New ‘Five-0′ episode books ratings win
"Hawaii Five-0" won its time slot Monday with its first new episode in nearly a month, according to Nielsen numbers released by CBS. The episode, which drew 9.59 million viewers, featured a gimmick ending — fans got to vote for who they felt committed a murder in the story, except in Hawaii because of what the network called "unavoidable technical and logistical issues."
ABC’s "Castle" finished second with 9.14 million viewers while NBC’s "Deception" drew 4.14 million viewers.
Among adults 18 to 49, "Five-0" drew 2.4 percent of the total viewing audience and 6 percent of those watching TV at the time, CBS said. "Castle" drew 1.9 percent of the viewing audience and 5 percent of those watching at the time.
Monday’s "Five-0" was the first of three new episodes over an eight-day span. The next will air on a special day and time — Sunday after the AFC championship game — then the next day at its regular time, Monday night.
Home prices in isles increased in November
Hawaii home prices rose 10.8 percent in November compared with a year earlier, making isle home price growth the sixth strongest in the U.S., according to analytics firm CoreLogic. Arizona’s 20.9 percent year-over-year growth topped the nation in November, followed by 14.2 percent in Nevada, 13.8 percent in Idaho, 12.4 percent in North Dakota and 11.1 percent in California.
The national average growth was 7.4 percent.
On the opposite end of the scale, prices dropped 0.3 percent in Rhode Island compared with November 2011.
Aqua hotels re-brands and restructures
Aqua Hotels & Resorts is re-branding itself as Aqua Hospitality and will restructure the 24 properties that it manages into three distinctive brands.
"Hawaii is a melting pot, and Aqua’s comprehensive global outreach has made our hotels and resorts as diverse as Hawaii itself," said Aqua Hospitality’s President and CEO Ben Rafter. "That diversity has led Aqua to create three distinct brands that reflect the unique characteristics of our major market segments: luxury seekers of customized experiences, value and adventure-oriented guests and budget-conscious travelers."
Aqua’s best hotels and resorts will become part of its Monogram Hotel Collection, which seeks to offer luxury travelers a highly personalized boutique experience. Aqua Hotels and Resorts will cater to midprice travelers who want value, style and services that make life more convenient at a practical price. Budget-minded travelers may prefer the economy hotels in Lite Hotels brand.
UH boosts economy with $1.4B in spending
The University of Hawaii’s Economic Research Organization reported Tuesday on the economic impact UH-Manoa had on Hawaii’s economy in fiscal year 2012, which ended June 30. UH-Manoa spent $878 million on education, of which $198 million came from the state’s general fund. When money spent by the private UH Foundation, students and out-of-town UH visitors were added, the total grew to $1.4 billion, UHERO said. That generated $2.45 billion in local business sales, $735 million in employee earnings, $131 million in state tax revenues and slightly less than 20,000 jobs in Hawaii. UH-Manoa spending accounted for about 3.4 percent of all jobs in the state, 2.5 percent of worker earnings and 2.2 percent of state tax revenue, the study said.
Honolulu bedbug rating improves, Orkin says
Honolulu has dropped 19 notches on a pest control company’s list of Top 50 Bed Bug Cities.
Honolulu is now at No. 37 on the list, down 19 notches from a year ago according to the Orkin ranking compiled during 2012.
Orkin saw a nearly 33 percent increase in bedbug business in 2012 and calculated its year-over-year rankings based on the number of bedbug treatments in each market during the calendar year. At No. 1, Chicago moved up one spot to replace Cincinnati as the top U.S. city for bedbugs.
“This list shows that bedbugs continue to be a problem throughout the U.S.,” said Orkin entomologist and Technical Services Director Ron Harrison.
ON THE MOVE
Central Pacific Bank has appointed Thong Songvilay to vice president and branch manager of its McCully branch. He has more than 20 years of branch managerial experience, including as branch manager at American Savings Bank, and he has also worked for Sun Life Canada and Bank of Hawaii.
The Hawaii Regional Council of Carpenters named Gerard Sakamoto its 2013 Outstanding Union Builder of the Year at an awards reception Jan. 8 hosted by Pacific Resource Partnership. Sakamoto is president of S&M Sakamoto Inc. and has been with the company for 42 years.
