Lewis County Sirens.com

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – A 13-year-old Winlock girl faces serious criminal charges after allegedly confessing she lit a fire that chased a sleeping neighbor family out of their residence.

The two adults and two small children escaped the double-wide mobile home on the 100 block of Evergreen Lane and arriving firefighters rescued a dog, but the January blaze caused extensive damage.

Some property was salvaged by the fire department.

The sheriff’s office yesterday forwarded a referral to the Lewis County Prosecutors Office for a charge of first-degree arson,

The information came to light last week when a deputy was talking with the girl on another matter, Chief Civil Deputy Stacy Brown said this morning. She allegedly admitted using matches to ignite a bamboo curtain that hung between the home and the garage, according to Brown.

Brown said the girl told the deputy she did it because she was angry, not at the neighbor but in general and didn’t mean to burn the home down but the fire got out of control and she ran off.

Nobody was injured but the structures were almost a total loss. The 60-year-old victim estimates damages of $104,000, Brown said.

It happened about 1:30 in the morning on Jan. 25. It took four fire departments more than an hour to bring the blaze under control.

Smoke detectors woke the occupants, the youngest of which were under two years old.

Vader resident’s shop building is still standing, but pretty much destroyed by fire, explosions. / Courtesy photo by Ted McCarty

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

A fire yesterday west of Vader in a metal shop building where marijuana was being cultivated caused an explosion so powerful it raised the roof, blew the helmet off a firefighter and knocked him down.

“He was not injured, he got back up and continued to put the fire out,” Fire Investigator Ted McCarty said.

Members of the the fire department called about 11:30 a.m. to the 100 block of Brim Creek Road found smoke rolling from beneath three bay doors as well as smoke and flames coming through the roof, according to Cowlitz-Lewis Fire District 20.

Fire Capt. Ellis Andrews had just gotten the north door opened so they could get at the flames, and turned to walk away, Chief Rich Underdahl said. Underdahl was at the road about 20 feet away, hooking up the water tender.

The blast rocked the building, closed the rollup door and sent debris blowing past them both, Underdahl said. He said the concussion pushed him backward a step or so.

“There was so much smoke, all I could see was his helmet fly off,” Underdahl said. “It came at me.

“I’m yelling, Ellis, Ellis, are you alright? He gets up and says, yeah.”

There were only three of them on the scene at the time.

They had just finished participating in the May Day parade held each year in the small South Lewis County town. Andrews had piloted the department’s antique Ford fire engine, which he parked and traded for a water tender when the tone came out, according to Underdahl.

Andrews is the captain at the station in Ryderwood.

Firefighters from Toledo and Winlock joined them to battle the blaze.  The medics who were summoned had to go find Andrews to check him out, Underdahl said. “He was back on a hose line,” he said.

The fire was extinguished before it could ruin the south end of the structure which contained tools, a motorcycle and propane tanks but the other end was destroyed, according to the investigator.

Lost were a couple of boat motors, marijuana gardening equipment and plants, McCarty said.

The big blast was just one of about five explosions, and what produced it couldn’t be determined.

The cause of the fire appeared to be overloaded electrical circuits, according to McCarty. The grow lights were on a timer, he said.

“(The owner) was not at a home, he had left earlier in the day and set them to come on, I think he said at 10 o’clock in the morning,” he said.

McCarty said he understood the owner had a marijuana card allowing him to grow a certain number for himself.

Andrews, a 72-year-old longtime firefighter was at the department training this morning and seemed fine, according to Underdahl, not even complaining of any hearing loss.

The chief called Andrews a tough guy and a valuable asset.

“We still don’t know what that was; it was huge and he took the whole brunt of it,” Underdahl said. “He’s a tough guy.”

Crates were stacked upon crate inside a motor home near Centralia.

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

Authorities yesterday seized 38 dogs living in filthy conditions inside a motor home with a Centralia man.

Forty-nine-year-old Jimmie R. Jemison was arrested, but not booked into jail because of a medical condition, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office.

The visit yesterday afternoon to property on the 1600 block of Little Hanaford Road followed a tip at the end of April that Jemison was breeding puppies in unsanitary conditions, according to the sheriff’s office.

Photographs shared by the sheriff’s office show numerous portable kennels, some stacked on top of each other inside the roughly 30-foot long recreational vehicle.

“The animals were sleeping and eating in their own feces,” Chief Civil Deputy Stacy Brown said.

