Petersburg |  |
The following Incident Reports were extracted from the NPS Morning Reports/Coalition Reports from 1989-current. They are not a complete record of all incidents which occurred in this park during this timeframe. INCIDENTS | |
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Thursday, September 28, 1989 Over the course of this year, there have been 21 larcenies from autos in the park. In each case, the thief gained entry by smashing out a front passenger window with a rock. Although rangers have had a suspect in these incidents for some time, they were unable to catch him in the act. Since he took nothing but cash and only broke into vehicles with out-of-state tags, it proved difficult to connect him with the thefts. Stakeouts had proven unsuccessful in the past because there was no pattern to his activities. About two months ago, however, the thief became less cautious and started becoming more predictable. On September 24th, ranger Ike Kelley staked out the Crater area and saw the suspect look into several vehicles, break and enter his selected target, and grab two purses from the vehicle. As he attempted to leave the park through a heavily wooded area, ranger Vidal Martinez intercepted and arrested him. He is to appear in court on October 18th. (Bill Fluharty, CR, PETE, via CompuServe message from Ginny Paci, RAD/MARO).
Around 2 p.m. on August 6th, a tornado or tornadoes touched down in the cities of Petersburg and Colonial Heights adjacent to the park. Power was knocked out to the main visitor center and maintenance area, but the park was otherwise unaffected. Damage and personal injuries were extensive in the Old Town area of Petersburg and in the Southpark Mall in Colonial Heights. Rangers assisted area police and fire units in search, rescue and emergency medical service operations. [Mike Hill, Superintendent, PETE, 8/6]
On the afternoon of September 24th, a local resident found the body of a man in his mid-twenties near Fort Conahey, one of three forts within the park's Long Flank Road unit. The unidentified victim had been shot through the right temple and may have been dead for one or two days. The investigation is being managed by the county sheriff's office with assistance from the park and state police. [Bill Fluharty, CR, PETE, 9/16]
A Sharps breechloading pistol which was on display in the park's museum is missing and presumably was stolen on or about July 17th. The weapon is described as follows: Four-shot breech-loading pepperbox pistol, .30 caliber, sliver plated, plated brass frame, gutta-percha grips, slightly rusted, partial serial number: 40197? Made circa 1859-1874. A photograph of the weapon, which is in good condition and has been valued at about $400, is available. The NCIC number is 971525. Any information regarding this weapon should be forwarded to Tim Blumenschine via cc:Mail at PETE Ranger Activities, or via phone at 804-732-3966. [Ike Kelley, CR, PETE, 7/23]
In late March, rangers received a "Parkwatch" tip from a concerned citizen regarding possible ARPA violations occurring within the park. On the evening of April 1st, two men were observed within the battlefield, but could not be safely apprehended. A check of the area revealed numerous freshly dug and refilled holes. Following a daylight survey of the crime scene, a strategy for capturing the suspects on a return trip was developed. The two camouflage-clad, 33-year-old males - subsequently identified as J.N.W. and J.S.B. - were caught well within the park's boundary around midnight on April 5th; they had in their possession metal detectors, entrenching tools and freshly dug artifacts. Over 2,000 Civil War artifacts with a market value in excess of $4,500 were recovered through search warrants and interviews of the suspects. An assessment of the nine-acre crime scene coordinated by archeologist John Wright of Delaware Water Gap NRA placed the archaeological loss at over $50,000, making this the largest Civil War ARPA violation on record. On July 8th, J.N.W. and J.S.B. plead guilty in federal district court to one felony count each of conspiracy to violate ARPA. Sentencing is scheduled for October 9th. Interviews of the suspects revealed that they had been operating freely within the battlefield since December, 1995. They admitted wrong-doing and stated that their activity was prompted by the second government shutdown. Said one of the men: "I figured they were getting ready to sell the place off for a subdivision, so I might as well get my share of the artifacts while they were there. After all, it's not like this stuff is going to grow back." Ranger Mike Bremer served as lead investigator on this case, which was successfully concluded and prosecuted at the park level. [Ike Kelley, CR, PETE, 8/26]
On October 9th, J.B. and J.W. were sentenced in federal district court following their guilty pleas on charges of felony conspiracy to violate ARPA - charges which stemmed from numerous excavations in the park and the theft of over 2,000 Civil War artifacts, the single largest Civil War-related ARPA violation recorded since the law was passed. J.B. was sentenced to five months in prison and J.W. to four months. Upon release, each will undergo a year's supervised probation, including a term of home incarceration equivalent to their jail time. This probation will include electronic monitoring at the defendants' expense and substance abuse treatment for J.B. Each defendant was ordered to pay restitution of $25,467.08 to DOI, plus $100 payments to a crime victims fund. In handing down his sentence, the district judge observed that "Civil War buffs are a cult all their own," and said that he hoped that "all those buffs who have a craving for artifacts will be tempered in the future" and that the sentences would deter those who wished "to invade protected territory." [Ike Kelley, CR, PETE, 10/15]
