.

White Sox ballpark changing name

CHICAGO >> Maybe the Chicago White Sox will change their luck by changing the name of their stadium.

No guarantees, though.

The ballpark currently called U.S. Cellular Field will become known as Guaranteed Rate Field starting in November. The team and the mortgage company announced a 13-year naming rights deal Wednesday.

The White Sox are below .500 and are on the verge of missing the playoffs for the 10th time in 11 seasons since the 2005 team won the World Series.

The agreement was approved by the Illinois Sports Facilities Authority, which owns the ballpark. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed, though ISFA Chairman Manny Sanchez said the agreement will generate up to $6.4 million for the authority. He also said the ISFA figures to save at least $15 million and as much as $20 million to $25 million in potential facilities improvements as part of a compromise with the team for approving the naming rights deal.

ON THE MOVE

The Filipino Community Center has announced honorees for its 14th Annual Bayanihan Gala Fundraiser, scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Oct. 14 at the Sheraton Waikiki Hotel. October is Filipino Heritage month. Some of the honorees include:

>> Amefil “Amy” Agbayani is the University of Hawaii’s assistant vice chancellor for student diversity and director of Student Equity, Excellence and Diversity (SEED) and co-founder of Operation Manong.

>>Jeffrey N. Watanabe is the former chairman of the Consuelo Foundation who committed more than $3 million for Project H.O.P.E. to help rebuild Philippines communities in the aftermath of Typhoon Haiyan.

>>Maggie Domingo led the Philippine Cultural Foundation of Hawaii for more than two decades. Domingo also was the first female president of United Filipino Council of Hawaii.