NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

MORNING REPORT

Friday, February 6, 2009

INCIDENTS

Grand Canyon NP

Two Die In Apparent Murder-Suicide

Early yesterday morning, rangers responded to a 911 call and discovered the bodies of a man and a woman in a mobile home located in a residential trailer park within Grand Canyon. The incident is being investigated as a murder/suicide; there is no indication of any third party involvement. The investigation is being conducted by the National Park Service with support from an FBI evidence response team. The victim's identities are being withheld pending positive identification and notification of next-of-kin. Media calls concerning this incident should be directed to the Grand Canyon Public Affairs Office at 928-638-7779. [Maureen Oltrogge, Public Affairs Officer]

Golden Gate NRA

Blaze Suppressed In Dormitory Unit

A fire that broke out in a residential dormitory unit in the Presidio on the evening of January 30th was controlled by fire sprinklers before park firefighters arrived on scene. The firefighters extinguished the blaze and checked the condition of the room's occupant. The fire, which was contained in the room of origin, was started by an improperly discarded cigarette that landed in a pile of papers, trash and reading materials. NPS firefighter Paul Dahlen suffered a fractured ankle while picking up fire hose after the fire. The park's fire protection inspector investigated and determined that the loss to the structure and contents came to about $10,000. [Matt Kiolbassa, Fire Marshal/Assistant Fire Chief]

Great Smoky Mountains NP

Suicide Victim Found Off Laurel Creek Road

On February 3rd, rangers determined that an unoccupied vehicle parked in a pullout along Laurel Creek Road belonged to Michael Day, a 61-year-old local man, who was listed with authorities as “missing/endangered.” An investigation was begun and a hasty search of the area conducted. Around 4:30 p.m., the rangers found Day's body in a densely wooded area about 75 yards from the vehicle. He appeared to have died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to his head. Clues suggest he died sometime on January 31st. [Bill Wright, Chief Ranger]

OTHER NEWS

The following stories are among those in today's edition of InsideNPS:

Natural Resource Program Center - The Great Backyard Bird Count, which will take place nationwide from February 13th to February 16th this year, is a chance for anyone to participate in the largest bird count on the continent.

HYPERLINK "http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=Announcements&id=7327" http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=Announcements&id=7327

NPS/LETC - The NPS Law Enforcement Training Center is seeking instructors for its distance learning program.

HYPERLINK "http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=Announcements&id=7330" http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=Announcements&id=7330

Alaska Region - Jeanette Pomrenke has been named superintendent of Bering Land Bridge National Preserve.

HYPERLINK "http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=Announcements&id=7329" http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=Announcements&id=7329

Servicewide Training Calendar - A listing of upcoming training courses offered by the NPS and its partners across the nation. Added today are a Northeast Region interpretive coaching training session at Gettysburg and trail management courses in Alaska and California. The dates for the special park uses training in Omaha in May have also been changed.

HYPERLINK "http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=Conferences&id=1669" http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=Conferences&id=1669

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Submission standards for the Morning Report can be found at the following web site:

HYPERLINK "http://inside.nps.gov/index.cfm?handler=viewnpsnewsarticle&type=Announcements&id=3363" http://inside.nps.gov/index.cfm?handler=viewnpsnewsarticle&type=Announcements&id=3363

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

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