Lewis County Sirens.com

Michelle R. Toso, left, appears before a judge in Lewis County Superior Court

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – Deputies found 60 to 70 mature marijuana plants when they served a search warrant at a Salkum home with boarded up windows and arrested a woman there who said she was paid to come by weekly to tend to the indoor garden.

Michelle R. Toso, 27, of Rochester, allegedly told Lewis County sheriff’s deputies she knew it was illegal, but she needed a job and the money.  She reportedly earned as much as $900 a month to water and care for the plants.

Toso was arrested on Thursday and brought before a judge on Friday in Lewis County Superior Court. She was charged with one count of manufacture of marijuana.

Charging documents in the case state the location where the search warrant was served on Thursday is 27763 U.S. Highway 12, Salkum, an address that does not appear to exist, according to Lewis County property records.

Three deputies who contacted Toso that day indicate they saw plants in two rooms, growing lights, fans and also several large black garbage bags containing processed marijuana.

It was just the week before when  Lewis County sheriff’s deputies visited a family home on the 3300 block of Jackson Highway south of Chehalis and found 500 marijuana plants in the garage and  775 starter plants in another room. A 52-year-old man who said they’d just moved in a few weeks earlier was arrested and is facing the same charge.

Sheriff’s deputies are also investigating after five small marijuana gardens were discovered in the woods off Forest Service Road 25 south of Randle last week.

Manufacture of marijuana is a class C felony, with a maximum penalty of five years in prison and/or a fine of $10,000.

Lewis County Deputy Prosecutor Joel DeFazio on Friday asked that Toso be allowed release on a $10,000 unsecured bond, telling the judge he could find no criminal history for her in this state. Judge Joely O’Rourke agreed.

Her father who was in the courtroom told temporary defense attorney Rachael Tiller they had retained a Seattle lawyer. Toso’s arraignment is scheduled for Thursday.

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – Charges filed against two Lewis County employees for their alleged roles in adopting out a dog previously deemed dangerous, to a family unaware of its status, were dismissed today.

Lewis County Animal Shelter Manager Amy Hanson and her supervisor Danette York appeared in Lewis County District Court in Chehalis this morning with their attorneys.

Amy Hanson

The cases were filed by a prosecutor from the Pacific County Prosecutor’s Office.

The women were there for a first appearance and arraignment on two charges, the first a gross misdemeanor related to permitting by criminal negligence a dangerous dog to be outside of a proper enclosure unmuzzled and unrestrained, in violation of Lewis County Code L6.05.090.

The second count was animal at large, a civil infraction.

Judge Wade Samuelson didn’t like the plan the two sides had for settling the case and indicated he didn’t want to be a part of it.

The lawyers asked for a brief recess and when they returned, Pacific County Chief Deputy Prosecutor Eric Weston said he wanted to dismiss the charges without prejudice, meaning they can be re-filed at a later date.

York, director of Lewis County Public Health and Social Services, is represented by attorney Shane O’Rourke. Hanson is represented by Don Blair.

Danette York

The situation came to light earlier this year, when a county civil attorney who had been researching potential changes to the code at the request of the humane officer, the health department and the shelter, to prevent the pit bull mix from being euthanized, subsequently learned the dog was no longer at the shelter.

Lewis County Prosecutor Jonathan Meyer described what happened as the dog’s name was changed, his true nature was hidden and he was adopted out, because there was a feeling he wasn’t really dangerous. He told county commissioners he would ask an outside prosecutor to evaluate the case.

York is the county employee who had classified Tank as a dangerous dog in an administrative hearing, after he and his mother were involved last summer in killing two neighbor goats and biting a pony’s face. The tan and white dog was impounded and held at the shelter.

The same dog, under the name of Hank, was adopted to a Centralia family in January. The family had the dog until May but handed him over when law enforcement came to retrieve him, and are fighting still to keep him from being euthanized.

Tank, now Hank

The Lewis County Board of Commissioners revised the code in June to allow a chance for a court hearing to save Hank, but Lewis County District Court Judge R.W. Buzzard didn’t buy the presented evidence that it was really the dog’s mother who killed the goats and that the two-year-old canine shows no signs of aggression.

