NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
                           MORNING REPORT


To:         All National Park Service Areas and Offices

From:       Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office

Day/Date:   Thursday, November 16, 2000

ALMANAC

On this date in 1821, William Becknell began the first legal 
international trade on the Santa Fe Trail.  The Santa Fe National 
Historic Trail includes remnants of the route.

INCIDENTS

00-681 - Indiana Dunes NL (IN) - Follow-up: Homicide 

On November 13th, S.M., 20, of Gary, Indiana, had his 
initial appearance in state court for the murder of D.B., 
21, also of Gary. S.M. is charged with stabbing  D.B. 22 times, 
then shooting him in the head with a handgun.  In a statement, S.M. 
said he and D.B. had been selling cocaine throughout the night of 
October 28th. Some time after 8 a.m. the following morning, S.M. was 
driving D.B. to his girlfriend's house.  S.M. said that he was 
afraid D.B. was trying to lure him elsewhere to kill him. An 
argument ensued and S.M. was shot during a struggle.  He then killed 
D.B. S.M. was arrested after blood, a gun, a knife, and cocaine 
were found in his car. A Gary police officer had stopped him when he 
saw blood on the outside of his car. Although D.B. was blind and had 
two glass eyes, he was known to carry a handgun, and, incredibly, had 
a permit from the state to carry it. D.B. was found on the side of a 
road within the park, but Indiana Dunes does not have jurisdiction on 
the road or the associated right-of-way. Rangers assisted with the 
initial crime scene investigation. [Rich Littlefield, CR, INDU, 11/15]

00-706 - American Memorial Park (Saipan) - Closure; Tsunami Warnings

Two large earthquakes occurred near Papua, New Guinea, at 3 p.m. and 5 
p.m. today (local time). The quakes, which registered, respectively, 
7.8 and 8.0 on the Richter scale, led to the issuance of a tsunami 
warning for low-lying areas on Saipan and the northern Marianna 
Islands. The first wave was expected to hit at 6:30 p.m., the second 
around 9 p.m. Emergency managers in Saipan advised all residents to 
move to higher ground and await further instructions. Park offices 
were closed and the town of Garapan, located next to the park, was 
shut down. The warning was rescinded at 8:45 p.m. and all residents 
were allowed to proceed home. [Chuck Sayon, Site Manager, AMME, 11/16]

                [Additional reports pending...]

FIRE MANAGEMENT

National Fire Plan

No new information. Please check the NPS Fire Management Program 
Center web page (www.fire.nps.gov) for further information on fire 
plan projects.

Park Fires

None reported.

CULTURAL/NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

No submissions.

INTERPRETATION AND VISITOR SERVICES

No submissions.

OPERATIONAL NOTES

Regulations Training Reminder - The deadline for nominations to the 
regulations training course that will be held in Washington from 
December 5th to the 7th is November 17th. Very few nominations have 
come in so far; park staff interested in participating should contact 
their superintendents or regional offices in order to be included in 
the nomination. Another session may be scheduled in the spring for 
those who didn't get to attend this session, providing interest is 
high enough. Direct any questions to Kym Hall in Ranger Activities at 
202-208-4206.

MEMORANDA

No submissions.

INTERCHANGE

No submissions.

PARKS AND PEOPLE

Several entries pending. They will appear when time permits.

                            *  *  *  *  *

Distribution of the Morning Report is through a mailing list managed 
by park, office and/or regional cc:Mail hub coordinators.  Please 
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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