Seventeen puppies and 21 adult dogs were taken to the Lewis County Animal Shelter where they are under observation, being treated for dehydration and other ailments, according to Brown. She described them as various types including Boxer, Daschund, Chihuahua, Basset and mixed breed.

Numerous other animals on the property were living in clean cages and spaces and were left behind, including seven dogs, a goat, quail, chickens and about a dozen pet rats, according to the sheriff’s office.

“His brother lives nearby and is going to take care of them,” Brown said.

Lewis County does not require permits or licenses for dog breeders, but an ordinance outlines certain requirements for anyone with more than 10 dogs such as providing enclosures with enough space for each animal to turn about freely, stand, sit and lie down. And the housing must be kept in a sanitary condition, with convenient access to clean food and water.

Brown said they believe Jemison was selling puppies.

The search warrant yesterday was obtained after the county humane officer previously visited Jemison and observed violations of the dog breeding ordinance, according to Brown.

Responders wore protective gear as they did their work beginning about 3 p.m. yesterday. Buckets and garbage cans containing feces were stored outside the motorhome, she said.

Also found were deceased baby possums inside one kennel, according to Brown. She said she didn’t know why Jemison was keeping possums or how they died.

Deputies and personnel with code enforcement from the county health department were joined by the state veterinarian at the scene.

Brown said Jemison has been highly uncooperative during prior visits and ended up getting Tased yesterday, which resulted in one of his own dogs biting him. He was taken to Providence Centralia Hospital but transferred to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle because of what she described as a severe medical condition.

Sheriff Steve Mansfield called it an unfortunate situation all around.

Jemison faces possible charges of second-degree animal cruelty.

Lewis County Code Enforcement Supervisor Bill Teitzel in a prepared statement said sometimes investigations appear to outsiders take too long but they have to follow the law, and Jemison was not cooperative.

“I am proud of the work my staff did in remaining tenacious and rescuing these animals so that they have a better chance in life,” Teitzel stated.

Humane officers, code enforcement personnel and deputies emptied a recreational vehicle of 17 puppies and 21 adult dogs.

New Fire Chief Gregg Peterson, right, talks with Chief Tim Kinder of rural Chehalis’s Lewis County Fire District 6, left, and District 5 firefighters Raymond Smerek and Merlin Correia.

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

NAPAVINE – Two months after both the chief and his second-in command resigned, the fire department that protects Napavine and the surrounding area has hired a new leader.

Gregg Peterson, who has served the past six years as the volunteer chief in the Boistfort Valley where he resides, was sworn in last night.

“I consider it an honor to be here working for, actually working for, you guys,” Peterson said to a small group of the department’s firefighters, EMTs and two its three board members.

Peterson, 59, has more than three decades of experience as a professional firefighter behind him. He retired in 2011 from  Valley Regional Fire Authority in South King County.

The father of four now grown children counts 28 years total as a volunteer, much of which came after he joined Lewis County Fire District 13 in 1995 when the family moved to Lewis County.

Lewis County Fire District 5 which serves a population of about 12,000 over a 66-square-mile area south of Chehalis is known for changing chiefs fairly often.

Jamie Guenther, chair of its board of commissioners, said the trio wanted to hire someone who could have broad support.

He told the group assembled last night they pared the five applications they got back down to three candidates. The interviews were conducted by a group of six members of the public, including individuals such as the chair of the school board, a city council member and local business owner, John Sweeny of Ace Hardware, he said.

The vote was unanimous, Guenther said.

“All the people in that room chose Gregg, so I think we can say he’s the people’s chief for District 5,” he said.

Peterson’s first day on the job will be Monday.

Fire Commissioner Lyle Hojem told the gathering the board graded candidates and all three agreed on the committee’s choice.

In contrast with the district’s last chief Eric Linn who was paid $82,000 a year and benefits that totaled more than $19,000, Peterson agreed to an annual salary of only $40,000 a year. It’s  $35,000 during a probationary period, according to Guenther.

Their agreement calls for the chief to work up to 32 hours.

“The current board didn’t hire Eric, a lot of people didn’t like the high wages,” Guenther said while attendees shared ice cream with Peterson and his family.

Peterson said he doesn’t need medical insurance as his wife works, and he gets it through her job. He said they negotiated a deal he thought worked well for the district and for himself.

“I think they’re getting the best bang for their buck,” Peterson said.

His primary goal in the near term is learning how District 5 operates and meeting the people the department serves, he said.

The fire department currently has four full time paid firefighters and 21 volunteers. Their fourth firefighter-EMT Maria Kennedy was hired in mid-April.

Peterson expects he will gradually transition out of the volunteer chief position in Boistfort.