Jann Propp-Estimo, of rural Centralia, her son and grandson have hired a lawyer who is appealing Buzzard’s decision. An order to put the dog down has been put on hold.

This morning in court, as Weston and Blair spoke of what the judge called an informal diversion proposal for the two county employees, Judge Samuelson spoke of the seriousness of the allegations.

Hanson – an exemplary employee of the county for 28 years, according to her attorney – was seated at the defense table.

“I don’t know that she suffered from this, other than she got caught,” Samuelson said. “I’m not going to do this today.”

That’s when the six-minute recess was called, and the deputy prosecutor returned to announce his decision to dismiss the charges.

Propp-Estimo has filed a tort claim with Lewis County, for taking away her family pet.

Her appeal of Judge Buzzard’s decision about Hank’s fate will be heard next week in Grays Harbor County Superior Court.
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For background, read “Centralia dog owner secures a temporary stay on death sentence” from Tuesday June 20, 2017, here

Suspect in robbery at Country Market, 461 Second St., Morton, Wash. on Tuesday. / Courtesy photo Morton Police Department

Updated

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – Police are looking for a man who robbed a senior citizen in the parking lot of a Morton grocery store yesterday in broad daylight.

Police were called about 12:30 p.m. to the Country Market where it occurred.

The victim, a Morton resident in his 80s, was not hurt, Morton Police Department Chief Roger Morningstar said.

“Basically, he cornered him in the parking lot, took his wallet and fled in a vehicle,” Morningstar said.

Morningstar said he is hoping someone will recognize the suspect or his car from security images, and will contact police immediately.

The Country Market is the only grocery store in the East Lewis County town, Morningstar said. It sits on the east side of Second Street, the main north-south arterial, just off U.S. Highway 12.

A brief written summary of the incident indicates the suspect asked the victim if he had any money to spare, and when the victim – who was in his car – took his wallet out, the suspect grabbed it and left.

The chief said the suspect’s vehicle is a silver-colored Chevrolet, either a Malibu or Monte Carlo.

The suspect is a white adult male, and was wearing a ball cap and what was described as a blue and white striped shirt.

Morningstar suggested he would also welcome calls from anyone who may have seen something during the time of the incident.

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Robbery suspect left in silver Chevrolet Malibu or Monte Carlo. / Courtesy photo Morton Police Department

Peggy L. Maxwell, wearing green jail garb, shares defense table with attorney Rachael Tiller in Lewis County Superior Court.

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS –  A woman wanted on a $20,000 arrest warrant for a first-degree theft case filed years ago by former Lewis County Prosecutor Jeremy Randolph recently came to the attention of local law enforcement and was extradited from the east coast to go before a judge here yesterday.

Peggy L. Maxwell, now 58, was booked into the Lewis County Jail on Friday and was seen in Lewis County Superior Court yesterday afternoon.

Lewis County Chief Criminal Deputy Prosecutor Brad Meagher asked that she be held on $20,000 bail. Temporary defense attorney Rachael Tiller requested a lesser amount, noting Maxwell has family in Boistfort and a good friend in the area she can stay with.

Judge James Lawler agreed with Meagher.

The criminal case was filed in May 2001, based on the findings from a January 2000 civil trial in Lewis County in which the court found for the plaintiffs.

The complaint in that case stated the plaintiffs, a non-profit organization in Lewis County called the Civil Rights Defense League, in May of 1998 made a loan of $10,000 to Maxwell and her husband, and the note was in default.

The affidavit regarding probable cause drawn up by Randolph in May 2001 alleges the Defense League issued Maxwell a $10,000 check three years earlier which she said she would use to pay a retainer fee to secure legal services from a lawyer named Leslie Abramson.

Randolph wrote that Maxwell deposited the funds into her account and none of it was received by Abramson. He charged Maxwell with one count of first-degree theft.

Randolph was the elected prosecutor, for the second time, for eight years ending at the end of 2006.

Outside the courtroom, Meagher said Maxwell worked for the now defunct organization. Authorities were able to track down one person who is among the victims, he said.

“There’s a lot of backstory here,” Meagher said.

The criminal charge is separate from the civil case, he said.

A now-retired detective with the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office conducted the criminal investigation for Randolph’s case. Meagher said he has no idea where the husband is, that he’s not involved in this new case.

