NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
                           MORNING REPORT

To:        All National Park Service Areas and Offices

From:      Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office

Day/Date:  Friday, October 31, 1997

Broadcast: By 1000 ET

INCIDENTS

97-673 - Jean Lafitte NHP&P (LA) - Death of Park Employee

Interpretive ranger M.C. died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound
on October 29th.  The park received word yesterday morning.  ClifM.C.ford
transferred to the park from his position as chief ranger at Fort Union NM
three months ago and was stationed at Chalmette Battlefield.  He's survived
by his wife, Ma.C., who is an interpretive ranger in the park's Barataria
Unit.  A critical incident stress debriefing has been arranged for park
employees for today.  Funeral arrangements are pending.  Donations in lieu of
flowers should be made to either the Valley Forge Park Interpretive
Association or the American Heart Association.  Additional information will
appear in coming Morning Reports.  [Kim Coast, JELA, 10/30]

97-674 - Grand Canyon NP (AZ) - Arrest of Armed Fugitive

On the afternoon of October 27th, rangers contacted D.G. in Mather
campground during an investigation into a series of thefts in the area. 
D.G. was uncooperative, provided false information, and refused to comply
when told he was under arrest.  He instead lunged for a large hunting knife
on a nearby picnic table, removed it from its sheath, and fled on foot. 
Rangers pursued him for several hundred yards before he stopped and sat down
in a campsite.  D.G. refused to put his knife down and told rangers that he
was not going back to prison and that they would have to shoot him. 
Investigation revealed that the 37-year-old D.G. was from Jacksonville,
Florida, and was wanted on a felony federal parole violation warrant. 
Rangers and criminal investigators contained the area, evacuated the
surrounding area, and began negotiating with him.  After about an hour,
D.G. voluntarily submitted to being arrested.  D.G. had identification
belong to several other people on him and a receipt for purchase of a handgun
which indicated that he'd bought it with false identification.  An inter-
agency investigation is underway.  [David Brennan, DR, South Rim, GRCA,
10/29]

97-675 - Joshua Tree NP (CA) - Homicide

On October 25th, two hikers reported finding a buried case along a tour road
in the center of the park.  Rangers found that it contained the remains of an
unidentified woman.  The victim had been placed in the case and buried behind
a rock formation.  The Riverside county sheriff's office is conducting the
investigation.  No further information is currently available.  [Judy
Bartzatt, CR, JOTR, 10/30]

97-676 - Yellowstone NP (WY) - Concession Theft Arrests

On October 14th, Old Faithful rangers received information from Amfac, the
park concessioner, regarding thefts that were occurring at the Old Faithful
Inn.  Two night auditors, D.P., 20, of Lewistown, Montana, and K.I.,
19, of Columbus, Montana, were allegedly taking property from the
gift shop after it was closed and selling the stolen merchandise to other
Amfac employees.  An investigation led to the arrests of the two men after
surveillance of the gift shop and interviews with the suspects clearly
implicated them in the thefts. The two pled guilty to charges of theft before
a federal magistrate on the 15th.  Each was fined $750, placed on probation
for two years, and prohibited from entering the park for a period of two
years.  Five others were charged with possession of stolen property.  Four of
them - T.B., 19, of Cheney, Washington, E.C., 18, of
Plattsmouth, Nebraska, T.M., 22, of Oxnard, California, and K.U,
18, of Potlatch, Idaho - appeared before the magistrate and pled
guilty.  Each was fined $200 and placed on a year's probation.  The fifth
individual is awaiting a court appearance.  [Mona Divine, ACR, YELL, 10/30]

97-677 - Yosemite NP (CA) - Commercial Bus Violations

In 1994, J.H.L., owner of Save and Save Travel and doing business as 
Charter One Service, was convicted of commercial bus violations in the park. 
These violations were discovered during a multi-agency bus inspection.  J.H.L.
was placed on probation and ordered to pay a fine.  In 1996, J.H.L. was
convicted of new violations and was fined $5,000 and given three more years'
probation.  In June of this year, one of J.H.L.'s buses was caught operating
with revoked California Public Utilities Commission (PUC) authority at a bus
inspection in the park; in August, J.H.L. was cited for yet another PUC
violation and patrol rangers impounded the bus.  On October 22nd, J.H.L. pleaded
guilty to the two 1997 PUC violations and was fined a total of $10,000.  He
also admitted to being in violation of his probation by paying part of his
1996 fine with a check that bounced.  He was fined $2,500 for the probation
violation.  The magistrate extended J.H.L.'s probation 36 more months and
ordered him not to operate any commercial vehicles in Yosemite for one year. 
[Bonnie Schwartz, Special Park Uses Office, YOSE, 10/29]

97-678 - Yosemite NP (CA) - BASE Jumping Arrests

A.W. and E.H. were arrested by rangers for illegal BASE jumping
as they landed in El Capitan Meadow at 3:45 a.m. on the morning of October
25th.  Investigation revealed that A.W. has made close to 100 BASE jumps in
the park and has been acting as a guide for jumpers new to Yosemite, but that
this was E.H.'s first such jump.  Both pleaded guilty in magistrate's
court.  A.W. was sentenced to two days' custody, a $2,000 fine, permanent
forfeiture of his parachute rig, and placed on two years' court probation. 
E.H. received three days in jail, a $500 fine, forfeited his parachute rig
(which he testified was worth nearly $4,000) and was placed on a year's
probation.  [Dan Horner, CI, YOSE, 10/29]

97-679 - Yosemite NP (CA) - EMS Assist; Accidental Shooting

Two teenage boys drove up to the south entrance station early on the morning
of October 26th to get help.  The driver reported that he had accidentally
shot his companion with a 12 gauge shotgun.  Wawona District EMS employees
responded and treated the 16-year-old victim for multiple wounds to his chest
and hand.  He was flown by helicopter ambulance to University Medical Center,
in Fresno, where he was treated for a collapsed lung and hand injuries.  The
Mariposa County sheriff's office, with the assistance of rangers,
investigated the shooting, which happened outside the park.  The boys had
been hunting squirrels when one tripped and fell, accidentally discharging
his shotgun at his friend, who had been walking beside him.  [Todd Brindle,
DR, Wawona District, YOSE, 10/29]

                   [Additional reports pending...]

RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

No submissions.

OPERATIONAL NOTES

36 CFR - Title 36 Code of Federal Regulations, Parts 1 to 199, revised as of
July 1, 1997, is now available from the Government Printing Office.  [Dennis
Burnett, RAD/WASO]

Uniform Ordering - R&R Uniforms has mailed out 1998 order forms and price
lists to all parks/offices.  As indicated on line four of the new order
forms, please note that you may be subject to sales tax on personal funds if
your order is shipped to a state in which R&R has a distribution center or
retail store (AR, AZ, GA, DE, FL, KY, NC, SC, TN, TX and VA).  There is no
sales tax charged on purchases made with uniform allowances.  [Meg Leffel,
RAD/WASO]

MEMORANDA

No submissions.

EXCHANGE

Electronic 10-138 Form - Ranger Activities is looking for an electronic
version of Form 10-138, the uniform allowance authorization form, to make
available for use Servicewide.  If you have developed an electronic version
of this form in Word 6.0, Excel or some other format, please attach the file
and transmit it directly to Meg Leffel at NP-WASO-POPS.

                                *  *  *  *  *

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coordinator.

Prepared by the Division of Ranger Activities, WASO, with the cooperation and
support of Delaware Water Gap NRA.

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