Question: I served jury duty Dec. 5 and 6 and have not received any compensation as of yet. I thought we were paid $30 per day. How do I check on this?

Answer: You are among Oahu jurors whose payments were delayed but are forthcoming, if they haven’t arrived already. Here’s the emailed response from Judiciary spokesperson Jan Kagehiro: “The Hawai‘i State Judiciary sincerely appreciates citizens who are willing to serve as jurors as they play an essential role in our judicial system, which provides individuals with a right to a trial by jury. Jurors are paid $30 per day for their service. The juror who inquired about payment should receive her check before the end of March. We apologize for the delay. The First Circuit experienced a system issue which resulted in the delayed payment. Jurors who serve in the First Circuit Court (O‘ahu) and have questions about their service, including payment, may call the Jury Pool Office at 808-539-4360 and provide their name and jury participant number, if known.”

Kagehiro confirmed by phone that the delay affected more than just you.

Usually, payments are mailed to Circuit Court jurors about four or five weeks after a jury pay period ends, according to the Judiciary website. The payroll cycle closes on the 15th and last day of each month, the website says. Payments are made by check and mailed to jurors’ home addresses, it says.

Q: What is the current status of the P-8A Poseidon aircraft that overshot the Marine Corps Base Hawaii runway on Nov. 20, and ended up in Kaneohe Bay? Will it fly again? If yes, what were the major significant required repairs, what was the primary cause of the incident and what is the planned date of flight?

A: The plane remains in Hawaii under “engineering review” and there are no answers available yet for the rest of your questions, said Cmdr. Beth A. Teach, a spokesperson for Commander, Naval Air Forces, based in San Diego.

The P-8A, assigned to a patrol squadron based in Washington state, was on a maritime homeland defense mission when it overshot the runway that day while trying to land and skidded into Kaneohe Bay, according to news reports at the time. The pilots and crew were not injured. It took about two weeks to remove the aircraft from the bay.

Auwe

So many people grateful for a tax refund. It’s their money! Adjust your withholding so you aren’t giving the government a free loan! — A reader

(Editor’s note: While it’s true that many tax filers are getting back money they overpaid to the federal or state government throughout the year, including through paycheck withholding, low-income filers might be eligible for refundable tax credits that put money in their pockets even though they have no tax liability. While the money they receive is called a refund, it’s not recompense for an amount they overpaid. That’s why so many tax experts urge low-income adults to file federal and state income tax returns, even if those folks are below income thresholds that require them to file. They may be able to capitalize on refundable tax credits they’d otherwise be leaving on the table. Read more on the IRS website, irs.gov.)

Mahalo

Believe it or not, in February, I was driving down the H-1 freeway westbound with a twin mattress lodged under the chassis of my white Honda Accord. It took three local guys to rescue me — the two guys in the truck who kept tooting and pointing and the guy who followed me off the freeway between Punahou and the Lunalilo exit. The guy who followed me, helped me pull out the mattress stuck in the undercarriage. (This 95-pound kupuna can’t bend, squat and pull.) Mahalo guys! You did a good deed! Only in Hawaii can a kupuna get this kind attention. No sweet okole, just a grateful heart! — M.C.

Write to Kokua Line at Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Suite 7-500, Honolulu, HI 96813; call 808-529-4773; or email kokualine@staradvertiser.com.