A woman was in critical condition last night after being hit by a vehicle on North Nimitz Highway. The woman, who was in her late 40s or early 50s, was running across the highway near Lagoon Drive when she was hit, said Bryan Cheplic of the city Department of Emergency Services.

The driver stopped and rendered aid. The woman was taken to The Queen's Medical Center in critical condition.

She was not in a crosswalk when she was hit. The accident happened at about 8:17 p.m.

PASSENGERS HURT IN WAI'ANAE CRASH

A 20-year-old woman was critically injured in a one-car crash early yesterday morning in Wai'anae.

Police said the woman was in the back seat of a 1998 four-door Saturn that drove off Wai'anae Valley Road and crashed into a utility pole and chain-link fence. The crash occurred shortly after 3 a.m. just north of Plantation Road, police said.

The woman, a Wai'anae resident, was taken to The Queen's Medical Center in critical condition.

The 22-year-old woman who was driving was in fair condition at Queen's, while a 23-year-old man who was a passenger was in serious condition.

Police said speed was an apparent factor in the crash.

VICTIM OF KAUA'I CRASH IDENTIFIED

LIHU'E, Kaua'i — Police have identified the victim of a Thursday car crash as Norvin Alvarado, 38, of Lihu'e.

Alvarado was a rear-seat passenger in a small sport utility vehicle that was broadsided by a truck while turning onto Kuhio Highway at Leho Road in Wailua. The car's driver, Pacita Ganiron, 64, of Lihu'e, was admitted to Wilcox Hospital for observation.

An investigation is under way. The 22-year-old driver of a Garden Isle Disposal truck was not injured.

PROPERTY TAX WORKSHOP SET

The Kahalu'u Neighborhood Board and KEY Project will host a free workshop to help people learn more about real property taxes from 10 a.m. to noon today at KEY Project, 47-200 Waihe'e Road.

Consultants will cover filing for the new exemption and how to register an appeal.

Call George Okuda at 389-8216.

HANALEI BRIDGE WORK WINS AWARD

LIHU'E, Kaua'i —The 2003 restoration of the Hanalei Bridge has won the state Department of Transportation a national award from the Federal Highway Administration — a 2004 Biennial Award for Excellence in Highway Design in the division, Highway Improvements on Publicly Owned Land.

The state had long fought the Hanalei community's insistence on preserving the 1912 one-lane steel truss bridge, arguing that it should be replaced by a modern two-lane design. The 2003 improvements rebuilt the severely rusted bridge to its original design. Design consultant Wilson Okamoto & Associates and contractor Abhe & Svoboda were also granted the federal award.

BOTANICAL GARDEN WILL GET CENTER

A $1 million state appropriation will be used by Bishop Museum to develop a new visitor education center at its Amy B.H. Greenwell Ethnobotanical Garden on the Big Island.

The museum said the center will be developed on property donated by the family of the late Amy Greenwell.

Mason Architects Inc. of Honolulu will design the center, with groundbreaking for the first phase of the project slated for next spring. Construction is to be completed in 2008. The first phase will include a 1,600-square-foot building with exhibit space, office and restrooms, as well as landscape improvements.

TOUR OF KAILUA AHUPUA'A SLATED

A geological tour of the Kailua ahupua'a will be conducted by Windward Community College geology professor at Floyd McCoy from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Oct. 7.

The tour will visit the Nu'uanu Pali Lookout, the Ameron quarry and Na Pohaku o Hauwahine. Tour sponsors are Ahahui Malama i ka Lokahi, Kailua Hawaiian Civic Club and Kawai Nui Heritage Foundation. A donation of $5 will be requested. To register, call Rick Kaimi Scudder at 589-2963 or e-mail Chuck Burrows at chuckb@hawaii.rr.com.