NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

MORNING REPORT

Thursday, April 19, 2012

INCIDENTS

Grand Canyon NP

Search In Progress For Missing Man

Rangers in are seeking the public's assistance in locating 47-year-old S.O. of Tempe, Arizona. A search was begun for him this week after his car was found abandoned in a parking lot adjacent to the park's South Rim visitor center. In the course of their investigations, rangers determined that S.O. was last seen by his family on March 12th. S.O. is 47 years old with thinning brown hair and brown eyes. He is 5 feet, 11 inches tall, weighs approximately 220 pounds, and usually wears glasses. Anyone who may have seen him or has information that might help rangers locate him is asked to call 928-638-7805. [Shannan Marcak, Public Affairs Officer]

Big Bend NP

Record Number Of Trespass Livestock Removed From Park

Among the greatest causes of natural and cultural resource damage within Big Bend National Park are the herds of free-roaming trespass livestock that enter the park along the 118 miles of international border and remote park boundaries. The park recently stepped up its efforts to combat this problem by conducting periodic roundups. During this past winter, season park staff removed 112 animals, including horses, cattle, and burros. Captured animals were quarantine and transferred to USDA. The work is conducted primarily on horseback and park employees with good equestrian skills from all divisions participated. [Allen Etheridge, Chief Ranger]

Death Valley NP

Swiss Motorcyclist Killed In Accident

Just before midnight on Sunday, April 15th, park dispatch advised rangers of a motorcycle accident with a probable fatality in the remote southern end of the park. Rangers found the motorcycle's operation about eight feet away from a badly damaged motorcycle. Evidence at the scene indicated that he failed to navigate a wide, sweeping curve in the road, hit the shoulder berm, and flipped several times before coming to rest approximately 30 feet from the road. He was pronounced dead at the scene shortly thereafter. The victim has been identified as 71-year-old H.K., a Swiss national. He was on a motorcycle tour with a group of friends at the time of the accident. [Brent Pennington, 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/):

National Capital Region - Thousands of visitors gathered at NPS sites in and around the nation's capital to see and photograph the Space Shuttle Discovery as it soared over Washington atop a Boeing 747 carrier jet on Tuesday while on its way to Dulles International Airport and then to the nearby Smithsonian Air and Space Museum facility.

Blue Ridge Parkway - The Kids In Parks program, launched on the Blue Ridge Parkway in 2008, has been recognized by First Lady Michelle Obama as a prime example of inspiring and empowering America's youth to lead active, healthy lifestyles.

National Capital Parks East - On Wednesday, March 28th, the National Park Service and several partner organizations celebrated Women's History Month by hosting a symposium entitled “Women of Excellence” on Capitol Hill in Washington.

Homestead NM - Last month, the park and the Center for Great Plains Studies at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln co-sponsored an academic symposium that examined the impacts of four pieces of legislation and one event on the Great Plains and the nation.

Office of the Comptroller - Charles Harris will retire from the National Park Service on May 31st after a federal career spanning over 42 years.

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The Morning Report is a publication of the Division of Law Enforcement, Security and Emergency Services, Washington Office, produced with the support of the Office of the Assistant Director for Information Resources and 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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