Montana judge to decide on wolf hunting limits
A Montana judge said he would decide Tuesday whether to continue temporary limits on wolf hunting in the state or to restore quotas and hunting methods before a trial over whether the public was given an adequate opportunity to weigh in on changes in the way the state estimates the size of the wolf population.
Arizona levee breached, hiker missing after floods hit West
A levee was breached Monday in a small town near the Arizona-New Mexico state line, forcing the evacuations of 60 people after a weekend of flash floods across the American Southwest that also swept away one woman who is still missing in Utahโs Zion National Park.
Biologists' fears confirmed on the lower Colorado River
Confirming their worst fears for record-low lake levels, National Park Service fisheries biologists have discovered that a non-native predator fish has made its way through Glen Canyon Dam to the lower Colorado River, where it can prey on ancient native fish they have been working to reestablish.
"A very chaotic situation': Crews tackle growing wildfires
Destructive U.S. Southwest fires have burned dozens of homes in northern Arizona and put numerous small villages in New Mexico in the path of danger, as wind-fueled flames chewed up wide swaths of tinder dry forest and grassland and plumes of smoke filled the sky.
Native American confirmed as head of National Park Service
The U.S. Senate has unanimously approved the nomination of Charles โChuckโ Sams III as National Park Service director, which will make him the first Native American to lead the agency that oversees more than 131,000 square miles of parks and other landmarks.
Portions of Blue Ridge Parkway near Roanoke to close for repairs
If you like driving over the Roanoke River Bridge on the Blue Ridge Parkway, you might want to get in one last ride before it closes. According to the National Park Service, the bridge will be closed from mid-April through Spring 2022. AdCrews will also repair the road failure near milepost 128, starting in the spring of 2022. โWe recognize these Roanoke area closures create short term impacts, however we are pleased to know that in the coming years, this section of the Parkway will be restored in ways that will allow for many more years of high-quality visitor experiences,โ said Alexa Viets, acting superintendent of the Blue Ridge Parkway. Open sections of the Blue Ridge Parkway are in blue .
Authorities investigating armed robbery along the Blue Ridge Parkway near Asheville
Security footage photos from local retailers show person(s) in possession of the victimโs stolen credit cards making purchases. National Park Service officials are asking for help in identifying those responsible for an armed robbery along the Blue Ridge Parkway that happened last month. On Feb. 24 at about 7 p.m., law enforcement rangers responded to a reported armed robbery near Milepost 394.5, not far from Asheville, North Carolina. The following day, the victimโs stolen credit cards were used at a gas station, a home improvement store and a grocery store. โThis crime is a reminder that the Parkway is not immune to the types of incidents one can experience anywhere else,โ said Blue Ridge Parkway Chief Ranger Neal Labrie.
National Park Service identify body found in river as missing Bedford County man
BEDFORD COUNTY, Va. โ UPDATEAuthorities identified the body that was found on Wednesday by multiple agencies. National Park Service along with the Bedford County Sheriffโs Office recovered a body near Rutrough Point on the Roanoke River. The park service says the body was that of missing 26-year-old Brent Gibson, of Bedford County. ORIGINAL STORYA body was found in a lake in Bedford County on Wednesday, according to the Bedford County Sheriffโs Office. AdOther agencies that initially assisted were Bedford County Fire and Rescue, Hardy Volunteer Fire Department and the Smith Mountain Lake Volunteer Fire Department.
โTons of red flags popping upโ as family remains hopeful for missing Bedford County man
ROANOKE COUNTY, Va. โ Dive crews will be in the Roanoke River at the Blue Ridge Parkway Thursday morning as the search for a missing Bedford County man continues. While tempers flared it ended with a park ranger sharing embraces with two of Gibsonโs family members. His truck and belongings were found at the Roanoke River Overlook parking lot on the Blue Ridge Parkway a few hours later. Bowyer said about a third of them are total strangers, with no connection to the Gibson family. Gibsonโs family said they know suicide is a possibility, but their gut says thatโs just not right.
Search for missing Bedford County man continues along the Blue Ridge Parkway
ROANOKE, Va. โ UPDATE: March 6, 2021The search for a missing Bedford County man continued along the Blue Ridge Parkway Saturday afternoon. If you have any information about Gibson, contact Blue Ridge Parkway Dispatch. ORIGINAL STORYThe National Park Service is searching for a missing man whose vehicle was found along the Blue Ridge Parkway in Roanoke. Blue Ridge Parkway Law Enforcement rangers are asking anyone who may have seen or talked to Gibson to call Parkway Dispatch at 828-298-2491. The missing search for Gibson is ongoing.
