[Augusta, Maine – Friday, October 16, 2015] The Maine Warden Service believes that skeletal remains discovered in Redington Township are likely those of missing hiker Geraldine Largay missing since July 22, 2013. Positive identification will be determined in the coming weeks by the Medical Examiner’s Office, however, due to the location of the remains and evidence gathered at the scene the Maine Warden Service feels confident that Geraldine has now been located.
The remains were found Wednesday morning October 14 by a contractor conducting a forestry survey as part of an environmental impact statement on property owned by the US Navy in Redington Township. The contractor reported his findings to the Navy who subsequently alerted the Maine Warden Service. Personnel to include game wardens, State Police detectives, Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) special agents, and a Medical Examiner’s Office representative hiked to the scene of the remains yesterday morning.
The scene included skeletal remains and several pieces of clothing and belongings consistent with items known to be in Largay’s possession. The remains were located west of the Maine Public Reserve Land that contains a portion of the Appalachian Trail (AT) and about 3,500 feet east of the easterly shore of Redington Pond (see accompanying topographic map). The remains will be examined to determine the cause of death although investigators do not believe foul play is involved at this time.
These findings will bring closure to one of Maine’s most unique and challenging search and rescue incidents. Geraldine “Gerry” Anita Largay, age 66, started her hike on the AT in April of 2013 at Harpers Ferry, West Virginia; her trail name was “inchworm.” Her destination was Baxter State Park in Maine. Her husband George kept track of her along the way and made frequent pre-determined stops to resupply her.
On the morning of Sunday, July 21, 2013 she departed from her husband at the Route 4 AT crossing in Sandy River Plantation near the town of Rangeley. Later that day she texted her husband and advised she was on top of Saddleback Mountain. Geraldine was last seen on the early morning of July 22 at Poplar Lean-to on the Appalachian Trail (AT) in Maine. The attached photo of Geraldine was taken July 22 at Poplar Lean-to and is the last known photo of her. She was planning to hike that day to Spaulding Lean-to in Redington Township, approximately eight miles to the north.
The following day, July 23, she had planned to continue hiking north from Spaulding Lean-to located in Mount Abram Township to meet her husband who was waiting for her at the Route 27 crossing. Geraldine never arrived at that location. Until yesterday, search efforts yielded no clues that could be attributed to Largay.
Georgia Governor Deal Designates “Ranger Hotline Day” - "Day in the Life of a Ranger" Social Media Event Held
SOCIAL CIRCLE, GA – Governor Nathan Deal signed a proclamation designating October 17, 2015, opening day of firearms season for deer, as “Ranger Hotline Day.” Ranger Hotline provides an avenue for citizens to report, anonymously if they choose, illegal hunting activity. If their tip leads to an arrest, they are eligible for a reward, courtesy of the Georgia Natural Resources Foundation, a 501c3 organization.
“With the Ranger Hotline Program, we are enlisting all the citizens of Georgia to help stop illegal hunting activities,” said Col. Eddie Henderson, director of DNR’s Law Enforcement Division. “If someone sees a poacher, or anything they think is an illegal hunting activity, they should call the hotline number, 1-800-241-4113 or send an email to RangerHotline@dnr.state.ga.us and report it.”
Poaching is essentially stealing wildlife that belongs to all citizens and taking away their recreational opportunities, like hunting, fishing or wildlife watching.
If you see or learn of a violation, try to write down a description of the violator, a description of their vehicle, the location of the violation, and the type of violation. Then, simply call the Ranger Hotline. The program is housed in The Georgia Natural Resources Foundation and anyone who would like to make a tax-deductible donation to support this worthwhile program should visit http://gadnrle.org/node/2 or send an email to rangerhotline@dnr.state.ga.us.
“A Day in the Life”
On Saturday, GA DNR Law Enforcement’s social media event, "A Day in the Life" is back for 2015. Rangers from across the state will be sending pictures and information about what they encounter as a DNR Ranger on one of the busiest days of their year. They will also be reporting on how well hunters are faring in various parts of the state, and all of it will be posted on the Law Enforcement Division’s Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/gadnrle), and this year, to the Twitter (https://twitter.com/?lang=en) and Instagram (https://instagram.com/gadnrle) feeds as well. Different pictures and content will be posted to each account so everyone is encouraged to check them all out. Last year, “A Day in the Life” was one of the Division’s most popular events on Facebook and this year, with the addition of the other social media feeds, is expected be even bigger.
Connecticut Environmental Conservation Police Promote Two to Sgt.
The Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) Environmental Conservation (EnCon) Police have promoted two officers to the rank of Sergeant.
The two are:
· Officer Todd Chemacki of Madison
· Officer Stephen Stanko of East Hampton
Sgt. Todd Chemacki
Sgt. Chemacki is being assigned to the central sector of the Marine District. He has been an EnCon officer for more than 16 years and had previously worked in DEEP’s Emergency Dispatch center and in the State Parks Division.
Sgt. Chemacki has been the recipient of several department awards, including Officer of the Year in 2004, Award for Meritorious Service and Medal for Life Saving. He is also an active member in the department’s Chemical Immobilization and Hunting Related Shooting Incident Teams.
Sgt. Stephen Stanko
Sgt. Stanko is being assigned to the western sector of the Marine District. He has been an EnCon officer for more than eight years and prior to that spent eight years as a local police officer first in East Hampton and then in Middletown.
Sgt. Stanko has been the recipient of many department awards, including Officer of the Year in 2010, Boating Officer of the Year in 2011, Medals for Outstanding Service and Medals for Life Saving. He is currently a Field Training Officer and an active member in the department’s Chemical Immobilization and Hunting Related Shooting Incident Teams.
“Our Environmental Conservation Police are a highly regarded division of this agency that plays a critical role in both protecting this state’s environment and natural resources and in law enforcement,” said DEEP Commissioner Robert Klee. “Our two new Sergeants are dedicated and highly motivated members of our EnCon Police force and we congratulate them on their promotions.”
Background on EnCon Police
Tracing its roots back to “Special Game Protectors” first appointed in 1895, DEEP’s Environmental Conservation Police Division is the oldest law enforcement organization in the state. EnCon officers are fully certified law enforcement officials with full arrest powers. In addition to traditional law enforcement duties on state lands and in state parks, they have special responsibilities for protecting Connecticut’s natural resources and wildlife and enforcing fish and game regulations.
Ivory Trafficking Thrives in Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of the largest ivory smuggling hubs in the world, with 8 tonnes of smuggled ivory seized in 2013 alone, according to the WWF. The Chinese territory has outlawed the import and export of African elephant tusks since the ban took effect in 1990, but shops are allowed to sell ivory products acquired before the ban. The trade of tusks from extinct mammoth is unregulated.
Reporting by the Associated Press.
See the story and photos here
Georgia Man Faces Prison for Stealing Sea Turtle Eggs - Again
SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) — Less than two years after he was released from prison, Lewis Jackson found authorities waiting for him as he boarded a ferry boat on remote Sapelo Island carrying a cooler full of contraband valued by some as a mythical aphrodisiac.
Read more about the case here