Masonry worker Charlie Washington discovered a cave-in about five feet behind the mouth of the reconstructed entrance to the tunnel to The Crater around 9 a.m. on December 22nd. The cave-in had blocked the entrance, and smoke was issuing from the hole. The iron rod mesh gate that normally secures the entrance was not visible. A local fire company responded. Of primary concern was the possibility that someone was trapped in the tunnel. A regional technical rescue incident management team which had been established specifically for Crater tunnel rescues was activated. By 6:30 p.m., the cave-in had been excavated to the floor of the tunnel and shored. Searchers confirmed that nobody was trapped in the tunnel. Because of rain which fell during the incident, the tunnel's walls began to weaken, so all personnel were removed and indirect attack was used on the remaining fire. The decision was made to let the earth smother the fire rather than risk further damage to the tunnel by flooding it. This decision was based in part on the fact that the involved structure was a reconstruction. Preliminary investigation indicates that the fire was deliberately set about four to six feet inside the tunnel. A $5,000 reward has been offered by local agencies for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person who set the fire. A total of 57 units and 100 people responded to the incident. Local media interest was high. [Mike Hill, Superintendent, PETE, 12/23]
The remains of 41-year-old L.H. of Petersburg were found just inside the park's boundary on the morning of August 1st. They were apparently discovered by a family member and reported to city police. The remains have not yet been positively identified, but they are likely L.H.'s. L.H. was reported missing around July 17th. It appears that he was approached or accosted along the railroad right-of-way through the main unit of the park and attempted to flea or seek refuge in the park. Evidence recovered from the scene includes four spent .25 caliber projectiles. The motive is unknown, but may have been robbery or a personal vendetta. Rangers, FBI agents and Petersburg police are investigating. [Ike Kelley, CR, PETE, 8/10]
As of December 31st, the park's main unit was still closed. Power had been restored to headquarters and the ranger station, but lines to the maintenance facility and visitor center were still down. Power crews have been working to restore power to residents in area communities who have been without electricity since the day before Christmas. Members of the park staff are clearing many downed trees and limbs from roads and trails. The City Point and Five Forks units are open; Poplar Grove National Cemetery is closed and will require at least a week's work before it can be reopened. [Mike Hill, Superintendent, PETE, 12/31]
Park maintenance employees and Hopewell police detectives discovered the body of P.S., 33, in the park's City Point Unit on the afternoon of January 11th. P.S.'s vehicle had been found in the unit's parking area shortly after his wife reported him as missing. Two letters were found in the vehicle. P.S. was reportedly depressed and despondent over family problems. He evidently died some time during the night; the cause of death is thought to have been a combination of alcohol and drugs. Rangers and city police are continuing the investigation. [Ike Kelley, CR, PETE, 1/12]
Several more reports have been received on the impacts of the ice storm and blizzard that swept through the South and East this week: o Petersburg NB (VA) - The park was closed on January 25th and 26th due to the 18 inches of snow that fell on the area. It will likely reopen today. No damage to facilities has been found. Maintenance workers and rangers worked through the storm to keep roads relatively clear. Work was hampered by the difficulty of getting employees to the park due to snow and ice on roadways. A state of emergency was declared throughout Virginia. Short summaries from other parks affected by this storm would be appreciated. [Mike Hill, Superintendent, PETE, 1/26; Jim Burnett, CR, COLO, 1/26; Scott Pfeninger, CR, CHAT, 1/26; John Burns, CR, ASIS, 1/26; Cynthia MacLeod, Superintendent, RICH, 1/26]
Several reports have been received on the impacts of the second major ice storm/snow storm to strike the South and East over the past two weeks: o Petersburg NB (VA) - The park was again closed on January 30th due to snow changing over to freezing rain. Thousands of homes in the area were without power on Sunday. Up to a half-inch of ice formed on surfaces. There was no damage to park facilities. Roads and walkways were cleared during the day, and the park opened four hours late on Monday so that staff could complete deicing and sanding. [Dwight Dixon, CR, LIRI, 1/31; Reed Johnson, Superintendent, APCO, 2/1; Mike Hill, Superintendent, PETE, 1/31; Cindy MacLeod, Superintendent, RICH, 1/31]
Governor Mark Warner, his family and a small entourage made a
surprise visit to the park on Sunday, February 2. Interpretive ranger
Jaie Pazzetti and education specialist Robin Fuller gave the governor
and his kids a special tour. The governor expressed his appreciation.
