Latest news with #statepark
Associated Press
a day ago
- Associated Press
What to know about the fatal attack of a married couple at Devil's Den park in Arkansas
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — Authorities have released a photo and a composite sketch of a person they are trying to question as they investigate the fatal attack of a married couple in front of their children at Devil's Den State Park in Arkansas. The search for the man who killed the hikers at a state park in northwest Arkansas entered its fifth day, while many details about the attack remain unclear. Here are some things to know: Couple found dead on a walking trail Clinton David Brink, 43, and Cristen Amanda Brink, 41, were found dead Saturday on a walking trail at Devil's Den. Their daughters, who are 7 and 9, were not hurt and are being cared for by family members, authorities have said. Police have released a composite sketch and photo of a person of interest they are searching for in the attack. Along with the drawing, state police released a statement saying the suspect 'likely sustained an injury while attacking the couple.' It did not go into further detail. The State Police has said it has received numerous calls. But the agency has released few details, including how the couple was killed and whether it believes the killer is still in the area. The FBI has said its Little Rock field office is assisting in the investigation. Police released composite sketch of person of interest Police have not identified the killer or given a possible motive for the attack. But they have provided a description, the composite sketch and the photo of a person of interest. The photo was provided by a witness who was at Devil's Den State Park Saturday, police said. The photo was taken from behind and does not show the person of interest's face. Officials described him as a white male wearing a long-sleeved shirt with sleeves rolled up, dark pants, a dark ball cap and sunglasses. He was carrying a black backpack and wore fingerless gloves. He was seen driving toward a park exit in a black, four-door sedan with a license plate partly covered by tape. The car, possibly a Mazda, may have been traveling on nearby State Highway 170 or State Highway 220. Victims had moved from South Dakota Clinton and Cristen Brink had just moved from South Dakota to the small city of Prairie Grove in northwest Arkansas. Their water had been connected less than two weeks ago, Mayor David Faulk said. Clinton Brink had been scheduled to start a job as a milk delivery driver Monday in the nearby Fayetteville area, according to Hiland Dairy, his employer. Cristen Brink had been licensed as a nurse in Montana and South Dakota before moving to Arkansas. The Brink family said the couple died 'heroes protecting their little girls.' Park known for hiking trails Devil's Den is a 2,500-acre state park near West Fork, about 140 miles (220 kilometers) northwest of Little Rock, the state capital. Devil's Den is known for its hiking trails and rock formations, and it is a short drive from the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville and Walmart's Bentonville headquarters. It was selected as a state park site in the 1930s. The park's trails, which lead to the surrounding Ozark National Forest, remained closed Wednesday. Authorities have asked the public to report tips and urged trail-goers who were at Devil's Den on Saturday to look through their photos and videos for possible images of the suspect. Police have also asked local residents to review any security or game camera footage for unusual activity or images matching the vehicle.
Fox News
3 days ago
- Fox News
Couple killed at Arkansas' Devil's Den State Park 'died heroes protecting their little girls,' family says
The couple who were killed over the weekend at Arkansas' Devil's Den State Park died as "heroes" while protecting their two young daughters, according to their family. A manhunt remains ongoing Monday for the suspect wanted in the deaths of Clinton Brink, 43, and Cristen Brink, 41, who were found dead Saturday afternoon on a walking trail. Their young daughters, ages 9 and 7, were uninjured and are safe with family members, police said. "The family is asking for privacy during this very difficult time as they grieve and learn how to navigate this new reality. They ask that if anyone has any information at all that will help in the investigation to please contact the proper authorities immediately. Clinton and Kristen died heroes protecting their little girls and they deserve justice," read a statement fromthe family provided to ABC News. "They will forever live on in all of our hearts." The Brinks were new to the area, having recently moved to Prairie Grove, Arkansas, from another state. It is still unclear how they were killed. ARKANSAS COUPLE KILLED AT DEVIL'S DEN STATE PARK WHILE HIKING WITH YOUNG DAUGHTERS; SUSPECT AT LARGE Police are now searching for a White male with a medium build, who was seen wearing a long-sleeved shirt with the sleeves rolled up, dark pants, a dark ballcap, sunglasses and fingerless gloves. He was also carrying a black backpack, police said. The suspect was also seen driving toward a park exit in a black, four-door sedan – possibly a Mazda with tape covering the license plate. The vehicle may have been traveling on State Route 170 or 220, police said. "Investigators are asking those who visited the park on Saturday to check cellphone photos and videos or GoPro camera footage for images of the suspect," read a statement from Arkansas State Police. "They are also asking residents of the area surrounding the park to notify ASP if they have access to security and game camera footage." 2 CAMPING IN MICHIGAN ON REMOTE WILDERNESS ISLAND ARE FOUND DEAD Arkansas State Police did not immediately respond Monday to a request for comment from Fox News Digital. "We're just really hoping that anybody who captured any video or pictures or anything suspicious, just let us know," State Police spokesperson Nick Genty told The Associated Press. "We're investigating any and all tips that we get." In 911 recordings obtained by KNWA and KFTA, an operator was heard saying that first responders "received a call from the visitor's center, two children are there, they advised that their parents were assaulted" and missing. "I hear yells calling for help, we're walking down…," the station also quoted an officer as saying on Saturday. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP "Try to relay to the office that we found the victims down here. There are on the lower Devil's Den Trail … I think I see you right there. I've got two bodies down here," said another. Fox News Digital's Kyle Schmidbauer contributed to this report.
Associated Press
3 days ago
- Business
- Associated Press
Texas buys land for new state parks that will be developed using $1 billion voter-approved fund
LAMPASAS, Texas (AP) — On a blistering June morning, Andy Sipocz brushes his fingers through the thick, sawgrass fronds rising higher than his head beside a creek in the Texas Hill Country. Around him, rocky limestone lines Yancey Creek, streaked in subtle reds and browns — evidence of millennia of mineral deposits and weathering. Sipocz, a natural resources coordinator and biologist with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, is one of more than three dozen staffers gathered here to begin laying the groundwork for what will one day be Texas' newest state park — about a two hour drive northwest of Austin. Wearing cargo shorts and pants, hiking boots, and sun-brimmed hats, the TPWD team winds its way down a steep hill — no trail in sight. That's the point. They're here to determine where the trails should be. Today's mission: conduct early-stage natural resource surveys and habitat assessments to support the park's future design. 'Like any good business, you need to know what you have before you start,' Sipocz, who has been with TPWD for 35 years, said. 'You can't make good plans until you know what it is you've got.' After voters approved the Centennial Parks Conservation Fund, a $1 billion investment passed by lawmakers in 2023, Texas began a new era of public land acquisition and park development. The fund allows the parks department to expand access to natural spaces across the state, while preserving native ecosystems and cultural landmarks. That growth is especially significant after a controversial loss in 2023 of Fairfield Lake State Park, a 1,800-acre site about 100 miles south of Dallas. The park closed after the private power company that leased the parkland to the state at no cost chose to sell it. The site was later purchased by a private developer to build a luxury housing project. Fairfield sat on leased land. Today, 17 parks sit on leased land. The closure sparked widespread outcry and galvanized support for state leaders to buy more parkland so there won't be a repeat of the Fairfield debacle. According to a 2022 report by Environment Texas, Texas lags behind most others states in state parkland: The state ranks 35th in the nation for state park acreage per capita, with about 636,000 acres of parkland for a population of over 29 million as of 2019. The report suggests that Texas needs to add 1.4 million acres of state parks by 2030 to meet the needs of its residents. With the new voter-approved funding, Texas is poised for a historic expansion of its 88-park system. Among the most recent additions to the state park system are: The first two acquisitions will create a new Post Oak Ridge State Park. Centennial fund money will be used to develop the new acquisitions. 'This is kind of a new thing for the department,' Sipocz said. 'There was a big burst of acquisitions of parks in the '70s and '80s, and there hasn't been since. That's what makes this so exciting.' Two ranches will become new park At the heart of the planning process is JJ Fleury, the program director for planning and geospatial resources at TPWD. Fleury said Post Oak Ridge State Park, where Yancey Creek flows, is still in the early stages of development. The park was originally two large ranches, Vann River Ranch and Big Springs Ranch. Park staffers identified the parcels and ultimately acquired them as soon as they went on the market. Together the properties cost $47.1 million. Fleury said the park checked a lot of boxes: within the Texas Triangle formed by Houston, San Antonio and Dallas-Fort Worth, varied terrain like sweeping canyons and frontage along the Colorado River. He added that the flatter, less scenic areas of the park could serve as 'back of house' zones for wastewater treatment, maintenance, or staff housing. This site also sits near Colorado Bend State Park. When developed, the more than 3,000-acre new park along Yancey Creek will connect with the greater Colorado Bend ecosystem, which Fleury said will expand conservation efforts at a regional scale. 'One of the exciting things is that landscape scale of conservation, where we're protecting now 10,000 acres,' Fleury said. He also added that the park is filling recreation gaps like cabins and RV camping, which Colorado Bend doesn't provide. A 'herp search' to catalogue critters Early that June morning Greg Creacy, a natural resources program director for Texas State Parks, leads a team of biologists, herpetologists and hydrologists through the ecological inventory — walking the land, cataloging species and habitats, and determining what's rare or sensitive. The Yancey Creek survey starts with a herp search — short for herpetology — which includes snakes, lizards, frogs and salamanders. '(That knowledge) informs our plans for how to conserve these systems and these species over the long haul,' Creacy said. 'It also informs how we manage the site, how we develop and how the public uses the site recreationally and doesn't negatively impact those resources.' Staff fan out across the limestone creek bed, squating, lifting rocks and peering into the shadows because according to Sipocz, the biologist, that's where these creatures like to hide — under rocks where it's cool and moist. For Sipocz, there's a thrill in every discovery. He jokes and says picking up rocks is addictive and gives him high. It doesn't take long before they're hollering joyfully from opposite banks. 'OMG, look at this!' one yells. 