On Sunday a picture was posted of a fire near in an unincorporated area of Hollister Missouri. A follow up on the story wasn’t posted on this site; however I did have the article published on the front page of the Branson Daily Independent.
After confirming through conversation with the State investigator that the fire was “set” I reported it to the newspaper.
The occupant had a different idea about what happened and attempted to verbally widen the sphincter of the editor. The editor sent me an e-mail asking me to back up my story. Today, I followed up with the state investigator who had also been contacted by the occupant. He stuck to his guns, “the fire was set and I can prove it”.
Being a public custodian of fact is an awesome responsibility. It’s not something I take lightly and have chosen to error on the side of safety when it comes to what’s reported. This incident was a reminder to me about the care that’s needed when handling these types of issues and the consequences that can ensue. That being said…
A group called ACAP offers a reward of up to $5,ooo for information leading to an arrest
Arson Hotline 1-800-39-ARSON
