Body discovered in stolen vehicle

Kauai police have opened an investigation after a man’s body was found Thursday in a stolen SUV.

The body is believed to be that of the robber who stole the SUV earlier in the day, the Kauai Police Department said.

Police said the robber broke into an 82-year-old man’s Hanalei home about 2 a.m. Thursday and held the man at gunpoint before taking off with an undisclosed amount of cash and the man’s Suzuki SUV. The victim was not hurt.

Officers found the stolen SUV in Princeville with the body of the suspected robber inside.

Police Chief Darryl Perry said the case is under investigation and that additional details could not be released. He said there was no evidence of foul play.

The man’s identity is being withheld, pending a positive identification and notification of next of kin.

An autopsy has been scheduled.

$2M grant aids koa restoration

The U.S. Forest Service has granted $2 million to a project that is restoring koa and ohia trees on a Hawaii island ranch.

The agency said Thursday the funds are among more than $50 million being awarded to 17 conservation and working lands projects across the U.S. this year.

The Kukaiau Koa Forest project is restoring forests in an area that is home to many native bird species, several of which are listed as threatened or endangered.

The agency’s Forest Legacy Program works with private landowners, states and conservation groups to promote sustainable forests.