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INTERSTATE 90 WITH
MORE ON THIS
STAGGERING STATISTIC.
MARCI...
HIGHWAY PATROL
OFFICIALS SAY THEY
RESPONDED TO TWELVE
CRASHES IN WESTERN
MONTANA, INCLUDING
SEVEN FATALITIES.
FOURTH OF JULY
WEEKEND USUALLY SEES
INCREASED ACCIDENTS,
BUT THEY SAY, THIS
YEAR IS ESPECIALLY
BAD.
FROM FLORENCE WITH
THAT INFORMATION.
MARCI.
THE AMERICAN RED CROSS
IS ESTABLISHING A
SHELTER FOR EVACUEES
OF THE UPPER WOODCHUCK
FIRE AT THE FLORENCE
CARLTON SCHOOL OFF OF
OLD HIGHWAY 93.
WHEN WE WERE THERE...
THE RED CROSS WAS JUST
SETTING UP THE SHELTER
AND NO EVACUEES WERE
THERE YET.
INITIALLY EVACUEES
WERE TOLD TO GO TO THE
FLORENCE FIRE
DEPARTMENT.
ONE FAMILY AT THE
SHELTER LOST THEIR
HOME AND ANOTHER
FAMILY LOST THEIR
CABIN.
NEWS GFXÑ
NOW EVACUEES CAN GO TO
THE FLORENCE CARLTON
SCHOOL. IT WILL BE
OPEN 24 HOURS. AND IF
YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS
YOU CAN CALL THE RED
CROSS AT 5-4-9
6-4-4-1.
THERE IS AN EMERGENCY
MARCI KRIVONEN TALKED
TO OFFICIALS THAT ARE
MONITORING THE
WOODCHUCK FIRE AND SHE
JOINS US LIVE FROM
FLORENCE.
MARCI.
RIGHT NOW THE FIRE IS
REPORTED AT 950 ACRES
AND IS 40 PERCENT
CONTAINED. TWO
STRUCTURES ARE
CONFIRMED LOST.
FIRE OFFICIALS SAY
CREWS ARE DIGGING
DOZER LINES AROUND THE
LIVE IN THE STUDIO
WITH DETAILS.
MARCI...
PLASMAÑ
THE POTENTIAL
CHANGE OF DATE STEMS
FROM AN APPEAL THE
GOVERNMENT FILED...A
MOVE DEFENSE ATTORNEYS
CALL "SURPRISING."
YESTE JOINS US
NOW LIVE.
MARCI...
PLASMAÑ
29-YEAR-OLD
TIMOTHY LEMKE FACES
SEVEN CHARGES
INCLUDING VEHICULAR
HOMICIDE WHILE UNDER
THE INFLUENCE.
JOINED BY HIS
ATTORNEY, LEMKE
APPEARED IN JUSTICE
COURT TODAY. HIS
CHARGES STEM FROM AN
EARLY MORNING ACCIDENT
ON INTERSTATE 90
TUESDAY.
COURT DOCUMENTS
SAY LEMKE DROVE THE
WRONG WAY AND HIT A
VEHICLE CARRYING A
FAMILY FROM HELENA.
IN COURT,
PROSECUTING OFFICIALS
READ NOTES FROM THE
CASE PROSECUTOR,
DEPUTY COUNTY ATTORNEY
DALE MRKICH
.
"THE DEFENDENT WAS
TRAVELING AT HIGHWAY
SPEEDS THE WRONG WAY
AT NIGHT, HIS PICKUP
TRUCK FLIPPED OVER ON
IMPACT AND THAT CAUSED
FULL AND EMPTY BEER
BOTTLES TO BE STREWN
ABOUT THE INSIDE OF
THE CAB."
:40Ñ
THE NOTES WERE
MEANT TO CONVINCE THE
JUDGE TO KEEP LEMKE
BEHIND BARS WITH A
HIGH BAIL AMOUNT.
LEMKE'S ATTORNEY
CONTESTED MRKICH'S
WORDS, SAYING LEMKE
WAS NOT A FLIGHT RISK
AND WAS PREPARED TO
ENROLL IN AN ALCOHOL
TREATMENT PROGRAM.
