Law roundup: Police catch man lying about his allegedly stolen van

A man traveling abroad accused his ex-girlfriend of stealing his 1986 Dodge conversion van from his driveway. He told the Kalispell Police Department that she arranged to have it towed off while he was away. Though he claimed to be the sole owner, and said his ex lacked permission to use it, that turned out to be a fib. Officers directed him to take it up in small claims court when he got back stateside. "Thanks for nothing," he replied before hanging up.  

The owner of a 2021 blue Ford F-150 asked the police to investigate a hit-and-run in the parking lot of a big box store several days earlier. 

Five men hiding their faces beneath ski masks waved signs and a Confederate flag on Main Street.  At last check, the South remained defeated.  

Deeming the explosion they just heard as too loud for a firework, a caller alerted the authorities. Officers drove through the neighborhood but saw nothing out of the ordinary.  

Medical responders cared for an elderly woman who was covered in blood after taking a fall.  

A pastor asked for help in tracking down the owner of a vehicle left in the church's parking lot as it was obstructing work being done at the site. The owner later picked up the vehicle.  

Officers moved along several people accused of setting up a homeless encampment.  

A man found unconscious in the alley near a paint shop was later taken to the emergency room after passersby struggled to awaken him.  

A malfunctioning temporary traffic light caused consternation among motorists and sowed confusion among state and local officials. Callers told dispatchers that the light was stuck on red and motorists had given up on hoping it would change. When dispatchers alerted the police, they notified the Montana Department of Transportation, thinking it was the state's traffic signal. But state officials later said the light belonged to the city.