'What have you got?' another replies. Tadpoles wriggle in shallow pools. A Rio Grande leopard frog attempts to escape with a leap before being gently scooped for identification. A water moccasin slithers through the tall grass — taking Sipocz by surprise. One team member spots a bright blue collared lizard basking on a sun-warmed rock and picks it up, while another points out a delicate Maidenhair Fern. Someone else finds a tiny skink hiding beneath a loose stone, and a plain-bellied water snake in the creek. Staffers use the iNaturalist app to log every species they encounter, uploading photos and habitat notes in real time. The data will help TPWD assess the site's ecological significance and identify sensitive areas in need of protection. These discoveries guide the placement of trails and facilities — and sometimes determine what can't go where. 'We might find a flat, buildable area that looks great for a trail,' said Fleury, 'but then our resource team comes back and says, 'Endangered species habitat — move it.'' Electrofishing in Yancey Creek Following the herp search, the TPWD team pivots to the fish community. A small team steps into the clear, and at times knee-deep waters of Yancey Creek. Some wear waders; others simply brave the water in soaked clothes. Using a method called electrofishing, the team led by aquatic biologist Stephen Curtis, temporarily stun fish with a low electrical current — enough to make a human hand tingle uncomfortably, but not dangerous to fish. Every zap from the backpack-mounted electrofisher triggers a sharp beep as fish float to the surface, where they are gently scooped by a net to later be dumped into buckets for identification. The team documents species one by one, sorting and tallying. They found an array of native species including longear sunfish, Western mosquito fish, sand shiners, blacktail shiners with their striking orange fins, and Texas tetra. Buckets quickly filled, especially with the 'cuss bugs,' a local nickname for a particularly prickly aquatic insect with small stinging barbs. After they count the fish and scribble its species on a pad, they release them back into the creek. 'That's a good sign,' said Curtis. 'We have a lot of complexity in this stream. We have a variety of habitats for fish to occupy and we want to keep it that way and keep that managed to where we can share this with people in the future.' Curtis said that sampling fish is about building a deeper understanding of the ecosystem. Fish diversity can reveal how healthy the stream is and how well it's functioning. It will also help them assess how they will need to manage the fish population when this site is open to the public for fishing. In addition to identifying fish, the team collected water samples and measured how much water is flowing. Fleury, the park planner, said that once surveys are done, park planners will work closely with resource specialists to steer clear of sensitive areas for species and start figuring out the best spots for things like roads, parking, utilities, buildings, and recreational features — think trails, campsites, and picnic areas. As they go, the planning team will create some early concept plans to share with the public and get feedback from the public at a series of local and regional public meetings where they can weigh. The idea is to gauge what kinds of experiences people want — day use, overnight facilities, paddling access, etc. — and test the early concept plans before they're finalized. Once a plan takes shape, TPWD moves into design and construction. 'It's like building a small city,' Fleury said. With the Centennial parks funding, the timeline is fast. He said that people can expect to have access to Post Oak Ridge State Park, the new park at Yancey Creek, within a year. That could mean guided tours, paddling, birding or limited day use on existing ranch roads. Within 18 months, the goal is to have basic facilities such as trails, parking areas and restrooms. And within four years, a full-fledged state park including day use and overnight recreation, administrative support facilities, utilities, roads and parking. Back at Yancey Creek, the team wraps up its survey. Some are sunburned, wet or mud-splattered. They've logged dozens of species and mapped critical areas for future planning. As they begin the long trek back up the hill, one staffer takes a moment to admire the land, which remains raw and untamed. In the near future, this stretch of Texas Hill Country could become a place the public can cherish and explore. 'This is why I got this career,' Sipocz said. 'We don't get paid a lot, but… we get paid in sunsets.' ___ This story was originally published by The Texas Tribune and distributed through a partnership with The Associated Press.
Wall Street Journal
25-06-2025
- Automotive
- Wall Street Journal
Even Warren Buffett Hasn't Fixed the RV Industry's Serial Breakdowns
Jay Nelson was driving away from a picturesque Montana state park in 2020 when he saw smoke in his rearview mirror. It was coming from the Forest River recreational vehicle he was towing. Nelson, a longtime Montana highway patrolman, got his three daughters to safety, then he and his wife grabbed a fire extinguisher.
Washington Post
31-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Washington Post
Capturing the vibrant life of LGBT activist Marsha P. Johnson
Just ahead of Pride season, a new biography of the venerated activist Marsha P. Johnson by the multidisciplinary artist Tourmaline has hit bookstore shelves. When Marsha P. Johnson died in 1992, she was a beloved figure in New York's LGBTQ+ social scenes and liberation movements. Since then — thanks to work from community activists and historians, including Tourmaline — her legacy has grown deeper, her reputation traveling further. Today, there is a state park in New York named after her and a bronze bust of her housed in the New York LGBT Center. Online, tributes pop up on social media every summer commemorating her activism.
