Lewis County Sirens.com

Wellington M. Waggener is brought before a Lewis County Superior Court judge for a bail hearing.

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – A 26-year-old who recently earned an associates degree in criminal justice and was arrested over the weekend by Centralia police for rape was not charged with that offense.

Wellington M. Waggener appeared before a judge yesterday where prosecutors asked he be held on $100,000 bail.

Waggener was detained at the Travelodge on Harrison Avenue on Friday night after a 28-year-old woman told police she was sexually assaulted in her room by someone she did not know.

Police on Saturday morning indicated the Centralia woman told them that a black man entered the room and forced sex on her. But charges filed on Monday in Lewis County Superior Court state the woman told an officer she woke up in bed and her clothes had been removed, and a strange male in her bed was touching her body with his hands.

Waggener reportedly followed the woman to the lobby where she went to call 911.

“Apparently he was not acting very rationally,” Centralia Police Department Sgt. Kurt Reichert said.

Lewis County Superior Court Judge Richard Brosey yesterday afternoon noted he was familiar with the Centralia man, and suspected there were other issues that needed to be addressed.

“I know he’s been working with Cascade for some time, and may need to be on some mental health treatment,” Brosey said.

Charging documents offer some of the following details and allegations about what occurred:

Police were called at 10:10 p.m. on Friday for an alleged rape. The male was described as a tall black man with dreadlocks wearing a wife beater shirt.

Officer Buddy Croy arrived and saw Waggener in the lobby, who matched that description and who officers are familiar with. He was holding a cup of coffee and indicated he was leaving in an idling Jeep parked just outside the lobby doors.

“Croy asked Waggener if he was at the hotel with a girl, at which time Waggener started talking in circles and not making sense,” Lewis County Senior Deputy Prosecutor Will Halstead wrote in the affidavit of probable cause.

Waggener talked about random things and at one point said he was just trying to get some sex and was going to pay $40 to get it.

The alleged victim, who is not named in charging documents, spoke with a different officer.

Officer Josh Mercer learned from the woman that she and her boyfriend had gotten into an argument and the boyfriend left the motel room.

She said she went to bed but left the door open so he could get back in when he returned.

She told Officer Mercer she was awakened by someone she thought was her boyfriend, but at some point realized it was not.

The charging papers continue on to state that Waggener left the room and the woman attempted to call police but couldn’t because the phone didn’t work, so she went to the lobby.

Lewis County Deputy Prosecutor Sheila Weirth told the judge yesterday afternoon the high bail was needed given the nature of the charges and Waggener’s previous convictions twice of third-degree assault, felonies, and also for trespass, resisting arrest and disorderly conduct.

Temporary defense attorney Joely O’Rourke suggested $10,000 bail, unsecured was suitable, given Waggener’s strong ties to the community.

“He moved to Centralia three years ago to play basketball for Centralia College, and did very well,” O’Rourke said.

She noted he received his associates degree there and had no warrant history.

Judge Brosey set bail at $25,000.

Waggener is charged with residential burglary with sexual motivation, for allegedly entering the dwelling of the woman. The documents don’t indicate whether she lives at the motel. The crime is a class B felony with a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $20,000 fine.

He is also charged with custodial assault, for allegedly spitting on a corrections officer’s face as he was being served dinner Sunday evening in the jail. That offense carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

Waggener is employed, but brings home only about $600 each month, O’Rourke told the judge, asking for a court appointed lawyer to represent him.

Centralia attorney Don Blair was appointed.

Before the short hearing ended, O’Rourke told the judge the defendant wanted her to request he be furloughed from Thursday until Monday, to allow him to go to work.

The judge suggested Waggener could talk with Blair about that.

Waggener’s arraignment is scheduled for Thursday morning.
•••

For background, read “Sirens: Daily police and fire roundup – POLICE: WOMAN SEXUALLY ASSAULTED AT CENTRALIA MOTEL” from Saturday July 11, 2015, here

State Route 508 near Hyak Road was closed much of the night while troopers investigated a collision, involving a 2002 Land Rover and a van. / Courtesy photo by Washington State Patrol.

Updated at 3:18 p.m.

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

Two teenagers are dead and a third hospitalized with life-threatening injuries after a head on collision in Onalaska last night.

