A Las Vegas investor has asked ML Macadamia Orchards LP for a seat on its general partner's board of directors after amassing a 7.8 percent stake in the firm.

Barry W. Blank filed a disclosure statement at the Securities and Exchange Commission showing he owned 582,250 of the Hilo-based company's shares.

The filing follows one by a Colorado investor, Farhad "Fred" Ebrahimi, who recently had a tender offer for ML Macadamia shares. Ebrahimi and affiliated investors now own 38.4 percent of the company.

HALE KOA MUST PAY FOR DISCRIMINATION

The Hale Koa Hotel was ordered to pay union attorney fees and back pay in the case of Bill Kearsley, a lifeguard and shop steward at the hotel who won a discrimination suit against the hotel, union officials said.

Labor arbitrator Tom Angelo ordered the hotel to reimburse the hotel workers' union and its lawyers more than $125,000 for the "unlawful discrimination and termination of a lifeguard for engaging in protected union and Equal Employment Opportunity activities."

In 2005, Kearsley developed melanoma and was terminated. He filed a grievance that was resolved in his favor and the arbitrator ordered him reinstated.

HAWAII NEWS NOW ANCHOR LOE QUITTING

Stacy Loe, an anchor on the new combined KHNL-KGMB9 newscast Hawaii News Now, said she is leaving television news to spend more time with her family.

"After almost 20 years in the business, this is the right decision for me and my family," Loe said.

She's stepping down almost one month after KGMB9 merged its newsroom KHNL and KFVE. Loe began her television career 19 years ago as a reporter with KGMB9. Her last day on the air will be Nov. 25.