Lewis County Sirens.com

Updated at 7:28 p.m.

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

A 39-year-old woman and a 13-year-old boy died yesterday when the car they were traveling in was rear-ended and shoved into the opposite lane of U.S. Highway 12 in East Lewis County.

The 2000 Dodge Stratus was hit by an oncoming pickup truck pulling a camp trailer.

It happened about 9:40 a.m. at the entrance to Cascade Peaks Campground about seven miles east of Randle, according to the Washington State Patrol.

The man who was driving the car, Jeremy W. Denniston, 37, from Randle, was taken to Tacoma General Hospital and remained in critical condition this evening.

The collision is blamed on inattention by the 79-year-old driver of the semi truck, from Nevada – behind the wheel of a 2014 Kenworth with two unloaded trailers, according to the state patrol.

State Patrol Sgt. Mike Cournyer indicates the investigation would continue today, with the names of the victims to be released when their identities are confirmed.

The wreck shut down the highway in both directions until about 4:30 p.m.

According to troopers, the eastbound car was stopped to make a left turn into the campground. The semi truck behind it failed to slow and struck the rear of the car, forcing it into the westbound lane, where it was hit by the 2011 Ford F350 pickup pulling a trailer, according to the state patrol.

The pickup’s passenger, Cheryl L. Kinder, 69, from Astoria, was transported to Morton General Hospital with minor injuries, according to Sgt. Cournyer. The driver, Lewis H. Kinder, 68, also of Astoria, was reportedly unhurt.

The other passengers of the car, Kerri M. Denniston, 39, and the teenager, are also from Randle, according to the state patrol.

The semi driver, Arthur H. Harrison, 79, of Laughlin, Nevada, was also reportedly uninjured. Potential charges are pending, the investigating trooper reports.

All the vehicles were described as totaled.

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By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – A Texas man who allegedly engaged in an online sexual relationship with a 14-year-old Lewis County boy is jailed following his arrest on a $100,000 warrant.

The case was investigated last summer, charges were filed in June and law enforcement traveled to Dallas last week to pick up 31-year-old Lavon S. Sellers.

Sellers’ arraignment is scheduled for Thursday in Lewis County Superior Court.

The teen was interviewed in August 2014 after his parents discovered the long distance romantic relationship over the phone and the Internet.

According to charging documents, the boy told a deputy he’d met Sellers a few weeks prior on a site called “Hot or Not” and the two communicated using KiK Messenger and Skype.

The boy said he’d initially told Sellers he was 16 but later confided he was actually 14. Sellers allegedly had plans to come to Washington and take the boy to Seattle, with a plan in which the teen would tell his parents he was staying with a friend.

Charging documents say deputies responded to the family home for a prescription drug overdose emergency after the boy was caught once more Skyping with Sellers after being ordered by his father not to.

It wasn’t until February of this year that the sheriff’s office confirmed one of the phones taken into evidence had images substantiating child exploitation, according to the court documents.

Sellers is charged with four counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, four counts of communication with a minor for immoral purposes and one count of luring.

When he appeared before a judge on Thursday, Sellers’ temporary defense attorney said he worked at a foundry in Dallas – until his arrest – and had no criminal history.

The judge decided his bail should be $100,000, the same amount as the arrest warrant.

The site of the former garage. / Courtesy photo by Lewis County Fire District 6

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

Members of three fire departments responding just before 11 o’clock this morning to a structure fire in Onalaska found a detached garage fully engulfed in flames.

“Quick action from arriving crews kept damage to the house at a minimum, with the majority of (that) damage affecting the exterior of the structure,” Lewis County Fire District 6 Firefighter DJ Hammer said in a news release.

It happened at the 100 block of Hoyt Road.

Hammer described the garage as a total loss, and noted he was unaware of any injuries.

A fire investigator is looking into the cause.

The busy retail area on the west side of Interstate 5 in Chehalis is virtually off limits for panhandling, begging or soliciting.

