Big South Fork National River & Recreation Area (KY,TN)
Search In Progress For Missing Man
A search is underway for a local man who got lost in the park on the evening of Sunday, February 11th.The man and a companion were in a truck that got stuck, so left it and began walking out. They saw lights and decided to go straight toward them in order to get out of the woods. This entailed a crossing of the Big South Fork River. The river temperature was about 30 degrees and the air temperature was about the same at the time, causing one of the two men to return to the riverbank. The second man continued on, though, and has not been seen or heard from since. A search was conducted through much of the night and ramped up on Monday morning to a larger operation. A helicopter from Mammoth Cave was called in, as were dog teams. Assisting agencies included McCreary County SAR, the county sheriff's office, and Daniel Boone National Forest. [Submitted by Frank Graham, Chief Ranger]
Hot Springs National Park (AR)
Ranger Assists At Site Of Fatal Shooting
Protection ranger David Dunaj was heading northbound on Park Avenue on the morning of February 10th when he heard Hot Springs PD broadcast a call about a possible shooting on Bower Street, which is less than a half mile from the park's boundary. Dunaj was the nearest officer in the area and was advised to assist city police. Dunaj and a Hot Springs officer contacted a distraught woman who unlocked the door to her home and told them where to find the victim. They found a man in his 40s lying on the floor in a pool of blood just inside the doorway. The area was searched and secured by Dunaj and the officer, but the assailant(s) had evidently fled. Dunaj assisted with management of the crime scene and ambulance transport of the victim, who was pronounced dead on arrival at a local hospital. City detectives are investigating. No arrests have yet been made. [Submitted by Dennis Stock, Chief Ranger]
PARKS AND PEOPLE
Intermountain Region
Denis Davis Named Superintendent Of Timpanogos Cave
Denis Davis has been selected as the new superintendent at Timpanogos Cave National Monument. He will assume his new responsibilities in April.
Davis, who has been with the NPS for 31 years, is currently Intermountain Region's strategic planner and performance management coordinator as well as the chief of park program review. The review program was established to provide support to parks in improving program effectiveness, customer service, and fiscal accountability. He will continue his duties as the region's chief of park program review while at Timpanogos Cave.
"The combination of the skills Denis learned as a park manager and those he developed for the region's management efficiency program will make him an exceptional superintendent," said regional director Mike Snyder. "He has a good understanding of the working relationships between parks, region and partners that will serve him well at Timpanogos Cave National Monument."
During his tenure with the NPS, Davis was chief of maintenance and chief of administration at Glen Canyon, acting superintendent at Big Thicket, and superintendent at Cumberland Island. He was assistant superintendent at Glacier National Park before coming to the Intermountain Regional Office in 2002.
Davis began his NPS career as a park planner and environmental specialist at Denver Service Center in 1976. Davis completed a BS in wildlife biology from Colorado State University and an MS in outdoor recreation from Utah State University. Prior to his NPS career, Davis worked part-time as a research assistant for the Center for the Study of Outdoor Recreation and Tourism at Utah State.
"I am thrilled to get back to a park operation and I am looking forward to exploring the canyons, deserts, caves, and mountains of Utah. I also look forward to working with the Forest Service to make our planned interagency facility a reality. It will be a great benefit to the operations of both agencies and save the taxpayers money by jointly locating in the same facility," Davis said of his new assignment.
In 1993, Davis received the Secretary of the Interior's Excellence of Service Award for his leadership in keeping all facilities open during four years of drought and lowering levels on Lake Powell. The National Parks & Conservation Association awarded him the 1998 Steven Tyng Mather Award for Resource Stewardship again for his leadership abilities. This time the award recognized his work of balancing Cumberland Island's wilderness, cultural and natural resources protection.
In his spare time Davis leads an active life - mountaineering, rock climbing, backpacking, hiking, cross-country skiing, bird and wildlife watching, photography, and volunteering for his church, the Salvation Army, and the Colorado Mountain Club.
[Submitted by Susan Garland, susan_garland@nps.gov, 303-969-2839]
Submission standards for the Morning Report can be found at the following web site:
http://inside.nps.gov/index.cfm?handler=viewnpsnewsarticle&type;=Announcements&id;=3363All reports should be submitted via email to Bill Halainen at Delaware Water Gap NRA, with a copy to your regional office. The former will be forwarded to the appropriate staff in WASO.