Story Archive

An Expert from Oxford

Eight times in two weeks, fire crews had to deal with burning fields and grass in Johnson County, Iowa. Deputies patrolling to look for the arsonist saw a man trying to extinguish a grass fire by stomping on it. That man, authorities say, was the assistant chief of the fire department of Oxford, Iowa, Timothy Hora — and documents say there was a warm blow torch in Hora’s truck. But after charging him with operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated, the authorities released him. Then there were two more fires, and authorities said they linked Hora’s truck to the area — with GPS data from a monitor on his truck. This time he was held on $50,000 bond. (AC/KCRG Cedar Rapids) ...They didn’t just carpe Horam this time, they kept him.