Lewis County Sirens.com

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CENTRALIA – The budding mental health court program underway in Lewis County has six or seven individuals participating and Lewis County Jail Chief Kevin Hanson highlighted one of their successes this evening.

“This guy has been in the jail 30 times in the last 10 years, and he’s a real handful,” Hanson said. “He does things that are frankly disgusting.”

But he’s been out for a year, and a productive member of society, Hanson said.

Hanson was sharing with Centralia city council members information about an ongoing project he says is currently underway in the local criminal justice system without any additional funding.

Working with him are the prosecutor’s office and the judges. Hanson has three full time mental health workers at his jail as well.

The idea, according to Hanson, is aimed at keeping more people who have serious mental health issues out of the jail.

He cited some statistics.

Forty-three percent of the inmate population has severe mental health issues, he said.

Their stay at the jail is almost three times the length of the time spent there by the non-mentally ill, he said.

And it costs $90 a day when they are locked up.

The way it’s been working is once a person is selected for participation, they plead guilty to whatever offense put them in jail, and then the judge suspends their sentence, but puts in place numerous conditions. Such as, they must take their medications, stay off drugs, stay off alcohol and maintain regular contact with their care provider, he said.

One of his mental health workers at the jail works out in the field monitoring their progress, like a case manager, according to Hanson.

The participant whose name he did not share has fallen off the wagon, so to speak, but he self-reported his infraction, according to Hanson. He admitted to smoking marijuana, and so the prosecutor un-suspended some of his jail time, Hanson said.

County employees currently involved call this Mental Health Alternative Programs. But some would like to see it transformed into a full-fledged mental health court.

“Where are we going?” Hanson said to the city council. “I’m sure you’ve heard of therapeutic courts. That’s where we’re headed.”

It was about four years ago when officials approved a one-tenth of one cent local sales tax to fund drug court and other related programs.

The proceeds can only be spent on what are called therapeutic courts – such as drug court and mental health court – and certain other measures to reduce substance abuse and help keep mentally ill individuals stable.

Hanson and Lewis County Prosecutor Jonathan Meyer last week gave a presentation to the board that oversees how those funds are spent.

Lewis County Commissioner Edna Fund, who brought Hanson to Centralia City Hall this evening, called it “kind of economic development.”

“So people can stay in their homes, and keep their jobs,” Fund said.

Tabitha and Bethany Cuvreau

Updated at 12:02 p.m.

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – The investigation into the cause of the fire that killed a mother and two little girls in Winlock continues but authorities now have some answers.

The three died from smoke inhalation, according to the Lewis County Coroner’s Office.

Coroner Warren McLeod said autopsies were completed between Friday and yesterday on the deceased.

Samantha Koehler

They are Samantha Koehler, 31, and her two daughters Bethany Cuvreau, 4, and Tabitha Cuvreau, 2.

McLeod said his work didn’t come up with an answer as to why the trio didn’t get out of the burning home, while the father and two boys were able to escape.

“That would call for speculation on my part,” McLeod said.

However, he said, the impact of smoke in a person’s system can overcome someone quite quickly and cause unconsciousness.

The three will be released today, so they can be laid to rest, according to McLeod.

The early morning blaze on Thursday nearly consumed the two-story home on the 800 block of Northeast First Street. According to county records and authorities it was built in 1904 and served by natural gas.

The family had been sleeping and when the father and two boys headed out the door, the mother and girls were right behind him, but for whatever reason didn’t get out, according to Police Chief Terry Williams.

Williams today said he doesn’t know when the investigation into the cause of the fire will be finished.

“There’s stuff that has to be sent off to be analyzed,” Williams said.

Meanwhile, many members of the community have been working to raise money and collect donations for the survivors.

The St. Helens Tap House in Toledo is holding a benefit charity ride on March 21, beginning at their establishment on Ramsey Way with multiple stops during a 75-mile loop through the county, to include door prizes and drawings.

The entry fee is $25 per person with all proceeds going to the fire victims, according to Toledo resident Brandie Devine.

For more info or to donate to the prize packages, the contacts are: Brandie Devine at 360-880-7331, Callie Fraser at 850-803-9617 or or Terry Butler 360-269-0041.
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For background, read “Deadly Winlock fire: Investigation, grieving, continue” from Friday February 27, 2015, here

Connect with First Street Fire Benefit Ride on Facebook

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – Authorities are a little bit closer to possibly discovering the identity of the female whose skeletal remains were found last week on a wooded hillside in Chehalis.

If it is who they think it might be, it’s not someone who has been reported missing, according to police and the coroner.

The human remains were found by a surveyor about a quarter mile east of the 2200 block of Northeast Kresky Avenue.

Northeast Kresky Avenue

Chehalis Police Department detective Sgt. Gary Wilson estimated she had  been dead around a year, based partly on items they found close by. Receipts and other papers in a bag – like a handbag – near her had a name on them, according to Wilson.

Lewis County Coroner Warren McLeod’s office has the ability to send an inquiry fax out to all dentists in Lewis County, and he got a response, he said this morning.

