American Savings Bank has sold its Kalihi Service Center property for $7.75 million. The center, which also includes the Kalihi branch, has been owned by the bank since 1979. The Kalihi branch at 1851 North King St. will remain open until June.

The 64,296-square-foot parcel includes a 29,309-square-foot office building, which includes the branch and four residential units on the site.

American Savings Bank said it will explore alternate branch locations in the Kalihi area and, if an alternate branch is not found, the Kalihi branch operations will be consolidated into the bank’s nearby Kamehameha Shopping Center branch at 1620 North School St. All American Savings Bank employees who work at the Kalihi branch will be transferred to either a new Kalihi branch or other existing ASB branches.

ASB, which has been serving the Kalihi community for more than 54 years, has a full-service branch at 1425 Liliha St. in addition to the one on North School Street.

The subsidiary of Hawaiian Electric Industries Inc. has been making plans to become a stand-alone company if the state Public Utilities Commission approves Florida-based NextEra Energy Inc.’s $4.3 billion acquisition of HEI.

Scammers use Expedia name in latest ploy

Robocalls that seem to originate from local phone numbers and offer a $999 Expedia travel credit or other prize are part of a recent but familiar scam.

Officials at the online travel portal have received an undisclosed number of reports of consumers receiving automated phone calls “that falsely claim they are from Expedia,” said Lindsay Cameron, Expedia spokeswoman.

“The calls are attempting to solicit payment in exchange for a ‘prize’ which can range from cash cards, rewards points, trips, vouchers or credit for future travel,” she said.

The scammer appears to be calling from a local number, as the number on the caller ID system “mirrors the first six digits of the call recipients’ phone number, to give a ring of familiarity,” Cameron said.

The recorded message then claims the call recipients have won a prize from Expedia and instructs them to press 1 for more information. The consumers are then connected to a call center where they are encouraged to pay an amount, typically $59, to receive the nonexistent prize.

“Right now it seems as though a Mexican company, Mayavac, may be behind this, as they were found responsible for a series of reported phishing attempts in Canada in 2013,” Cameron said.

She recommends that consumers who receive these sorts of ‘robocalls’ simply hang up.

“Expedia is investigating the matter to make sure whoever answers the call does not compromise their personal information or make payments as a result of these fraudulent claims,” said Cameron.

Hawaii island wind farm breaks ground

The County of Hawaii and the Department of Water Supply held a groundbreaking event Wednesday for the construction of a wind farm in South Kohala on Hawaii island.

The completed wind farm will be an energy source for DWS wells. DWS supplies an average of 5.1 million gallons per day to residential, resort, park, industrial and commercial areas from Mauna Lani Resort to Kawaihae.

The Lalamilo Wind Co. facility will have five wind turbines that can generate 3.3 megawatts of energy. Construction is expected to last one year, and commercial operation is expected to begin in late 2016.

The construction of the new facility will create about 50 temporary jobs. The operation of the wind farm will create three permanent positions.

The Lalamilo wind farm is expected to save $1 million per year in energy costs over the next 20 years.

Isle oil refiner gives to Special Olympics

Hawaii Independent Energy, a Honolulu-based refiner and marketer of petroleum products, raised $71,348 statewide for Special Olympics Hawaii.

The funds will allow Special Olympics Hawaii to provide free sports training and competition opportunities. In Hawaii, Special Olympics serves more than 3,000 children and adults with intellectual disabilities.

The Fueling Dreams campaign ran from July 1 to Aug. 4, and invited drivers across the state to make a donation at participating Tesoro 2Go and 76 Hawaii stores.

Amtrak introduces $20 baggage fees

Amtrak is boarding the baggage-fee bandwagon that has generated billions in revenue for the airline industry.

Starting today, the passenger train operator will charge $20 to passengers who exceed limits for carry-on and personal items. Amtrak spokesman Marc Magliari said the fees will help enforce the company’s established polices, preserve space on crowded trains and reduce safety concerns created by items that are too heavy.

Customers are allowed to bring for free two personal items weighing up to 25 pounds and two carry-on bags weighing no more than 50 pounds each. Personal items might include things such as a backpack or purse. Passengers with children under age 2 are allowed an additional item such as a stroller or diaper bag.

Customs on display at Auto Lunch Bunch

The monthly Auto Lunch Bunch Kars at the Kurb display will feature customized vehicles including a fully modified 1948 Ford F6 Cabover, a fully modified 2006 BMW 6 Series and a so-called “bagged and custom” 2010 Dodge Challenger SRT8.

The theme of the display, “Street Pulse Specials,” is tied in to luncheon speaker Mike Kitchens, contributor and photographer for the weekly “Street Pulse” paper produced by Honolulu Star-Advertiser’s parent company, Oahu Publications Inc.

Beginning at noon Wednesday, Oct. 7 , Kitchens will update attendees about goings-on at “Street Pulse” and discuss various proposals for an automotive race track on Oahu.

The Auto Lunch Bunch will meet at the Hawaii Yacht Club at 1739 Ala Moana Blvd. The $15 cost includes a meal, iced tea and tip. Reservations are required and can be made via Ed Kemper at 225-2965 or via email at edracers@aol.com.

Nishimura promoted at Servco parts center

Servco Auto Parts Center has promoted Glenn Nishimura to assistant director of parts.

In the position, Nishimura will help manage day-to-day operations.

He has been with the company since 1990, when he joined the Servco Automotive Marketing Management Trainee program, and most recently served as inventory manager for Servco Toyota Honolulu.

Servco Auto Parts Center is the official parts distribution warehouse for Toyota, Lexus, Scion, Suzuki and Subaru dealers throughout the state.

Nishimura received his degree from the University of Hawaii at Manoa, is a Maryknoll High School graduate and lives in Aiea.

On The Move

» Opterra Energy Services has named Kevin Vallente construction manager. He will oversee daily construction activity for the state Department of Education’s Ka Hei program while assisting with design and assessment. His 20 years of construction industry experience include installation, project management and solar consulting. He was also a waterproofing instructor at Honolulu Community College.

» The Honolulu Board of Water Supply has announced that Bryan Andaya has been appointed to its board of directors. He is vice president and chief operating officer of L & L Franchise. Prior to joining L & L Franchise, Andaya was an attorney specializing in labor and employment law for Imanaka Kudo & Fujimoto, a Honolulu firm.

Ship Ahoy!

Thursday’s ship arrivals and departures: