Hawaii News Now earns 6 news awards

Hawaii News Now raked in six Mark Twain awards in the annual Associated Press Television and Radio Awards competition. The combined news operations of KGMB-TV and KHNL-TV, which also air on KFVE-TV, won three first-place awards in their market-size division, including Best Evening Newscast (featuring Teddy Munet escape coverage), Best Morning Newscast (featuring Tropical Storm Flossie coverage) and Best Special Program (for its special program on U.S. Sen. Daniel Akaka).

The stations also won three second-place awards in its market division, for Best Spot News, Best Ongoing Coverage and Best Anchor, for former anchor Teri Okita. Additionally, Marisa Yamane of KHON-TV placed second for the Chris Harris Reporter of the Year Award, in the smaller-market division.

The awards were announced Tuesday.

Kaiser gastroenterology clinic to open

Kaiser Permanente Hawaii will hold a blessing ceremony at 8:30 a.m. Monday to celebrate the opening of its gastroenterology clinic at the Mapuna­puna Medical Office, 2828 Paa St. in Hono­lulu.

The facility will have five gastroenterology specialists and 30 staff members and will offer scheduled outpatient services, including endoscopy and colonoscopy procedures. Patient appointments are scheduled as early as May 20.

Sleep Wellness Center gets accreditation

The Niolopua Sleep Wellness Center in Honolulu has received program accreditation from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.

"The American Academy of Sleep Medicine congratulates Niolopua Sleep Wellness Center on meeting the high standards required for receiving accreditation as a sleep disorders center," said Dr. M. Safwan Badr, AASM president. "Niolopua Sleep Wellness Center is an important resource to the local medical community and will provide academic and scientific value in addition to the highest quality care for patients suffering from sleep disorders."

The Niolopua Sleep Wellness Center is headed up by Dr. Christine Fukui and is located at 932 Ward Avenue.

Earnings at CVS Caremark increase 18%

CVS Caremark’s first-quarter earnings jumped 18 percent as generic drugs and an acquisition helped the drugstore chain and pharmacy benefits manager weather rough winter storms. The company, which owns Longs Drugs, runs the nation’s second-largest drugstore chain. Many of CVS’ nearly 7,700 stores on the East Coast and in the Midwest were blasted by snow storms and subzero temperatures this past winter. CVS said that weather, plus a weaker flu season compared with last year, hurt sales at its established stores.

CVS earned $1.13 billion, or 95 cents a share, in the three months that ended March 31. That compares with earnings of $954 million, or 77 cents a share, in last year’s quarter. Revenue climbed 6 percent to $32.69 billion.

Buffett’s firm reports 4% dip in profit

OMAHA, Neb. » Warren Buffett’s company said Friday its first-quarter profit slipped nearly 4 percent largely because of an accounting charge in its insurance units. Berkshire Hathaway Inc. earned $4.71 billion, or $2,862 per Class A share, during the first three months of 2014. That’s down from $4.89 billion, or $2,977 per Class A share, a year earlier.

Berkshire’s revenue increased nearly 4 percent to $45.45 billion from $43.87 billion in the same period last year.

Berkshire said its insurance underwriting profits fell to $461 million from $901 million a year earlier largely because of a deferred charge related to some retroactive insurance policies. Berkshire’s sizable insurance unit includes Geico, General Reinsurance and several other companies.

The quarterly results will likely be well received by the more than 30,000 people expected to attend Berkshire’s shareholders meeting in Omaha, Neb., on Saturday.

News Corp. to buy Harlequin for $415M

NEW YORK » News Corp. sees profit potential in the tales of princes, sexy soldiers and mysterious millionaires.

The publishing company controlled by media mogul Rupert Murdoch said Friday that it has agreed to buy romance novel publisher Harlequin Enterprises from Torstar Corp. for $415 million in cash.

Harlequin will become a division of News Corp.’s HarperCollins Publishers subsidiary and remain based in Toronto.

Founded in 1949, Harlequin publishes its steamy tales in 34 languages and sells them in more than 100 international markets. Its titles include the works of more than 1,300 authors, and it releases more than 110 titles each month.

ON THE MOVE

Graham Builders has announced Jada Santos as a sales and marketing coordinator. She has more than 10 years of graphic design and marketing experience, including serving as an assistant project manager and in-house graphic designer at Star of Honolulu Cruises and Events.

Coldwell Banker Pacific Properties has announced that Doreen Trudeau has joined the firm as part of its nationally training program called the New Agent Training Office, or NATO. Prior to joining the company, Trudeau was principal of an executive search firm.

Kaiser Permanente’s Moanalua Medical Center has been awarded an "A" Hospital Safety Score by The Leapfrog Group, an independent industry watchdog. The hospital safety ranking is the first and only rating to be peer-reviewed in the Journal of Patient Safety.

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