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Subject: NPS Morning Report - Monday, December 18, 2000
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Date: Mon, 18 Dec 2000 08:22:06 -0500
NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
MORNING REPORT
To: All National Park Service Areas and Offices
From: Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office
Day/Date: Monday, December 18, 2000
ALMANAC
On this date in 1944, the U.S. Supreme Court, in Korematsu v. U.S.,
upheld the wartime exclusion of persons of Japanese descent from the
West Coast. Manzanar National Historic Site, California, contains the
remains of one of the camps in which they were interned.
INCIDENTS
00-740 - Kings Mountain NMP (SC) - Follow-up: Oil Spill
An environmental cleanup company completed work at the oil spill site
on December 13th. About a dozen cubic yards of contaminated soil were
removed from the area, which was then treated with lime and
backfilled. An additional lime treatment was made on the surface after
work was completed. All work was done in compliance with state
recommendations. Rangers are currently investigating the tank
installation to insure that contractor negligence was not a
contributing factor to the incident. [Chris Revels, CR, KIMO, 12/15]
00-751 - Shenandoah NP (VA) - Search; Fatality
On the afternoon of December 12th, D.L., 36, of Elkton, Virginia,
was dropped off near the park boundary to go hunting. When he failed
to return home within a few hours, the county sheriff's office began a
search. The park joined in the next day upon notification that
investigators had determined that D.L. might have intended to hunt
within the park. About 150 people were involved in the search by the
afternoon of December 13th. A volunteer searcher found his body about
300 yards within the park around 1:30 p.m. Preliminary investigation,
led by NPS SA Ken Johnson, revealed no evidence of foul play or
traumatic injury. Examination by a medical examiner is pending. [Clay
Jordan, DR, Central District, SHEN, 12/15]
00-752 - Mammoth Cave NP (KY) - Pursuit; Arrest of Fugitive
On December 8th, ranger David Gibbins stopped D.C. of
Brownsville, Kentucky, for speeding on the Mammoth Cave Parkway. When
asked for his operator's license, D.C. was only able to produce an
Ohio personal identification card. He said that his driver's license
was at his residence, but a check revealed that it had been suspended
due to four prior DUI convictions. Gibbins asked D.C. to step out of
his vehicle, but he refused and suddenly accelerated away. Gibbins
pursued. Speeds approached 100 mph as D.C. swerved into oncoming
traffic lanes and passed other vehicles in blind curves and no passing
zones. Edmonson County deputies and Kentucky State Police officers
were advised of the chase and told that it was nearing the park's
boundary. D.C. forced a state police cruiser off the road as he
headed toward nearby Brownsville. Gibbins turned the pursuit over to
county and state units shortly after D.C. left the park, but
proceeded toward Brownsville to assist if necessary. Pursuing units
lost sight of D.C.'s vehicle, only to discover that D.C. had crashed
while attempting to hide it behind a nearby apartment building. He
fled the scene on foot. An NCIC inquiry on D.C.'s DOB and SSN
revealed that his real name was L.R.C., that he was currently
wanted by Ohio authorities for a parole violation, and that he had an
extensive criminal history, including burglary, breaking and entering,
and escape. An investigation by the NPS and the sheriff's department
led officers to a local residence. Park special agent Brad McDougal
and Edmonton County deputies arrested D.C. on December 11th. He is
currently facing charges of wanton endangerment, interfering with
agency functions, and an assortment of state charges. (CRO, MACA,
12/12)
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
No new fires reported.
CULTURAL/NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
No submissions.
INTERPRETATION AND VISITOR SERVICES
No submissions.
OPERATIONAL NOTES
Budget Web Site - The Budget Office in WASO has inaugurated a new
Servicewide budget web site. The site contains budget news,
publications such as the "Green Book", historical budget information,
and more. From the NPS home page, click on "Info Zone", then "Budget".
Or you can reach it be going directly to www.nps.gov/budget. [Maureen
Foster, WASO]
MEMORANDA
No submissions.
INTERCHANGE
No submissions.
PARKS AND PEOPLE
Gulf Islands NS (MS/FL) - Ranger Greg Johnston, currently stationed at
Ship Island in the park's Mississippi District, has received an award
from the Coast Guard Auxiliary for his rapid response and assistance
when an officer aboard an auxiliary vessel had a heart attack in
December, 1999. The vessel was about a mile north of the park when the
captain fell to the deck from the attack. Johnston arrived shortly
after being called and immediately began CPR. After additional Coast
Guard assistance arrived, he remained with the boat and other
auxiliary crewmen and ensured that it returned safely to the harbor.
The captain, unfortunately, did not survive due to the massive nature
of the heart attack. Among those at the ceremony was the commander of
the New Orleans Group. [Mark Lewis, GUIS]
Death Valley NP (CA) - Employee Jodi Rod, who works in the chief
ranger's office, received this year's outstanding federal employee
award from the California Film Commission at its annual California On
Location awards ceremony. Rods was cited for her outstanding customer
service, for her ability to respond quickly to requests for use of the
park for filming and photography, and for her ability to match
requests with the right locations and process permits as needed at any
time. Rods prepares between 70 and 80 filming permits a year.
FLETC (GA) - NPS land management training program class 007 graduated
from FLETC on December 6th. Director Robert Stanton was the keynote
speaker. Director Stanton stressed the importance of the law
enforcement function in the mission of the NPS, pointing out that law
enforcement is the "underpinning" of resource protection and that law
enforcement must "join with resource management" in order to succeed
with the resource management mission. This class continued the NPS
tradition of outstanding individual and group performances. Ranger
Chris Harder (GRTE) was the top driver of the class with a perfect 300
score. Rangers Eric Keefer (HUTR) and Dane Tantay also had perfect 300
scores. Tantay was also the high scorer in the PEB with a 498.57 out
of a possible 500 score. Rangers Rich Baerwald (YOSE), Dave Berry
(FIIS), Eric Keefer and Les Seago (EVER) also scored above 95% in the
PEB. Ranger Brian Cooperider (LAME) was the high firearms expert with
a 297 out of a possible 300 score. Other expert shooters included
Harder, Tantay, Berry and rangers Jim Gould (GLCA), Didier Carod
(BISC), David Van Nest (GLCA), Lisa Kennedy (INDE), Melissa Cobern
(MEVE), Phil Akers (GLCA) and Rick DeLappe (YELL). DeLappe was also
the high academic scorer with an outstanding 98.86 average, and was
joined by Kennedy, Berry, and ranger Chris O'Shea (BNHP) in being
recognized for academic excellence. Berry was the class honor
graduate, having maintained a 95% average or better in all phases of
training. He is now eligible to win the honor graduate of the year
award at FLETC. The next class, LMTP-102, begins its pre-basic program
on January 22nd. [Don Usher, FLETC/WASO]
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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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