THE JUDGE SIDED
WITH MRKICH AND SET
LEMKE'S BAIL AT
HALF-A-MILLION
DOLLARS.
TAGÑ
THERE WERE TWO
CHILDREN INVOLVED IN
THAT CRASH, AGES FOUR
AND FIVE. AT LAST
WORD, THE FATHER AND
FIVE-YEAR-OLD CHILD
WERE RELEASED FROM THE
HOSPITAL, THE
FOUR-YEAR-OLD IS STILL
RECIEVING TREATMENT.
LIVE IN THE
STUDIO, MARCI KRIVONEN
REPORTING, MARK, BACK
TO YOU.
MARCI?
CHROMA WALLÑ
19-YEAR-OLD JONAH
WARR COULD FACE FIVE
YEARS BEHIND BARS AND
A LARGE FINE FOR JUST
ONE COUNT OF ARSON.
BUT, FEDERAL
PROSECUTORS SAY WARR
ADMITTED STARTING 19
WILDFIRES, INCLUDING
THE GASH CREEK FIRE,
TWO ON BLUE MOUNTAIN
AND THE MORMON PEAK
FIRES.
NATS
A HUMAN-CAUSED FIRE
BURNING OUTSIDE VICTOR
THREATENED HOMES WHEN
IT STARTED IN JULY.
THE 85-HUNDRED ACRE
GASH CREEK FIRE IS
JUST ONE OF SEVERAL
FIRES LOCAL AND
FEDERAL AGENTS HAVE
BEEN INVESTIGATING. A
GOVERNMENT-FILED
DOCUMENT SAYS A LOT OF
THE FIRES HAD SIMILAR
FEATURES, WITH MOST
BEING ADJACENT TO A
ROAD AND STARTED IN A
GRASSY AREA USING AN
OPEN FLAME. AFTER
EVIDENCE WAS
COLLECTED, LAW
ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS
MADE AN ARREST.
NATS
19-YEAR-OLD JONAH WARR
OF FLORENCE WAS
ARRESTED FOR ARSON.
THE GOVERNMENT SAYS
WARR ADMITS TO SETTING
NEARLY TWO DOZEN
FIRES, INCLUDING THE
GASH CREEK. IN THE
DOCUMENT, WARR ADMITS
USING A LIGHTER TO
START GRASSES ON FIRE
NEXT TO ROADS.
NATS
ALSO IN THE COMPLAINT,
A SMALL RED CAR WAS
NOTICED AT SEVERAL
AREAS WHERE THE FIRES
BEGAN. THE
DESCRIPTION MATCHED
WARR'S VEHICLE.
NATS
THE COMPLAINT LISTS
ALL THE FIRES STARTING
BETWEEN JULY 24TH AND
SEPTEMBER FIRST.
TAGÑ
WARR ADMITS TO
STARTING FIRES AT
HIDDEN VALLEY, THE
LOLO FIREWORKS STAND
AND THE SECOND
WOODCHUCK FIRE.
IN COURT TODAY, A
JUDGE PLACED WARR IN
THE CUSTODY OF THE U-S
MARSHAL.
LIVE IN THE
STUDIO, MARCI KRIVONEN
REPORTING, NOW BACK TO
YOU.
MARCI KRIVONEN
MET WITH ONE
FIREFIGHTER WHO SAW
THE TERROR FIRST-HAND.
SHE JOINS US NOW
LIVE IN THE STUDIO
WITH MORE.
MARCI...
PLASMAÑ
MISSOULA RURAL
FIRE DEPARTMENT'S TOM
ZIEGLER SAYS
THE AFTERMATH OF
AMERICA'S WORST TERROR
ATTACK IS
INDESCRIBABLE.
BEFORE IT
HAPPENED, HE MADE
FRIENDS AND WORKED
WITH A GROUP OF
FIREFIGHTERS FROM
QUEENS, MOST OF WHOM
HE NEVER SAW AGAIN.
TOM:"OUT OF ALL THE
FRIENDS I HAD, WE ONLY
FOUND ONE..."
