Frustration is rising among Oahu residents who can’t get a timely appointment to obtain or renew a Hawaii driver’s license or state ID. Nola Miyasaki, director of Honolulu County’s Department of Customer Services, addresses common questions about the backlog. Read more
Doing nothing proved to be the best policy choice last week. Read more
Question: I just got a pre-service survey for jury duty, stating that I would be summoned to appear at the Circuit Court of the First Circuit during the week of May 10. Will social distancing be maintained in the jury selection pool room and the jury box? Read more
How do you know a planned relaxing weekend is headed south? Read more
Question: Have they updated registration for Summer Fun? Read more
Thermonuclear reactions deep in the sun’s interior consistently generate the same amount of energy as 2.5 billion 500-megawatt generators, the largest on Earth. In one short second the sun produces enough energy to power New York City for 100 years. Read more
Question: The state gives a six-month extension to file your income taxes, but only if you pay the taxes due by the deadline. I am ball-parking an estimate, but what if I am off? Read more
Question: I got a call about how to pay the funeral expenses of people who died of COVID-19. I get a lot of scam calls, and this sounded like one, but the weird thing is I did have a relative who died of COVID-19, but it was months ago on the mainland and we were not close. Is this a scam? If not, how did they get my number? Read more
Losses so far have affected businesses large and small, old and new. Read more
Question: I got a text from “Hawaii Department of Job & Family Services” to fix my unemployment claim. Is this legit from the state office? Read more
Recent events point to a city losing its way. One of Honolulu’s major responsibilities is policing, but with the former chief of police, Louis Kealoha, starting a seven-year federal prison term June 1 for using his position to frame a relative for a crime the latter didn’t commit was Hawaii’s biggest corruption case. Read more
Question: My husband and I have not yet received a third stimulus check and are concerned ours is lost because it seems as if everyone else has received theirs. For the second payment, ours also seemed to come later than most and was in the form of a debit card which we have not used yet because we don’t go out much during the pandemic. Read more
Seldom has a public agency needed a housecleaning more than the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation. Read more
Question: The official document you get verifying you’ve had both of your COVID-19 vaccine doses is such a valuable document. Is it OK to laminate it to preserve it? Or does the health department not want you to laminate it? Also, in case you lose this document, is there a database to show you’ve been vaccinated? If yes, what are the details about confirming vaccination through the database? Read more
Question: This may not be typical, but I made a lot more money last year than the year before because of overtime. I was never furloughed. Our office is busy. Read more
Shingen closed in Waikiki in November and has reopened in the much more casual location. Read more
Question: Auwe! I went online to make an appointment to talk to unemployment, and it said my appointment will be canceled if I have a “pending issue.” That’s the reason I am trying to make an appointment! What’s going on? Read more
Gone are the days of Mazie Hirono being Senator “Walk On By.” Read more
Question: I am on Social Security. I thought we were supposed to get our stimulus payment without having to do anything. Do you know how long it will take? Read more
It’s infuriating to see federal prosecutors once again having to expose local public corruption that city and state authorities should have been on long ago. Read more
A few weeks ago I wrote about iconic Hawaii museums, auditoriums, schools, centers, athletic facilities and entertainment complexes and the possible locations that were seriously considered for them but not chosen. Read more
72