Malcolm Xโs boyhood home in Boston gets historic designation
FILE - In this March 29, 2016, file photo, signs call attention to the house where slain African-American leader Malcolm X spent part of his childhood in the Roxbury neighborhood of Boston. According to the National Park Service the house was added to the National Register of Historic Places in February 2021. (AP Photo/Bill Sikes, File)BOSTON โ Malcolm Xโs boyhood home in Boston was added to the National Register of Historic Places. The former Malcolm Little was a teenager in the 1940s when he came to live with his sister, Ella Little Collins. Little Collins, a civil rights organizer in her own right, became her brotherโs legal guardian after his father died and his mother was institutionalized.
Biden rolling out plan for $4 billion global vaccine effort
Workers from the National Park Service clear snow and ice at the White House, Thursday, Feb. 18, 2021, in Washington. Trump pulled the U.S. out of the WHO, but Biden moved quickly after his inauguration last month to rejoin and confirmed that the U.S. would contribute to COVAX. AdThe $4 billion in U.S. funding was approved by Congress in December and will be distributed through 2022. In addition to discussing vaccine distribution, Biden also plans to use the meeting to discuss G-7 countries' collective competitiveness and economic challenges posed by China, according to the White House. Biden is also scheduled to deliver a virtual address to the Munich Security Conference on Friday before traveling to Michigan to visit Pfizer's vaccine manufacturing facility.
Biden rolling out plan for $4 billion global vaccine effort
Workers from the National Park Service clear snow and ice at the White House, Thursday, Feb. 18, 2021, in Washington. Trump pulled the U.S. out of the WHO, but Biden moved quickly after his inauguration last month to rejoin and confirmed that the U.S. would contribute to COVAX. AdThe $4 billion in U.S. funding was approved by Congress in December and will be distributed through 2022. In addition to discussing vaccine distribution, Biden also plans to use the meeting to discuss G-7 countries' collective competitiveness and economic challenges posed by China, according to the White House. Biden is also scheduled to deliver a virtual address to the Munich Security Conference on Friday before traveling to Michigan to visit Pfizer's vaccine manufacturing facility.
Hereโs what the new National Parks mask mandate means for Blue Ridge Parkway visitors
ROANOKE, Va. โ Contrary to what you may have read from other media outlets, the new mask requirement at National Parks has very clear exceptions. So if youโre walking along a trail on National Park land and thereโs no one around, would you be in violation of the mandate? Masks are also required on NPS-managed lands when physical distancing cannot be maintained, including narrow or busy trails, overlooks and historic homes,โ according to the new National Park Service guidance announced on Tuesday. This mandate extends to the NPS-opperated Blue Ridge Parkway, so if youโre walking around and able to maintain social distancing, then you donโt need to wear a mask, according to these guidelines. After seeing incorrect reporting regarding the Blue Ridge Parkway and this mandate, we wanted to make sure people were accurately informed about what it meant.
Trump supporters among those seeking Jan. 20 protest permits
(AP Photo/Susan Walsh)WASHINGTON โ Supporters of President Donald Trump are among a handful of groups that have applied for permits to hold protests during Joe Biden's inauguration. But it appears unlikely their application will be approved as the National Park Service greatly curtails protests as part of a major security lockdown. Among them, was a group called "Let America Hear Us, Roar For Trump." On Friday Jeff Reinbold, NPS superintendent for the National Mall, said the two approved groups had agreed to each keep their demonstrations below 100 people. The park service on Friday closed Washingtonโs National Mall to the general public until after Wednesday's inauguration.
The Latest: Azar condemns Capitol riot in resignation letter
Security surrounds the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Friday, Jan. 15, 2021, ahead of the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris. Azar says he will resign at noon on Jan. 20, when President-elect Joe Biden is sworn in. TSA is also providing officers to help the Secret Service screen people along the parade route and attending Bidenโs inauguration Wednesday. Penceโs call comes less than a week before President-elect Joe Biden and Harris are set to take office. President Donald Trump hasnโt reached out to Biden and has repeatedly questioned the legitimacy of Bidenโs win.