Eastern parks in the path or potential path of Isabel have completed preparations. As a precautionary measure, one of the Service's two national Type 1 teams (JD Swed's team) has staging in Charlotte, North Carolina, in order to be prepared to respond as needed to any park or area. A number of Type 2 teams are also on standby. All federal agencies in the Washington area are closed today, including the NPS Washington Office. OPM will monitor the weather and make a determination later today on whether or not offices will reopen on Friday. Here's a rundown on the status of many of the parks in or near the storm's path (south to north):
This summary was compiled from reports submitted by Ken Garvin, SERO; Brenda Ritchie, EICC, SHEN; Russ Wilson, Superintendent, SAHO/GATE; Ann Childress, Superintendent, MOCR; Mark Hardgrove, Assistant Superintendent, CAHA; Mike Litterst, PIO, COLO; Bob Kirby, Superintendent, PETE; Wayne Valentine, IC, FIIS; José Rosario, Acting Chief, Park Operations Support, GATE; Cindy MacLeod, Superintendent, RICH; William Kenyon, NCR Dispatch; Scot McElveen, Chief Ranger, HAFE; Wayne Sanders, Chief of Maintenance, GEWA/THST; Tom Nash, Chief Ranger, COLO; Russ Smith, Superintendent, FRSP; Clay Jordan, IC, SHEN; Steven Ambrose, Park Ranger, HOFU; Frank Mills, IC, STLI; Ed Whitaker, IC, DEWA.
Hurricane Isabel caused moderate to extensive damage in many parks within Southeast, National Capital and Northeast Regions. As of yesterday, 36 parks had reported damage sufficient to require the preparation of conditions assessments. Although most of these parks are not requesting any additional assistance, several have sustained damage sufficient to warrant oversight of recovery efforts by incident management teams. Here's a rundown on the affected parks (south to north), excluding those that reported negligible impacts:
Additional reports will appear daily during recovery operations, which will likely go on for some time. Current information and essential documents from the incident management teams will be available at the IMT web page: http://www.nps.gov/fire/allrisk/. Please check if for additional details. Reports compiled from submissions by Kris Fister, IO, Type 1 IMT; Ken Garvin, SERO; Don Boucher, NCRO; Doug Wallner, NERO; Ann Childress, Superintendent, MOCR; Wouter Ketel, IC, and Bob Vogel, Superintendent, CALO; Paul Stevens, Liaison Officer, IMT, and Barry Munyan, ADR, CAHA; Vidal Martinez, Superintendent, GEWA; Reed Johnson, Superintendent, APCO; Clay Jordan, IC, Type 3 IMT, SHEN; Mike Hill, Superintendent, ASIS; Charlie Strickfaden, Chief Ranger, FOMC; Gregory Smith, Chief Ranger, MORR; Maryanne Gerbauckas, Superintendent, EDIS; Bill Sanders, Superintendent, HOFU; Cindy McLeod, Superintendent, RICH; Bob Kirby, Superintendent, PETE; Russ Smith, Superintendent, FRSP.
Damage assessments and the organization of repair and rehabilitation operations are underway at parks throughout the Mid-Atlantic states. Assisting with and supporting these efforts are JD Swed's Type 1 team (currently relocating from Charlotte to Williamsburg), Rick Brown's Type 2 team, and Clay Jordan's Type 3 team at Shenandoah. Here's a rundown on the current status of affected parks (south to north): Petersburg NB A comprehensive assessment of the impacts of the hurricane has led to the discovery of more damage than previously thought. The City Point area of the park was devastated. The fishing dock was destroyed and tossed inland. Over a thousand trees are down within the main unit. Park crews have opened the main tour road and made public thoroughfares around the park passable. No assessment has yet been completed of the twelve miles of park trails. Some historic structures were damaged, but no historic buildings were hit. Power and phones are out; there's no firm estimate on when either will be restored. Additional reports will appear daily during recovery operations, which will likely go on for some time. Current information and essential documents from the incident management teams will be available at the IMT web page: http://www.nps.gov/fire/allrisk/. Please check if for additional details. Reports compiled from submissions by Kris Fister, IO, Type 1 IMT; Ken Garvin, SERO; Don Boucher, NCRO; Bob Martin and Doug Wallner, NERO; Mary Doll, PIO, Outer Banks Group; Wouter Ketel, IC/Chief Ranger, and Donna Tipton, PIO, CALO; Laura Joss, Superintendent, FOMC; Vidal Martinez, Superintendent, GEWA/THST; Cindy MacLeod, Superintendent, RICH/MAWA; Bob Kirby, Superintendent, PETE; Laurie Coughlan, Superintendent, HAMP; Clay Jordan, IC, Type 3 IMT, SHEN; Tom Nash, Chief Ranger, COLO; Bill Sanders, Superintendent, HOFU; Mike Hill, Superintendent, ASIS.
