NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
                           MORNING REPORT


To:         All National Park Service Areas and Offices

From:       Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office

Day/Date:   Tuesday, October 3, 2000

ALMANAC

On this date in 1904, Mary McLeod Bethune opened the Daytona 
Educational and Industrial Training School for Negro Girls in a small 
cottage in Daytona, Florida.  Bethune's contributions to the education 
and advancement of African Americans are commemorated at Mary McLeod 
Bethune Council House National Historic Site in Washington, D.C.

INCIDENTS

00-099 - Death Valley NP (CA) - Follow-up: Armed Confrontation

On March 17th, three people - L.B., 44, of Downey, Idaho, 
C.M., 50, also of Downey, Idaho, and J.B., 20, 
of Emeryville, California - were arrested following an extended armed 
confrontation with rangers. Rangers found and confiscated a small 
arsenal of weapons from the "bunker" the trio had dug during the 
confrontation (see attached photo). The three were charged under state 
law with attempted murder and discharging a firearm at an aircraft. 
C.M. has pled guilty to the charges. J.B. will stand 
trial in January in Independence, California. L.B. has been 
committed to Pattan State Mental Hospital for three years, but will be 
evaluated in three to six months to determine if he can stand trial. 
Federal charges will be filed against all three once the state 
judicial process is completed. Earlier this year, employees involved 
in this incident received exemplary act awards from the Service. Those 
honored made up the team whose collective efforts led to the 
successful and safe apprehension of the three heavily-armed fugitives. 
Investigators have determined that 12 rangers were shot at with 
high-powered rifles during the 16-hour confrontation. The citation for 
the award reads in part as follows: "This award is in recognition of 
the efficient, rational, and highly professional manner in which 
National Park Service employees performed above and beyond the normal 
call of duty when three armed suspects threatened park employees, park 
residents and visitors. . .Through the teamwork of all employees, 
working as a unit, the emergency was brought to an end within 16 hours 
with no loss of life, no serious injuries, no significant damage to 
park resources, and no damage to National Park Service and Furnace 
Creek Ranch owned facilities and property. National Park Service 
teamwork and interagency cooperation were the foundation for the 
successful conclusion of this incident." Honored were: Dale Antonich, 
Paul Crawford, Glen Douglas, Loren Fazio, Evan Jones, Kevin Hendricks, 
Scott Hinson, Keith Lober, Willie Lopez, Tim Simonds, Jeff Sullivan, 
Thane Weigand, John Anderson, William Archard, Bill Blake, Sarah 
Bondareff, David Brenner, Jim Collister, Daniel Dellinges, Edward 
Derobertis, William Fitzpatrick, Ed Forner, Eric Inman, Hank Kodele, 
Jeremy Monroe, Kyle Nelson, Jon Peterson, Jodi Rods, Ron Rods, Tim 
Stone, John Waterman and Nancy Wizner. [CRO, DEVA, 9/30]

00-533 - Natchez Trace Parkway (MS/AL/TN) - Follow-up: Homicide

On Monday, August 21st, To.C. requested assistance from the 
park in locating his brother, Tr.C., missing since late on the 
evening of August 20th.  Rangers and officers from Lauderdale County 
Sheriff's Office (Alabama) began a search of the area.  On Friday, 
August 25th, Tr.C.'s body was found in the Tennessee River. 
C.'s body was wrapped in a tarp and weighed down by buckets 
filled with cement on his feet. The body had been thrown into the 
river from the parkway's Tennessee River Bridge. Rangers from Cherokee 
District assisted local authorities with the investigation. Ronnie 
Young, 66, a suspect in the case, was stopped by Florence Police 
Department officers on September 21st. They heard a single gunshot 
emanate from the car's interior and found that Young had died from a 
self-inflicted gunshot to his chest. On September 23rd, T.K., 
37, the ex-husband of Tr.K., Tr.C.'s girlfriend, turned 
himself in to authorities and confessed to the murder. T.K. and 
Young had pretended to be stranded motorists near the parkway; they 
overpowered Tr.C. when he stopped to help and beat him to death. 
[Kim Korthuis, Acting DCR, NATR, 10/2]

