NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

MORNING REPORT

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

INCIDENTS

Glen Canyon NRA

Remembrance Service For Rangers To Be Held Tomorrow

A joint Celebration of Life will be held this Thursday for Chief Ranger Brent McGinn and Dangling Rope District Ranger Laurie Axelsen, who were killed in an off-duty plane crash in the Dixie National Forest last Friday. The event will be held at the Lake Powell Resort Pool Lawn at Wahweap at Glen Canyon at 1 p.m. MST (Arizona time). NPS uniforms may be worn whether on or off duty during the service. Summer dress uniforms are currently being worn at Glen Canyon. Lodging may be available in Page, Marble Canyon and Kanab, Utah. Campgrounds are located at Wahweap Marina, the Wahweap RV park, and the Page RV park. Please RSVP to HYPERLINK "mailto:McGinnAxelsenRSVP@gmail.com_" McGinnAxelsenRSVP@gmail.com to help event planners anticipate attendance. Please provide your name, number of guests, affiliation and any special needs. Due to logistical challenges, please do not send flowers. Mail may be sent to the following addresses where it will be forwarded to the families:

McGinn Family, c/o Management Assistant, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, P.O. Box 1507, Page, AZ 86040

Axelsen Family, c/o Management Assistant, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, P.O. Box 1507, Page, AZ 86040

Memorial websites have been established to honor the memories of Brent McGinn and Laurie Axelsen. Event logistics are included on the calendar pages on these sites. Please share your condolences, photos, and stories online at:

Brent McGinn Memorial Website - HYPERLINK "http://www.sympathytree.com/brentmcginnnps/_" http://www.sympathytree.com/brentmcginnnps/

Laurie Axelsen Memorial Website - HYPERLINK "http://www.sympathytree.com/laurieaxelsennps/_" http://www.sympathytree.com/laurieaxelsennps/

[Michelle Fidler and Patti Wold]

Independence NHP

Suspicious Package Detonated On-Site By City Bomb Squad

On the afternoon of October 5th, a suspicious package was discovered at the front entrance of park headquarters in the Merchants Exchange Building. Upon initial visual inspection, there seemed to be what looked like an antenna protruding from the package. The building was accordingly evacuated and the Philadelphia police department, fire department, and bomb squad were notified. The bomb squad assessed the package and determined that it would be a proper precaution to destroy it in place through a controlled detonation. Although no explosives or dangerous materials were discovered after sifting through the remnants, the detonation shattered a large, custom, curved glass window which could cost several thousands of dollars to replace. Camera footage showed a man and woman placing the package on the ground and walking off after several minutes, leaving the package behind. It's not yet known if the act was intentional. No injuries occurred. The park is working closely with the JTTF, FBI, Philadelphia Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Philadelphia Arson and Explosives Task Force. [Donald P. Reed, Law Enforcement Specialist]

Sequoia-Kings Canyon NPs

Body Of Missing Man Found In Park

The body of S.G., 54, of Hanford, California, was recovered from the South Fork area of Sequoia National Park on Saturday, October 9th. While the man had not returned home since Monday, it is unknown how long he was in the park. The cause of death is under investigation and awaiting the results of an autopsy. S.G.'s car was found in the trail parking lot at South Fork Campground the day before. A ground and air search was begun, with 25 people and a helicopter assigned that first day. Operations continued on Saturday, with a total of 59 people, six search dogs, five horses, and a helicopter assigned to the incident. Assisting the park were the California Rescue Dog Association, Sequoia Mountain Rescue, Tulare County Sheriff's Department Search and Rescue Team, Tulare County Sheriff's Posse, and Yosemite National Park's YODOGS (canine search and rescue team). [Dana Dierkes, Public Affairs Officer]

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/):

Northeast Region - Minute Man National Historical Park has taken positive steps to upgrade and install new fire protection systems to ensure the protection of 23 significant park structures. Photo.

Lake Mead NRA - Many Las Vegas youth have never had the opportunity to experience camping, so Lake Mead NRA educators decided to pilot a basic camping program at a few high schools. Photo.

Yosemite NP - A ceremony was recently held in Yosemite Valley to dedicate the new Happy Isles stream gage on the banks of the Merced River. Gages on this stream have been continuously monitoring flows of the river since 1915, making this the oldest such monitoring operation in the Sierra Nevadas. Photo.

* * * *

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

--- ### ---