The wreck just before 10 p.m. occurred on state Route 508 approximately one mile west of the central Lewis County community, and involved a vehicle carrying eight teens and a second vehicle occupied by one man and a woman, according to the Washington State Patrol.

It’s unclear what caused the wreck, according to state patrol spokesperson Trooper Will Finn.

“At this time, the (man) is under arrest for DUI, but if the investigation reveals his driving is the cause of the collision, those charges could be elevated,” Finn wrote in a news release early this morning.

The highway was still shut down at 12:30 a.m. with a detour in place, while troopers investigated at the scene near Hyak Road. It wasn’t reopened until shortly before 5 a.m.

Responders found the 2002 Land Rover Discovery upside on the road and residents from a nearby home pulling people out of the vehicle, according to Lewis County Fire District 1. They had to cut off a door to extricate others, Fire Chief Andrew Martin said.

It was carrying four 13-year-old girls and four 18-year-old boys, most of whom are or have been students at Onalaska, according to authorities.

“My understanding is on Mondays and Wednesdays, a group of our volleyball kids go to Napavine for practice, and they were coming home from that,” Onalaska School District Superintendent Jeff Davis said.

According to Finn, one teenage boy was airlifted to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, and two other individuals were transported to a local hospital with minor injuries.

However, Martin said the five remaining from the Land Rover were all taken by ambulance to Providence Centralia Hospital.

“They had minor to moderate injuries, but mostly as a precaution,” Martin said.

Thirty-one firefighters, EMTs and paramedics responded, with treatment and transports handled by personnel from Onalaska, Salkum, Napavine, Toledo, Fire District 6 and AMR.

It appears only two of the eight teens were wearing seat belts, according to Finn.

He called it a very tragic situation.

“A lot of them were local kids from a very small community,” Finn said. “They’re going to need a lot of support.”

The 2004 Ford Freestyle minivan also came to rest on the roadway, and its driver was taken to Providence as well, as a precaution, according to the fire chief. His female passenger was not transported by ambulance, Martin said.

Joseph W. Rogerson, 36, from Chehalis, was booked into the Lewis County Jail early this morning for driving under the influence.

The initial investigation shows Rogerson was traveling westbound and the Land Rover was headed east.

“Both vehicles were actually over the centerline when they hit, so it’s not clear,” Finn said of who caused the accident.

“It’s kind of a sticky case, that’s why it’s still under investigation,” he said.

Dead at the scene was the driver of the Land Rover, Arnold W. Mullinax, 18, of Onalaska. Davis said he used to go to Onalaska schools, but transferred to Mossyrock. He had been wearing a seatbelt, according to the state patrol.

Also deceased, is a 13-year-old girl from Onalaska, whose name has not been released.

Flown by helicopter to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, was Dakota L. Dunivin, 18, from Chehalis. A hospital spokesperson said he was listed in critical condition in the intensive care unit at 12:25 p.m. today.

Fire crews were on the scene about four hours. They were joined by a chaplain to assist with numerous people who began to arrive.

Also from the Land Rover were Chris S. Woods, 18, of Onalaska, who was wearing a seatbelt; Jonathan T. Griffis, 18, of Onalaska, who is listed as uninjured.

The other girls from the Land Rover are un-named by the state patrol, all 13 years old. One from Onalaska was injured, one from Chehalis was injured and another from Onalaska was taken to the hospital for precautionary reasons.

Davis said they opened up a room at the front of Onalaska High School from noon until 4 p.m. today, for students, parents and staff to come, meet, grieve, talk, visit or whatever the need to do.

“Our staff was hit hard with this, because they’ve had these students,” he said.

Update 3:19 p.m.: Dakota L. Dunivin died at 1:08 p.m. today, according to a spokesperson at Harborview.

The 2004 Ford Freestyle minivan. / Courtesy photo by Washington State Patrol

•

State Route 508 near Hyak Road. / Courtesy photo by Damion Robbins‎

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – A 36-year-old member of the National Guard will be in court this week to make his plea to one count of second-degree rape, in connection with allegations made by a teenage member of his household.

Matthew W. Farson was charged in Lewis County Superior Court following an investigation that began when an officer responded to Providence Centralia Hospital to speak with a 17-year-old girl on July 1 about an alleged sexual assault.

