“HEY! YOU OVER THERE! I CAN HEAR THAT ‘BARNEY’ CD FROM WAY OVER HERE! WILL YOU TURN IT DOWN?! IF YOU DON’T, I’M CALLING THE COPS! I SAID, I’M CALLING THE COPS!” Noise pollution can come in various forms. Trucks, mopeds, jackhammers, airplanes and loud people all can be considered a nuisance by those who have no choice but to hear them. Now, the Honolulu City Council wants to regulate the amount of noise that is forced on the innocent public. A bill introduced by seven of the nine Council members would make it illegal for anyone to operate a device that produces a sound in a public area…

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Commercial oyster harvesting can resume Saturday in all areas of Hood Canal and Puget Sound, officials said, now that the risk of bacteria-caused illness has declined due to cooler weather. But at least one effect remains from a recent recall of Hood Canal oysters. China has closed its borders to Washington state shellfish, according to a spokesman from Shelton-based Taylor Shellfish Farms, the nation’s leading producer of farmed oysters, mussels and clams, which sells up to $1 million a year to China…

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A job fair will be held Oct. 12 in downtown San Jose for casualties of high-profile Silicon Valley layoffs, as well as for other job seekers. The job training group work2future will hold the fair at the McEnery San Jose Convention Center, the office of City Manager Deb Figone said Friday. Her office said the event is for former employees of Fremont auto plant New United Motor Manufacturing Inc., bankrupt Fremont solar panel maker Solyndra LLC, and San Jose-based network equipment maker Cisco Systems Inc…

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dck/TtEC LLC of Honolulu was awarded a $62.2 million contract from the Navy Friday to design and build a multistory lodging facility for injured veterans and separate parking facility, both of which will be in Maryland. The task order under a previously-issued multiple-award construction contract is for a facility to be built at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Md. It will include 100 suites or living spaces, offices, recreation areas, kitchenettes, community areas and mechanical and equipment spaces, the Defense Department said…

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The latest tablet to take on Apple's iPad dominance of the market is Amazon.com's Kindle Fire, unveiled this week to much fanfare. The $199 price is likely to get the attention of consumers who already like Amazon's Kindle e-readers or are considering a tablet but are put off by the much higher cost of the iPad. But does it offer enough to be true competition to the iPad? Or, as some have said, is the iPod Touch a better comparison? Click through the photo gallery at right to see how the features of the two devices compare…

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For a limited time, Fry’s Food Stores will carry Schnepf Farms chili at a majority of its grocery store locations. Schnepf Farm owners Mark and Carrie Schnepf are going to make guest appearances at select Fry’s Food stores in the East Valley to promote the new product, which can be found in the store's deli department. The Queen Creek farm also will be serving its popular chili as part of the its annual Pumpkin and Chili Party held in October. Schnepf Farms has been making the chili for the past 13 years as part of the event…

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Kapolei-based Grace Pacific Corp. has been awarded a $6.5 million contract to repair an airfield ramp at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam. The task order under a previously-awarded indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity construction contract calls for airfield resurfacing, including cutting the existing asphalt concrete pavement and providing new pavement, the Defense Department said. The work is expected to be completed by May.

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SARE Investments LLC of San Diego, Calif., purchased the Palm Court apartments in north Phoenix for $19.7 million. The 256-unit apartment complex is located at 20401 N. 19th Ave. near the junction of Loop 101 and Interstate 17. It was built in 1999. The seller was Deer Valley Apartments LLC of Phoenix, which was represented by Mark Forrester and Ric Holway of Hendricks & Partners in Phoenix.

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Coming as no surprise to most Hawaii drivers, gasoline prices rose again this week to a statewide average of $4.24 for a gallon of regular unleaded, according to AAA Hawaii’s Weekend Gas Watch. The statewide price is 2 cents higher than last week and 15 cents higher than a month ago, despite falling Texas crude oil prices that have pushed down gas prices on the Mainland, AAA Hawaii Regional Manager Diane Peterson said in a statement. “But Hawaii prices are being driven by higher-priced crude — more than $100 a barrel — derived from Southeast Asia,” Peterson said…

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The Hawaii Tourism Authority on Friday said it has renewed its marketing contracts with AVIAREPS Marketing Garden and The Walshe Group Pty Ltd. Tokyo-based AVIAREPS Marketing Garden, which has had the HTA contract for the Other Asia market since 2004, focuses on the China, Hong Kong, Korea, Singapore and Taiwan markets from offices in Shanghai, Beijing, Korea and Taiwan. The new contract, worth $1.95 million annually, is for two years starting Jan. 1. The Walshe Group, which has had the contract for the Oceania market since 2004, focuses on Australia and New Zealand, where it also has offices…

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