County of Kaua‘i jobless rate falls to 2.1 percent in May
LIHU‘E — A drop in the civilian labor force coupled with job additions in key sectors helped push the unemployment rate to its lowest point for the month of May in at least 35 years on Kaua‘i.
Kaua‘i Shores Hotel renovations pau
WAIPOULI — Jennie Waiwaiole Vega, the general manager of the Kaua‘i Shores Hotel, home of Lava Lava restaurant, wanted to know where the rain came from on Tuesday.
‘Hot Wheels’ and Die Cast show draws a crowd
PUHI — Mike Gushiken, of Metalhaus, was pleasantly surprised with the number of people that turned out for his “Hot Wheels” and Die Cast show on Sunday at the parking lot fronting the Meatalhaus store adjacent to the Natural Pet Hawai‘i store in the Puhi Industrial Park.
Back to School Bash resgistration starts on July 1
LIHU‘E — The Hawai‘i Food Alliance and Kukui Grove Center, in coordination with the state Department of Education, announced that the 10th annual Back to School Bash will take place on July 13 from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. throughout the shopping center.
Anara Spa earns top award among Hyatt resorts
PO‘IPU — The Grand Hyatt Kaua‘i Resort and Spa ‘ohana celebrated its announcement of the Anara Spa being named a 2023 Team of the Year award among spas in the Hyatt Corporation with a celebratory get-together on June 11.
Council OKs new regulations for bike tours on Big Island
HILO, Hawai‘i — A proposed series of regulations for commercial bike tour groups has finally passed the County Council, albeit not without disagreements.
KFCU starts search for new CEO
LIHU‘E — Kaua‘i Federal Credit Union Board Chair Byron Watanabe announced on Saturday the appointment of Executive Vice President Sean Kaley as the interim president and CEO.
De Luzes selling Big Island Toyota
HILO, Hawai‘i — Big Island Toyota is being sold.
‘Ohana Motors donation helps Kaua‘i Surfrider
LIHU‘E — When the Surfrider Foundation discussed the need for a pickup to remove marine debris ‘opala from Kaua‘i’s shoreline, ‘Ohana Motors heard the plea and donated a used four-wheel drive Toyota Tacoma to answer the call.
Coco Palms bringing Kimpton to Hawai‘i
WAILUA — Kimpton Hotels and Restaurants announced Wednesday that it is partnering with the Coco Palms Resort following a historically sensitive restoration of the iconic property in Wailua.
Visitor count drops, spending climbs on Kaua‘i in April
LIHU‘E — A steep drop in the number of visitors to the island of Kaua‘i in April was of no consequence on the spending front, as tourists continued to plow piles of cash into the local economy.
Rum Rusher available on Kaua‘i
LIHU‘E — There were just five cans of the Rum Rusher Hawaiian Rum Cocktail remaining on the shelves of the Koloa Rum Company Store at the Kilohana estates on Friday.
Jobless rate rises in April
LIHU‘E — A sizable drop in the number of employed civilians helped push the unemployment rate up in the first full month of spring on the island of Kaua‘i.
Wellness Day at Walmart on Saturday
LIHU‘E — The Walmart store in Lihu‘e will join the eight other Hawai‘i Walmart stores in hosting the Walmart Wellness Day on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Picklers Paradise opens on Rice Street
LIHU‘E — Picklers Paradise, which is tucked into a small niche off Rice Street, celebrated its grand opening on Saturday night, as part of the monthly Downtown Lihu‘e Night Market.
Charity walking for Kaua‘i nonprofits
LIHU‘E — The more than 1,000 walkers are done with their 3-mile loop at the 45th annual Visitor Industry Charity Walk. The breakfasts are gone and the slippahs have been packed away for next year.
Visitor arrivals down in March, but spending climbs
LIHU‘E — There were fewer visitors to the island of Kaua‘i in March. But the people who did visit spent some serious money, in turn setting a new high for the month.
Visitor spending tops $700 million in first quarter on Kaua‘i
LIHU‘E — A sizzling start in the first quarter has visitor spending on track to best last year’s record-setting total of $2.76 billion on the island of Kaua‘i.
Biodiesel sunflowers are coming to Kaumakani
KAUMAKANI — During the site blessing on April 22 by Kumu Hula Troy Hinano Lazaro and Halau Ka Pa Hula O Hinano, the kumu offered Pacific Biodiesel’s founders Robert and Kelly King a calabash of pa‘akai with a message — welcome to Kaua‘i.
Hawaiian Airlines posts loss of $137.6M in Q1
HONOLULU — Hawaiian Holdings Inc., the parent company of Hawaiian Airlines, improved revenue and continued investments during the first quarter, but deepened losses as it grappled with rising operating costs and other headwinds while pursuing a merger with Alaska Airlines.