According to charging papers, the girl said the night before, Farson had come into her room, and drank beer and vodka with her on her balcony until she got sick. The girl said he helped her into bed where she passed out, but she awoke to his hand inside her shorts, the documents state.

When interviewed by police, Farson reportedly said he’d gotten the teen drunk to teach her not to get to that point, and also because she wasn’t sleeping well, gave her part of one of his old prescription pills, Seroquel. He denied touching her inappropriately.

When he appeared before a judge for a bail hearing last Monday, defense attorney Joely O’Rourke indicated Farson’s only employment is the National Guard, something she thinks he only does one weekend a month.

He was released on an unsecured appearance bond, co-signed by his father, O’Rourke said.

Court papers show Farson with an address in Curtis, but O’Rourke said he lives in Centralia.

Farson has no criminal history, other than two misdemeanors from almost 20 years ago, O’Rourke said. He qualified for a court-appointed lawyer. His arraignment is Thursday.

Meanwhile, a Centralia father of six was sentenced last week to a minimum of six and a half years in prison after pleading guilty to two counts of first-degree child molestation

Jeffrey A. Bedsole Jr., 32, was arrested in February following an investigation that began when an 11-year-old girl’s mother contacted Centralia police. He admitted sexually abusing a young relative and wanted to plead guilty from the start, according to authorities.

Defense attorney David Arcuri proposed, and prosecutors also recommended, Bedsole be given a sentencing alternative in which he would be locked up for a period of time, undergo intensive treatment for a period of time with the remainder of his sentence deferred as long as he abided by strict conditions.

Bedsole read a letter of apology to the victim when he appeared before Lewis County Superior Court Judge Richard Brosey on Wednesday morning.

The girl’s mother told the judge she wasn’t opposed to the type of sentence and that the girl didn’t want to see him be locked up.

Judge Brosey noted that even though a pre-sentence evaluation indicated Bedsole was amenable to treatment, he didn’t believe the defendant could abide by some of the other conditions.

Among them, he would have to hold down a full-time job and provide for his family, the judge said.

“The U.S. Navy for four years was the longest he’s ever held a job,” Brosey said. “The long and the short of it is, I just don’t see this working.”

“It will be better for all for Mr. Bedsole to deal with his issues in a secure setting,” Brosey said.

Seventeen-year-old Brian A. Carreon, looks over court documents as his bail hearing comes to a close in Lewis County Superior Court.

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – A 17-year-old Centralia boy who took a video of himself trimming someone else’s medical marijuana plants told police he was pressured by two guys to take them to get some marijuana, and ended up part of a home invasion earlier this year in which a dog was shot.

The teen was arrested yesterday and charged today as an adult in Lewis County Superior Court.

Centralia police were called to a residence on the 1200 block of Marion Street on the night of Feb. 19, where the victim and his girlfriend said they’d just settled into bed when about three males barged through the door demanding money and weed, and fired numerous shots killing their pit bull.

Marion Street, Feb. 19, 2015

Dustin Palermo said he had no idea who they were or why they came to his house, and speculated at the time it could have been related to him winning money at the casino the night before. The former Navy corpsman had a legal amount of medical marijuana plants growing inside, for himself and another patient.

Charging documents in the case don’t relate if anything was actually stolen, but state the intruders were inside for only about 45 seconds and that security video seemed to show one of them firing frantically at the dog as they were leaving.

When police arrived, the pit bull, Misty, lay dead on the sidewalk of a gunshot wound to her abdomen.

Lewis County Chief Criminal Deputy Prosecutor Brad Meagher asked a judge this afternoon to hold Brian A. Carreon, 17, on $75,000 bail.

“The defendant has no criminal history, but was with two other individuals, one who was armed with a firearm,” Meagher said.

Defense attorney Joely O’Rourke suggested her client’s bail could be lower, as he has stable employment and community ties.

He’s a cook at the Rollerdrome, and teaches young kids to skate, O’Rourke told the judge, noting it’s a job he’s held for the past year and a half. He attends Calvary Chapel every Sunday and one of his roommates works at Green Hill School, she said.

Judge Richard Brosey left it at $75,000, as it was in the arrest warrant.