BEFORE DIGGING THROUGH
RUBBLE TO FIND HIS
FRIENDS AT GROUND
ZERO, FIRE CAPTAIN TOM
ZEIGLER WORKED WITH
THEM ONE WEEK EVERY
YEAR FOR NEARLY A
DECADE. WHEN THE
ATTACK HAPPENED,
ZEIGLER SAYS HE TRIED
DESPERATELY TO GET
AHOLD OF THEM BY
PHONE.
TOM:"I FINALLY GOT
THROUGH TO MY FRIEND
JUST TO MAKE SURE HE
WAS OKAY BUT HE SAID
THERE WAS A LOT OF
PEOPLE WERE GONE AND A
LOT OF PEOPLE MISSING,
SO...I PROMISED I
WOULDN'T DO THIS."
ZEIGLER SAYS NEWS OF
HIS FRIENDS DEATHS
SHOOK HIM UP, HE SAYS
HE KNEW HE HAD TO GO
TO GROUND ZERO.
TOM"I'VE BEEN IN THIS
SERVICE FOR 32 YEARS
AND I THOUGHT I SAW
EVERYTHING, I'VE BEEN
TO HORRIBLE CRASHES,
LOST FRIENDS TO CAR
ACCIDENTS, I WAS NEVER
EXPECTED TO SEE THIS."
ONE WEEK AFTER THE
ATTACKS, ZEIGLER SAYS
DUST STILL CLUNG TO
THE AIR, AND RESCUE
WORKERS COULD NOT FIND
ANY SURVIVORS.
TOM:"THEY WEREN'T
FINDING ANYONE, IT WAS
LIKE THEY WERE GONE
AND A LOT OF THE
BASEMENT, BOTTOM AREA
BECAME A TOMB FOR
CREMATION."
FIVE YEARS LATER,
ZEIGLER SAYS HE STILL
STRUGGLES WITH
SURVIVOR'S GUILT,
MOSTLY BECAUSE HIS
WEEK WITH THE NEW YORK
CREW WAS SCHEDULED THE
WEEK OF THE ATTACKS.
WHETHER IT WAS PURE
LUCK OR A FLUKE,
ZEIGLER WAS HELD UP
ONE WEEK, A MIS-HAP
THAT PROBABLY SAVED
HIS LIFE. REGARDLESS,
THE FIREFIGHTER SAYS
THE SIGHTS AND SMELLS
OF MANHATTAN STILL
HAUNT HIM, AND HE SAYS
IT WILL BE A LONG TIME
BEFORE HE RETURNS.
TAGÑ
EVER SINCE THE
ATTACKS, ZEIGLER SAYS
HE MEMORIALIZES THE
DAY BY CALLING HIS
FRIEND, THE
LONE-SURVIVOR IN NEW
YORK CITY AND THE TWO
REMEMBER THEIR FRIENDS
AND CATCH UP.
REPORTING LIVE IN
THE STUDIO, MARCI
KRIVONEN, BACK TO YOU.
MARCI...
PLASMAÑ
78-YEAR-OLD
EDWARD DUNCAN LIVED IN
SLIDELL, LOUISIANA
WHEN HURRICANE KATRINA
RIPPED THROUGH,
DESTROYING HOMES AND
LIVES THERE.
ONE YEAR LATER,
DUNCAN SAYS HIS LIFE
IN WESTERN MONTANA IS
AN IMPROVEMENT OVER
LIVING IN THE SOUTH.
DUNCAN:"I LOOK OUT
MY WINDOW NOW AND I
SEE MOUNTAINS AND A
BEAUTIFUL MEADOW BUT
WHEN I LOOKED OUT MY
WINDOW IN SLIDELL ALL
I SAW WAS A PARKING
LOT, AND I MUST SAY
THIS IS A GREAT
IMPROVEMENT OVER A
PARKING LOT."
HURRICANE KATRINA
EVACUEE EDWARD DUNCAN
LIVES IN A
STEVENSVILLE ASSISTED
LIVING CENTER. HE
ARRIVED HERE ONE YEAR
AGO, WHEN FAMILY
LIVING IN FLORENCE
TOOK HIM UNDER THEIR
WING FOLLOWING THE
DESTRUCTION OF HIS
SLIDELL, LOUISIANA
HOME.
