Lanikai school to get solar system

Gov. Linda Lingle has released $500,000 for the construction of a solar-power system at Lanikai Elementary Public Charter School.

Photovoltaic panels will be installed on the cafeteria roof as part of the system, which is expected to reduce the school’s electricity cost by about $45,000 per year, according to a news release from the Governor’s Office. Work on the project is scheduled to be completed by spring. The project is part of the state’s goal of generating 70 percent of its energy needs from renewable sources by 2030.

Hawaii BBB offers free shredding

The Hawaii Better Business Bureau will offer free document shredding Saturday at two Honolulu locations as part of its "Secure Your ID Day."

The BBB is encouraging individuals and small businesses to bring their paper documents as well as compact discs, floppy discs and unused cell phones. BBB staff also will be on site to provide tips for identity theft protection.

The events are scheduled from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at McKinley High School and Aina Haina Elementary School. The BBB will shred up to three boxes or bags of documents per person.

Foodland encouraging plastic ban

Hawaii’s largest supermarket chain is encouraging customers to shop with reusable shopping bags in advance of plastic bag bans taking effect Jan. 11 on Maui and Kauai.

Foodland Super Market is offering discounts and prizes to customers who shop with reusable bags starting today through Nov. 30 at any of the company’s 32 Foodland, Sack N Save and Foodland Farms stores.

The company will credit customers 5 cents for every reusable bag they use per visit, and enter the customers in a drawing to win one of four $1,000 shopping sprees that include making a $1,000 matching gift to charity.

Also, customers who make eight visits with reusable bags will receive a free gift of either a four-pack of Honest Tea with a bag of Kettle Chips or a Poke Bowl.

Customers will be asked to sign a commitment card to always shop with reusable bags.

Foodland said it aims to reduce plastic and paper bag use by 25 million bags in the next year to help reduce negative impacts on the local environment.

US Air extends Mesa deal 3 years

US Airways Group Inc. will extend by more than three years a deal to use Mesa Air Group Inc. to operate some of its regional flights while reducing payments to Mesa, the companies announced yesterday.

Mesa, which is operating under bankruptcy protection, will fly for US Airways through September 2015 under what the companies called a nonbinding term sheet.

Mesa’s contract to operate US Airways Express flights was due to expire June 12, 2012. It operates 38 CRJ900 regional jets for the bigger airline out of US Airways hubs in Phoenix and Charlotte, N.C.

In Hawaii, Mesa operates interisland carrier go! Mokulele.

BofA posts $7.65B loss on charge

NEW YORK » Bank of America Corp. said yesterday it lost $7.65 billion during the third quarter due to a $10.4 billion charge related to credit and debit card reform legislation passed over the summer.

The bank also announced a change in its consumer banking strategy to focus on providing customers with incentives to do more business with the bank instead of generating revenue through penalty fees such as overdraft charges. The bank is already starting to implement some changes, and has cut overdraft fees on small amounts that customers charge to their debit cards.