NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
MORNING REPORT
Thursday, July 9, 2009
INCIDENT
Antietam NB
Park Hosts Major Independence Day Event
The park held its 24th annual “Salute to Independence” on the Fourth of July. The event annually draws over 20,000 visitors and exceeded that number this year - park grounds were filled by the beginning of the concert and parking areas not used in several years were completely filled. The concert by the Maryland Symphony Orchestra began at 7:30 p.m. and concluded with the Tchaikovsky's “1812 Overture,” accompanied by three howitzers from the 110th Field Artillery, Sousa's “Stars and Stripes Forever,” and a half-hour fireworks display by Bay Fireworks. There were no major incidents and only a few EMS responses. The fireworks ended around 10:15 p.m. and traffic and parking areas were cleared by 11:30 p.m. Over 125 National Park Service employees, volunteers and staff from assisting agencies managed the event. Fifteen staff from several other NCR and NER parks supported law enforcement and traffic and parking operations, including Chesapeake and Ohio Canal's canine explosive expert, “Samson,” who helped patrol the crowd, parking and stage areas. Additionally event support and logistics were provided by the Maryland Symphony Orchestra, Maryland State Highway Administration, Washington County Sheriff's Office, Hagerstown REACT, Sharpsburg Volunteer Fire Company, Sharpsburg Area Emergency Medical Services. [Ed Wenschhof, Chief Ranger]
Intermountain Region
Colorado Man Convicted On ARPA Charges
On June 17th, C.L. of Colorado Springs pled guilty to one misdemeanor count of violating the Archaeological Resource Protection Act (16 USC 470 ee (b)) following his arrest for numerous ARPA violation in NPS, BLM and other areas. An investigation into C.L.'s activities was begun in 2005 when his ex wife reported his looting to NPS and BLM special agents. She was concerned that he was passing down his illegal activities to their son, who was 12 at the time. She reported that her son came home from a vacation trip to Glen Canyon with C.L. and his grandmother and reported that his father had hunted for and taken numerous pot sherds, stone points, pieces of petrified wood, dinosaur bones, and mineral resources such as “Moki marbles” (iron oxide concretions) from the Defiance House and Rincon areas of Lake Powell. Investigators subsequently determined that C.L. had also taken a pot and a large metate from Mesa Verde, vertebrate fossils from BLM lands, and dinosaur remains from Badlands. These items and others that were seized during the execution of two search warrants in the Colorado Springs and Woodland Park areas will be forfeited to the government as part of the plea agreement, including three large sifting screens that C.L. used to find artifacts. C.L., who had been a Park County Sheriff's Office deputy and an investigator for the Colorado Division of Gaming, will receive six months unsupervised probation as part of the plea agreement. The investigation was a joint effort by BLM, NPS, DOI OIG and Forest Service special agents. [Beth Shott, Special Agent]
Cape Hatteras NS
One Dies, One Rescued In Simultaneous Ocean Incidents
On the afternoon of June 25th, county dispatch advised rangers Jeff Goad and Dave Carter that several people were caught in the surf 100 to 200 feet from shore and in need of assistance. As rangers and local emergency service personnel were responding, dispatch advised that an older man had been removed from the water and that CPR was in progress. Dare County EMS and rangers took over CPR and advanced medical care when they arrived; the man was then taken to a hospital, where he expired. While this incident was in progress, a Hatteras Island volunteer rescue swimmer heard a cry for help and rescued a a confused and disorientated young man who was gasping for breath. He was taken to Outer Banks Hospital in Nags Head. [Paul Stevens, Chief Ranger]
Blue Ridge Parkway
Suicide Victim Found On Park Trail
On the morning of Thursday, July 2nd, runners along the Mountains to Sea trail in the parkway's Asheville corridor found a man lying in the middle of the trail with a gun in his hand and a wound to his head. The runners reported their discovery, and responding rangers, EMS and local officers subsequently found the body of J.C., 26, of Asheville. North Carolina, with a self-inflicted gunshot wound to his head. Although no note was left, investigation revealed that J.C. had violated probation and was due to appear in court on the morning he shot himself. The investigation is continuing. [Tim Francis, Pisgah District Ranger]
Saguaro NP
Jogger Finds Suicide Victim Off Park Trail
A jogger found a body near the park's Passey loop trail early on the morning of Sunday, July 5th. Pima County deputies and rangers responded. They found the body of a man with what appeared to be a gunshot wound to his head. A .357 revolver was found on the body, indicating a probable suicide. The man had been dead for five or six days when he was discovered. There was no identification on him and no abandoned vehicle in the area, so his identity remains unknown. The investigation continues. [Bob Love, Chief Ranger]
Lake Meredith NRA
Multiple Arrests On Drug And Alcohol Charges
Rangers James Littlejohn and Ben Henthorne were patrolling the Blue Creek ORV area just after midnight on June 27th when they came upon a group of ten to fifteen people with a large amount of litter at their site. As the rangers were talking to them, several fled on foot. Henthorne detained the members of the main group while Littlejohn pursued the others. Littlejohn caught two of them and found that one had powder cocaine in his possession. He then had to use his taser on one person who resisted arrest. A total of three people were arrested for a variety of offenses, including possession of cocaine, resisting arrest, evading arrest, furnishing alcohol to minors, minor consumption of alcohol, and public intoxication. Rangers Sarah Bouska and Jake Olson assisted with the arrest and processing of the scene. [Paul Jones, Chief Ranger]
OTHER NEWS
The following stories are among those in today's edition of InsideNPS.
Park Museum Management Program - The Park Museum Management Program and Vicksburg NMP have collaborated on a virtual museum exhibit on the Civil War siege of Vicksburg and on related historical events.
HYPERLINK "http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=Announcements&id=7900" http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=Announcements&id=7900
Pictured Rocks NL - A remembrance ceremony for Meg Hahr held at the park was attended by over 100 fellow employees and community members. Photo.
HYPERLINK "http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=PeopleNews&id=2407" http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=PeopleNews&id=2407
Andersonville NHS - Brad Bennett has been named the superintendent of Andersonville National Historic Site, effective July 5th. Photo.
HYPERLINK "http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=PeopleNews&id=2408" http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=PeopleNews&id=2408
Golden Gate NRA - Mai-Liis Bartling, deputy superintendent at Golden Gate National Recreation Area, retired on June 30th after 31 years in federal service, 28 of them with the National Park Service.
HYPERLINK "http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=PeopleNews&id=2409" http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=PeopleNews&id=2409
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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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