NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

MORNING REPORT

Monday, May 7, 2012

INCIDENTS

Blue Ridge Parkway

Naked Man Found Riding Horse Along Parkway

On April 13th, rangers received a report that state police had a man in custody who may have been involved in a possible accident in the area where the parkway crosses over Interstate 77. Upon arriving on scene, rangers learned that a man travelling the parkway drove his vehicle off the road and through a field, eventually striking a fence that parallels I-77. He then decided to take off all his clothes and begin walking. He eventually "commandeered" a horse belonging to a local farmer whose land borders the park and began riding the horse along an adjacent county road. When state and county officers arrived on scene, they saw that the horse was trying to buck off the naked rider. Eventually, the man was thrown from the horse, at which time officers took him into custody. He told the officers that he was under the influence of methedrine. He was taken to a local hospital for mental evaluation; charges are pending and may include horse theft, indecent exposure and public intoxication. [Bobby D Miller, Plateau District Ranger]

Mojave NP

Armed Robbery Reported At Park VC

An armed robbery occurred at the Kelso Depot Visitor Center around 3 a.m. on May 4th. The reporting party contacted the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department several hours later to report that two individuals had robbed him of money as he was leaving the outdoor restroom at the visitor center. He said that they were armed with a silver pistol, that they struck him four or five times over the head with the pistol, and that they then fled. Several minutes later, he reported seeing a car driving away from the far side of the visitor center. The Barstow office of the county sheriff's department is leading the investigation. [Kirk Gebicke, Supervisory Park 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/):

Olympic NP - The lake that was behind the Elwha Dam is now gone and the Elwha is once again functioning as a river as it courses through the old lake bed. As the river's flow returns, it is actively eroding and transporting decades' worth of accumulated lake bed sediments downstream.

National Capital Region - The National Christmas Tree on the Ellipse south of the White House has been lost due to complications resulting from transplant shock. It has been removed and will soon be replaced.

Legislative and Congressional Affairs - This week's update on past and upcoming hearings, newly introduced bills, and the status of legislation of interest to the National Park Service. This report covers activities during the week ending on May 4th.

Denver Service Center - After 35 years with the federal government, almost 34 with the NPS, Edie Ramey will retire on June 1st. She is the chief of information management for Denver Service Center.

Southeast Region - Barbara Stegall has been selected as Southeast Region's chief of human resources. She will assume her new duties on May 20th.

* * * *

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).

--- ### ---