Hawaii News Now hires weekend meterologist

 Jennifer Robbins has joined Hawaii News Now as its new weekend meterologist.

Robbins, who debuts Saturday, previously was a meterologist and weather producer for KABC7, the No. 1 news station in Los Angeles. She produced weather for chief meterologist Dallas Raines and filled in on weather for the station’s four-hour weekend newcasts, becoming an expert on the Weather Central system, which is used by Hawaii News Now.

Before joining KABC7, Robbins worked as an on-air meteorologist and environmental reporter for CBS2 News in Boise, Idaho.

HELCO seeks 4.2 percent rate increase

The electric utility on Hawaii island is asking state regulators to approve a 4.2 percent rate increase that would generate $19.8 million in revenue.

If approved in its entirety, the rate hike being sought by Hawaii Electric Light Co. would add $8.32 to a typical bill of 500 kilowatt-hours a month, according to HELCO.

HELCO officials said part of the additional revenue would be used to pay for the improvements to integrate more renewable energy into the grid.

Among the projects being pursued by HELCO are advanced wind forecasting systems, computerized models and tools to analyze the integration of more solar power, and enhanced sensors to help system operators manage the variability of renewable energy.

The rate increase, which was submitted to the Public Utilities Commission on Thursday, is the first HELCO rate request since 2009 when the PUC approved a 1.3 percent increase.

"Nearly 60 percent of our customers’ electric bills go to pay the cost of fuel and purchased power, so it makes sense for HELCO to aggressively pursue renewable energy technologies that are not dependent upon oil and that will reduce the cost of electric service in the long run," said Jay Ignacio, HELCO president.

Hawaiian Air to team with Raiders again

Hawaiian Airlines will be flying the Oakland Raiders to its away games for a 13th season.

Starting with today’s preseason game against the Arizona Cardinals in Phoenix, Hawaiian is flying the team on the carrier’s 264-seat Boeing 767-300 aircraft to 10 road games, including five games in Eastern time zone cities, through December. Besides preseason games in Phoenix and Seattle, Hawaiian will fly the Raiders to the team’s eight regular-season games in Miami, Denver, Atlanta, Kansas City, Baltimore, Cincinnati, Charlotte and San Diego.

Japan says deflation will reverse course

Japan’s government forecast an end to deflation even after a report this week showed that the economy is still struggling to shake off more than a decade of falling prices.

The gross domestic product deflator, the nation’s broadest gauge of price trends, will rise 0.2 percent in the year ending March 2014, the Cabinet Office said in a report today in Tokyo, the first increase in 16 years. The world’s third-largest economy is forecast to grow a nominal 1.9 percent, exceeding a 1.7 percent expansion in real terms.

The forecast contrasts with a second-quarter GDP report, released Aug. 13, which showed the deflator falling 1.1 percent from a year earlier. Price declines have sapped the momentum of the economy and prompted lawmakers to call for more aggressive monetary easing by the Bank of Japan.

Verizon’s deals with cable firms approved

WASHINGTON » The Justice Department’s antitrust division on Thursday approved deals between Verizon Wireless and four of the nation’s largest cable companies but applied conditions. Most significant, the agency said it will not allow Verizon Wireless stores to sell cable TV and broadband services from Comcast Corp., Time Warner Cable Inc., Bright House Networks and Cox Communications in areas where its parent company, Verizon Communications Inc., sells its own TV and broadband service, FiOS.

When it comes to home broadband, Verizon’s FiOS provides the only significant competition to cable in many areas. Yet FiOS is costly to build out, and Verizon’s commitment to the technology has faltered. Consumer groups who opposed the deal between the cable companies and Verizon said it showed that Verizon was further giving up on FiOS and yielding the home broadband market to cable.

The Justice Department agreed, saying the agreements would harm competition by reducing incentives to compete — resulting in higher prices and lower quality for the public.

Rate on 30-year mortgages rises to 3.62 percent

WASHINGTON » Average rates on fixed mortgages ticked up for the third straight week, staying slightly above record lows. Cheap mortgages have helped fuel a modest housing recovery this year.

Mortgage buyer Freddie Mac says the rate on the 30-year loan increased to 3.62 percent, up from 3.59 percent last week. Three weeks ago the rate fell to 3.49 percent, the lowest since long-term mortgages began in the 1950s.

The average rate on the 15-year fixed mortgage rose to 2.88 percent. That’s up from 2.84 percent last week and the record low of 2.80 percent three weeks ago.

The availability of low rates has lifted home sales higher this year. Home prices also have increased, largely because the supply of homes has shrunk while sales have risen.

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ON THE MOVE

The Hilton Waikiki Beach Hotel has hired Kim Oshiro to serve as its new senior catering sales manager. She began her career in the hospitality industry with the original Prince Kuhio Hotel, which is now known as Hilton Waikiki Beach.

Bank of Hawaii has announced Charles Hughes as executive vice president and chief information security officer in the information protection department. He was previously working at eBay Inc. in San Jose, Calif.

Sheraton Maui Resort & Spa has named Greg Gaspar as executive chef for the resort. He was previously an executive chef at Makena Beach & Golf Resort from 1992 to 2010 and joined the Sheraton Maui Resort & Spa’s culinary team in November 2010 as an executive sous-chef.