Yesterday's efforts focused largely on organizing incident management operations, orienting incoming personnel, obtaining equipment, and gathering important damage cost data for the regional and Washington offices. Initial recovery efforts were hampered by heavy rain that fell on Tuesday night and Wednesday morning, causing new flood damage in many areas already affected by Isabel. The following reports were received from parks and regions over the past 24 hours. They are listed from south to north. This information either supplements or revises information previously reported; no effort is being made to recap earlier submissions with each new summary. Through the assistance of David Duran in the Service's National Information Systems Center in Denver, URL's are posted below for maps of three of the hardest hit parks - Cape Lookout, Cape Hatteras, and Colonial - so that readers can more easily determine referenced locations. Others will be added in the future as needed. You can zoom in or out or pan from one park to another and can also turn additional data layers on or off, e.g. National Geographic TOPO!, Relief Imagery, Flood Hazard Areas, Land Cover Imagery, etc. The sites are, respectively: http://maps2.itc.nps.gov/nps/parkatlas/jsp/atlas.jsp?zoomtopark=Cape%20Lookout%20National%20Seashore For a gallery of photos of the hurricane's effects on several parks, put together by WASO ITC's Ken Handwerger, please go to http://inside.nps.gov/ people/hurricane/. This gallery will be added to on a regular basis. Petersburg NB Power and phone service were restored to the park early on Tuesday afternoon. Ever since the storm, park staff have been assessing its impacts. All employees have been contacted and are okay, although most are still without power and many have do not have phone service or potable water. The hurricane took down between 900 and 1,000 trees in the park's three main units, blocking trails and roads both inside and outside the park. Park staff, citizens, city workers, soldiers from nearby Fort Lee and many others helped clear trees, directed traffic and offered assistance to those in need. Here's an itemization of the damage:
At the time of the report on Tuesday, only the headquarters building had power, and only one phone line was working. The main visitor center and other buildings are still without power, though maintenance offices were running off generator power. Additional reports will appear daily during recovery operations, which will likely go on for some time. Current information and essential documents from the incident management teams will be available at the IMT web page: http://www.nps.gov/fire/allrisk/. Please check if for additional details. Reports compiled from submissions by Kris Fister, IO, Type 1 IMT; Barb Stewart, IO, Type 2 IMT; Don Boucher, NCRO; Dan Davidson, Shenandoah EICC; Bob Kirby, Superintendent, PETE; Clay Jordan, IC, Type 3 IMT, SHEN; Bob Martin, Regional Chief Ranger, NERO; Russ Smith, Superintendent, FRSP; Cindy McLeod, Superintendent, RICH.
The following reports reflect the status of operations through late Tuesday. Please note that a number of new photos of the impacts of Hurricane Isabel have also been added to the photo gallery found at http://inside.nps.gov/ people/hurricane/ Type 1 Team (JD Swed) Crews continue to make good progress in all areas, including Colonial NHP, Petersburg NB, Richmond NB and Fredericksburg/Spotsylvania NMP. The crew clearing the Jamestown tour road discovered that two of the bridges on the loop road have been moved from their original locations and are impassable. One bridge is approximately 200 feet in length and the other about 400 feet long. This damage had not been seen during aerial overflights of the site on Saturday. The relocation of the Jamestown artifact collection to Fort Lee is on schedule, and is expected to be completed by mid-day Tuesday. Triage of the artifacts will be continued there. The materials will be stored there until they are shipped to other facilities for restorative treatment. Assessment field teams continue to assist parks with condition assessments. Parks being assisted include Colonial NHP, Fredericksburg/Spotsylvania NMP, Petersburg, NB, George Washington Birthplace NM, Richmond NB, and C&O Canal NHP. Six additional crews and other resources arrived on Monday, which significantly increased the people and equipment that will be working in the various divisions. Some of these crews had just been released by FEMA. One hotshot crew will begin cleanup work along the Colonial Parkway in non-traffic areas, clearing away fallen trees and other debris from parking lots, interpretive pullouts, and off-road areas. Cleanup work along the road itself will begin later in the week. Traffic delays of up to 15 minutes may occur, as both lanes may need to be closed during some of the clearing operations. A total of 216 people are currently assigned to this portion of the recovery efforts. The cost to date is $1,606,910. Petersburg NB The NPS Type I IMT and laborers (28 as of yesterday) have arrived in the park and begun working with park staff (15 total) to open roads, complete damage assessments, and clean up debris and other damage caused by hurricane Isabel. More damage and impacts to the park have been discovered than previously reported. The initial estimate of 900 to 1,000 trees down turned out to be somewhat conservative, as 1,847 fallen trees were subsequently counted - and that number does not include trees that fell but had no impact on roads, trails or park resources. Although the bulk of the costs identified to date have been for tree removal and clean up operations, there were several instances where both cultural and non-historic resources were damaged:
The park received great assistance from its friends and neighbors at Fort Lee. The Army provided critical assistance by permitting the park to dump tons of trees and wood debris at their dump site. Without this generous assistance, the NPS would have had to expend significant sumes to haul the debris to more distanct locations for disposal. Fort Lee also provide assistance to Type I IMT managers who sought to relocate the flooded Jamestown curatorial collection. After the storm, Colonel John Angevine, the fort's commander, came to the park headquarters office and offered assistance. The park also extends its thanks to the Type 1 team and to all the folks assigned to the incident who provided so much assistance to the park. Bob Kirby, the park's superintendent, had this to say: "This park would not have been able to serve the public and open its doors for months without the tremendous assistance provided by these able and efficient NPS and USFS folks. It hard to imagine that 'competitive outsourced' resources could demonstrate the kind of dedication, sensitivity to cultural and natural resources and esprit de corps I have witnessed over the past 10 days." Additional Information
Reports compiled from submissions by Kris Fister, IO, Type 1 IMT; Barb Stewart, IO, Type 2 IMT; Karl Merchant, Plans Chief, Type 2 IMT; Dave Lattimore, Plans Chief, Type 1 IMT; Bob Kirby, Superintendent, PETE; Mike Litterst, PIO, COLO; John Storke, GEWA; Michelle Fidler, PIO, CALO.
