Turtle Bay Resort expansion plan advances

The city Department of Planning and Permitting has accepted a final supplemental environmental impact statement for a proposed expansion of Turtle Bay Resort on Oahu’s North Shore.

The final supplemental EISwas published in September.

Turtle Bay’s expansion plan calls for developing 625 hotel or time-share units and 750 homes, including 160 affordable homes. New public parks and beach access are also part of the plan.

The city said some issues remain unresolved, including a potential waste water treatment plant upgrade and an adjustment to a state land use zoning district boundary.

Developer Turtle Bay Resort LLC also needs other government approvals to move forward with the project, including a special management area use permit, a shoreline setback variance and final subdivision approval.

AT&T improves its 4G service on Molokai

AT&T has expanded 4G LTE service from central Molokai to the western part of the island.

The expansion means that AT&T customers in the Maunaloa area will be able to access the company’s faster 4G service, according to a news release from AT&T.

This expansion is part of AT&T’s Project Velocity IP, a three-year investment plan announced last fall to expand and enhance its IP broadband networks. AT&T invested nearly $20 million in its Hawaii wireless and wired networks so far this year, according to the news release.

Small investors can back crowd funding

WASHINGTON » Crowd funding is about to go big time.

For years, filmmakers, artists and charities have used the power of the Internet to generate money for projects. But in the coming year, with the blessing of Congress, startups will be allowed to raise money this way by selling stock to small-time investors.

For those investors, it’s a chance to make a small profit and possibly get in early on the next Twitter or Facebook. But it’s also extremely risky, given that a majority of startups fail. And critics warn that investment crowd funding is ripe for fraud.

The Securities and Exchange Commission on Wednesday took a step toward implementing the law by proposing how much people could invest and how much companies must divulge. The SEC voted 5-0 to send the proposal out for public comment. Final rules could be approved next year.

FedEx predicts boost in holiday deliveries

MEMPHIS, Tenn. » FedEx expects holiday shoppers will be more nice than naughty this year, with shipments rising from 2012.

The company said Wednesday it expects to carry more than 22 million shipments on the busiest day of the season, which it believes will be Monday, Dec. 2.

FedEx predicts that shipments in the first week of December will rise 13 percent over last year’s peak week to more than 85 million shipments, driven by online shopping and retailers stocking up on electronics, apparel and other goods.

Starbucks ‘tea bar’ will debut in New York

NEW YORK » Starbucks is trying to make tea trendy, with plans to open its first "tea bar" in New York City.

The Seattle-based company says Teavana Fine Teas + Teavana Tea Bar will serve sweets and other food including flatbreads, salads and small plates ranging in price from about $3 to $15. Drink prices will range from $3 to $6, and include novelties such as a Spiced Mandarin Oolong tea and carbonated teas.

The menu of food and freshly made drinks is a switch for Teavana, a chain of about 300 stores that sells boxed and loose tea and accessories. Teavana stores are mainly in shopping malls, but Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz said he plans to expand the footprint to include more locations in urban areas. The company plans to add brewed tea and food to more Teavana stores.

The opening of the New York City store today comes after Starbucks bought Teavana last year. The company has said it plans to use the acquisition to make tea a bigger part of American culture, as it has with coffee.

T-Mobile to offer free data service for tablets

SAN FRANCISCO » T-Mobile will give owners of iPads and other tablet computers free data service for life as part of an effort to broaden its customer base beyond phones.

The free service would be limited to 200 megabytes of high-speed data per month — enough to upload about 800 Instagram photos or listen to more than three hours of streaming music, the company said. T-Mobile US Inc. said the free service comes with no obligations, but the company expects people will want to buy plans for additional data once they grow accustomed to having it.

ON THE MOVE

Island Air has appointed Candy Chung  director of guest services. She was a resort assistant manager for Four Seasons Resorts Lanai at Manele Bay as well as a customer service agent at Delta Airlines. 

Hawaii Pacific University has named D. Bruce Edwards its next vice president and chief financial officer. Edwards is senior vice president for business and finance at Barry University in Miami Shores, Fla., as well as a board chairman of the Independent Colleges and Universities Benefits Association.

Island Air has promoted Rita Aponte to general manager of station operations. Aponte has been with Island Air for 20 years, and has worked as a flight attendant, customer service representative and in station training and central reservation control and planning. 

SHIP AHOY!

Today’s ship arrivals and departures: