IRS searches for missing refund recipients

At this time of the year, the Internal Revenue Service is not looking to be Scrooge. It wants to be Santa and return more than $153 million to taxpayers — more than $700,000 to Hawaii residents alone.

The IRS says it is looking to return $153.3 million in tax refunds that could not be delivered to 99,123 taxpayers nationwide because of address errors.

Of that, $716,438 in refunds is due to 585 taxpayers in Hawaii.

The average undelivered refund check is $1,547 nationally and $1,225 in Hawaii.

The IRS says taxpayers can find out whether they’re still due a refund by going to irs.gov and using the "Where’s My Refund?" tool or by calling 800-829-1954.

Meanwhile, the agency warns the public that it does not contact people by email to alert them of pending refunds and does not ask for personal or financial information through the mail. It advises not releasing any personal information, or replying to or opening any attachments or links that can infect computers.

Seeking entries for ’10 Who Made a Difference’

The Honolulu Star-Advertiser invites you to nominate people who have made a difference in Hawaii during the past year. They can be people who fought controversial battles in public or worked behind the scenes in any field — community service, education, politics, law, labor, medicine, science, business, sports, entertainment, the arts. All that matters is that they had a devotion to their cause and made a profound impact on Hawaii.

To nominate someone, explain why you think the person should be honored. Deadline for nominations is Dec. 9.

Honorees will be selected by Star-Advertiser editors. We will publish the results starting Dec. 22.

Please include the following information: your name, your nomination and your work and home telephone numbers.

E-mail your nominations to difference@staradvertiser.com, or mail them to 10 Who Made a Difference, Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 7 Waterfront Plaza, Suite 210, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Honolulu, HI 96813.

NEIGHBOR ISLANDS

Driver killed in 1-car crash was Hawi man

Hawaii County police on Monday identified a man who was fatally injured in a one-car crash in North Kohala as Reed I.S. Shiraishi, 25, of Hawi.

Shiraishi was injured when his car went off Akoni Pule Highway, Route 270, four-tenths of a mile north of the 8-mile marker, at 2:11 a.m. Saturday.

Police said they believe speeding and alcohol use were factors in this crash.

North Kohala patrol officers said Shiraishi was driving a 2010 Toyota four-door sedan north on the highway when the car went out of control, ran off the left side of the road, went down an embankment and rolled over several times.

Shiraishi, who was wearing a seat belt, died at the scene.

It was the 21st traffic fatality on Hawaii island this year, compared with 24 at this time last year.

Kayaker feared missing found at Keauhou Bay

Hawaii County police have located 41-year-old Lance Oliver of Kailua-Kona, who was reported as a missing kayaker. He was found unharmed Thursday afternoon at Keauhou Bay.

Police had issued a news release Nov. 29 that Oliver was possibly missing after he was last seen Nov. 22 at Kahaluu Beach Park.

He was on a long-distance kayaking trip, scheduled to travel north along the coast to the Mahukona Beach area, then south to the Puuhonua o Honaunau City of Refuge, and finally return to Kahaluu Beach Park sometime around Dec. 12.

Oliver had no cellphone or other form of communication with him.