Hawai'i briefs

Advertiser Staff

WINDWARD

H-3 to close overnight

The state Department of Transportation is advising motorists that H-3 Freeway will be closed in the Kane'ohe-bound direction between the Halawa interchange and Halekou interchange from 7 p.m. tomorrow to 7 a.m. Sunday for maintenance and tunnel cleaning.

HONOLULU

New sites for permit pickup

State permits for hiking, fishing and camping are no longer available at one spot in the state Department of Land and Natural Resources' first-floor counter in the Kalanimoku building, but must be obtained at the individual departments in the same building.

The division offices, at 1151 Punchbowl St., are open from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and include:

• Division of State Parks, Room 310, which issues camping permits for the 15 state parks and group or special use permits for other state park facilities. Phone 587-0300.
• Division of Aquatic Resources, Room 330, which issues permits and licenses for fishing, collecting aquatic life and other aquatic activities. Phone 587-0109.
• Division of Forestry and Wildlife, Room 325, which issues various permits for hiking, camping or gathering in state forest reserves. Phone 587-0166.

Fort Street Mall to hold Lei Day

Flower sellers and lei makers will line Fort Street Mall between Hotel and Merchant streets from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. today to celebrate Lei Day.

Vendors will sell lei all day, and a band playing Hawaiian music will take the stage at noon.

There will also be an open market at Wilcox Park on the mall at King Street featuring produce, plants, jewelry and more.

New director for veterans office

Edward Cruickshank has been tapped as the new director of the Office of Veterans Services by Gov. Linda Lingle.

The office is the principal state agency responsible for the development and management of veteran-related policies and programs.

Cruickshank begins his new post Monday. He replaces retired director Irwin Cockett Jr.

A 30-year military veteran, Cruickshank served in the Army from 1967 to 1974 and was in the Hawai'i Army National Guard from 1974 to 1997.

He is the director of sales and marketing for the Arcadia Retirement Residence in Makiki and president of Dallas Hawai'i, a Hawai'i-based real estate investment firm.

Police probing harbor death

Police have not ruled out the possibility that foul play may have been involved in the death of 25-year-old Ruben Kimura, who was found floating in Honolulu Harbor near Pier 14 on Monday, homicide Lt. David Kamai said yesterday.