First Insurance cuts auto rates

First Insurance Co. of Hawaii will lower its rates for personal auto insurance for 6,000 policy holders by as much as 30 percent, effective July 1.

The rate decrease also applies to the company's First Select Portfolio, which combines homeowners and personal auto insurance.

First Insurance Co. is the oldest and largest property and casualty insurer based in Hawaii, with assets totaling more than $602 million and liabilities of $404 million as of March 31.

Republic Air offers to buy Frontier

MINNEAPOLIS » Republic Airways Holdings, the 50 percent owner of interisland carrier Mokulele Airlines, is offering to buy Frontier Airlines for $108.8 million and take it out of bankruptcy.

Republic said yesterday it expects a court-supervised auction to determine if anyone will make a better offer.

Indianapolis-based Republic supplied a $40 million debtor-in-possession loan to Frontier and held a $150 million unsecured claim, so it's not a surprise that it is on track to buy the airline. The plan calls for Republic to own all the equity in the newly reorganized Frontier.

US Air to begin Charlotte-isle service

US Airways will begin daily nonstop service between Charlotte, N.C., and Honolulu on Dec. 17.

The new flight, which will be on a Boeing 767 and seat 204 people, will complement the airline's daily nonstop service to Oahu, Maui, Kauai and the Big Island from Phoenix.

Island Air punctuality 90% in April

Island Air posted a 90 percent on-time performance in April and completed 99.7 percent of its scheduled flights, the carrier said yesterday.

In addition, Island Air said it had no complaints filed with the U.S. Department of Transportation.

Tele-home health program offered

Hawaii Healthcare Professionals Inc. will roll out a new tele-home care option for clients. The agency is the first non-hospital based home health agency in Oahu to offer the service. Hawaii Healthcare Professionals will begin use of 30 tele-home care devices for its clients in Kauai first and then Oahu and Maui.

The tele-home care service is a two-part system that will allow patients to receive daily health care monitoring. The system works by sending daily health status, including biometrics (weight, blood pressure, oxygen levels, etc.) and a qualitative symptom assessment from question sent from the patient's home to nurses and doctors via phone line or wireless communication. Clinicians and caregivers will then use the information to catch early signs of trouble and intervene before the patient's health declines. The system also will allow caregivers to simultaneously monitor multiple patients.

For more information, call 396-2160 on Oahu or toll-free (888) 531-8177 on the neighbor islands, or visit www.hhcpcaring.com

ON THE MOVE

» Aloha United Way has hired Davelyn Adversalo as information and referral specialist for the company's 211 information and referral hot line. She has 10 years of clerical experience working with a number of local companies and charitable organizations on Oahu.

» Kona Brewing Co. has hired Rick Shannon as human resources director. He has 30 years of human resources experience including director of human resources for Best Friends Animal Society in Utah and director of human resources for Plaid Enterprises in Georgia.