Kokua Line: When is Social Security pay boost for certain retirees?

• By Christine Donnelly
• Today
• Last updated 11:30 p.m.
• 4

There’s no word yet about when this Social Security money will start flowing. Read more

Kokua Line: How do I get rid of automotive oils, fluids?

• By Christine Donnelly
• Jan. 10, 2025
• 1

Question: I change the engine oil, axle oil, gear oil and radiator fluids for our vehicles. I have been putting them in the same plastic gallon container they came in from the store. I do not know where to dispose of them. Read more

Kokua Line: Where can I walk in for passport?

• By Christine Donnelly
• Jan. 9, 2025
• 11

Question: Regarding U.S. passports (808ne.ws/3Pq8Ru9), I can’t renew online because my passport is so old. What about the main library? Is that still an option? Can I walk in? Read more

Kokua Line: What if I already threw away fireworks?

• By Christine Donnelly
• Jan. 8, 2025
• 1

Question: What if we already threw fireworks away? I thought it was OK to put them in the trash after soaking in water overnight, so that’s what we did, same as in 2024. It was only a few, all legal (permitted firecrackers). I don’t see anything contrary on the Hazardous Household Waste website. Read more

Kokua Line: Are flowering mango trees normal?

• By Christine Donnelly
• Jan. 7, 2025
• 2

Question: Why are there so many mango trees with lots of flowers now? It seems very early in the year. Is this normal? Read more

Kokua Line: Is Hawaii health survey legitimate?

• By Christine Donnelly
• Jan. 5, 2025
• 1

Question: Is the state doing a health survey? I don’t usually answer calls from noncontacts but I made a mistake and picked up and it was something about health and I hung up thinking it was a scam. They called again but I didn’t answer. Can you check if this is legit? Read more

Kokua Line: How many homeless pedestrians were run over?

• By Christine Donnelly
• Jan. 3, 2025
• 25

Question: I heard on the news that pedestrian fatalities rose in 2024. Do you know how many of those involved homeless people who were lying in the road? Read more

Kokua Line: How much notice must I give month-to-month landlord?

• By Christine Donnelly
• Jan. 2, 2025
• 4

Question: I’m a renter with a pretty good landlord so when my year’s lease expired I continued on a month-to-month basis because I wasn’t sure how much longer I would stay. Now I am ready to move out and I gave two month’s notice but my landlord says he needs three months. Is this required? Read more

Kokua Line: How will I know about ‘extra’ stimulus pay?

• By Christine Donnelly
• Jan. 1, 2025

Question: How will I know if I am getting the extra stimulus payment? When would I get it? Do I have to submit a form? Read more

Kokua Line: Will scofflaw gardeners get grace period?

• By Christine Donnelly
• Dec. 31, 2024
• 3

Question: Regarding new rules at community gardens (808ne.ws/3BSivCy), I have some questions as I am one who could be considered in violation although I do have good reasons for neglecting my plot (ill health). Will there be a grace period in terms of cutting back overgrowth and removing trees that are no longer allowed? Also, why are they saying no trees? Last, will they enforce against the feeding of feral cats? Read more

Kokua Line: Why can’t online test for driver’s permit verify ID?

• By Christine Donnelly
• Dec. 26, 2024
• 1

Question: Regarding the new online test to get a driver’s permit (808ne.ws/4fv1GuY), my grandson had the correct computer to take the test but it couldn’t verify him so he will have to go to the DMV to take it anyway. I wish we had known this could happen so he could have made an appointment and not wasted time trying over and over. Read more

Kokua Line: Do city pools have swimming lessons for adults?

• By Christine Donnelly
• Dec. 25, 2024
• 3

Kokua Line: Why won’t state automatically refund GET overpayment?

• By Christine Donnelly
• Dec. 24, 2024
• 13

Question: I have questions about state tax overpayments. I am a preparer who does GET and individual taxes for clients. The only overpayment that is automatically refunded to the taxpayer is the individual tax on a yearly return. Read more

Kokua Line: Why is rebuilding Kalapawai Roundabout so slow?

• By Christine Donnelly
• Dec. 22, 2024
• 18

Why is it taking so long to rebuild the Kala­pawai Roundabout? Read more

Kokua Line: Does city still mail property assessments?

• By Christine Donnelly
• Dec. 20, 2024
• 8

Only property owners who had signed up for electronic delivery were sent emails; others were mailed notices through the U.S. Postal Service, according to a news release from Honolulu’s Real Property Assessment Division. Read more

Kokua Line: When will Hawaiian Electric pay damage claim?

• By Christine Donnelly
• Dec. 19, 2024
• 5

Over 300 damage claims were filed with Hawaiian Electric Co. over the June 17-21 Downtown Honolulu-­Chinatown outage. Read more

Kokua Line: Why must people wait in sun, rain for airport pickup?

• By Christine Donnelly
• Dec. 18, 2024
• 35

Why is there no canopy over the Uber and Lyft ride pickup median at the Honolulu airport? Read more

Kokua Line: Why does DMV take old license before mailing new one?

• By Christine Donnelly
• Dec. 15, 2024
• 8

Question: When renewing a Hawaii driver’s license, why can’t we keep our old license while we’re waiting for the new plastic license in the mail, which takes weeks? Read more

Kokua Line: Is UH warning foreign students about returning to U.S.?

• By Christine Donnelly
• Dec. 13, 2024
• 20

Question: My son goes to USC, and he said foreign students who plan to go home for winter break are being told to be back on campus before President- elect Donald Trump takes office. Is UH telling its foreign students anything like this? Read more

Kokua Line: Why isn’t cellphone OK for online test to drive?

• By Christine Donnelly
• Dec. 12, 2024
• 4

Question: To get a driver learner’s permit, you can take the written test online. But you can’t do it on a cell phone. Why? We do everything on our phones. The IRS even lets you file your taxes on your phone. Read more

Kokua Line: Why can homeless people dominate park’s pavilion?

• By Christine Donnelly
• Dec. 11, 2024
• 17

Question: Is the pavilion at Old Stadium Park made available on a first-come, first-served basis? Is that why homeless people and their unleashed, constantly barking dogs are able to stay there throughout the day and night, day to day? Read more