Meagher said the other two suspects have not been arrested, but after the court hearing, requested a $500,000 warrant for the person he says was the shooter. The judge signed the warrant.

Outside the courtroom, Meagher said Carreon’s sister was charged on Monday for rendering criminal assistance, as the Portland woman was believed to have been driving the car that night.

The deputy prosecutor had high praise for Centralia police, for having “really bird dogged this,” and following all kinds of dead end leads.

The 10-page affidavit of probable cause states that officers found nine shell casings and two bullet jacket fragments at the scene.

It also tells how Palermo posted a clip from his home security video onto Facebook – filmed with infrared cameras – asking for anyone who could identify the three figures to contact him.

Three different individuals told police they recognized Carreon and a pair of brothers who live locally, and the girlfriend Tina Bell picked one of the brothers from a montage, but said she wasn’t 100 percent sure, according to charging documents.

Meagher told the judge today the brothers were named in the documents, but he wasn’t sure they would be a part of the case.

“In all fairness, I don’t anticipate them being named as defendants,” Meagher clarified.

Charging documents offer some of the following details:

Carreon initially told police he was home the night it happened, and with his sister for a time, until 9 p.m.

A detective investigated the sister, and went to Portland to get a picture of her 1999 Honda, which Palermo felt certain was the same car that drove away from his home after the robbery.

Taina Duncan was arrested in Portland last week.

Duncan described a night in which she came to visit her brother, that he wanted to get some weed and that she didn’t know his two friends who went with them. Her daughter was in the car as well.

Carreon subsequently told detectives he’d taken a video of himself once when he went with an acquaintance to trim Palermos’ plants, and he’d shown it to someone else.

He said he was phoned by that person who said he knew he had a connection to get weed, and was headed up. He was pretty sure the two males drove up from Portland with his sister.

Carreon qualified for a court appointed lawyer. He is charged with one count of first-degree robbery.

His arraignment is scheduled for July 16.
•••

For background, read “Dog killed in Centralia home invasion” from Friday February 20, 2015, here

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

A man who fell some 20 feet off an old bridge onto large rocks in a remote area along the south shore of Riffe Lake last night was rescued and taken to Morton General Hospital.

Firefighters were called about 9 p.m. by an individual who boated across the lake, and got into a car to drive to get cell phone service, according to Lewis County Fire District 18.

“When we got to him, him and his wife were against the bank, but in the water,” Chief Ed Lowe said. “She wasn’t strong enough to get him out.”

The injured man, who Lowe said was in his 60s, was conscious, but he’d landed on rocks, hit his head, injured his shoulder and had a lot of cuts and bruises, Lowe said.

It happened at what’s called the old Landers Creek Bridge, at about the midpoint of the 13-mile long lake, actually a reservoir created by the Mossyrock Dam.

Morton resident Shaun Olinger said he, his wife and their 3-year-old daughter were camping in the area.

Olinger didn’t see it happen, but heard a “smack” like somebody bellyflopped, he said. Then he saw the man’s teenage son coming over the rocks in a panic, so distraught he was speechless.

“He dove in and swam the last 25 feet, and got his shoulder rolled to get his face out of the water, but that’s the best he could do,” Olinger said.

Olinger described the father as “big guy” who’d come to rest with his head down a slope, submerged to his hips.

“None of us was strong enough to get him out,” he said.

They managed to turn him around and get his head and shoulders upslope, he said.

The landscape there is a nightmare he said, with no real beach, very deep water and large pointed rocks covered in slime.

Olinger and the 17-year-old motored back to the Kosmos Boat Launch to call for help. Meanwhile, the victim’s wife, and Olinger’s wife Billie did what they could with a rope and a cushion to move him toward shallower water.

Seven firefighters from the Glenoma department responded, as well as three from Randle, according to Lowe.

“District 14 brought their boat, they have a marine boat now we can call on,” Lowe said.

The patient, who Olinger knows as a Mossyrock resident through mutual friends, was transported to Morton General Hospital.

•••

Updated at 7:45 p.m.

DRIVING ARGUMENT TURNS ASSAULTIVE

• A 43-year-old Centralia man was hospitalized after a dispute in a parking lot at the 2600 block of Kresky Avenue just before 11 p.m. on Saturday, and a suspect is being sought, according to the Chehalis Police Department. Arriving officers found the victim bleeding from the head with cuts to his face, according to police. The disagreement was over the way someone was driving in the parking lot, police said.