Documents, only some of which were available, from the civil case, indicate the defendants didn’t show up for the non-jury trial. And the exhibits from the case were destroyed in 2008.

Meagher said his office got lucky and found Maxwell, because she was in jail on the east coast, and her warrant came up.

Tiller requested and got a court-appointed lawyer for Maxwell, saying she has had no income since May of this year, because of incarceration.

Maxwell’s arraignment is scheduled for tomorrow.

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – A Rochester man is dead after a multiple vehicle collision on Interstate 5 about five miles north of the Grand Mound interchange occurring just before 3:50 a.m. today.

Troopers called to the scene near milepost 93 in the northbound lanes indicate the 61-year-old was driving a 2011 Hyundai Accent that was totaled. His name was not released.

A 2013 Volvo tractor-trailer was approaching stopped traffic because of an earlier blocking collision ahead and struck another semi truck in front of him, according to the Washington State Patrol.

The Volvo continued to hit the Hyundai and three more vehicles in the adjacent lanes, according to the state patrol. Nobody else was injured, the investigating trooper reports.

Seven vehicles in all were involved and some were able to be driven away from the scene; others were towed.

The roadway was blocked for eleven hours. The wreck is under investigation.

West Thurston Regional Fire Authority reports the earlier collision – approximately 2:10 a.m. –  near northbound milepost 94 involved multiple vehicles, including a semi, at least one injury and also a car that caught fire.

Trooper Brooke Bova tweeted there were multiple crashes in the backups including a motorist who was arrested for driving under the influence.

Meanwhile, firefighters responded to a three-vehicle collision on state Route 6 near Curtis Hill Road about 9:30 a.m. today. Lewis County Fire District 6’s DJ Hammer tweeted that one patient was transported to Providence Centralia Hospital.

And yesterday, the driver of a Honda Accord was airlifted after a two-vehicle wreck on southbound Interstate 5 near milepost 68, the Avery Road and U.S. Highway 12 interchange in Lewis County.

Troopers called at 1:23 p.m. yesterday say a 2008 Honda Pilot was traveling at a reckless speed when it struck the Honda in the rear.

Gold E. Obi, 26, of Tacoma, was injured and flown to St. Joseph Hospital in Tacoma, according to the Washington State Patrol.

The driver of the Pilot, Kim C. Mao, 50, of Longview, had a 3-year-old boy and a 5-year-old girl in his car, but none of them were hurt, according to the state patrol. Charges of vehicular assault are possible for Mao, according to the patrol.

Map of Scatter Creek Fire area. / West Thurston Regional Fire Authority

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – Crews continue to work to fully extinguish fires in Rochester and are likely to be doing so for at least another 10 days, Thurston County officials said today.

Active fire still exists in the northern part of the Scatter Creek fire and suppression continues there, in the event that began Tuesday afternoon and covered an estimated 485 acres.

A second fire that broke out late yesterday afternoon off Prather Road Southwest in grass, brush and timber was quickly attacked with 45 firefighters, two helicopters and a bulldozer and contained at just under two and half acres, according to West Thurston Regional Fire Authority.

At one point a home was threatened but fortunately, firefighters were able to prevent flames from reaching the residence and it was not damaged, WTRFA stated last night on its Facebook page.

The blaze on Department of Natural Resources trust land appears to have been started by a downed power line, according to WTRFA.

The overall command post has moved from Rochester High School to West Thurston Regional Fire Authority’s station on Sargent Road. State mobilization resources departed at 6 o’clock this morning, leaving DNR to manage the fires.

The public is asked to use extra caution when driving in the area.

Thurston County officials continue to remind the community that it’s not uncommon to smell and see smoke coming from hot spots and they ask the public to call 911 only if flames are visible.

This will likely continue for several weeks, according to Thurston County Public Information Officer Megan Porter.

While evacuees were allowed to return to their homes by Wednesday, two residences were lost in the Scatter Creek fire, according to Porter.

Also lost was a commercial building on Southwest 183rd Avenue and Loganberry Street, two outbuildings, six pieces of heavy equipment, three semi trailers, two commercial vehicles, two personal vehicles and many utility poles.

A historical cabin and barn were lost as well.

