A U.S. Army soldier from Frederick finds himself in the brig after his 19-year-old pregnant wife vanished from their home base in Hawaii. Mischa Mabeline Kaalohilani Johnson was officially reported missing on August 1, but was last seen July 31 inside her home. She and her husband, Private First Class Dewayne Arthur Johnson II, live together at the Schofield Barracks in O’ahu, Hawaii.

SARASOTA, Fla. – Milan Art Gallery Director Jock Armour has vivid memories of the wildfires in Hawaii that happened last year. 

“There came a point where I didn’t know what landmarks were what, because everything was flat and ash and still smoking,” he said. 

Armour was the director on Wyland Gallery on Front St. in the town of Lahaina, the hardest hit area. An estimated 2,200 buildings were damaged or destroyed, with the residences being most of them. 

READ: Cosplayers wear costumes inspired by their favorite characters at Tampa Bay Comic Convention

“There’s a lot of sadness, but I’m an eternally optimistic person, so I want to take all of that and turn that into joy,” Armour said. 

What the director of the Sarasota gallery means is using art to celebrate the beauty of Lahaina, through a showcase called “Aloha Lahaina.” 

“Aloha means ‘hello’ and ‘goodbye,’ so let’s say hello again rather than saying goodbye,” Armour said. 

Around 25 different pieces, created by a handful of artists, were selected for the show. Two bronze statues were actually recovered from the Wyland Gallery. 

MORE: Florida Botanical Gardens inspired newest exhibit at Creative Pinellas

“She has coral growing on her by now and algae, so the artist preserved all of that. They really tell a pretty powerful story,” Armour said. 

In addition, 25% of all sales benefit the Hua Momona Foundation, which has been feeding displaced families since the aftermath of the fires. Armour hopes to raise enough money to provide 1,000 meals. They have reached 75% of their target so far. 

“Aloha Lahaina” will be on display at the Milan Art Gallery until September 1. The gallery is hosting a special livestream showcase on YouTube on Thursday at 6 p.m. 

WATCH FOX 13 NEWS:

STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 13 TAMPA:

Attorneys representing Maui wildfire victims want the Hawaii Supreme Court to weigh in on a recent lower state court ruling in an effort to finalize a proposed $4 billion settlement.

The attorneys filed a motion last week to have 2nd Circuit Chief Judge Peter Cahill ask Hawaii’s high court to opine on the lawfulness of his recent ruling, which prevents insurance companies from pursuing damages directly from wildfire litigation defendants, including Hawaiian Electric, the state, Kamehameha Schools and Maui County.

More than 160 insurance companies, through litigation in 1st Circuit Court on Oahu, have sought to obtain from the defendants reimbursement of property loss claims paid to fire victims because the insurance companies allege that the defendants were responsible for the fire.

Insurers, which have already paid at least $2.2 billion to policyholders for fire losses and expect to pay another $1 billion, are not a party to the tentative $4 billion “global” settlement pending in 2nd Circuit Court on Maui.

Cahill ruled Aug. 13 that he had jurisdiction to bar such direct reimbursement claims as part of facilitating the settlement proposed by independent mediators and agreed to by defendants and counsel for fire victims.

Instead, insurers would be left to seek reimbursements by asserting claims against their policyholders, possibly as part of the settlement distribution process or afterward.

Attorneys for the insurers disagree with Cahill’s ruling and could appeal the judge’s decision. An appeal, however, could derail the settlement.

Under terms of the tentative settlement, Cahill’s ruling on the insurance claims has to be final and unappealable within nine months for the settlement to become effective.

“Plaintiffs and Defendants entered into the Global Settlement all firmly believing that (Cahill’s ruling) is the law of the State of Hawaii,” the recent motion states. “But the Parties require finality to make the deal work.”

Finality under terms of the settlement is defined as one of three things. Either all parties with a right to appeal waive their right to do so, or the time to appeal expires with no appeal filed, or the order is affirmed by an appellate court with no further possibility of appeal.

The attorneys for fire victims are seeking the latter, an affirmation by the Hawaii Supreme Court, in part because a deadline for insurance companies to appeal is unclear. Hawaii’s high court is expected to have the final say on the matter because the disagreement between insurance companies and attorneys for the plaintiffs involves state law.

Jesse Creed, the lead attorney filing the recent motion, said it would be a huge waste of effort and expense to administer claims for victims only to have the insurance companies appeal a year or two or more from now.

“That would be a colossal waste of time and resources,” he said.

According to the motion, the Hawaii Supreme Court’s view on the critical question of whether Cahill’s ruling is correct will determine whether all the wildfire litigation — more than 650 cases filed so far as well as future claims that could ultimately involve around 10,000 claimants — is resolved under the pending $4 billion settlement or resumes because the settlement is terminated.

Vincent Raboteau, liaison counsel for the insurance companies referred to as subrogation plaintiffs, reserved comment on the action seeking to involve the Hawaii Supreme Court in Cahill’s recent settlement ruling.

“The subrogation plaintiffs are reviewing the motion and defer from making any comment about it at this time,” he said in a statement.

Attorneys for fire victims filed their “interlocutory appeal” Wednesday, and it is scheduled for a hearing Friday before Cahill.

The settlement was reached Aug. 2, and involves three defendants paying most of the $4.037 billion sum. Hawaiian Electric would pay $1.99 billion, Kamehameha Schools would pay $872.5 million and the state would pay around $750 million. Amounts by Maui County and three other defendants — West Maui Land Co., Spectrum Oceanic LLC and Hawaiian Telcom — have not been disclosed, but add up to about $400 million.

Generally, fire victims allege that the Aug. 8, 2023, fire that destroyed most of Lahaina town was started by Hawaiian Electric power lines that blew down in gale-force winds and that the fast-moving inferno was fueled by dry vegetation on land owned by some of the other defendants.

The Lahaina fire killed 102 people and destroyed around 3,500 homes, numerous businesses and other structures.

If the settlement is finalized, defendants are expected to pay plaintiffs over four years starting in mid-2025.