DUNCAN:"IT HIT THE
ASSISTED LIVING
FACILITY WHERE I HAD
BEEN STAYING AND IT
SWEPT THE WHOLE INSIDE
OF THAT FACILITY AWAY
INCLUDING ABOUT HALF
OF MY BOOKS AND SHEET
MUSIC."
DUNCAN MISSED THE
WRATH OF THE HURRICANE
BY ONE DAY. BUT WHEN
HE LEFT FOR HIGHER
GROUND IN MISSISSIPPI
HE HAD TO LEAVE
SEVERAL POSSESSIONS
BEHIND LIKE CLOTHING,
BOOKS AND HIS BELOVED
PIANO.
NAT POP...PIANO
PLAYING
A FEW MONTHS LATER,
DUNCAN'S SON-IN-LAW
LEFT FOR SLIDELL TO
RETRIEVE THE
STILL-INTACT PIANO.
DUNCAN:"JUST LIKE
SAVING ME IN
MISSISSIPPI, HE SAVED
PART OF MY HEART WHICH
IS THE PIANO.
NAT POP...MORE PIANO.
NOW DUNCAN IS GRATEFUL
FOR A NEW, COMFORTABLE
HOME...
NATS:"WELL, WE COULD
DO SOMTHING TO HELP
YOU WITH THAT."
AND, DOESN'T MIND THE
VIEWS OUT HIS WINDOW.
NATS:"IN THE WINTER I
GET DEER OUT HERE."
DUNCAN SAYS HE SPENT
MOST HIS LIFE IN THE
SOUTH BUT NOW THAT
HE'S HERE IN MONTANA,
HE'S TRADED HIS
SOUTHERN ROOTS FOR A
COWBOY HAT...
NATS:"I'LL DARE TO
MODEL IT."
AND SAYS HE LOVES HIS
WESTERN MONTANA
LIFE.
TAGÑ
DUNCAN SAYS HE
KEEPS IN TOUCH WITH A
FEW FRIE.AND SHE
JOINS US NOW LIVE.
MARCI...
PLASMAÑ
FIRE OFFICIALS
DROVE FOUR PEOPLE TO
THEIR PROPERTIES SO
THEY COULD GRAB THINGS
LIKE CLOTHES AND
IMPORTANT DOCUMENTS.
BECAUSE FIRE
DANGER STILL EXISTS,
THEY ARE NOT ALLOWED
TO MOVE BACK IN FOR
GOOD.
BUT AS THEY
DISCOVERED, ONE
GLIMPSE OF HOME
RELIEVES SEVERAL DAYS
OF CONCERN.
NAT POP
THE BUMPY, ONE-LANE
ROAD TO MARK KUHLMAN'S
HOME IS SURROUNDED BY
CHARRED TIMBER AND
BLACKENED GROUND.
SMALL PUFFS OF SMOKE
EMERGE FROM
UNDERGROUND, EVIDENCE
A LARGE, WILDLAND FIRE
MOVED THROUGH THE
AREA.
NAT
KUHLMAN IS ONE 12
HOMEOWNERS EVACUATED
FROM THE HEAVILY
TREED, UPPER WOODCHUCK
AREA. NOW HE'S
GETTING HIS FIRST
GLIMPSE OF HOW THE
FIRE AFFECTED HIS
PROPERTY.
NAT
THANKS TO TREE
THINNING AND
ROUND-THE-CLOCK WORK
BY FIREFIGHTERS,
KUHLMAN'S HOME IS
INTACT.
NAT--TED
OTHERS ARE NOT SO
LUCKY. A FEW MILES
DOWN THE ROAD LIES THE
CHARRED AND TWISTED
STRUCTURE OF WHAT USED
TO BE A TRAILER HOME.
ONLY A FEW ITEMS
REMAIN, EVIDENCE
SOMEONE USED TO CALL
THE PLACE HOME.
NAT
MEANWHILE, AT
KUHLMAN'S HOUSE, A FEW
ITEMS ARE PLACED IN A
WHEELBARROW TO TAKE
BACK TO HIS WIFE AND
CHILDREN. DESPITE A
BLACKED BACKYARD
THOUGH, MARK AND HIS
NEIGHBORS AGREE THE
FIRE IS NATURALLY
BURNING FORESTED AREAS
IN NEED OF CLEARING.
