O'ahu briefs

Advertiser Staff

HONOLULU

HSTA contract vote today

Hawai'i's public school teachers will vote today on a two-year contract settlement with the state that would provide raises between 4 percent and 7 percent.

More than 13,000 members of the Hawai'i State Teachers Association are eligible to vote this afternoon at 24 polling places across the state. The results will likely be released this evening.

Engineering firm fined $500

The Campaign Spending Commission agreed yesterday to fine engineering company Murayama Kotake Nunokawa & Associates Inc. $500 for making excess contributions totaling $6,200 to former Lt. Gov. Mazie Hirono's campaign committee.

Commission director Robert Watada said the improper donations were discovered last year.

OHA trust fund gains $500,000

The portion of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs trust fund managed by Frank Russell Investment Co. gained about $500,000 in the first four months of 2004, OHA trustees were told yesterday.

The first-quarter performance of the Russell portfolio held in trust for Native Hawaiians produced a return of nearly $5 million, with a value of $166.2 million as of March 31, according to a report to OHA trustees. But Wall Street's shaky economic conditions in April erased about $4.5 million of that gain, said company client executive Bruce Clarke.