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Top Stories on the KRTV 5:30 Newscast for Thursday, February 16, 2012.

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- Wild Fire Near Simms: High winds and dry grass fueled a grass fire near Simms on Thursday afternoon. Fire crews were called out around 1:30 p.m. to mile marker 124 on MT Highway 200. The fire quickly spread and burned approximately one mile to the east. We're told no structures burned in the fire, but between 300 and 500 acres were consumed. Despite the proximity to the highway, traffic continued to flow normally along Highway 200. Fire crews from Fort Shaw, Simms, Sun River, Fairfield and a helicopter from DNRC responded to the fire. No injuries were reported, and the scene was cleared at about 4:15 p.m.

- Rescue Mission Follow-Up: Surveillance video indicates that the reported stolen laptop at the Great Falls Rescue Mission may not have been stolen after all. Mission resident Dennis Plute apparently became upset when he believed his computer had been stolen, which triggered an hours-long incident outside the mission on Wednesday night. Mission staff say that Plute believed he placed his laptop in the dayroom; when Plute couldn't find it, emotions escalated and he went into his vehicle with a loaded shotgun shortly after 7 p.m. The incident was resolved peacefully just after 10:30 p.m., when Plutes surrendered peacefully to police. Jim Kizer, the executive director of the Rescue Mission, says he's been reviewing surveillance video and has found no evidence of any property being stolen within the mission. Plute is facing five misdemeanor charges including disorderly conduct.

- Sangrey Changes Plea: Daniel Sangrey, accused of killing his friend after driving erratically through a residential Great Falls neighborhood in July 2011, changed his plea to no-contest on Thursday morning. His binding agreement calls for 14 years in prison, with 10 of those suspended. Court documents state that Sangrey had a blood alcohol content of point 0.227 as he sped down 38th Street near 7th Street on his motorcycle on July 25th. He allegedly was attempting to pass two vehicles in a no-passing zone when he struck a van. Sangrey's passenger Robert Ross died from his injuries.

- Prospector Closing: A little more than three years after re-opening, the Prospector Casino on Smelter Avenue in Great Falls is closing its doors. Owner Jack Barnes says he's been in bankruptcy for about a year and it's just not financially possible to remain open. Barnes has been in business at the corner of Smelter Ave and 10th Street for 41 years. Along with his parents, he originally opened the Red Barn in 1971, using 50 head of cattle to start the business. The Red Barn hosted big name live musical acts including Heart and Van Halen, before becoming the Prospector in 1987. The building was completely destroyed in a 2007 fire; it was re-built and re-opened in 2008. Barnes believes the economy, road construction, and the smoking ban played a role in the Prospector's financial problems.

- Alcohol Compliance Check: The Great Falls Police Department conducted an alcohol compliance check on 46 businesses on Wednesday, February 15th. Of the 46 establishments checked, 41 successfully completed the compliance check for success rate of 89%, a 10% increase in compliance from the last check in October 2011. One business did not ask or check identification, and four businesses requested to see valid ID from the underage "buyers" but still completed the sale after seeing the identification. There were no repeat offenders during this check. Those who sold alcohol to the underage buyers were subsequently issued citations for MCA 16-3-301 for Unlawful Sales/Transfer to a Person under 21 years of age. Click here for the full list of pass/fail establishments.

- Rocky Mountain Oil Boom: Technology is one of the key factors that led to an overnight oil boom along the Bakken formation in the Williston Basin in eastern Montana and western North Dakota, and new practices could speed up development in north central Montana. Finding oil is much different than extracting it, and extracting it will only happen if the oil company pursuing the area finds a formation that's economically viable to drill in - and that's where seismographic research comes in. Thanks to advances in 3-D imaging in the last several years, oil companies can get a much more accurate picture of what's beneath the ground before they start drilling.