Park News October 15,2008

Virgin Islands National Park

The park has been getting its heavy equipment, boats, structures, houses, campgrounds, beaches, partners, and visitors ready for Hurricane Omar's anticipated arrival late today. Hurricane Hole was opened to boaters on Monday and many other private boaters have pulled their vessels out of the water. The NPS has left three boats in the water and removed all others. Resource protection personnel gave final notice to any sailboats moored in the park yesterday afternoon. Park staff residing in government housing on St. John who are part of the incident management team will take government vehicles home overnight Wednesday evening, some with chainsaws, in order to help reopen park roads on Thursday morning. Staff residing on St. Thomas will stay home today, as the last public ferry ran at midnight last night. Essential staff living on St. John will keep the visitor center open, answer phones, continue to work with VITEMA (Virgin Islands’ emergency management agency), and complete final preparations. The VC will be closed and essential staff released if/when conditions warrant on Wednesday. The park will be closed today.

 

Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve

Seasonal protection ranger John Herrod was contacted by Jefferson Parish dispatch and advised that a “be on the lookout” message had been transmitted for three men who’d just been involved in a drive-by shooting in a neighborhood near Barataria Preserve. The men had opened fire on an occupied home, shooting out windows, then headed toward the preserve. A description of the vehicle was also provided. As Herrod headed toward the preserve’s southernmost entrance, a second 911 emergency call came into the parish sheriff’s office regarding another drive-by shooting involving the same men and vehicle. Herrod spotted the car as he approached the entrance and saw that it was about to enter the park. He and a number of other officers stopped the car and took all three into custody without incident. The weapon used in the shooting was recovered along with numerous spent shell casings. The three men were charged with the shootings and other related violations. Investigators determined that the driver had just been released from prison two days before, where he’d served time on weapons and drug charges and for assaulting a police officer.

 

Rock Creek Park

On the morning of October 2nd, Park Police officers Jeff McKeever and Robert Rowlett checked out a report of illegal dumping in Glover Archbold Park, part of the Rock Creek Park system. A witness told them that men driving two vehicles had been dumping mattresses in the park. As the officers were investigating, one of the involved vehicles returned to the location. The two people inside, who said they worked for a local company, implicated themselves in the dumping incident along with two others. The officers contacted a company supervisor at the work site, who instructed the other two people identified in the case to return to the scene of the crime. When they arrived, they were also arrested. The four face felony dumping charges in the District of Columbia.

 

Glacier National Park

Glacier National Park is soliciting applications for the position of GS-11 safety and occupational health manager. This is a permanent, full-time position located in West Glacier. It is open under merit promotion government-wide. The announcement number is GL212131 and it closes on October 20th. For more information, click on the following link to USA Jobs.


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