CONCORD, N.H. (AP) – A Manchester man caught a piranha-like fish in Hudson and the Fish and Game Department is not amused.

Dumping aquariums in state waters is illegal and “escapees and intentionally released non-native fish can devastate New Hampshire’s natural habitats,” said Robert Fawcett, hatcheries supervisor.

The piranha-like fish, called pacu, gave Jacob Wurm of Manchester a fight Sunday, jumping out of Tate Pond and flashing a formidable set of teeth. The fish, native to South America, weighed 2.5 pounds and measured between 14 and 15 inches. Fawcett said the pacu eats fruits and nuts instead of flesh, though it will take bait. Most likely, it was an dumped from an aquarium.

Release of any exotic species is illegal – even familiar carp and goldfish can cause problems competing with native fish if they become established in local water bodies, he said.

Fawcett said people who no longer want ornamental fish should give them away or trade them with other aquarists, donate them to museums or schools or dispose of them humanely by freezing.

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WASHINGTON (AP) – Sen. Russ Feingold of Wisconsin, a potential presidential candidate in 2008, next month will visit New Hampshire, the state with the first primary in the nation.

Feingold campaign spokesman George Aldrich said Monday the Democrat’s visit had nothing to do with a possible presidential campaign.

“This is a way for him to help Democrats across the country get elected,” Aldrich said.

Feingold has accepted an invitation to appear at a re-election fundraiser with Manchester’s Democratic mayor, Bob Baines.

Feingold also will speak at the first annual Eleanor Roosevelt Dinner, hosted by the Rockingham County Democrats.

Feingold has events scheduled Friday, Sept. 30, and Saturday, Oct. 1. It is Feingold’s first visit to New Hampshire since the spring of 2001.

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CONCORD, N.H. (AP) – The company making New Hampshire E-ZPass transponders is working diligently to ease the backlog of the electronic toll-payment devices, Transportation Commissioner Carol Murray said Monday.

Mark IV of Newark, N.J., which makes the devices has shifted its production exclusively to the New Hampshire backlog of about 70,000 transponders, Murray said.

She said the devices are expected to be delivered by Aug. 16 to the distributor, ACS of Newark, which expects to have the transponders shipped to New Hampshire drivers by the end of the month.

Sales fell off when the price jumped last week from $5 to $24. The state says that should help it catch up with its orders.