BUSINESS BRIEFS
Maui Divers to open S.F. store
Advertiser Staff and News Services
Maui Divers Jewelry plans to open its first stand-alone Maui Divers store on the Mainland on Saturday at Westfield San Francisco Centre.
The 800-square-foot store will become the 66th store for Hawai'i's largest jewelry retailer and manufacturer, which operates stores under Maui Divers, Island Pearls, Pick-A-Pearl and Colombian Emeralds brands.
The company operates concessions inside 11 Hilo Hattie stores on the Mainland and in Hawai'i, and also operates an Island Pearl store at the Fashion Show Mall in Las Vegas.
Maui Divers said it is seeking additional Mainland locations for stand-alone stores.
GAS PRICE FALLS 4 CENTS A GALLON
The average retail price of gasoline in Honolulu has dropped an average of 4 cents a gallon over the past two weeks, while the nationwide average dropped nearly 14 cents over the same period, mirroring a drop in crude oil prices.
The national average for self-serve regular was $2.18 a gallon, according to industry analyst Trilby Lundberg. Honolulu motorists, meanwhile, paid an average of $2.81 cents a gallon for self-serve regular, the highest in the nation. The cheapest gas in the country was found in Detroit, where self-serve regular was $1.86.
Hawai'i's prices jumped earlier this year after a state tax break on ethanol-blended gasoline expired. Resumption of the tax on Jan. 1 added about 11 cents to the price of a gallon of gas.
INSURANCE CLAIMS OVERWHELMING
FRESNO, Calif. — Freezing temperatures destroyed such a wide swath of crops that insurers have been overwhelmed by claims, prompting California regulators to declare an emergency that lets out-of-state adjusters meet with policyholders.
"I want to cut the red tape and ensure that our farming communities return to action," Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner said yesterday. "There is an enormous amount of work that will have to be done in a short period of time."
The emergency declaration allows adjusters from other states to help assess what California officials estimate to be at least $1 billion in agricultural damage from the recent freeze.
