NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
                           MORNING REPORT


To:         All National Park Service Areas and Offices

From:       Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office

Day/Date:   Friday, March 16, 2001

INCIDENTS

99-201 - Natchez Trace Parkway (MS/AL/TN) - Follow-up: Fatal MVA 

G.B., 31, of Collinwood, Tennessee, was killed in an 
accident on the parkway on May 19, 1999.  G.B.'s vehicle collided 
with a log truck that went through an intersection after its brakes 
reportedly failed.  G.B. hit the truck broadside; his vehicle slid 
under the trailer and pierced the truck's fuel tank, causing a fire.  
The driver and passersby were able to pull G.B. from his vehicle 
before it ignited, but he had already died from injuries sustained in 
the initial impact.  On March 5th, the driver of the log truck, J.S., 
pled guilty to reckless homicide. He received a six-year 
suspended sentence and is on probation for six years. J.S. also 
lost his commercial driver's license for the period. Rangers Irv Brock 
and Johnny Sims investigated the accident and were prepared to testify 
in state court when a plea agreement was reached shortly before the 
trial. [Jackie Henman, ACR, NATR, 3/9]

00-438 - Vicksburg NMP (MS) - Follow-up: Vandalism to U.S.S. Cairo

On July 25, 2000, a man - later identified as C.M., 26, of 
Los Angeles - climbed over a security barrier at the U.S.S. Cairo and 
broken off a section of wood from the hull of the gunboat. C.M. 
subsequently surrendered the section of the hull to rangers and was 
arrested and charged with an ARPA violation. On March 7th, C.M. pled 
guilty to a misdemeanor ARPA violation in federal court in Jackson. He 
was originally charged with felony ARPA, but accepted a plea agreement 
in which he had to pay a $1,000 fine and $2,000 in restitution to the 
park, serve three years of supervised probation, submit a 5,000-word 
written report on the significance of ironclads in the Civil War and 
the importance of ARPA in protecting them (due within 120 days), and 
submit written apologies to the local papers within 90 days and to the 
American public, to be posted on the park website. C.M. is also 
banned from all national parks for a period of three years. [Greg 
Zeman, Chief of Operations, VICK, 3/8]

01-060 - DeSoto NM (FL) - Follow-up: Arson

On March 2nd, A."B."C., 19, of Brandenton, Florida, was 
arrested and charged with second degree arson in connection with the 
February 20th burning of Camp Ucita. NPS special agent Steven Borders 
was the lead agent on the case, with assistance from Big Cypress NP 
ranger Dane Tantay. A number of other agencies assisted in the 
investigation, which continues. Additional charges and arrests are 
possible. Damage estimates have been increased to $20,000 for clearing 
and reconstruction. Interpretive activities continue, albeit with some 
adjustments. [Paul Carson, CR, DESO, 3/8]

01-091 - New River Gorge NR (WV) - Drug Arrests

An interagency investigation into the illegal sales of the 
prescription pain medication OxyContin was begun along the park's 
south boundary last September. Over a three-month period, 25 
controlled buys of the drug were made. During the investigation, 
rangers learned that much of the drug was being funneled through one 
main dealer who lived in the River Road area inside the park. On the 
morning of March 7th, 21 people were indicted by a state grand jury on 
48 felony counts, including delivery of a controlled substance and 
child neglect (dealing drugs while children were present in the 
vehicle). Interagency teams executed the arrest warrants that same 
afternoon and evening. Fifteen people were arrested by that night; 
another five more turned themselves in, and one person remains at 
large. During the consent searches and searches incident to arrest, 
rangers and officers seized a dozen firearms, $4,000 in cash, five 
video poker machines, and hundreds of prescription pills of various 
kinds. The interagency team had over 60 officers, agents and rangers 
from various departments, including DEA, the multi-county Trident Drug 
Task Force, the state police (including their special response and 
entry team), state DNR, and local county and city police. Clerical 
assistance at the post-arrest processing center was provided by the 
NPS. The investigation is continuing; further arrests are possible. 
[Chris Schrader, SA, NERI, 3/13]
        
                    [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

No fires reported.

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

Gulf Islands NS (MS/FL) - The park is advertising for two GS-5 
interpretive ranger positions in the park's Mississippi District - one 
on Ship Island, the other in Davis Bayou. Both are seasonal, not to 
exceed 1,039 hours. The announcement is DEU GUIS 01-05 and closed on 
March 26th. It's open to all sources. For more info, call the park's 
job line at 850-934-2601 and request a copy of the announcement, or 
pick it up at the USA Jobs web site.

                            *  *  *  *  *

Distribution of the Morning Report is through a mailing list managed 
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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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