Both the remains and what he believes to be her dental records are being transported today to the King County Medical Examiner’s Office, where the forensic anthropologist can compare the two, McLeod said.

He could get an answer as to whether they match within days, he said.

Finding a cause of death is something that will take much longer, if they even can figure it out, according to McLeod.

Dr. Kathleen Taylor, the forensic anthropologist, can examine bones and sometimes find some answers, for example she might find trauma to a skull or knife of bullet marks to ribs, McLeod said.

“But there’s only so much we can do scientifically,” McLeod said.

His office is still trying to track down possible family of the female whose name they have, he said.

Sgt. Wilson said he had nothing new to release about the case, and is reluctant to share many details.

“It’s difficult, because you have family out there, people who do have missing persons, and I don’t want them to get false hopes,” he said. “At the same time, I want to protect the family of who it is.”

Wilson said one of his detectives has been conducting interviews, but his office is in somewhat of a holding pattern, waiting for the coroner to make a positive identification.

Everything they collected at the scene last Tuesday, they turned over to the coroner, he said.

There were no indications of foul play at the scene, but there were also no indications at all there to suggest how she died, Wilson said this morning.

The area is above a swath of property where some earthmoving and cleanup is underway, a hike through woods and steep terrain.

Wilson said he could only speculate why the female would have been in that spot.
•••

For background, read “Human remains recovered off Kresky Avenue hillside” from Tuesday February 24, 2015, here

Northwest Pediatric Center on Cooks Hill Road in Centralia. / Courtesy photo by Peter Crosby

Updated at 3:22 p.m.

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

The building that housed part of the Northwest Pediatric Center in Centralia and was hit by a fire over the weekend will remain closed for several months, but the center is still seeing patients as usual.

They are just moving providers and appointments around to other locations, administrator Lisa McKay said this morning. They opened as usual for business at 7 a.m. today, she said.

Nobody was injured in the Saturday night fire on the 1900 block of Cooks Hill Road at what they call the Centralia East Clinic. It sits adjacent to the Centralia West Clinic.

The fire department revealed today they believe someone set the fire.

Riverside Fire Authority and the Centralia Police Department concluded after their scene examination it was arson, according to Riverside. They are continuing to investigate, including conducting interviews, according to a news release from Capt. Erik Olson.

McKay said she doesn’t really know yet how bad the loss is as far as the building and equipment. They are insured.

“The damage is pretty much to the roof and ceiling,” she said. “We honestly don’t know, we haven’t been in there that much yet.”

Three fire departments responded to the blaze at about 8:10 p.m. on Saturday and found fire in the rear of the building with extension into the attic. By 9:30 p.m., Riverside Fire Authority said it was extinguished.

The center has 55 employees, including eight pediatricians and a psychiatrist, but also has various specialists affiliated with the center who took appointments in the newer building that caught fire, according to McKay.

The practice with more than 15,000 patients also has locations in Chehalis and Rochester.

The most significant loss at this point is the space, McKay said.

For those with upcoming appointments at Centralia East, they will be told where they need to go when they get their reminders calls, she said.

Normally, the walk-in clinic for children – called  the Kids Quick Clinic – which is held Monday through Friday from 12 p.m. until 8 p.m. and Sunday from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., is housed at Centralia East. McKay said anyone who wants to come for that should just go the Centralia West instead.

The clinic was not open on Saturday. None of the dogs who are part of the practice were there either, according to McKay.
•••

For background, read “Sirens: Daily police and fire roundup – CHILDREN’S CLINIC CATCHES FIRE IN CENTRALIA” from for Sunday March 1, 2015, here

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

Firefighters and investigators continued their work today, trying to uncover what ignited the blaze that claimed three lives and nearly consumed a two-story home in Winlock.

“We’re out going through the scene today,” Lewis County Fire District 15 Assistant Chief Kevin Anderson said. “Going through the remains of the house.”

807 N.E. First Street

The Lewis County coroner yesterday recovered the partial remains of three individuals and has yet to verify their identities or release their names.

Winlock Police Department Chief Terry Williams said he hasn’t confirmed the ages of all the family members involved in Thursday’s early morning morning fire.

The father, whose name has not been released, and his two boys escaped the fire physically uninjured. The mother and two little girls who were right behind him did not.

“I think they’re 3 and 4,” Williams said today.

She had them on her hips or under her arms, carrying them out, Williams said. They were found right where he would have expected them to be, some 10 to 15 feet from the front door.

The family had been asleep, and the father had no ideas what caused the fire, Williams said.

807 N.E. First Street / Google

The survivors were in their nighttime apparel, and a life-long Winlock resident has headed up efforts to collect clothing for them, as well as household items.

Brandon Patching said the boys, ages 7 and 9, are average to slim. The father could likely wear large or extra large, he said.

Patching also spearheaded a candlelight vigil last night, held at the site of the world’s largest egg, which the south Lewis County town is known for.