Washington Monument closed until January 24 after threats surrounding Joe Bidenโs inauguration
A man walks past the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool and Washington Monument as sunrise approaches on Thanksgiving, Thursday, Nov. 26, 2020, in Washington. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)WASHINGTON โ The National Park Service is shutting down public access to the Washington Monument until Jan. 24, citing threats surrounding Joe Bidenโs inauguration. The agency said Monday that it was implementing the temporary closure โin response to credible threats to visitors and park resources.โPark officials say that groups involved in last weekโs riot at the U.S. Capitol are continuing to โthreaten to disruptโ Bidenโs inauguration on Jan. 20. As a result, officials are shutting down tours at the Washington Monument beginning Monday, running through Jan. 24. They say they may also institute some temporary closures to roads, parking areas and restrooms on the National Mall and could extend the closures โif the conditions persist.โ
Road to Roanoke Mountain overlook remains closed indefinitely
ROANOKE COUNTY, Va. โ A piece of the Blue Ridge Parkway in Roanoke County has been closed for more than two years and there is no sign it will reopen any time soon. Roanoke Mountain Road has been off-limits since the remnants of Hurricane Michael hovered over the parkway in late 2018. Despite the barricades, some people have stepped around the roadblocks and used the abandoned road as a hiking path to the Roanoke Mountain Overlook. โMy wife and I walk just about every morning,โ said Blue Ridge Parkway visitor Bill Van Thiel. We walked up to the top and walked back down to the bottom.โVan Thiel believes the National Park Service should consider permanently closing Roanoke Mountain Road to cars.
Utah man pleads guilty in Yellowstone dig seeking treasure
This undated photo provided by the National Park Service shows Fort Yellowstone Cemetery, in Yellowstone National Park, Wyo. A Utah man has pleaded guilty after authorities said he was caught digging in a Yellowstone National Park cemetery in search of hidden treasure. โ A Utah man has pleaded guilty after authorities said he was caught digging in a Yellowstone National Park cemetery in search of hidden treasure. Craythorn caused more than $1,000 in damage by digging in the Fort Yellowstone Cemetery between Oct. 1, 2019, and May 24, 2020, prosecutors alleged. Several people seeking the treasure had to be rescued from precarious situations and as many as six died.
Volcano erupts on Hawaii's Big Island, draws crowds to park
In this photo provided by the National Park Service, people watch an eruption from Hawaii's Kilauea volcano on the Big Island on Sunday, Dec. 20, 2020. In the first hours of the eruption, lava mixed rapidly with water in the summit's crater lake to create steam. The water was the first ever recorded in the summit crater of Kilauea volcano. Hawaii Volcanoes National Park spokeswoman Jessica Ferracane said in a telephone interview that the volcanic activity is a risk to people in the park and that caution is needed. Last night's eruption was contained to the summit caldera within the national park.
Nearly 6-mile stretch of the Blue Ridge Parkway near Roanoke reopens
ROANOKE, Va. โ Drivers can now enjoy a bit more beauty along the Blue Ridge Parkway. Crews completed repairs after a small slope failure and now, the stretch between the Explore Park entrance and the entrance at US 220 in Roanoke County is again open. Those wishing to drive on the Parkway south of the 220 entrance will have to wait quite a while longer. Heavy rain destroyed part of the Blue Ridge Parkway at milepost 128, about 7 miles south of the US 220 entrance. This closure is due to the 150 feet of the road lost near milepost 128 due to flooding in May.
Blue Ridge Parkway repairs begin in Roanoke area
ROANOKE, Va. โ Work is starting this week to repair a portion of the Blue Ridge Parkway near Roanoke in time for the busy fall season. Crews are working on a slope failure that caused the parkway to close from the Explore Park Entrance (milepost 115.5) to U.S. 220 (milepost 121.4). Officials with the National Park Service (NPS) said it will take about 10 days. Despite the challenges of finding funding and the COVID-19 pandemic, a Parkway spokesperson said the time itโs taken to get to this point is not uncommon, especially given the process involved in designing and contracting out the job. โWe just hope people can stay patient with us as we work through all of those details," said Caitlin Worth, a National Park Service Spokesperson for the Blue Ridge Parkway.
WATCH LIVE: President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump honor Flight 93 on 19th anniversay
SHANKSVILLE, Pa. โ President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump will participate in a Flight 93 National Memorial 19th Anniversary Observance in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. The National Park Service, along with the Families of Flight 93, Friends of Flight 93 National Memorial, and National Park Foundation will host the Nineteenth Anniversary Observance of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks. Flight 93 was a domestic plane that was hijacked by four al-Qaeda terrorists who were on board. The flight crashed into a field in Pennsylvania.
