Housing prices slide

The Standard & Poor’s Case-Shiller Home Price Index for 20 large cities slid in January for the sixth straight month. Prices fell 1 percent from December, putting the slide from its 2006 peak at 31.8 percent, according to data yesterday. Eleven cities hit a new low. Hono­lulu is not in the index.

Feds wrangle overtime from Levis

Jeans maker Levi Strauss & Co. has agreed to pay more than $1 million in overtime back wages to 596 employees nationwide, including those employed at the Waikele outlet store.

The agreement, with the U.S. Department of Labor, followed the department’s finding that the company violated overtime and rec­ord-keeping provisions of the federal Fair Labor Standards Act.

The San Francisco district office of the Labor Department’s Wage and Hour Division found that the San Francisco-based clothing manufacturer and retailer had misclassified several groups of employees as being exempt from overtime. The department also found that some assistant managers were required to work off-the-clock during late-night closings, early morning openings and staffing shortages.

Nordic PCL gets $59M Schofield pact

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers awarded Nordic PCL Construction Inc. a $59 million contract for the construction of a “Warriors-in-Transition” barracks and complex at Schofield Barracks.

The contract was awarded Thursday with an estimated completion date of Aug. 27, 2013, the Department of Defense said. The bid was solicited through the Internet with 20 bids received, the DOD said.

Global air luggage delays up in 2010

After two years of improved baggage handling, airlines slipped last year in getting passengers’ checked luggage to arrive on time.

European airlines led the decline, while U.S. carriers actually saw a slight improvement.

Worldwide, 29.4 million bags last year didn’t arrive on the same flight as their owners, according to SITA, an aviation communications and technology provider. That’s 12.07 mishandled bags for every 1,000 passengers, a 6 percent increase over 2009.

The rise in baggage problems is attributed by SITA to more passengers flying, as well as major travel disruptions from severe winter weather and the ash cloud from an Icelandic volcanic eruption that grounded a large portion of European air traffic in April. With an unprecedented 300,000 flight cancellations last year, there were bound to be some problems, said SITA spokesman Charlie Pryor.

Inflation fears hurt consumers’ outlook

Rising prices at the gas pump and in grocery aisles are starting to crimp shoppers’ outlook.

The Conference Board’s Consumer Confidence Index fell sharply from a three-year high in February, reversing five straight months of improvement.

The decline raises questions about Americans’ ability and willingness to spend in coming months. The index fell more than expected to 63.4 from a revised 72.0 in February. Economists expected 65.4, according to FactSet.

J&J recalls more Tylenol bottles

WASHINGTON >> Health care products maker Johnson & Johnson recalled another lot of Tylenol yesterday due to a musty odor that already has triggered five other recalls of the company’s over-the-counter medicines.

The latest recall involves more than 34,000 bottles of Tylenol 8 Hour Extended Release, which were distributed throughout the U.S.

All of the products come from lot number ADM074, which appears on the bottom of the bottles.

It’s the sixth time that the New Brunswick, N.J.-based company has recalled nonprescription medicines because of complaints about an unpleasant odor.

On the Move

The American Lung Association in Hawaii has appointed Lorraine Leslie as director of its Hawaii operations. Her responsibility will be overseeing advocacy, health programs and fundraising for Hawaii, including the organization’s personnel and offices on Hawaii, Oahu and Maui. Leslie has more than 25 years of experience in business and fund development, nonprofit management and corporate and community partnerships.

Hawaiian Telcom has announced Kurt Hoffman as chief operating officer. He will oversee day-to-day operations of the company’s network serv­ices, sales, marketing and information technology teams.

The Board of Water Supply has welcomed two new members to its board of directors:

>> Denise M.C. De Costa is a community volunteer and owner of Native Knowledge.

>> Glenn Okimoto is director of the state Department of Transportation.

The Hawai‘i Convention Center has announced that Brian Reaver is this year’s recipient of the “New Star” award by the New York Society of Association Executives. He is regional director of accounts for the Northeast.

Bristol Group has announced that Ali‘i Place has received LEED-EB Silver certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. Bristol Group said Ali‘i Place is the first high-rise Class A office building in Hawaii to receive this award.