DOMESTIC INCIDENT

• A 39-year-old Centralia man was arrested for second-degree robbery after he reportedly tried to take a purse from a family member while an officer was present. Police who had had responded to a dispute at the 1400 block of Johnson Road about 2:15 p.m. on Sunday booked Willard Scott into the Lewis County Jail. He was not charged and he was released.

BURGLARY AND THEFT

• A 57-year-old Chehalis man reported yesterday the theft of a Zippo lighter collection valued at more than $1,000. An officer responding to the incident associated with the 900 block of Southwest 20th Street was told the man had an idea of who may have taken the items, according to the Chehalis Police Department.

• Someone reached through an unlocked window at a home on the 1700 block of Cooks Hill Road in Centralia and stole a metal lockbox-style safe and a purse, according to a report made to police about 8:30 a.m. on Friday

• The Lewis County Sheriff’s Office reported yesterday that someone burglarized a home on the 100 block of Linda Vista Drive south of Chehalis, taking a 40-inch flat screen television, an HP laptop computer and a paper mache piggy bank containing approximately $100. It happened between last Wednesday and Thursday, according to the sheriff’s office. The loss is estimated at $600, Chief Deputy Stacy Brown said.

• The Lewis County Sheriff’s Office reported yesterday they are investigating a residential burglary from the 500 block of River Road outside Centralia in which 10 $100 bills were stolen as well as a metal box containing important documents. It happened on June 25 between 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. and was reported last Thursday, according to the sheriff’s office.

• Centralia police were called about 10:30 a.m. yesterday about a ladder missing from a yard on the 1900 block of Van Wormer Street.

FRAUD

• An officer was called to the 2600 block of Eureka Avenue on Friday regarding a caregiver allegedly taking an individual’s access device to withdraw money from a bank account, according to the Centralia Police Department.

• An individual contacted Chehalis police to report $437 worth of fraudulent activity on his bank account on Friday, according to the Chehalis Police Department.

CAR PROWL

• Centralia police were called about 3:45 a.m. today to the 800 block of Rainier Avenue where someone prowled through a log truck. Documents were taken, according to the Centralia Police Department.

• A check was stolen from a vehicle parked at the 1100 block of Harrison Avenue in Centralia, according to a report made to police about noon yesterday.

• Chehalis police responded about 6:15 a.m. on Sunday to the 1700 block of South Market Boulevard for a possible vehicle prowl. The door was found open but cash was observed on the dashboard, according to the Chehalis Police Department.

• A wallet and a subwoofer were among the valuables stolen when someone prowled four vehicles in the 100 block of Sandy Boulevard in Centralia at about 2 o’clock in the morning on Friday, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office.

• Centralia police took reports of six vehicle prowls on Friday morning in which someone rummaged around but took nothing, according to the Centralia Police Department. The incidents occurred at the 600 block of Nick Road, the 1600 block of West Mellen Street, and the 800 block of Wayne Drive, according to police.

• Someone entered an open detached garage at the 3000 block of Ives Road outside Centralia and rummaged through an unlocked vehicle but nothing appeared to be missing, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office. Four other vehicles were prowled at the same location on the same night, – last Wednesday – and taken were a Clarion stereo, an amplifier, two DVD players and a driver’s license, according to the sheriff’s office.

FINDERS KEEPERS

• Chehalis police were contacted about 12:15 p.m. yesterday about a purse that disappeared after it was accidentally left in a shopping cart at Safeway on the 1100 block of South Market Boulevard in Chehalis. It contained a lot of cash, according to the Chehalis Police Department.

BROKEN GLASS

• A 29-year-old Chehalis man was arrested for third-degree malicious mischief yesterday after he allegedly threw a rock or brick through the window of a shed behind a building on West Main Street in Centralia. Derek J. Smith was then released pending a court date, according to the Centralia Police Department. He was reportedly unhappy about someone in the area, police said.

DRUGS

• Dylon L. Favro, a 22-year-old Chehalis man is arrested for possession with intent to deliver after roughly 350 grams of suspected hash oil were located by police in a residence on the 400 block of Northeast Washington Avenue in Chehalis, Chehalis police reported today. Favro was already booked into the jail on Wednesday on another matter.