11-year-old dies after motorcycle crash on Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina
WATAUGA COUNTY, N.C. An 11-year-old is dead after a motorcycle crash on the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina, according to the National Park Service. Authorities say the crash happened on Sunday around 11:45 a.m. near milepost 297. According to police, Jason Kruk, the driver of the motorcycle, made a correction while driving after the car in front of him stopped suddenly before going into the northbound lane where he hit a pickup truck. Kruk was taken to to a local hospital to be treated for his injuries, and his 11-year-old son was airlifted to a local hospital where he later died, according to police. Authorities say both were wearing helmets.
Trump, Biden will both mark 9/11 anniversary in Shanksville
The Wall of Names honor the 40 people killed in the crash of Flight 93. Both President Donald Trump and Democratic challenger Joe Biden will commemorate the 19th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks in rural Pennsylvania where one of the hijacked planes crashed in a field. Vice President Mike Pence and his wife, Karen, will attend Sept. 11 memorial ceremonies in New York this year. The 2,200-acre Flight 93 National Memorial marks the spot in rural Pennsylvania where the hijacked flight crashed, killing all 40 people on board. It's the second time Trump will mark Sept. 11 with a visit to the site.
Part of Blue Ridge Parkway closed to help slow the spread of the coronavirus announced
NELSON COUNTY, Va. โ The northernmost 13 miles of the Blue Ridge Parkway are now closed. The National Park Service announced the closure is in an effort to slow the spread of the coronavirus and is in coordination with the closure now in place at Shenandoah National Park. Both closures will remain in effect until further notice. Access to hiking trails remains open where not inaccessible due to road closure for weather, maintenance, emergency or administrative necessity.
Want to visit a U.S. National Park? All the free-entrance days of 2020
Regardless of whether youโre aiming to visit one U.S. national park in your lifetime or your bucket list includes 10 of them, we have good news: Wednesday marks one of the free-entrance days, in honor of Veterans Day. is the last fee free day of 2020.https://t.co/UR6dHYdbDq โ National Park Foundation (@NationalParkFdn) November 10, 2020All national parks will waive entrance fees. Some other free dates for 2020 included:Saturday, April 18 โ First Day of National Park Week/National Junior Ranger DayTuesday, August 25 โ National Park Service BirthdaySaturday, September 26 โ National Public Lands DayWeโre still waiting on the free days of 2021 to be released. There are 419 National Park Service sites, and of those, 110 typically charge an entrance fee, with costs ranging from $5 to $35, the NPS said. Just be aware, the entrance-fee waiver for the free days donโt cover amenity or user fees for things like camping, boat launches, transportation or special tours.
Portion of Blue Ridge Parkway could shutdown for Roanoke Ironman race
ROANOKE, Va. โ The National Park Service wants to know what you think about shutting down part of the Blue Ridge Parkway for next yearโs Ironman race. Race organizers want to shut down about 20 miles for the bike portion of the race. The park service is taking public comments until Nov. 22. The race will be held in Roanoke on June 7. National Park Service spokesperson for the Blue Ridge Parkway, Leesa Brandon, said thereโs no set date when a decision will be made on the request.
'Administrative search' now underway for missing man along Blue Ridge Parkway
ROANOKE COUNTY, Va. - The Thunder Ridge Overlook along the Blue Ridge Parkway was quiet Friday. According to the National Park Service, the search for 63-year-old James Hogue is now an administrative search. Hogue's motorcycle was found near Thunder Ridge Overlook on Oct. 26. Park rangers learned Hogue hadn't been seen or heard from since Roanoke County sheriff's deputies had contact with him two weeks earlier. On Friday, 10 News reached out to the Roanoke County Sheriff's Office and the county for more information but did not get a response.
Woman missing for days in park found by writing SOS with rocks
Wikimedia CommonsTHREE RIVERS, Calif. - "S O S" spelled out with rocks saved a woman missing in a national park for days, according to a release from the National Park Service. Mary Joanna Gomez, 56, was found alive and safe in Sequoia National Park after her disappearance sparked a major search operation, the release said. On October 23, her day off, she visited Kings Canyon National Park, and the next day she texted her daughter pictures of the scenery, the release said. A search began, with the National Park Service placing her in the Giant Forest of Sequoia National Park on Saturday morning, according to the release. Search teams, search dogs and aircraft all took part in the effort.