High surf expected on north shores

A high-surf warning remains in effect today through 6 a.m. tomorrow as a low-pressure zone north of the state generates a northwest swell that will bring 20- to 25-foot waves to the north and west shores of Kauai and the north shores of Oahu, Molokai and Maui.

The National Weather Service yesterday forecast "very large and rough breaking waves," strong rip currents and localized beach erosion.

The agency said waves of 10 to 15 feet could be expected on the north coast of the Big Island this morning.

UH granted $1.4M for plant research

The botany department at the University of Hawaii at Manoa has won a $1.4 million grant from the National Science Foundation to research plant species from more than a dozen Pacific locations.

The project will develop a consortium of herbaria — collections of dried plants — in Hawaii, American Samoa, Tonga, Palau, Guam and Fiji.

Botany department Chairman Tom Ranker says the major goals of the consortium include curating and capturing digital images of nearly 1 million dried plant specimens, creating a standardized checklist, and making collections data and digital images available online.

The UH effort will be in collaboration with the Bernice P. Bishop Museum and National Tropical Botanical Garden.

ATV rider dies after bridge plunge

A male rider of an all-terrain vehicle was found dead yesterday morning on the Big Island after falling 8 to 10 feet onto a rocky stream bed, Big Island firefighters said.

The rider, identified by Hilo police as Bill Maclean, 48, of Ninole, was found about three-quarters of a mile off Piha-Kahuku Road on 1 Lane Road near Laupahoehoe.

Firefighters were called after 8 a.m.

He apparently drove off a concrete bridge with no railing, and was discovered with his head under 2 feet of water, with one leg pinned under the ATV, firefighters said.

A woman told firefighters that she had been expecting the victim to pick her up Saturday night but he had never shown up. She discovered his body yesterday morning.

Army delays plans to kill Big Isle goats

The Army has halted a planned shooting of goats in its Pohakuloa Training Area on the Big Island after a dispute with state officials.

A goat-eradication effort had been scheduled for Friday, but the Hawaii Tribune-Herald reports it was postponed because of a dispute between state Division of Forestry and Wildlife administrators and the new training area commander, Lt. Col. Rolland Niles.

Wildlife division official Roger Imoto said the state is investigating the Army’s goat-eradication plans on leased state land, adding that he has had difficulty obtaining details from the Army.

Army Garrison-Hawaii spokesman Mike Egami says state officials expressed their concerns in an argumentative way with Niles.