00-623 - Badlands NP (SD) - Employee Death

Maintenance employee G.H. was killed in an accident over the 
past weekend. He had evidently been working on his car at home when it 
fell, pinning him underneath. Neighbors called the sheriff's office 
after hearing a car running for a considerable period of time. The 
sheriff discovered his body on Sunday. G.H., who lived alone, is 
survived by a son and stepdaughter. [Shirley Petersen, MWRO, 10/2]

00-624 - Delaware Water Gap NRA (NJ/PA) - Car Clout Arrests

The park and adjacent Worthington State Forest were hit by a series of 
car clouts during the month of September. A "bait" vehicle was 
obtained from the Warren County prosecutor's office and parked at the 
Farview trailhead with a purse inside. On September 24th, watching 
rangers saw a vehicle arrive on scene. A.W. got out, threw a 
rock through the driver's side window, reached in and stole the purse. 
He then got back in the car, which was being driven by A.M. 
Their four-year-old daughter was in the back seat. Rangers stopped 
their vehicle a short distance from the trailhead and took A.W. and 
A.M. into custody without incident.  They have since been linked to a 
dozen other car clouts in the park and state forest. Rangers conducted 
a search of the motel room where A.W. and A.M. were staying and 
recovered stolen property, including items belonging to a person not 
associated with any of the break-ins in either area.  State and 
federal charges have been filed against the pair; additional charges 
are pending. A.W. is being held in the Morris County Detention 
Center on numerous warrants. A.M. has been released on her own 
recognizance. Neighboring agencies have been contacted regarding other 
incidents of car clouting in their jurisdictions. The investigation is 
on-going. [Joe Hinkes, PR, DEWA, 9/24]

00-625 - Natchez Trace Parkway (MS/AL/TN) - ARPA Convictions

On May 21st, J.M. and M.H., both 34, were contacted 
for commercial fisheries violations at the Colbert Ferry boat ramp in 
the Cherokee District. Subsequent investigation led to the discovery 
of four separate caches containing a total of 105 prehistoric 
projectile points that the pair had sorted and graded by condition and 
value. J.M. and M.H. appeared in federal magistrate's court on 
September 21st and pled guilty to misdemeanor ARPA violations. Each 
was fined $500. [Kim Korthuis, Acting DCR, NATR, 10/2]

00-626 - Saguaro NP (AZ) - Attempted Suicide

Rangers Bob Lineback and Bo Stone were dispatched to a potential 
suicide attempt at the Douglas Springs trailhead at 1:30 a.m. on 
September 21st. A 25-year-old man had been drinking at the trailhead 
with his roommate and began making despondent statements. He left a 
suicide note in their vehicle and hiked up the trail into the desert. 
The roommate contacted the local sheriff's department, which 
immediately dispatched a helicopter and dog team to the area. When the 
roommate returned home, he discovered that his loaded 9mm Ruger 
handgun was missing. The night search proved fruitless, so rangers 
sealed off the area and organized a renewed effort during the 
following day. An observer in the helicopter spotted the man lying 
still in a wash at 8:30 a.m. The helicopter returned to the trailhead 
and picked up a ranger and deputy. The man meanwhile got up and 
resumed hiking, but stopped when he met park staff on the trail and 
turned over his firearm to them. He was taken into custody and 
transported to a local hospital for psychiatric evaluation. Over 35 
people participated in the search, including federal, state and local 
officers and park volunteers. This was the fifth suicide attempt in 
the park this year. [Bob Lineback, DR/Bo Stone, PR, SAGU, 9/26]

00-627 - Natchez Trace Parkway (MS/AL/TN) - Suicide

Park dispatch received a report of a woman hanging from the Highway 96 
bridge just before 7 a.m. on September 28th. A Williamson County 
deputy arrived on scene within minutes and saw a 75-year-old woman 
lying on the outer edge of the bridge parapet, holding on to the 
railing. Before he could contact her, she let go and rolled off the 
bridge, falling 155 feet to the roadway below. She was pronounced dead 
at the scene. [Kim Korthuis, Acting DCR, NATR, 10/2]

FIRE SITUATION

NATIONAL PREPAREDNESS LEVEL - Level II

CURRENT SITUATION

Six new large fires were reported in the South and a seventh in the 
Rockies. Containment was reached on five fires in Oklahoma and one 
fire in Kansas. Initial attack was moderate in California and the 
South and light elsewhere. 