The Miller-Brewer House which was built around 1860 was sited at the southeast corner of the Scatter Creek Wildlife Area. Its address was 17915 Guava St. SW.

It was described as one of Washington’s few remaining territorial settlement-era box (plank) constructed houses, conveying the technology and materials available during the state’s formative period, in a 2007 report prepared for Thurston County and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.

The building and the Scatter Creek Wildlife Area is owned and managed by WSDFW.

WSDFW yesterday reported it is still assessing damage to the Scatter Creek Wildlife Area, which accounted for 345 acres of the fire’s damage.

The area provides sanctuary for several threatened and endangered wildlife species and is a destination for hiking, birdwatching, dog training and upland bird hunting.

“This fire is truly a tragedy,” Brian Calkins, regional WDFW wildlife manager stated. “We put our heart and soul into restoring this remaining piece of rare native prairie, and we know a lot of people are going to feel this loss as much as we do.”

Thurston County Emergency Management reported the location where Tuesday’s fire began was near Southwest 183rd Avenue, between Guava Street and Case Road.

Crews are expected to be monitoring the areas for any possible lingering fire for the rest of the summer.

Lewis County officials issued a statement late this week reminding the public an outdoor burn ban remains in place, and urged people to use caution if using outdoor power equipment or tools which could produce sparks.

The National Weather Service says a fire weather watch is in effect tomorrow through Tuesday on the west slopes of the central Cascade Mountains, with very hot, dry and unstable conditions forecast.
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For background, read “No injuries, but structures burned in Rochester” from Wednesday August 23, 2017, here

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Miller-Brewer House. / From 2007 report prepared for Thurston County and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife

Claude E. Royals walks to the defense table in Lewis County Superior Court

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – An evening in Silver Creek with plans for dinner and a threesome ended abruptly when a man allegedly stabbed the guest in the chest because he was masturbating at the kitchen table.

The visitor, a 43-year-old man from Lacey, was listed in critical condition this morning, and the suspect is being held in the Lewis County Jail.

Claude E. Royals, 56, of Silver Creek, was charged in Lewis County Superior Court yesterday with first-degree assault.

Royals was arrested after deputies were called about 9:23 p.m. on Tuesday about a stabbing at the 100 block of Huntting Road.

Law enforcement went both to the home and also to Morton General Hospital, after learning the suspect’s girlfriend was driving the victim there, according to charging documents.

The girlfriend told a deputy she had been home with Royals when the Lacey man arrived. She said the three of them were going to have a sexual encounter and everything seemed to be okay when the friend got there, according to court documents.

Royals was barbecuing some food while the friend took a shower, then the friend sat down at the kitchen table wearing only a towel, she said.

She told the deputy her boyfriend walked over to a roll top desk, picked up a folding knife and opened the blade, then walked over to their guest and stabbed him, charging documents relate.

The girlfriend said the victim stood up, then fell to the ground; she grabbed onto her boyfriend as he continued trying to assault the man and she was eventually able to get the knife, she said.

She and the victim left and drove to the hospital, she said.

The deputies who went to the house spoke with Royals, who allegedly admitted to stabbing the man, saying he did it because the victim was touching himself at the kitchen table, according to charging documents. Royals said he used a fork, not a knife.

The Lewis County Sheriff’s Office said Royals was offended by the actions of his visitor.

In Lewis County Superior Court yesterday afternoon, Chief Criminal Deputy Prosecutor Brad Meagher asked that Royals be held on $75,000 bail, noting that while the suspect lived locally, he felt there was a community safety issue. Judge James Lawler agreed.

Royals had a third-degree assault case from 2013, Meagher said.

Temporary defense attorney Kevin Nelson told the judge his client’s income from his job at National Frozen Foods put him close to the line in terms of qualifying for court-appointed counsel. Attorney Chris Baum was appointed.

Royals’ arraignment is scheduled for next Thursday.

The victim was flown from Morton to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, according to the sheriff’s office. Yesterday morning, sheriff’s Chief Deputy Dusty Breen reported the man was in stable condition.

This morning, a spokesperson at Harborview said he was in the intensive care unit, listed in critical condition.
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For background, read “News brief: Man airlifted to Seattle after Silver Creek stabbing” from Wednesday August 23, 2017, here