“Being a small town, that’s what we do,” Patching said. “That family needs to know that we’re all there for them.”

Connie Sneed, who became acquainted with the couple at first through the Winlock community Facebook group, early yesterday coordinated with Umpqua Bank in town to set up a donation account.

She’s anxious to get it out of her name, but hasn’t talked directly to the father yet, she said today.

His brother phoned her earlier today – she assumed because the police chief thought they should connect – on the father’s behalf.

“He said he’s very, very appreciative, he’s just barely hanging in there, his brother said; he’s just trying to hang in there, he’s not doing real well,” Sneed said.

Sneed said the father is up north with his family. She said the couple had come to Winlock a year or so ago from Coupeville.

He asked her if she could help get the donated items stored, because he’s going to need them soon, she said.

The brother told her what’s really needed is money, for services and relocating, she said.

“I want him to be able to put her and those babies to rest, and not have to skimp on anything,” Sneed said.

Umpqua Bank continues to accept monetary donations; Mayor Lonnie Dowell said donors can just tell them it is for the fire victims.

Any donations of clothing, or household goods can be taken to the Christian Fellowship in Winlock on Cemetery Road. Also, Patching is happy to continue accept them at his workplace at Aaron’s in the Twin City Town Center in Chehalis, as long as it’s arranged ahead of time with a phone call. He can be reached at 360-740-6060.

Patching and Sneed can also be reached for details via posts on Lewis County Sirens Facebook page.

The fire investigation is being conducted by Sam Patrick, under the direction of Chief Williams.

The chief expected they would continue working into this evening.

Lewis County Coroner Warren McLeod indicated this morning his office is working with the family, keeping them informed of their progress of confirming the identities, so the three can be released and laid to rest.

•••

For background, read “Deadly Winlock fire: Sifting though charred rubble” at 3:39 p.m., here

The search for bodies at the fire scene on Northeast First Street is a slow process.

Updated at 5:04 p.m.

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

WINLOCK – The scene was somber as an investigator examined the area inside the blackened shell of what was a two-story house, hovering in the basket of a manlift while firefighters assisted below.

“We believe we have a location of one of the victims,” Winlock Police Department Chief Terry Williams announced shortly after 12:15 p.m.

A woman and two little girls didn’t make it out when fire broke out overnight. A father and two boys are said to be in the care of the Red Cross.

Winlock Police Chief Terry Williams

“It’s just heart wrenching,” Winlock Mayor Lonnie Dowell said.

“My heart goes out to them,” Dowell said. “I can’t imagine losing half my family.”

The north end of the main street through the little town that sits three miles west of Interstate 5 is blocked off today, with barricades and yellow tape.

Chief Williams said the blended family had lived there perhaps a year; they were renting. He didn’t release any names.

“I knew of them,” Williams said.

Former Mayor Glen Cook who operated the machine to help Fire Investigator Samuel Patrick take photos from above, lives just down the street. Cook said when he phoned 911, he could see a little glow at the back of the house. Before he could finish explaining the location to the call taker, flames were coming out everywhere on the first floor, he said.

Another neighbor spoke of an explosion that rocked his house and woke his family up.

Chief Williams was dispatched at 2:45 a.m., just 10 minutes after the fire department was called out. He had only initial information from the man who lived there.

“The father indicated he grabbed the two boys and headed out the door,” Williams said. “She was right behind him, and he told her to get down, get down low.”

She didn’t come out, Williams said.

“He’s not even certain what happened,” Williams said of the father.

The residence, at 807 N.E. First Street, was built in 1904, according to county records. The Lewis County Assessor’s most recent information notes the one bathroomed home as in fair to average condition and heated with space heaters.

A representative of Puget Sound Energy said it was served by natural gas.

The front door of the main floor faced First Street. The house had a sort of basement on the backside, so it could be considered three stories, Williams said. Today, the top floor was gone.

Assisting Williams and his department were detectives from the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office, Napavine Police Chief Chris Salyers, and members of the fire departments.

They were taking up debris layer by layer, searching for victims. Specialists from the Washington State Patrol came to create a map of the premises, once a suspected victim was found.

A fire investigator for Puget Sound Energy arrived at about noon.

Williams said the oldest of the children is a 9-year-old boy. The school district sent out a message this morning stating they will be providing support as needed to students and staff.

Mayor Dowell said a vigil is going to be held tonight, at the park in the center of town where the giant egg is. Umpqua Bank is accepting donations in an account already set up, he said.

Williams, who has been a police officer in Winlock since 1979, said its the third fire with child victims he can recall.

“They’re never easy, especially when there’s children,” he said.

Update: Just after 4 p.m. today, Chief Williams indicated investigators have recovered the remains of three victims, by way of the department’s Facebook page. The investigation into the cause of the fire will continue, according to Williams.
•••

For background, read “Possibly fatal house fire erupts in Winlock” from Thursday February 26, 2015 at 6:14 a.m., here

Citizens should expect travel delays on Northeast First Street thorough the day.

•

Examining the interior of what was a two-story house.