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – Those who stand on the corners of busy Chehalis intersections asking for money – typically with a handwritten cardboard sign declaring their need – may need to relocate to a quieter part of town if they want to avoid a fine.

Those whose begging practices include getting up close and personal with their targets, or even fibbing about their bad luck situation, need to take heed as well.

A new law went into effect on Wednesday, heavily curtailing panhandling inside the city limits of Chehalis.

The ordinance was passed by the city council last week. It basically puts off limits all of Chamber of Commerce Way, the arterial that takes shoppers over Interstate 5 at the north end of town to the roughly one mile north-south stretch that is home to Wal-Mart, the Twin City Town Center and other businesses. The activity is essentially banned as well all along that retail strip of Northwest Louisiana Avenue from K-Mart to beyond I-5 Toyota .

It also prohibits the act of panhandling, begging or soliciting within 25 feet of the entrance to any building anywhere in the city, or, within 25 feet of a potential “donor’s” parked vehicle while they are loading or unloading it. And after dark.

A first time violation can cost $250.

Chehalis Police Chief Glenn Schaffer said back when the city of Centralia enacted its rules on panhandling, he was asked if Chehalis ought to do the same. He said no, he didn’t see any problems, at the time.

But that’s changed over the past year or so, Schaffer said.

“We’ve started seeing trash accumulating, and getting complaints from businesses in the area,” he said earlier this week.

Sometimes it’s been about panhandlers who would return, even after being asked to leave, he said.

“And complaints from business owners and managers, who are getting complaints from their customers, who are being approached as they’re coming and going,” he said.

While a first-time violation is a civil infraction, a ticket, further offenses could prompt the issuance of a citation for a criminal misdemeanor, according to the chief.

That kind of citation would mean a mandatory appearance before a judge and, if convicted, a fine of up to $1,000 and as long as 90 days in jail.

The city council passed the new law last week at its regular meeting, claiming serious public harm caused by panhandlers.

The ordinance’s introductory section expresses the council’s desire to protect citizens and visitors from fear and intimidation from some kinds of solicitation.

It also makes note of the city’s interest in promoting business and tourism and preserving the quality of urban life as well as mentioning risk to traffic and public safety.

Certain kinds of panhandling are outlawed altogether, anywhere, anytime.

The ordinance bans what it calls coercive solicitation, which includes what some might think of as aggressive panhandling, and also includes making any false or misleading representations in the course of a solicitation.

Prohibited activity includes approaching within one foot of the person, persisting after the person gives a negative response, blocking a person or their vehicle, or engaging in any conduct that would reasonably be construed as intended to compel or force a person being solicited to accede to demands.

Chehalis’s police Sgt. Gary Wilson said the first day under the new rules went fine.

“There were none out there to be seen,” Wilson said. “So either word spread around, or maybe it was the weather.”

The issue came up back in May, when Council Member Chad Taylor asked if the city manager might look into Centralia’s ordinance on panhandling, so that Chehalis could do something similar.

At a June city council meeting, Chief Schaffer reported back, according to minutes from the meeting, explaining the city could put restrictions in place if they served a significant government interest, as long as they left open sufficient channels for the activity. An individual’s right to beg for money is protected speech under the First Amendment, Schaffer told the council.

He noted Chehalis the year before had repealed its former panhandling ordinance because it was unconstitutional and unenforceable.

Schaffer told the council they had received about 20 complaints since January, all related to panhandling on private property, specifically the Twin City Town Center, the Main Street Food Mart and the Jack-in-the Box. He noted the police department had gotten no official complaints regarding panhandling on public property, but there had been a number of comments such as “they make me feel uncomfortable” and, “can something be done about the trash they leave behind.”

He offered up details about Pierce County’s private property soliciting ordinance, but Mayor Dennis Dawes said it appeared there was interest on the part of the council to take it to the next step.

Earlier this month, the proposed ordinance was brought before the council, with a discussion that included how panhandlers presence in driveways and along roadways adds to the traffic hazards. Schaffer reported that 45 percent of city-wide traffic accidents during the past three years occurred in the area that is Chamber Way from State Street to Louisiana Avenue, and along Louisiana Avenue from K-Mart to Home Depot.