The following reports reflect the status of operations through Monday. Type 2 Team (Sherrie Collins) Crews are making excellent progress on continued cleanup of roads and trails in Colonial NHP, Fredericksburg/Spotsylvania NMP, Richmond NBP and Petersburg NB. It's possible that all the trails and roads in Fredericksburg/Spotsylvania will be cleaned up within the next few days, at which time personnel there will be shifted to another park. The Colonial Parkway crew has completed cleanup on one side of the road for over four of its 23 miles. An additional hazard to the ongoing recovery effort is the increasing park visitation as areas open up, especially on weekends. Curious visitors are attempting to get too close to crews, and are accessing closed roads on bicycles, foot or horseback. The FMSS team completed its compilation of the damage assessments for the 27 parks that sustained hurricane-related damage on Sunday evening. This monetary figure was forwarded to Director Mainella's office yesterday. Staff working in the Jamestown unit began the construction of a ventilation system for the closed visitor center yesterday. The ventilation will keep mold from growing in the building, which would pose a hazard to demolition workers. The Central Incident Management Team (Sherrie Collins, IC) has taken over management of the incident. The National Team will be in the Washington Office today to brief the director and other members of her staff. The National Incident Management Team wishes to express its thanks to the superintendents and staffs of the parks that it has been assisting with hurricane recovery. These people have put in hundreds of extra hours of hard work to get their areas up and running, in spite of dealing with personal hardships, and their hospitality and assistance has been very much appreciated. The IMT also wishes to extend its deepest appreciation to the superintendents and staffs of all the park units who have released personnel and other resources from their parks to assist with the hurricane recovery effort. There are 370 personnel currently assigned to the recovery effort. The cost to date is $4,707,941. Additional Information
Reports compiled from submission by Kris Fister, IO, Type 1 IMT.
The following reports reflect the status of operations through Thursday. Central IMT (Sherrie Collins) Historic Jamestowne was reopened to visitors on Thursday. An interim visitor contact station and porta-johns are in place to provide basic services to visitors. Among the first visitors - a school group from Camden County, North Carolina, taking their first field trip since the 9/11 tragedy. Branch I, which had been overseeing the recovery work at Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park, Petersburg National Battlefield and Richmond National Battlefield Park concluded work Wednesday night. Some of the people and equipment were shifted south to Branch II to help complete the clean-up of Colonial Parkway. The rest were started on the demobilization process - checking in radios, checking out equipment and finalizing time and travel plans. A total of 102 crewmembers, 23 overhead, 48 equipment operators and 31 different pieces of equipment were slated for release by Thursday night. Crews are on the homestretch clearing debris along Colonial Parkway. The remaining stretch is on the north and west side of the road between Williamsburg and Historic Jamestowne. The only other ongoing work connected with the incident is the artifact triage underway at Fort Lee. As of late Thursday afternoon, there were 322 people still assigned to the recovery effort. The cost to date is $7,604,234. East IMT (Bob Panko) A transition plan in draft form was presented to Cape Hatteras NS management today in preparation for Saturday's transition from Panko's Type 2 team to a Type 3 team under command of Richard Devenney, finance chief on the current Type 2 team. The meeting with park management went well and all indications suggest a smooth transition on Saturday. The Cherokee National Forest crew and squads comprised of local residents as AD hires continued to make significant progress. Archeological sites exposed by the storm and covered yesterday were documented by GIS and GPS technical mapping. Ramp 67 is graded, but needs additional surfacing work, and personnel continue to work on opening ramp 70. Work continued on the boardwalks at Ocracoke Lighthouse and on rebuilding the corral fencing for the historic Banker Ponies. The crew from Cherokee National Forest will demob tomorrow. Effective Sunday, the park is replacing AD hires with thirty day emergency hires for recovery work on Ocracoke Island. All law enforcement resources have been demobilized to home units or are now back under park management. IC Bob Panko traveled to Ocracoke Island yesterday with the park's chief ranger to survey recovery efforts and discuss future planning. Over the duration of the incident, personnel from the US Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Indian Affairs, US Geologic Survey, and National Park Service personnel from nineteen states were assigned. There are currently 67 personnel committed to the incident. Additional Information
Reports compiled from submission by Al Nash, IO, Central IMT; Shauna Dyas, IO, Pacific West IMT; Peter Givens, IO, East IMT.
