Question: Did they cancel all the court hearings because of delta? My son is due in court, and he didn’t hear anything.

Answer: No, only jury trials have been postponed, through Nov. 16, according to a news release from the state Judiciary. Other proceedings in civil, criminal or family court are continuing as scheduled, the Judiciary said, noting that many hearings are conducted remotely via Zoom.

Q: After our two geriatric cats died, we find ourselves faced with a dilemma as some feral cats have made their home in our backyard. I don’t think we can adopt them as our pets, but I wouldn’t mind them living in the backyard. However, we don’t want to continue the cycle of more and more cats. I found out the Hawaiian Humane Society would spay and neuter them, but we would have to get them to the society’s location. That would be the problem. We were wondering whether there was some organization that would help capture the cats and take them in for sterilization and bring them back. We are senior citizens and don’t have the strength or the proper vehicle to transport them. We are on the Windward side of Oahu.

A: Yes. Try the Oahu­-based nonprofit CatFriends at 226-4561 or via the website hicatfriends.org. This group strives to humanely decrease the population of abandoned and community (feral) cats by trapping, neutering and returning the animals. President Jennifer Kishimoto said she’d be happy to try to help you and others in similar situations, as long as you understand that the cats won’t be permanently removed. “We do go out and trap cats for people who can’t do it themselves” and return the animals after surgery, she said. The organization runs its own sterilization clinics, which you can read about on its website.

She noted that if you are feeding the cats, you are responsible for them, under the law. There’s also a law that requires pet cats to be sterilized if they are let outdoors.

Q: Did you ever hear back from the state about that reader’s idea to waive past registration fees to get a car back to street legal (bit.ly/3uHMPI7)?

A: Yes, and it appears to be a nonstarter. Here’s the emailed response from Shelly Kunishige, a spokeswoman for the state Department of Transportation:

“The $45 state vehicle registration and other user fees such as gas tax and weight tax make up our State Highways Fund, which is used for state match on federal-aid projects and for operations that are not eligible for federal funding. Not collecting these fees will significantly impact HDOT’s ability to meet its mission and provide improvements for the public, and may require return of federal funds if we cannot match them. In addition, there is no current mechanism to waive the state portion of vehicle registration aside from the categories listed in Hawaii Revised Statutes 249-5.5, 249-6, and 249-6.5.”

Mahalo

I would like to express my gratitude to a young lady who protected me from serious injury while going down the escalator at Target. I lost my balance soon after stepping onto the escalator. If it were not for her quick reaction to protect my fall and lifting me up, I would have sustained serious injuries. I was up on my feet before the escalator reached the bottom. She asked whether I was OK and left. I still shudder to think of the consequences of my fall had she not been there to help me. From now on I will hold onto the handrails. — Very thankful senior citizen

Mahalo

Many thanks to the gentleman in the car ahead of me who paid for my order at the Starbucks Waipio drive-thru on Sept. 27 at 10:45 a.m. I do not know who you are, but please know that your generosity and thoughtfulness were deeply appreciated. You filled my heart with so much gratitude, and you have inspired me to continue to pay it forward. Mahalo! — Grateful senior citizen

Write to Kokua Line at Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 7 Waterfront Plaza, Suite 210, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Honolulu 96813; call 529-4773; fax 529-4750; or email kokualine@staradvertiser.com.