The introduction to the department and swearing in ceremony was planned on short notice, because Peterson wanted to get started away, according to Guenther. The commissioners only met with him the night before.

Ruth Peterson, his wife of 29 years, said she wasn’t entirely surprised her husband came out of retirement after just three years.

Firefighting is his passion, she said.

“He became a volunteer before he was even old enough to drive a car,” she said. “His parents would drive him to car accidents on Highway 18.”

He would go on emergency medical calls, and then head off to school, she said.

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – The Lewis County Sheriff’s Office wants to spread the word about the danger of what they call cold water shock following this weekend’s drowning in Mayfield Lake.

“Many people think if the air temperature is hot, the cool water will have little to no effect upon them, however water conditions this time of year are not warm enough to avoid temperature shock or stay in for any length of time,” Sheriff Steve Mansfield said in a news release today.

At mid-morning on Saturday, during a fishing outing, a 46-year-old man jumped in the lake in an attempt to retrieve his boat which was drifting away from a small island near Ike Kinswa Park.

His companion saw he was in distress and attempted to get to him, but had to turn back because of how cold the water was. And despite efforts by a park employee and arriving medics, Gary L. Rhoades was pronounced dead at the hospital.

Water temperatures are still in the mid 40’s on almost all waterways in Lewis County. Cold water shock is a major concern at this time of year, in these conditions, according to the sheriff’s office.

The immediate danger is the result can be shortness of breath, involuntary gasping, hyperventilation, panic and even heart failure that leads to drowning, Mansfield says.

Every year, deputies here investigate drowning deaths which likely could have been avoided had the victim known about cold water shock, according to Mansfield.

The National Center for Disease Control say drowning is one of the leading causes of unintentional injury or death among all ages.

“Understanding the dynamics of swimming in cold water, knowing water conditions, swimming with others, and staying away from drugs and alcohol will prevent water fatalities and help ensure an enjoyable accident free outing,” Mansfield stated.

The sheriff’s office said Rhoades  was a Silver Creek resident. Lewis County Coroner Warren McLeod today said he lived in Mineral.

His companion, a 49-year-old man from Tacoma, was taken to Morton General Hospital to be treated for hypothermia.

The sheriff’s office said the men had been drinking.
•••

For background, read “Mayfield Lake incident claims one boater, another rescued” from Saturday April 26, 2014, here

Now former manager at Yard Birds David Briscoe appears in court for bail hearing this afternoon.

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – A  manager at Yard Birds arrested yesterday for allegedly stealing as much as $30,000 from his employer over time told police he’d gone bankrupt and was getting behind in his medical bills.

David E. Briscoe, 58, was booked into the Lewis County Jail and charged with first-degree theft. He appeared before a judge this afternoon.

Defense attorney Bob Schroeter said the Centralia man worked at Yard Birds-Shop ‘n Kart for the past seven years, but is no longer employed there. “He has $19 in the bank,” Schroeter said.

Briscoe qualified for a court-appointed attorney.

Police say Briscoe was responsible for managing the business’s swap meet area, vendors, storage units and recreational vehicle spaces on the property at the 2100 block of North National Avenue in Chehalis.

They say he was collecting rents for the spaces and keeping the cash for himself, over a two to three year period.

According to charging documents, the alleged thefts came to light when one RV space tenant contacted the property manger TJ Guyer about relocating and staff there could not find a record for the woman.

The transactions were investigated by a loss prevention specialist hired by the business and a financial audit conducted by the owner on Friday turned up numerous discrepancies, according to charging documents.

Charging documents indicate Briscoe signed a statement for the loss prevention investigator estimating he may have taken as much as $30,000 and made a handwritten listing of instances he could recall amounting to $18,980.

When interviewed by Chehalis Police Department Officer Troy Thornburg, Briscoe said he believed he had taken somewhere around $24,000 over the past few years, the documents state.

He reportedly admitted to providing tenants with their rental receipt, then destroying his copy and keeping the cash. Briscoe explained to Thornburg he was bankrupt and falling behind on medical bills, charging documents state.

First-degree theft carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and / or a $20,000 fine. Lewis County prosecutors attached a so-called aggravating factor that the crime is a major economic offense.

Lewis County District Court Judge R.W. Buzzard set his bail at $5,000.

Briscoe is expected to be arraigned on Thursday morning, in Lewis County Superior Court.

Yard Birds in Chehalis sits between North National and Northeast Kresky avenues.

