Kokua Line: Has the state mailed all rebate checks?

Question: Have they mailed out all the rebate checks? I never got mine and I filed early.

Answer: Act 115 refunds for eligible Hawaii residents who filed their state income tax returns by Aug. 31 have been distributed, whether by electronic direct deposit or mailed paper check, according to the state Department of Taxation. A total of nearly $307 million worth of payments had been issued as of Monday, which included 316,080 paper checks and 288,593 direct deposits.

The final, large batch of checks that had been delayed in September because of a paper shortage was processed last week. Recipients with accurate addresses on file should receive them in the mail by the end of this week, said Nicki Ann Thompson, the department’s taxation services administrator. If your check does not arrive, you can follow up with DOTAX by emailing tax.refunds@hawaii.gov or calling 808-587-4242; email is preferred.

Act 115 refunds still are being processed for taxpayers who filed on or near Oct. 20, the automatic extension deadline for those who didn’t submit their state return by April 20, Thompson said. Some but not all of these filers have already received their checks, Thompson said.

Eligible Hawaii residents have until the end of the year to file a 2021 state income tax return to receive this rebate, which is $100 or $300 per person listed on the return (filers and dependents), based on income and filing status. DOTAX will take a break processing Act 115 refunds from Dec. 13 until the first week of January, Thompson said. “Refunds will resume the second week in January,” she said.

Q: Very early Friday (before 1 a.m.), we heard and saw large helicopters with bright white and flashing red lights, flying very low back and forth circling around St. Louis Heights-Lower Manoa-­Palolo. They were flying so low it was scary and so loud the noises shocked our house. At one point it looked like one helicopter landed at Kanewai Park! Eventually, around 1 a.m., they flew away toward the ocean. Were those HFD/HPD search and rescue aircraft or military aircraft? Why were they flying so low making a lot of loud noises for over an hour (it started at about 11:45 p.m. Thursday) when everyone is sleeping?

A: That was the Honolulu Fire Department rescuing an injured hiker from Waahila Ridge Trail, which traverses a ridge between Manoa and Palolo valleys. As for the timing, rescuers respond when an emergency call comes in, if they can safely do so.

An injured man in his 70s called 911 at 11:05 p.m. Thursday saying he had fallen and could not descend the trail on his own, according to an HFD news release. Four HFD units staffed with 15 personnel responded. “The first unit arrived at the scene at 11:15 p.m., established command and secured a landing zone at Kanewai District Park. The second unit ascended the trail on foot to begin the search by ground,” the news release said.

Firefighters on foot made contact with the hiker and assessed his condition, after which “rescue personnel were inserted (by helicopter) and the hiker was packaged for an airlift extraction,” the news release said. HFD’s Air 1 brought him to the landing zone at the park, where Emergency Medical Services staff assumed control of his medical care. The transfer occurred at 12:38 a.m.

Q: Regarding higher parking fees at the Hono­lulu airport, is there still a grace period?

A: Yes, the 15-minute grace period and the $3 charge for the first hour of parking after that will remain the same when other airport parking fees rise effective Jan. 1, according to the state Department of Transportation. Starting in 2023, it will cost $19 to park for six to seven hours (up $1), $20 for seven to eight hours (up $2) and $22 for eight to 24 hours (up $4).

Q: Do electric vehicles still park free at the airport?

A: No, that perk expired in July 2020, after being in effect for about eight years.

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.