Full Details on Wild Missoula Chase

Charges are pending against the suspect who smashed into a Missoula County house, tried to run over a deputy, dodged gunfire, and was eventually apprehended after 45 minutes of chaos.

The Missoula County Sheriff's Office says residents in Clinton reported a pickup had hit their house and driven off just after 6 am Saturday.

A few minutes later, deputies spotted the suspect's pickup on East Mullan Road, where the driver is accused of nearly striking a patrol car head-on and then attempting to strike a deputy with the truck. The officer fired his gun, but no one was injured.

Deputies say the suspect drove east on the winding road at speeds up to 80 miles per hour, eventually getting on the freeway, where a spike strip took out the truck's tires.

     🚨 Investigators are still working on the case.

Another chase in the Mission Valley

Stop sticks also helped to end a pursuit near St. Ignatius on Sunday morning. Police officers and CSKT Tribal officers teamed up to stop the suspect who was attempting to get away on Highway 93. No one was hurt.

Legal fight coming over bison grazing?

It's expected that a decision by the Bureau of Land Management revoking leases for American Prairie Reserve to graze its large bison herd on public land won't be the last development in the ongoing dispute.

Last week, the BLM announced it was revoking the conservation group's longtime leases to public lands in Central Montana, the wrinkle in a multi-year fight over American Prairie's herd, which has been estimated at nearly 1000 animals. At the heart of the fight is an older law which stipulates such leases are for "domestic animals."

American Prairie CEO Ali Fox, in an emailed statement to the Montana Free Press, complained the decision wasn't based on new information, and is "completely arbitrary and unfair." It's expected that the organization will explore an appeal through the courts.

The news is getting applause from the Montana Stockgrowers' Association, which has described the decision as a victory for ranching on public lands. And elected officials like Governor Gianforte is calling it a victory for ranchers and ranching communities.

Big bill for Montana storm damage

State officials are now estimating that last month's severe weather caused more than 13-million dollars in damage.

That estimate is contained in Governor Gianforte's request for President Trump to declare a "major disaster" from the December 16th storm. Gianforte tells the President the storm resulted in gusts as high as 60 to 90 miles per hour in the valleys, and over 1-hundred miles per hour in the mountains.

That destroyed power lines, with fallen trees blocking roads and trails, crushing cars and buildings.

He's asking the declaration cover 28-counties, and five tribal nations, noting the recovery impacts were spread over 45 of 56 of Montana's counties.

     🌫️ Gianforte notes the wind damage was 6-point-5 million, on top of nearly $10 million of flooding damage in Lincoln County.