GRISLY FIND IN MINERAL ISN’T HUMAN

• A deputy driving down Front Street in Mineral about 1 a.m. on Saturday came across what appeared to be a human hand, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office. The find was taken into evidence and turned out to be a bear paw, the sheriff’s office said today. Chief Civil Deputy Stacy Brown said it’s something that happens on occasion, apparently some people’s idea of a joke. “When you take the fur and hair off, it looks like a human hand,” Brown said. “And there’s no reason for it to have been skinned the way it was.” It’ not funny, Brown said, it’s a very time intensive investigation that has to take place following this kind of occurrence. She said its hard enough to tell the difference, it has to be treated as though it might be human. The extremity was inspected at the coroner’s office this morning. It’s happened often enough, perhaps three times in the past five years, that a forensic anthropologist at the King County Medical Examiner’s Office taught a sheriff’s detective how to do an examination of the bone structure so deputies wouldn’t have to transport paws to Seattle so often, she said.

BURGLARY

• A deputy took a report on Saturday that someone broke into a home on the 100 block of Cottonwood Lane in Packwood stealing a 36-inch Sanyo flat screen television, three cordless drills, a DVD player, and a comforter. The break-in happened sometime during the previous two weeks, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office.

• Centralia police responded about 3:30 a.m. yesterday to a report of a burglary at the 1300 block of Lum Road. The case remains under investigation, according to the Centralia Police Department.

• Police were called just before 6 a.m. yesterday to a report of a burglary at the 100 block of West High Street in Centralia. The case remains under investigation, according to the Centralia Police Department.

AUTO THEFT

• A red 1999 Chrysler 300 was stolen about 11 p.m. on Friday when its owner left it running while going into a residence on the 1000 block of Mellen Street in Centralia.

DOG SNIFFS OUT TEEN IN BRUSH

• A 16-year-old boy found hiding in some bushes by a police dog about three blocks away from an incident at the 1500 block of Windsor Avenue in Centralia on Friday evening was arrested for trespassing and booked into the Lewis County Juvenile Detention Center. Officers called about 7:40 p.m. initially were told it was an interrupted burglary, according to the Centralia Police Department.

VEHICLE PROWL

• A 69-year-old Packwood man fishing on Riffe Lake on Saturday reported someone prowled his truck while it was parked at the Taidnapam Park north boat launch. It happened between 10:30 a.m. and noon, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office. items taken from the unlocked toolbox in the bed of the pickup included tire chains, a shovel, two quarts of motor oil and a small toolbox, according to the sheriff’s office.

WRECKS

• A 24-year-old Ethel man escaped serious injury when he took a corner too fast, hit a ditch and rolled his 2004 Acura RSX onto its top south of Chehalis over the weekend. A deputy called to the 600 block of Tauscher Road after the approximately 3 a.m. crash on Saturday was told by the driver he was in a hurry to get home and it was foggy, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office. The car was described as a total loss. The driver declined aid but was cited for driving too fast for conditions, according to the sheriff’s office.

• A 76-year-old Ethel woman backing out of a church parking lot yesterday morning was cited for failure to yield the right of way following a collision at the 4200 block of Jackson Highway south of Chehalis. Her Chrysler PT Cruiser and the Geo prism that she hit both sustained major damage, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office. The 39-year-old woman in the Prism was hospitalized with neck and back pain and then cited for driving with a suspended license and not having insurance, according to the sheriff’s office.

• Two were injured, including the 18-year-old driver from Chehalis, when a car carrying four teenagers struck a tree after running off U.S. Highway 12 just east of Montesano on Saturday morning. Jessica A. Westcott, 18, from Chehalis, was transported to Summit Pacific Medical Center with unspecified injuries, according to the Washington State Patrol. Troopers called about 10:30 a.m. determined the Honda Civic had been eastbound when a passenger in the front seat grabbed the steering wheel, jerking the car off the roadway to the right and into the tree. Also injured was Caleb L. Hall, 19, from Hoquiam, who was taken to Community Hospital, according to the state patrol. Hospitalized for precautionary measures were Brandon J. Lynch, 19, of Montesano and Shawn M. Anderson, 17, of Hoquiam. The collision is under investigation.

• And as usual, other incidents such as arrests for warrants, driving under the influence, misdemeanor domestic assault, misdemeanor theft, a 53-year-old man arrested after his wife told police he accused her of cheating, checked inside her for sperm and punched her more than 20 times; responses for alarms, violation of protection order, vehicle versus pole, single-vehicle wreck into a guard rail when an animal crossed a county road in front of a car … and more.