HONOLULU – www.inkoffhawaii.com – InkOff.MD today announced today it is now taking appointments and will begin offering the groundbreaking PicoSure™ technology at its Honolulu office in April. Approved by the FDA in 2012, the PicoSure™ laser provides virtually complete removal of tattoos, freckles, sunspots and some birthmarks in a shorter time and with less discomfort than traditional lasers. Currently available in New York City and Boston, InkOff.MD is only the fourth office in the United States and the only office in Hawaii to offer this revolutionary treatment.

HONOLULU (AP) - A $14 million beach restoration project is under way at Oahu's Ewa Beach.

The Honolulu Star-Advertiser says the project is aimed at stabilizing the beach to control sand erosion.

The paper says the project at Iroquois Point 40 miles from Waikiki is the biggest beach replenishment project ever undertaken in the state. The plan is to install nine, large T-shaped rock groins along nearly a mile of shoreline.

Five or 6 of the rock groins have been installed. Sand placement is expected to start the first week of April.

Sea Engineering Inc. says beaches in Hawaii are under stress. The company says approximately 24% of Oahu's beaches experiencing sand loss or degradation since the 1940s.

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KAPOLEI, OAHU (HawaiiNewsNow)- Mauka Lani Elementary School teacher Bryan Rankie was honored Friday morning as the National Milken Educators of Hawaii's "Teacher of Promise."

Rankie received a plaque, a gift and $1,000 through a sponsorship from the HawaiiUSA Federal Credit Union. The award annually recognizes a teacher who demonstrates excellence in the field and the highest qualities of a professional educator during the first four semesters in the classroom. Established in 2007, the award alternates annually between elementary and secondary school teachers.

A New York native, Rankie joined Mauka Lani Elementary in 2011 as a general education fifth-grade teacher and had an immediate impact.

"Bryan has an excellent rapport with everyone within our school, especially the students," said Mauka Lani Elementary Principal Shelley Ferrara. "He has an innate ability to connect with students through their academic strengths and interests.