A Tobacco Valley man who expressed extreme views about the world ending was arrested Aug. 29 on suspicion of intentionally setting fires, the Tobacco Valley News reports.

Leroy Robert Morris, 67, faces six counts of felony arson. His bail was set at $750,000, and if he is released he’ll be required to wear a GPS tracker and observe a curfew of 7 p.m. to 7 a.m., the News said.

Over the past couple of months, the Eureka Volunteer Fire Department, U.S. Forest Service crews and Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office have responded to 11 fires that were either human-caused or were suspected to be human-caused, court documents revealed. Authorities had numerous contacts with Morris in July and August.

During the most recent incident on Aug. 28, Morries allegedly drove up Grave Creek to Skoken road and onto Forest Service Road 7069 shortly before midnight and stopped there for two minutes before returning home. A deputy went to the location where Morris had stopped and found a fire 20 feet in diameter climbing into two fir trees. Evidence was collected from the scene.

Morris has not yet been arraigned in District Court.

— Tobacco Valley News

Ravalli man received citizen award for helping free trapped driver

A motorist was pulled from a flaming car by bystanders moments before an explosion engulfed the entire scene on U.S. 93 Sunday, August 23.

Lake County Sheriff Don Bell honored Chad Killorn of Ravalli with the Lake County Sheriff’s Citizen Lifesaver Award for his part in a team effort of about half a dozen people, all unknown to each other, who saved the life of a driver pinned under the steering wheel.

The Sheriff’s Office said a Dodge pickup leaving Eagle Pass Trail at mile marker 41, failed to yield to oncoming traffic while turning south onto U.S. 93. A southbound Chevy Suburban pulling a camper collided with the rear end of the Dodge, causing the entrapment of the driver of the Suburban. The rest of the family in the Suburban were able to escape the Suburban as it caught fire, according to authorities.

The Suburban driver and passengers were from Dickinson, North Dakota. Bell says the driver of the Dodge, who was a local, was taken into custody.

Killorn’s efforts were noted in a cellphone video taken by Leslie Martin of Polson.

“Minutes prior to the arrival of any emergency services,” says the award citation, “a group of citizens were attempting to utilize fire extinguishers to tamp down the fire. Others were trying to open the door of the Suburban to extricate the trapped driver to no avail. All of this while increasing amounts of smoke and flames became present.”

Killorn and another unidentified man were able to pry the door of the Suburban enough to get a strap looped through the window opening. Killorn pulled his flatbed truck into position and after one failed attempt, was able to pull the car door open.

Danny Kastner of St. Ignatius, another involved in the rescue, said about nine fire extinguishers from Ninepipes Lodge were used up. “I said, ‘OK angels, you gotta help save this guy.’ You could see the fire was going to be engulfing the cab with him in it within about two minutes,” Kastner said.

“The door finally got pulled off,” Killorn said, but the man’s leg was stuck under the steering wheel. Killorn had already tried unsuccessfully to break the steering wheel or the seat to release him.

The man was successfully pulled from the vehicle just before the front tire blew from the heat. He was taken to Polson by ambulance.

— Lake County Leader

Trump stagecoach makes stop in Plains

The national campaign to “ride the Trump train,” a slogan meant to encourage support for President Donald J. Trump, took on a distinctly Montana twist Friday in Plains.

Powered by a pair of beautiful draft horses, the stagecoach, adorned in American and Trump flags, is part of vision held by owner Gene Bushnell, who came up with the tour idea three years ago.

“My friends and I planned a stagecoach ride across Montana along Highway 2 to remind America of our Montana pioneers and their determination to settle the Montana frontier,” Bushnell said during a stop in Plains.

The trip along the highway, also known as the “Hi-Line” began in June in Bushnell’s hometown of Troy, near the Idaho-Montana border. Along the way they have stopped in upwards of 40 towns offering free rides in the classic coach and accepting donations from those who can.

Those donations are used to help offset the costs of the ambitious adventure.

During the Plains stop, a steady stream of residents and tourists stopped for the chance to hop on board for a ride down and back along the railroad tracks that run through the town.

The stagecoach itself is a replica of the 1880 Abbott & Downing Concord. It was built from scratch using oak and iron.

— Clark Fork Valley Press