Kelly takes Kauai utility PR position
Former Honolulu Advertiser Editorial Page Editor Jim Kelly will join the Kauai Island Utility Cooperative as communications manager on April 23, Kelly said.
"It’s a great opportunity, and I’m really excited to join the team," he said via email.
Presently managing editor at the Desert Sun Media Group in Palm Springs, Calif., Kelly will be followed later by wife and Kauai native Lee Cataluna, who writes a weekly column for the Star-Advertiser.
"Lee isn’t finished with graduate school yet so she’ll be here until she’s done with her course work," Kelly said.
IT conference set for June at Blaisdell
The third Shakacon information technology security conference is scheduled for June 20-21 at Neal Blaisdell Center.
The event will bring together experts from industry, government and academia to "to share knowledge and network with peers and fellow enthusiasts in a relaxed setting that promotes a ‘holistic’ security view," according to organizers.
The conference will feature a variety of speakers and courses on subjects such as Web application development, application security and malware analysis. The cost is $275, with a discount for active military, students and members of the Information Systems Security Association, the Information Systems Audit and Control Association, and Infragard. For more information, visit shakacon.org.
Drivers to pay 6% more for gas in summer
NEW YORK » U.S. drivers will pay an average of 24 cents more per gallon for gasoline during this summer’s travel season, the government says.
The Energy Information Administration says gasoline will cost an average of $3.95 per gallon from April through September, an increase of 6.3 percent from the same period last year. The peak monthly average should be $4.01 in May.
The government says there’s a small chance the price for a gallon could climb as high as $4.50 in June.
Costs are rising with the price of crude oil, the main component in gasoline and other fuels.
The average price Tuesday in Hawaii was a record $4.61, the highest in the country.
Employers posted more jobs in February
WASHINGTON » Employers posted slightly more job openings in February, suggesting that modest hiring gains will continue in coming months.
The Labor Department said Tuesday that employers advertised 3.5 million job openings in February. That’s up from a revised 3.48 million in January but still below the three-year high of 3.54 million in December.
The fact that job openings remained steady in February suggests that the disappointing March jobs report issued last week could be a temporary bump. It usually takes one to three months for employers to fill openings.
Yahoo CEO outlines new corporate plan
SUNNYVALE, Calif. » A week after announcing a painful round of job cuts, Yahoo CEO Scott Thompson unveiled a plan Tuesday that will reorganize the company into three main divisions focused on users, advertisers and technology.
Thompson unveiled the plan at an "all hands" meeting for employees at the company’s headquarters in Sunnyvale, Calif. It will take effect on May 1.
According to a memo obtained by The Associated Press, the new structure aims to improve users’ experience with Yahoo, work closely with advertisers in different regions of the globe and strengthen the company’s technology group.
Sony doubles forecast to worst loss ever
TOKYO » Sony Corp. more than doubled its projected annual loss to ¥520 billion ($6.4 billion), its worst red ink ever, due to a massive tax charge.
With new CEO Kazuo Hirai at its helm, the Japanese electronics company said Tuesday it expects an additional tax expense of ¥300 billion yen ($3.7 billion) in the fiscal fourth quarter ending March 30. It said this noncash charge stemmed from revaluing U.S. tax credits that are unlikely to be utilized due to its string of annual losses.
In February it had projected an annual net loss of ¥220 billion ($2.7 billion) amid weak TV sales, the strong yen and production disruptions from flooding in Thailand.
Alcoa posts surprise first-quarter profit
Alcoa reported a surprise profit Tuesday for the first quarter after it sold more aluminum to a wide range of customers, from automobile manufacturers to beverage can makers.
The largest U.S. aluminum maker also benefited from cost-cutting steps that made its operations more efficient.
Alcoa reported net income of $94 million, or 9 cents a share, on Tuesday. While that’s a 70 percent decline from net income of $308 million, or 27 cents a share, a year ago, analysts had been expecting a loss of 4 cents a share.
ON THE MOVE
Hoku Corp. has hired:
» Diana Carris as a senior accountant. She has more than 10 years of accounting experience and was previously working with ProService.
» Bryant Komo as a project engineer. He has several years of electrical engineering experience from Hawaiya Technologies.
» Brenda Torres as operations administrator, coordinating and tracking commercial solar installations and operations as well as providing post-sales customer service and serving as a customer ombudsman.
Sunetric has appointed the following two new personnel to its staff:
» Paul Craig as electrical engineer. He will be responsible for the engineering and design components of the company’s commercial and residential jobs. Craig has 17 years of engineering experience.
» Robert Branson as warehouse manager. He will be responsible for ensuring solar modules are in stock for projects as well as making sure the company has proper inventory of its products.