TO LIVE IN THE AREA,
THEY SAY ITS
UNDERSTOOD FIRE COULD
COME THROUGH, BUT
REGARDLESS, THEY ARE
RELIEVED THIS BLAZE
BARELY MISSED THEIR
HOMES.
TAGÑ UPGRADE
AGING STRUCTURES AND
PROVIDE MORE FOR
TRAVELERS.
THE MISSOULA AIRPORT
IS FLYING TO NEW
HEIGHTS...ON THE
GROUND. RECENT
CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS
HAVE NOT ONLY CHANGED
THE APPEARANCE OF THE
MAIN BUILDING, THEY
ARE ALSO PROJECTED TO
BOOST SECURITY AND
EFFECIENCY.
JENSEN:"OUR OVERRIDING
GOAL IN ALL THESE
PROJECTS IS OPERATING
A SAFE AND EFFICIENT
AIRPORT THAT MEETS THE
NEEDS OF OUR FLYING
PUBLIC."
AND WITH
HALF-A-MILLION
TRAVELERS GOING IN AND
OUT OF THE BUILDING
EACH YEAR, AIRPORT
OFFICIALS SAY THE
UPGRADES ARE TIMELY.
NATS
THE PROJECTS INCLUDE
AN ADDITION TO THE
TERMINAL, NEW PAVEMENT
FOR RUNWAYS,
RELOCATION OF A MAJOR
SATELLITE, NEW SKY
BRIDGES AND A NEW
STRUCTURE TO HOUSE
FIRETRUCKS FOR QUICK
RESPONSE. THE FEDS
ARE FUNDING MOST OF
THE PROJECT CARRYING A
HEFTY PRICETAG.
JENSEN:"ALL COMBINED,
WE'RE LOOKING AT A
LITTLE MORE THAN 8
MILLION THIS SUMMER."
THE MOST OBVIOUS
CHANGE IS THE TERMINAL
ADDITION, SET TO BE
LARGER THAN THE
EXISTING ONE.
JENSEN:"IT GIVES US
ADDITIONAL CIRCULATION
SPACE, IT GIVES US A
PLACE TO EXPAND OUR
SECURITY CHECKPOINT,
IT JUST KIND OF CLEANS
UP THE FLOW OF TRAFFIC
THROUGH OUR BUILDING."
NEW FLIGHTS ARE ALSO
ADDED. JENSEN SAYS
AN ADDED SERVICE TO
CHICAGO ARE NOW IN
PLAC, WE CONTINUE
TO TALK TO AIRLINES
AND HOPE TO INCREASE
THAT."
RECENT SECURITY ISSUES
HAVE BOOSTED
OPERATIONS AT THE
AIRPORT BUT NOT SLOWED
CONSTRUCTION.
CONSTRUCTION WORKERS
MUST GO THROUGH
SECURITY BEFORE THEY
START WORK ON SITE AND
AIRPORT OFFICIALS WARN
TRAVELERS TO ARRIVE A
BIT EARLY. DESPITE
CONCERNS, CONSTRUCTION
PROJECTS ARE SLATED
FOR COMPLETION AT THE
END OF THE YEAR. IN
MISSOULA, MARCI
KRIVONEN FOR MNS.
BESIDES
CONSTRUCTION, AIRPORT
OFFICIALS ALSO JUST
200 POUNDS.
KRIVONEN:"ORGANIZERS
SAY THE EVENT
CONTINUES TO GAIN
SUCCESS, THIS YEAR
NEARLY 40 CAMPERS WILL
GET ON THESE TWENTY
BOATS."
STUART:"TO GET ON THE
RIVER AND EXPERIENCE
IT FOR THE FIRST TIME,
JOINING US HERE ON
YOUR NOON NEWS.
I'M MARCI
KRIVONEN.
WITH MIDTERM
ELECTIONS JUST AROUND
THE CORNER, THE
PRESIDENT IS MOUNTING
A MAJOR PUSH TO
PROMOTE THE WAR IN
IRAQ...
BUT WILL THAT
MESSAGE BE ENOUGH SWAY
VOTERS TOWARD
CANDIDATES WITH A
PRO-WAR STANCE.