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NATIONAL PARK SERVICE MORNING REPORT Thursday, December 13, 2012 INCIDENTS Grand Canyon NP Babysitter Charged With Felony Child Endangerment On September 17th, a ranger on foot patrol in the area of the Grand Canyon Recreation Center saw two young girls, approximately three and four years old, playing in the area without adult supervision. The ranger searched the area in an effort to locate a parent or guardian, but none was found. A witness reported seeing the girls unattended before the ranger arrived on scene. The ranger called for assistance from special agents with the Investigative Services Branch and a joint investigation into child abandonment was initiated. While ISB special agents were investigating, a woman arrived on scene claiming to be the children's babysitter. The babysitter told an agent that she'd left the two young girls alone in order to walk to the park's general store, about an hour's walk away, to purchase alcohol. The babysitter was charged with two felony counts of child abuse, recklessly placing the children in a position where their health was endangered. [Investigative Services Branch] 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/): Sequoia-Kings Canyon NPs - Approximately 530 visitors attended the 87th “Trek to the Nation's Christmas Tree” ceremony on the afternoon of Sunday, December 9th. The sequoia, otherwise known as the General Grant Tree, was proclaimed the nation's Christmas tree by President Coolidge in 1926. Vicksburg NMP - On December 12th, staff and visitors commemorated the 150th anniversary of the sinking of the USS Cairo, a Civil War ironclad that has the distinction of being the first naval vessel to be sunk by an underwater mine. Glen Canyon NRA - On November 19th, the second McGinn & Axelsen Scholarship was awarded to Cara DeHart for being “Best in Class” at the Northern Arizona University Seasonal Law Enforcement Training Program. Wrangell-St. Elias NP&P - Pete Dalton, Copper River District Ranger at Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve, retired on November 30th following 37 years with the National Park Service. Intermountain Region - Charles Strickfaden, a 28-year veteran of the National Park Service, has been named superintendent of Fort Union National Monument in northeastern New Mexico. * * * * The Morning Report is a publication of the Division of Law Enforcement, Security and Emergency Services, Washington Office, produced by the Office of Communications with the support of the Office of the Associate Director for Information Resources. Edited by Bill Halainen ( HYPERLINK "mailto:Bill_Halainen@nps.gov" Bill_Halainen@nps.gov). --- ### --- |