Very high to extreme fire indices were reported in Oregon, Washington, 
California, Montana, Utah, Arizona, Colorado, Nebraska, Arkansas, 
Oklahoma and Texas.

The following resources were committed nationwide as of yesterday 
(changes from Monday's numbers in parentheses): 130 crews (+ 8), 593 
overhead (- 24), 132 engines (- 53), and 28 helicopters (- 2).

NPS AND NPS-RELATED FIRES

No reports.

OUTLOOK

NICC has posted a RED FLAG WARNING for low relative humidity and 
strong winds in west central Colorado and a FIRE WEATHER WATCH for low 
fuel moistures in the entire state of Mississippi.

[NICC Incident Management Situation Report, 10/3]

CULTURAL/NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

No submissions.

INTERPRETATION AND VISITOR SERVICES

No submissions.

OPERATIONAL NOTES

No submissions.

MEMORANDA

No submissions.

INTERCHANGE

No submissions.

PARKS AND PEOPLE

Coronado NM (AZ) - The park is recruiting for a GS-0341-7/9 
administrative office. The position is open to all qualified 
applicants through OPM, announcement DD00823JT. Status candidates may 
apply under announcement number SOAR-00-21 through the NPS. The 
announcement opened yesterday and closes on October 20th. Both are 
listed on USAJobs.

UPCOMING IN CONGRESS

The following activities will be taking place in Congress during 
coming weeks on matters pertaining to the National Park Service or 
kindred agencies.  For inquiries regarding legislation pertaining to 
the NPS, please contact the main office at 202-208-5883/5656 and ask 
to be forwarded to the appropriate legislative specialist.

HEARINGS/MARK-UPS

No hearings or mark-ups scheduled.

LEGISLATION INTRODUCED

The following bills either directly or indirectly pertaining to the 
NPS have been introduced since the last Morning Report listing of new 
legislation (September 26th): 

o       S. 3113 (Moynihan, NY), a bill to convey certain Federal 
        properties on Governors Island, New York
o       S. 3115 (Sarbanes, MD), a bill to extend the term of the 
        Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historic Park Commission.
o       H.R. 5322 (Lewis, CA), a bill to provide to the Timbisha 
        Shoshone Tribe a permanent land base within its aboriginal 
        homeland, and for other purposes.
o       H.R. 5328 (Wu, OR), a bill to authorize the acquisition of 
        additional lands for inclusion in the Fort Clatsop National 
        Memorial in the State of Oregon, and for other purposes.
o       S. 3119 (Wyden, OR), a  bill to amend the Act entitled "An Act 
        to provide for the establishment of Fort Clatsop National 
        Memorial in the State of Oregon, and for other purposes".
o       H.R. 5331 (Davis, IL), a bill to authorize the Frederick 
        Douglass Gardens, Inc., to establish a memorial and gardens on 
        Department of the Interior lands in the District of Columbia   
        or its environs in honor and commemoration of Frederick 
        Douglass. 
o       S. 3132 (Warner, VA), a bill to expand the boundary of the 
        George Washington Birthplace National Monument, and for other 
        purposes.

NEW LAWS

The following bills have passed Congress and been signed into law by 
the President: 

Public Law 106-271 - Corinth Battle Preservation Act of 2000: The law 
establishes the Corinth Unit of Shiloh NMP in the city of Corinth, 
Mississippi, and in the state of Tennessee. The unit will protect 
areas associated with the Civil War siege and battle of Corinth.

                            *  *  *  *  *

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address requests pertaining to receipt of the Morning Report to your 
servicing hub coordinator.  The Morning Report is also available on 
the web at http://www.nps.gov/morningreport

Prepared by the Division of Ranger Activities, WASO, with the 
cooperation and support of Delaware Water Gap NRA.

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