NPS Morning Report - Thursday, February 14, 2002


                           NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
                              MORNING REPORT


To:       All National Park Service Areas and Offices

From:          Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office

Day/Date: Thursday, February 14, 2002

INCIDENTS

99-57/99-401 - Yosemite NP (CA) - Follow-up on Homicides

The trial of C.S., who has been charged with the February, 1999,
murders of C. and J.S. and Silvina Pelosso, has been postponed.
The trial, which was to have begun later this month, was rescheduled for
June 10th. Both prosecutors and defense attorneys told the court that they
needed more time to prepare for the trial. In November, 2000, C.S. pled
guilty to the July, 1999, murder of Yosemite Institute instructor J.A.
and was sentenced to life without parole. [David Mills, KPIX web
site, 2/13]

02-037 - New River Gorge NR (WV) - Explosive Devices

Over the past week, rangers received reports of several explosive devices
being detonated in recreation areas adjacent to and within the park's
boundaries. The first reports were of chemical bottle bombs and at least
one pipe bomb at an Army Corps of Engineers parking area at Summersville
Lake, an area adjacent to Gauley River NRA. The pipe bomb was used to blow
up a trash receptacle. Metal fragments and debris were scattered as far as
200 feet from the blast site. The remnants of several chemical bottle bombs
were also found in the same parking area. On Monday, February 11th,
employees at Babcock State Park found that a pipe bomb had been placed in a
newspaper vending machine next to their campground office and detonated.
The blast destroyed the vending machine and a nearby pay phone and damaged
a portion of the building. The state park is within the boundaries of New
River Gorge NR. A joint investigation is being conducted by the state
police, county sheriff's office, and ATF. [Gary Hartley, CR, NERI, 2/13]

02-038 - Colonial NHP (VA) - Suicide

On the morning of February 12th, the park received notification to be on
the lookout for a suicidal person who liked to frequent the Colonial
Parkway in the Jamestown area. Chief ranger Tom Nash and rangers Ken Doak
and Grant Stolehand investigated. While en route to Jamestown, they
received a call from a maintenance worker reporting a man lying on the
beach near Mill Creek who appeared to be very pale. When Doak arrived, he
found the man lying on the beach with a revolver between his legs. Blood
covered his face from a major head injury, and there were no signs of life.
A medical examiner pronounced him dead at the scene from a single gunshot
wound to his head. A joint investigation by James City County PD and the
Naval Investigative Service revealed that the victim had been a Navy
commander stationed at Norfolk, and that he'd recently been charged with
rape, fraternization, and violation of orders and was to appear in court
that morning. He had called his attorney at 7 a.m. and told him that he
didn't want to go to jail and planned to end his life. [Hiram A. Barber,
ACR, COLO, 2/13]

PARKS AND PEOPLE

Petrified Forest NP (AZ) - The park is advertising for a GS-7/9 protection
ranger. The announcement is on USA Jobs and is open until February 26th.
Primary responsibilities are for vehicle, foot and horse patrol of park
lands. The main protection issue is theft of resources, and the person in
this position will focus on deterring the theft of those resources. Other
duties include structural fire protection. The announcement lists one
opening, but it's likely that two people will be hired. Call assistant
chief ranger Greg Caffey at 928-524-6822 for more information. [Greg
Caffey, PEFO)

                               *  *  *  *  *

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

                                --- ### ---