At 1 p.m. yesterday afternoon, what was evidently a tornado touched
down in the park's City Point Unit. There were no injuries, but an as
yet not fully determined amount of damage was inflicted on buildings and
vegetation. A 1916 Sears & Roebuck shed behind the Bonnacord
building — reportedly one of the first of its kind available from
the Sears catalogue — was completely destroyed. Appomattox Manor
suffered some damage when four heavy cast iron columns supporting the
west facing porch were blown down. One column slammed so hard against
the side of the manor that it broke through the building's wooden
siding; another was thrown off its base and onto the walkway below.
Quick action by maintenance staff in shoring up the sagging porch roof
prevented further damage to the historic structure. No artifacts in the
manor were harmed, and no other damage occurred to the building's
interior. Many trees, shrubs and signs were blown down or uprooted,
including a historic boxwood tree that was a wedding gift to the Eppes
family from Brandon Plantation in 1870. Two huge trees fell on either
side of General Grant's cabin, just barely missing the structure.
Windows were blown out of the Naldara building and the carriage house.
All windows have been boarded up and secured. A newly rebuilt wooden
staircase, destroyed by Hurricane Isabel last September, was partially
destroyed again. Heavy rains were still falling at the time of the
report, causing bluff erosion, particularly along the north and west
facing side of the peninsula.
A hazardous materials spill occurred on White Oak Road at the Five Forks battlefield on the morning of August 21st. A solid waste disposal truck from Dinwiddie County was traveling east on the road when a 50 gallon hydraulic fuel tank failed, resulting in a spill of 40 gallons of hydraulic fluid. The operator of the truck pulled off the road into the Angles wayside parking lot, where the majority of the spill occurred. The material flowed into and was contained by a dirt ditch that separated the lot from the road. Damage was limited to the asphalt parking lot and about 25 feet of earthen ditch line adjacent to the lot. The truck was repaired at the scene and returned to the county garage for further work. A commercial hazmat team under contract to the county was on seen by late morning and began cleaning up the area. [Kevin Taylor, Acting Chief Ranger]
On the evening of August 14th, four girls, ages five to eight, entered the park from an adjacent elementary school, where they encountered an adult male who placed a knife to the throat of one of them and attempted to abduct all four. The three other girls screamed and fled despite their assailant's demands, thereby also providing an opportunity for the first girl to get free and escape. None of the four girls was injured. The incident was reported to the Petersburg Bureau of Police. The park's chief ranger was contacted the following day after detectives determined that the incident had taken place in the park. A joint investigation by detectives and NPS rangers and a special agent is currently underway. [Kevin B. Taylor, Acting Chief Ranger]
On May 10th, the park discovered that 22 of the historic railings surrounding the Pennsylvania Monument on Wakefield Street had been stolen. The railings, made of bronze, measure seven to eight feet in length and three to four inches in diameter. Of all the monuments in this historic city, the Pennsylvania Monument was the only one to be dedicated in the presence of a United States president. On May 19, 1909, President Taft attended the dedication ceremony along with veterans of Pennsylvania regiments who fought in the Battle of Fort Stedman on March 25, 1865, and the assault on Confederate Fort Mahone on April 2, 1865. The Pennsylvania veterans, who were members of the Third Division of the Ninth Corps, were escorted by the local chapter of the United Confederate Veterans, namely the A.P. Hill Camp. A $500 reward is being offered to anyone who offers information leading to the arrest and conviction of the thief or thieves. Anyone with such information should call either the ranger station at 804-732-3966 or ranger Richard Hotchkiss at 804-691-4786. Information can also be submitted to the Petersburg Police Department at 804-732-4222. [Ann Blumenschine]
A Civil War-vintage cannon ball was found on the morning of March 27th by park staff who were conducting archaeological survey work in advance of a park road realignment project. The eight-inch diameter, 44-pound unexploded mortar shell was unearthed in the park's Eastern Front Unit. As soon as the unexploded artillery shell was discovered, park staff withdrew from the site and put the park's UXO (unexploded ordnance) policy into effect. A state police bomb squad was notified and arrived on site within two hours. The approximately 144-year-old mortar shell was removed, transported to the Petersburg municipal landfill and detonated with shape charges. The shell's fragments will be eventually placed on display in the park's Eastern Front Visitor Center. [James Blankenship, Curator/Historian]
On March 24th, a visitor to the battlefield reported finding an object resembling a cannonball and led park staff to the location, where they determined that the object was a Civil War artillery shell. The park implemented its unexploded ordnance policy and contacted the Virginia State Police bomb squad. They removed the round to a remote area outside the park and rendered it safe. The shell will be placed in the park museum collection and information about its location will be documented for further research. Specifics on the location have been withheld from the public to deter relic hunters. The park curator identified the ordnance as a Confederate twelve-pounder shell, possibly a Napoleon round, the most commonly used artillery projectile during the Civil War. It also could have been fired from a twelve-pounder howitzer. Both smoothbore cannon could fire this round, filled with black powder, as far as three quarters of a mile. The shell should have exploded before hitting the ground. This ordnance was discovered almost a year to the day from when the last artillery round, an eight-inch mortar shell, was found in the park. [Jimmy Blankenship, Historian]
