Dropouts, women, sharks, and big money

It would be more difficult for a network television soap opera to come up with the intriguing story lines in just one day of Hawaii’s news.

Right on top there’s word of a study which shows that seven schools on Oahu are nothing more than ‘dropout factories‘ where 40-percent of freshmen will fail, and drop out of school before their senior year. School officials called the report ‘misleading.’ School students called the report ‘duh.’

So, what’s the cause of the high dropout rate? Bad schools? Bad teachers? Bad students? Or, bad statistics?

Then there’s the story of the man who got so pissed at Bob Awana for stealing his woman, that he extorted $35,000 from him. Awana was Governor Linda Lingle’s former chief of staff and lost his job after trying to woo the man’s woman with gifts and favors. The jilted man lost his woman and sought revenge, hence the extortion plot. Instead, the poor jilted soul didn’t get to keep the extortion money, and received a free year of lodging in Hawaii instead. In prison. When he gets out of prison, he gets deported. But will she wait for him?

Mister Awana, you’re no David Copperfield.

Buried in the middle of the news is what Hawaii doesn’t want broadcast to the tourists. Sharks bite. One bit a man’s leg on Maui, which prompted officials to close a few beaches. Hey, bites happen. Especially in the murky waters off Wailea on Maui. If you can’t see your toes in the sand, neither can the shark. So they go for what they smell. The lesson? Keep your toes clean and odor free. Oh, and stay out of murky water where sharks are known to sniff.

Look for air fares in the islands to go up soon? Why? Hawaiian Air is in the money. Rather, they’re in Mesa Air Group’s money, or soon will be. A judge ordered Mesa to pay $80-million to Hawaiian Air as penalty and losses in a lawsuit. Why? Mesa, which runs competitor go! airlines in Hawaii, obtained confidential information from Hawaiian which was then used to launch go!

Mesa needs to recoup that money and the only way will be to raise prices, which Hawaiian and Aloha airlines will gladly follow. End result? Hawaiian Air will have more money and their customers will have less money.

It’s the circle of life explained in just one day of news in Hawaii.