NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

MORNING REPORT

Friday, January 28, 2011

INCIDENTS

Natchez Trace Parkway

Rangers Track Down Driver Who Hit Bicyclist On Parkway

R.B. of Flemingsburg, Kentucky, was bicycling on the parkway south of Tupelo on December 22nd when he was struck by a pickup truck that left the scene. R.B. was taken to a hospital with a concussion, broken collar bone, compressed vertebrae, and a sprained ankle. Rangers interviewed a number of witnesses, and, while documenting the incident, found a side view mirror which appeared to be from the truck. Rangers Jeff Penney and John Hearne identified the mirror from a parts number as belonging to a Dodge Dakota pickup. On January 5th, at the suggestion of staff at a Dodge dealership, Penney spoke with the manager of the South Gloucester Body Shop, who said that his shop had put a new right side view mirror on a 2004 Dodge Dakota pickup on December 27th. The manager of the body shop identified the customer as H.C., 90, of Tupelo, Mississippi. Penney interviewed H.C. on several occasions, and H.C. eventually admitted to driving in the area of the incident, striking an object (which he had thought was a sign) in the area of the incident, and admitting that the parts the rangers found were most likely from his truck. A criminal complaint has been filed in the Northern District of Mississippi for unsafe operation of a motor vehicle, failure to report a motor vehicle accident, and violating the safe passing distance when passing a bicyclist. [Mike Foster, Chief Ranger]

Lake Mead NRA

Rangers Use AED To Save Visitor's Life

On the morning of January 1st, rangers were dispatched to a report of a 78-year-old woman in cardiac arrest. Upon arrival, they found family members already administering CPR. Rangers took control of the scene, assessed the patient, continued CPR, and attached an AED. The AED advised that a shock was in order and it was accordingly administered. The woman regained a pulse and was medevaced to a hospital. [Christopher Ruff, Supervisory Park Ranger]

Wilson's Creek NB

Visitor Contact Leads To Drug Seizure

Ranger Gabe Bell contacted the operator of a vehicle near the tour road entrance on the afternoon of January 24th. Bell detected the odor of burnt marijuana and alcohol on the driver, a 21-year-old man. Subsequent investigation led to the discovery of nearly a pound of marijuana in the passenger compartment. The driver and his 23-year-old female passenger were arrested. He was subsequently charged with felony drug possession; she was released. [John M. Sutton, Chief Ranger]

OTHER NEWS

The following stories are among those in today's edition of InsideNPS. To see the full text, including images, NPS employees should go to the InsideNPS home page ( HYPERLINK "http://inside.nps.gov/index.cfm?handler=index" http://inside.nps.gov/index.cfm?handler=index). Non-NPS employees can see most of them on the NPS Digest page ( HYPERLINK "http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/" http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/):

Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania NMP - Wal-Mart, Inc., has abandoned plans for a supercenter retail store on land that was part of the Wilderness Battlefield in Virginia. Photo.

Yosemite NP - The Ahwahnee Hotel will shut down from February 22nd to March 17th to allow uninterrupted work on a multitude of renovation projects, including upgrades to fire detection, alarm, and suppression systems. Photo.

Natural Resource Program Center - The Geologic Resources Division has developed a survey to assess geologic, energy and mineral resource management needs of parks and is requesting your participation. Photos.

Midwest Region - Midwest Regional Director Ernest Quintana has announced his retirement from the National Park Service, effective January 31st, following more than 41 years of federal service. Photo.

Pacific West Region - Associate Regional Director for Workforce Management John Crowley will retire on January 31st after more than 41 years of federal service. Photo.

Servicewide Training and Conference Calendar - A compilation of upcoming training courses and conferences across the nation through the end of 2011, plus online training.  Added to this week's calendar are the following - a course of the care and repair of log structures, a preservation trades workshop, and a concessions evaluation and pricing course.

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Prepared by the Division of Law Enforcement, Security and Emergency Services, Washington Office, with the support of the Office of the Chief Information Officer. Edited by Bill Halainen ( HYPERLINK "mailto:Bill_Halainen@nps.gov" Bill_Halainen@nps.gov).

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