On February 10th, National Park Service rangers, Fish and Wildlife Service rangers, special agents from both agencies, and two officers from the City of Petersburg served a search warrant on a known relic hunter. Numerous items dating back to the Civil War period were found in his home, including live Civil War shells. The Virginia State Police ordnance disposal unit was contacted to handle the explosives. The case is on-going. For additional information, click on the link below. [Lew Rogers, Superintendent] HYPERLINK "http://progress-index.com/possible-live-civil-war-artillery-shell-found-during-search-on-home-1.1103009#ixzz1DavRgqGm"
Northeast Region special agents and Petersburg rangers were assigned to assist the FBI and the Department of Justice's Office of the Inspector General on a special operation within and adjacent to the park during the month of April. The case involved Petersburg Federal Correctional Institute (FCI) inmates, an NPS employee, and other civilians allegedly facilitating an "escape" by inmates during work release time (inmates work in the park under a contract between Petersburg and the FCI). On the morning of Thursday, April 14th, an operation began involving surveillance of suspected violations. The surveillance included personnel from the NPS, DOJ's OIG, the FBI, and the Virginia State Police and was conducted both inside and outside of the park. On the morning of April 15th, air and ground surveillance units observed criminal violations and a takedown ensued. Due to the circumstances of the case, the takedown occurred at the entrance to the park and along the park tour road, which disrupted park operations for several hours. One seasonal NPS employee, one inmate, and the inmates' spouse were apprehended and have been indicted in the Eastern District of Virginia for charges that include escape, facilitating an escape, misprision of a felony, and conspiracy. The Federal Bureau of Prisons and the U.S. Attorney's Office also assisted in the case. [Timothy W. Alley, Special Agent, ISB]
Hurricane Irene is poised to strike the Outer Banks of North Carolina with winds of up to 100 mph or more tomorrow, then move northeastward along the coast and over the metropolitan New York City area and into New England later in the weekend. Forecasters expect it to be a "major event" from North Carolina to Massachusetts and possibly further north. Parks have completed preparations for the storm. Incident management and damage assessment teams have been called out and will be in place and on standby by midday today. The Eastern IMT (Zeph Cunningham, IC) and Midwest IMT (Jim Hummel, IC) will be staged in Greensboro, North Carolina, with the former prepared to assist the Outer Banks Group and the latter set to support Cape Lookout NS and Moores Creek NB. Two Southeast Region assessment teams will also be staged in Greensboro and will be available to assist these parks as needed. Since all potentially affected parks are prepared and ready for the storm, only those with new closures or developments are listed below, south to north: Petersburg NB - The park will go into ICS tomorrow. It will be closed on Sunday and possibly on Saturday. A report on the storm and its impacts on park will appear in Monday's edition.
Although many East Coast parks have reopened and resumed normal operations, a number are still completing assessments and a few are dealing with serious problems. Most parks affected by Irene have reported some downed trees, minor structural damage and/or water infiltration, and some flooding. Those with more significant issues appear below, from south to north. Petersburg - Many trees are down throughout the park and it's estimated that it will take at least a week to clear the tour roads. A trail crew of six individuals has been ordered to assist the park with tree and debris removal. Additional reports on Hurricane Irene's impacts will be posted as they are received. [Bill Halainen, Editor] HYPERLINK "http://latimesphoto.files.wordpress.com/2011/08/la-na-0829-irene03.jpg?w=165"
Most parks affected by Hurricane Irene have reopened and returned to normal operations, but several continue to deal with serious issues. Today's status reports follow. As of yesterday morning, a total of 173 NPS employees were committed to hurricane recovery operations. Here are updates from parks reporting significant issues, as of yesterday morning (south to north): Petersburg - Hurricane Irene caused significant damage to the park. Staff, volunteers and cleanup teams from other areas are working hard to clear roads and trails and get the battlefield reopened as safely and as quickly as possible. Power has been restored to park headquarters and to the ranger station, but remaining buildings are still off-line. At present there is no estimate when power might be restored. Many battlefield staff are still without power in their homes and thousands of people in the surrounding area are still without power. The Eastern Front Visitor Center should reopen by the end of the week. However, because of extremely hazardous conditions, the battlefield tour road and surrounding trails will not be reopened until the cleanup work is complete. Crews are using heavy equipment and chainsaws to clear roads and trails. Because of the inherent danger to the crews as they complete their work and to the public if they were in these areas, the closures will remain in effect until further notice. The City Point unit, the Five Forks battlefield and the Poplar Grove National Cemetery are still closed to the public because of cleanup activities. Additional reports on Hurricane Irene's impacts will be posted as they are received. [Bill Halainen, Editor]