• A 30-year-old Onalaska resident was arrested for a violation of the Uniform Controlled Substances Act after a glass smoking device came out of his pocket during a struggle with a security person following a possible theft at Wal-Mart on Saturday evening. Residue field-tested positive for heroin and a pill was found during a search, according to the Chehalis Police Department. Nicholas E. Novion was booked into the Lewis County Jail also for a warrant, according to police.

ON THE ROAD

• Troopers responded about 4:30 p.m. yesterday when a horse trailer disconnected from a pickup truck along U.S. Highway 12 in Salkum. The trailer containing four horses slid into a ditch near Salkum Heights Road, according to responders. No people were injured and the animals were fine, Washington State Patrol Sgt. Mike Cournyer said.

• A 21-year-old Randle resident was injured when his Honda Civic rear-ended a Ford Mustang that slowed to make a right turn off U.S. Highway 12 about five miles west of Morton yesterday afternoon. Dustin H. Gardner was transported to Morton General Hospital, according to the  Washington State Patrol. Jack L. Dimmit, 48, of Morton, was reportedly uninjured but his car was totaled, as was Gardner’s, the state patrol reports. Troopers called just after 4 p.m. blamed the crash on inattention and speed. Gardner was to be issued a citation for reckless driving, according to the state patrol.

• Chehalis police responded to the 1500 block of North National Avenue about 4 p.m. on Sunday after a juvenile female jumped from a moving vehicle. The girl was upset she didn’t get to do something she wanted to, according to police. She was taken for a medical exam, police said.

• Inattention and following too closely on the part of a 17-year-old driver were blamed for a three-vehicle freeway collision that sent a 28-year-old Seattle woman to Providence Centralia Hospital on Sunday morning. Troopers called about 10:45 a.m. to the northbound lanes of Interstate 5 near Mellen Street determined the teen ran into a sport utility vehicle which was slowing for traffic, then swerved and hit a semi truck, according to the Washington State Patrol. Less than two hours later, a 20-year-old Edmonds man was hurt when another sport utility vehicle was shoved into the rear of the Honda Accord in which he was a passenger, after getting struck from behind by another driver following too closely near the exit 76 interchange in Chehalis, according to the state patrol. The vehicles were slowing for traffic in the northbound lanes when a 46-year-old motorist in a Chevrolet Suburban caused the collision, according to the state patrol.

• A 22-year-old Mineral resident was transported to Morton General Hospital with a knee injury after he took a corner too fast and slid sideways off Mineral Hill Road striking a gate at about 6:20 p.m. on Saturday, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office. His 1989 Honda Prelude sustained major damage, according to the sheriff’s office. Corey D. Baca was cited for wheels off the roadway, third-degree driving with a suspended licensee, no insurance and an expired registration, according to the sheriff’s office.

• A Rochester family was among those involved in a four-vehicle serious collision on Saturday morning on Interstate 5 near Tumwater, in which an 8-year-old boy from Reno, Nevada subsequently died, according to the Washington State Patrol. Troopers had stopped northbound traffic to take roadway measurements from an earlier fatality wreck when the driver of a Chevrolet Tahoe who was unable to stop in time collided with the rear of a Toyota van from Reno occupied by six people, including the child who passed away Sunday night at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, according to the state patrol. The van was pushed into a car which was shoved into another car, according to Trooper Guy Gill. The driver of the Tahoe, Matthew L. Wiss, 39, of Rochester, was reportedly unhurt, and neither was 10-year-old Emma Wiss. But his other passenger Lisa R. Wiss, 35, was injured and transported to Providence St. Peter Hospital in Olympia, the state patrol reports. An 18-year-old in the Toyota van was also taken to Providence. The pileup closed all lanes for about six hours. Patrol spokesperson Gill yesterday indicated yesterday detectives are examining all aspects that led to the collision and seeking additional witnesses to the actual event or anything leading up to or after the crash. The initial information released by the state patrol on Saturday stated Wiss was slowing to a stop when his Tahoe was hit from behind by the Toyota van. The state patrol asks anyone with information to please call detective Ed Collins or detective Ben McBride at 360-805-1153.

