Hawai'i briefs

Advertiser Staff

Oshita named Transportation deputy

Gov. Ben Cayetano will appoint Jean L. Oshita as deputy director of the state Department of Transportation.

Oshita, who has worked for the past 10 years as administrative staff services officer for the department's Airports Division, will replace outgoing deputy Glenn Okimoto, who was appointed state comptroller.

Cayetano said Oshita "has been a dedicated employee with the state for many years" and "is widely regarded for having a comprehensive knowledge of the Airports Division."

Her appointment will take effect today.

Before working for the DOT, Oshita worked for 10 years with the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands, including three years as the department's administrative services officer.

Kaua'i graduate a Wheaties finalist

A Kaua'i High School graduate is a finalist in a national Wheaties contest and will have her picture on a box of Wheaties Energy Crunch cereal box.

Malie Matsumoto, 19, was honored for her athletic accomplishments and volunteer work. The sophomore at Western Washington University is one of six finalists in the national Wheaties Energy Crunch Search for Everyday Champions.

Matsumoto will receive $2,500 from General Mills, and $2,500 from the company will be donated to her favorite charity, Easter Seals. She will appear on the back of a box of Wheaties Energy Crunch with the finalists, and the winner will appear on the front of a box next year.

The former champion swimmer at Kaua'i High went to Western Washington this fall from the University of Hawai'i on a national exchange program to study speech pathology. Matsumoto's contest entry was an essay about her brother, who has a congenital brain disease.