Recovery operations continue in parks in Northeast and Southeast Regions. Today's status reports follow. As of yesterday morning, a total of 242 NPS employees were committed to hurricane recovery operations. Here are updates from parks reporting significant issues, as of yesterday morning (south to north): Petersburg - The park remained closed yesterday. The entire park staff was working to remove and chip debris from the tour road. A crew comprised of employees from Shenandoah, New River Gorge, Hot Springs, and Mammoth Cave worked to remove downed and hanging trees from the park's 20 miles of trails. The park's visitor center is ready to open but is still without power. Plans are to open the visitor center by Labor Day weekend. Additional reports on Hurricane Irene's impacts will be posted as they are received. [Bill Halainen, Editor]
In November, 2010, park employees discovered an area where unlawful excavation had occurred within the park. Ranger Josh Petersen began an investigation and placed trail cameras in the area. This led to the identification of a suspect, J.S., and assistance was sought from the Investigative Services Branch. On December 21, 2010, Petersen caught J.S. in the act of relic hunting within the park. NPS agents and rangers, with the assistance of Fish and Wildlife Service personnel, obtained a search warrant for J.S.'s residence and vehicle. The found and recovered 9,936 artifacts, as well as detailed journals that J.S. kept showing that he had been relic hunting almost daily for more than four years, frequently within the park. This evidence helped officials to link J.S. with specific prior looting activity known to have occurred in the park, and revealed hundreds of incidents that had gone undetected. A federal grand jury indicted J.S. this past July on three felony ARPA counts (16 USC 470ee (a)), one count of theft of government property (18 USC 641), one count of depredation of government property (18 USC 1361), and one count of an unrelated offense which was later dropped by the government. At arraignment, J.S. pled not guilty and trial was set for October. Following one continuance, J.S. on December 6th changed his plea to guilty on two of the ARPA counts and the theft of government property count. He also agreed to forfeit all items seized during the search, as well as the items seized from his person in December, 2010. The penalties for a felony ARPA offense are a maximum term of two years' imprisonment, a maximum fine of $250,000, full restitution, a special assessment fee, and a year of supervised release. The penalties for depredation of government property are a maximum term of ten years of imprisonment, a maximum fine of $250,000, full restitution, a special assessment fee and three years of supervised release. Sentencing is set for March 6th. [April Michener, Special Agent, ISB East]
A Petersburg man who pled guilty last year to three felony charges stemming from illegal relic hunting on Petersburg National Battlefield property was sentenced in federal court on March 21st. The judge ordered J.J.S. to be incarcerated for one year and one day, followed by three years of supervised probation with mandatory drug and alcohol counseling and testing. He was ordered to pay $7,356 in restitution to the park for the damage his illegal excavations caused and banned from entering units of the National Park system during his probation period. J.J.S. was also ordered to pay a $300 special assessment fee and to forfeit to the park the 9,936 artifacts that were seized from his residence during the service of a search warrant last year. The investigation revealed that between 2005 and 2010, John J.J.S. relic hunted on a nearly daily basis - much of the time within Petersburg National Battlefield. It is unknown the exact number of artifacts J.J.S. excavated or the full extent of the damage caused by his unlawful activity, but according to journals that he kept, J.J.S. excavated over 18,000 Civil War era bullets alone during this timeframe. J.J.S. was remanded to the custody of the Bureau of Prisons on April 9th. For more information on the case, click on HYPERLINK "http://www.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=Incidents&id=5995" this link. [April Michener, Special Agent, Investigative Services Branch]
On April 21, the park closed the Eastern Front Unit tour road due to a sinkhole that has developed near tour stop 4. It is closed until further notice. Source: Petersburg National Battlefield August 24, 2022 On August 19, the park announced that they permanently closed the Poor Creek Trail due to ongoing safety concerns. The trail has eroded significantly from heavy rain and the steep slope is a hazard to visitors. Source: Petersburg National Battlefield
On September 1, the park closed the Eastern Front Unit tour road due to the development of a new sinkhole near tour stop 4. The park is working on emergency repairs for next two to three weeks. A larger repair and paving project is planned for the area in 2024. Source: Petersburg National Battlefield
On September 19, the park began repair work on the sinkhole that opened up on Eastern Front Tour Road in early September (see 9/6/23 Coalition Report). The work is expected to take about a week. Source: The Progress-Index
On September 26, the park reopened the Tour Road in the Eastern Front Unit after finishing emergency repairs on a sinkhole between Stops 3 and 4 (see 9/6/23 Coalition Report). A larger repair and paving project will take place in 2024. Source: Petersburg National Battlefield
On May 23, the Knights of Columbus Petersburg Council 694 dropped its lawsuit against the National Park Service when the agency reversed its decision to deny giving a permit for a Memorial Day Mass the organization has been holding "every year for decades." The NPS had cited a policy that says religious services are prohibited demonstrations. The permit was given and the service took place on May 27. Source: WWBT
On July 14, the park received heavy rains, resulting in major flooding and damage to some roads and trails. The Tour Road south of Route 36 is closed to vehicles at the Eastern Front, and the Friend Trail and part of the Harrison Creek Trail are also closed. The bridge over Harrison Creek will require significant repairs and will be combined with already-scheduled work in August. The closure of the bridge will last at least through September 9. Source: Petersburg National Battlefield | |