AND MORE

• And as usual, other incidents such as arrests for warrants, shoplifting, reckless driving, misdemeanor assault, drugs, driving under the influence, driving with suspended license, being in physical control of a vehicle while intoxicated; responses for alarm, dispute, vandalism, hit and run, misdemeanor theft, numerous fireworks complaints, suspicious circumstances, getting shoved by a roommate, loud neighbor music, out-of-control teenager, whining dog alone in parked vehicle, infant alone in  car in a parking lot, collisions on city streets … and more.

Firefighters on Friday kept a house fire on Oxford Avenue from spreading to a neighboring residence. The cause has not yet been released.

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

Independence Day celebrations in the Centralia area passed with no significant fireworks-related property damage, despite the tinder dry conditions outdoors, according to Riverside Fire Authority.

RFA, the largest department in Lewis County, spoke through a news release this morning, applauding those citizens who made the effort to try to reduce the risks of the fire season during their displays.

“It was my observation that folks were taking extra care this year to be sure that they had water available to them during fireworks use,” Riverside’s Public Information Officer Capt. Scott Weinert said in a written statement.

In the 24-hour hour period that included July 4, firefighters from the department responded to eight fireworks related incidents, according to Weinert.

They primarily consisted of small bush or grass fires that were extinguished or no longer burning on arrival of RFA units, he stated.

They also answered 10 other emergency medical calls.

Firefighters in the city of Chehalis made it through the holiday without any serious fireworks-related incidents, but did go out to a small brush fire today on 15th Street near William Avenue, Fire Investigator Ted McCarty said.

McCarty said he wasn’t sure what ignited it, but the individual who called it in located an unlit sparkler bomb in the area which was turned over to police.

At the other end of the county, Fourth of July could almost have been called relaxing for one fire department.

The one call Vader firefighters responded to was for a report of an illegal burn that turned out to actually be a legal campfire in a fire pit, Cowlitz-Lewis Fire District 20 Chief Richard Underdahl said.

“We were ready, but nothing happened,” Underdahl said.

They were asked to join the Toledo Fire Department last night for a tree on fire and again today for a brush fire along Toledo-Salmon Creek Road, but in both cases were told they were no longer needed before they arrived, he said.

Under current conditions, Toledo, Vader and Winlock are automatically responding jointly to any brush or other fires, he said.

At the far west end of the county, all was well in Pe Ell, according to Lewis County Fire District 11 Chief Michael Krafczyk.

In Randle, Fire Chief Jeff Jaques reports no fireworks-related fires.

And in Onalaska, there were zero fire calls for Lewis County Fire District 1.

“The public really seemed to listen to the urges from the fire world not to set off fireworks,” District 1 Chief Andrew Martin said.

Information isn’t yet available yet for other fire departments in the county.

Also, the cause of a fire that virtually gutted a two-story house at the north end of Centralia the evening before the holiday has not been released. Four fire departments battled the blaze on the 1500 block of Oxford Avenue that displaced its owner, according to Riverside Fire Authority.

Nobody was hurt, but three cats were missing, Fire Chief Mike Kytta indicated.

Separately, at the far east end of the county, residents may be seeing smoke from a fire on the west flank of Mount Adams, at the approximately 5,300 foot elevation.

The fire in the wilderness area was discovered on Friday and was believed to cover about 250 acres yesterday. It is burning in areas of open stands and meadows, as well as heavy timber, according to the Gifford Pinchot National Forest. It’s burning near a segment of the Pacific Crest Trail.

It’s been named the Horseshoe Fire.

During initial attack on Friday, a helicopter worked to check the fire’s spread with bucket drops while a ground crew sized up the fire and evaluated containment line location. Firefighters and district recreation personnel walked the affected trails and escorted forest visitors out of the area.

It’s within the Mt. Adams Wilderness south of Riley Camp Trail #64, in the northeast portion of Skamania County. Closure information is being posted at trailheads and in affected communities.

Although Weinert with Riverside was able to offer a positive report on the holiday, he asks that everyone continue to have a heightened state of awareness of fire safety as the summer season continues.

More to come tomorrow.

Large wildfires burning in Washington state as of today include the Horseshoe fire on the west flank of Mount Adams. / Image from Northwest Interagency Coordination Center