High surf leads to lane closure

Honolulu police closed the makai town-bound lane of Farrington Highway at Makaha Valley Road yesterday afternoon because high surf was washing over the road, police said.

Waves were estimated at 8 to 10 feet.

A high surf advisory remains in effect today for south facing shores, where surf was expected to be 6 to 8 feet.

Emergency Services Department spokesman Bryan Cheplic said lifeguards rescued 11 people and assisted 45 others in Waikiki surf yesterday.

The surf was generated by a storm near New Zealand last week and is not from Tropical Storm Lana, the weather service said.

Tropical storm moving farther away

The National Weather Service said yesterday that Tropical Storm Lana is not expected to affect Hawaii's weather as it moves further west away from the islands.

As of 5 p.m. yesterday, Tropical Storm Lana was located about 360 miles south of Hilo, with maximum sustained winds near 50 mph with higher gusts.

Forecasters expect the tropical storm to weaken and continue to move in a westward direction at about 18 mph, with wind speeds decreasing over the next 48 hours.

Public asked to help fill time capsule

Gov. Linda Lingle's office is seeking items from the public for placement in time capsules that are to be opened in 25 years.

The capsules are part of the celebration for the 50th anniversary of Hawaii's statehood, which is on Aug. 21.

Fifty capsules are to be prepared by the 50th Anniversary of Statehood Commission. Seven of them will contain memorabilia contributed by the public and will be buried on the grounds of the state Capitol.

They are to be opened on the 75th anniversary of statehood, on Aug. 21, 2034.

The other 43 will be distributed to neighboring islands, where they will be stored until the 75th anniversary.

The public can stop by the governor's office to drop off small items during regular business hours.

Bigeye tuna catch likely to hit limit

Hawaii's longline bigeye tuna industry is on course to hit its catch quota for the year in mid-November.

The Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council is a federal advisory body responsible for protecting fisheries off Hawaii.

The council's scientific committee is recommending that the council warn the industry that the fishery may have to close if the quota is hit.

International fishery management quotas limit the Hawaii longline fleet bigeye catch to 3,763 metric tons—8.2 million pounds—of bigeye tuna per year in the Western Pacific Ocean.

Vessels over 24 meters, or about 80 feet, in length may catch up to 500 metric tons—about 1.1 million pounds—of bigeye in the Eastern Pacific.

Bottle bomber gets 30 days in jail for act

HILO» A 21-year-old college student will spend 30 days in jail for exploding “;bottle bombs”; on the University of Hawaii at Hilo campus.

Edward Emerson Wine II pleaded no contest to first-degree terroristic threatening in a deal with prosecutors.

Hilo Circuit Judge Glenn Hara sentenced Wine to a year in Hawaii Community Correctional Center Friday, but suspended all but 30 days. Hara says Wine can schedule his month in jail between his school and work schedules.

Part of the campus was evacuated during fall semester final exams after two of Wine's bombs exploded early Dec. 18.

Wine, a marine science major, had made several bombs out of household chemicals, 1-liter plastic bottles and aluminum foil.