Alaska Airlines increases fee to check luggage

Alaska Airlines, which flies 21 percent of its routes to Hawaii, is raising its fee for checking a suitcase to $25, bringing it in line with most major airlines. For tickets purchased on or after Oct. 30, the Seattle-based airline will charge passengers $25 each for the first and second checked bags.

Additional bags will cost $75. Alaska currently charges $20 per bag for the first three suitcases.

The airline will keep its baggage service guarantee. If a passenger’s bags are not at the claim area within 20 minutes of the plane parking at the gate, Alaska will give them a $20 discount code for use on a future flight or 2,000 frequent-flier miles. The discount will increase to $25 and the miles to 2,500 on Oct. 30. Alaska is also increasing the fee to change tickets to $125. Currently, Alaska charges $75 for online changes and $100 if made through a call center.

Developer honored for Kuhio Park project

The private developer that renovated and took over operating Hawaii’s largest public housing community now known as The Towers of Kuhio Park has been recognized with an industry award for the renewal project.

The National Affordable Housing Management Association presented Michaels Development Co. with its Vanguard Award for the renovation project, which the trade group called an example of how to turn around a community that had been known as a place of blight, crime and isolation.

"The Towers at Kuhio Park illustrates how revitalization of a troubled public housing development can be achieved with minimal state and federal capital funding," the association said.

Michaels Development spent $135 million renovating the two 16-story towers formerly known as Kuhio Park Terrace, finished the project six months ahead of schedule and allowed 96 percent of residents to remain in a unit during the work.

Kakaako condo tower application withdrawn

The developer of a proposed moderate-priced condominium tower in Kakaako that received an unfavorable preliminary ruling last week from a state agency has withdrawn its development application.

MJF Development Corp., headed by Franco Mola, withdrew its application Friday from the Hawaii Community Development Authority, the agency regulating development in Kakaako. The move cancels a vote that was slated for Aug. 7 by the HCDA board to approve or deny the permit for the project called 803 Wai­manu.

Last week the board agreed with an agency staff report that the project would adversely affect the neighborhood. The staff report recommended denying the permit.

Had the board denied the permit Aug. 7, the developer would have faced a six-month wait to submit any substantially similar development application. Mola has vowed to come back with a new plan for the property.

Hawaiian Springs to offer greener bottles

Making plastic bottles for bottled-water company Hawaiian Springs has become somewhat more environmentally friendly. The Hawaii island company said its bottles, which are produced at a Keaau plant, will be made from 30 percent post-consumer plastic or recycled polyethylene terephthalate, known as rPET plastic. Hawaiian Springs said the change will reduce the amount of virgin plastic in its bottles and take about 15 percent less energy to produce.

The new bottles will be designated by "30 percent rPET" and "BPA free" marks. The change advances sustainability goals for Hawaiian Springs, which said it recycles 95 percent of the waste from its bottle production plant, including paper, cardboard and plastic.

Tileco is cited for 23 federal violations

Tileco Inc. in Kapolei has been cited by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration for 23 violations, which carry proposed fines of $50,400.

Twenty-two of the violations include failure to adequately evaluate workplace hazards; failure to protect workers from amputation hazards relating to unguarded machinery and gears; failure to protect workers from unexpected startup of equipment during maintenance and setup; failure to protect workers from confined space hazards; failure to provide training on the use of powered industrial trucks; failure to have in place a written respiratory program; failure to ensure the proper fit and use of respirators; and failure to have medical evaluations for workers using respiratory protection.

Tileco has 15 days after receipt of its citations and proposed penalties to comply, to meet with OSHA’s area director or to contest the findings, OSHA said.

Entrants sought for New Media Awards

Organizers of the inaugural New Media Awards are seeking nominations to recognize online marketing and social media efforts by companies and individuals in Hawaii.

Companies will compete in eight categories: best social media online presence, best content marketing, best social media agency, best social media campaign, best local viral YouTube video, best blog, best use of social media in education, and social media personality award of the year.

The awards will be presented following the final session of the fourth annual Hawaii Social Media Summit on Oct. 26.

Nominations may be submitted online until Sept. 23. Go to hawaiitechevents.com/new-media-awards-2.

ON THE MOVE

EventAccents, an online resource for rental equipment for Hawaii, announced the promotion of Niki Liba­rios to manager. She joined the company in 2010 as a sales and event manager. Previously, Liba­rios was an associate director of residence life at Hawaii Pacific University.

Punahou School announced that Duncan MacNaughton has been elected to a two-year term as chairman of its board of trustees. MacNaughton is the founding partner and chairman of The MacNaughton Group, a diversified group of companies that includes real estate development, retail and commercial brokerage.

Goodwill Industries of Hawaii has received a two-year, $300,000 grant from the Office of Hawaiian Affairs to support the Career Pathways Program in order to provide career support and employment core services to Native Hawaiians on Hawaii island.