Specifically, in terms of locations on the map, the ordinance that passed bans solicitation within 25 feet of the entrance to any building, unless specific permission has been given by the business owner or occupant.

It’s banned at all on or off ramps to state routes or interstate highways, specifically all those along Interstate 5; at Chamber Way, Main Street and 13th Street.

It’s banned within 300 feet – think the length of a football field – from any of the three intersections along Chamber of Commerce Way: at National Avenue, at State Street and at Louisiana Avenue.

It’s banned within 300 feet of the entrances to the parking lots of all businesses from the 1200 block of Louisiana Avenue, K-Mart, to the 2100 block of Louisiana Avenue, north of I-5 Toyota.

The same goes for any driveways existing or installed in the future on the street between Wal-Mart and Home Depot known as Arkansas Way.

One part of the ordinance also prohibits any kind of selling or distributing anything to a person who is in a vehicle at any of those locations in the congested area.

Another section makes it clear that providing or delivering unrequested services or products with a demand for payment would be a coercive solicitation.

Chief Schaffer this week said he didn’t know if 25 feet meant every part of the sidewalks that run through the historic center of town on North Market Boulevard are off limits. Sgt. Wilson said he thought that might be true, but officers would have to look at each case as it comes.

The chief said he didn’t know if any of the collisions he counted in the congested areas were actually caused by panhandlers, only that there is the further distraction of people on the corners with signs, and motorists stopping to give money.

He also couldn’t address exactly what was the “serious public harm” caused by panhandling cited in the ordinance, saying those weren’t his words.

The ordinance notes the city still allows for safe and appropriate venues for the constitutionally protected activity.

“We can’t outright prohibit it,” Schaffer said. “So if people want to peacefully panhandle, as long as it’s not in the area outlined in the ordinance, they’re free to do that.”

Ordinance No. 944-B, is added as an amendment to Chapter 7.04.320 of the Chehalis Municipal Code.

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – The Alder Lake fire continues to grow and progress to the southeast, but an expected change to wet and cooler weather in Western Washington could bring some relief.

The National Weather Service indicates that tomorrow through the weekend rain will become locally heavy at times, especially in the mountains. Daytime temperatures are forecast to be lower than normal, with many lowland sites not even reaching 70 degrees, according to the weather service.

Centralia-Alpha Road, 18 acres, Onalaska Aug. 4, 2015

The conditions could help reduce the size of or even end ongoing fires in the mountains, the forecasters said this morning.

The forest fire northwest of Mineral has now consumed 225 acres and is threatening residences on or near the Pleasant Valley Road, outside of Mineral. Those living there were told yesterday afternoon to start making plans to evacuate.

The firefighting effort is being managed by the Gifford Pinchot National Forest and the state Department of Natural Resources. About 105 personnel remain assigned to the lightning-sparked fire that was discovered 17 days ago just south of Alder Lake.

While the end or break in the hot, dry spell is surely welcome news, Steve Mansfield of Lewis County Department of Emergency Management, cautions the public to remain vigilant about fire danger.

Gish Road, 102 acres,
Onalaska Aug. 9, 2015

“The Pacific Northwest has reached such a low moisture level, it may take weeks once the rain starts before the danger of fire is reduced,” Mansfield stated in a news release today.

Although outdoor burning is usually prohibited during the driest months of the year in unincorporated Lewis County, officials earlier this month issued a ban on even recreational fires, as did the cities of Chehalis and Centralia.

Besides the Alder Lake fire, Lewis County has seen three other large vegetation fires already this month, each increasingly bigger. Last week a grass fire in Onalaska rolled through 175 acres, decimating a farming operation and consuming 200,000 chickens with their barns.

Gore Road, 175 acres,
Onalaska Aug. 19, 2015

Still, some fire departments have been running a little ragged, responding to calls that turn out to be illegal burning.

Every time it rains a bit, that picks up, Firefighter Brad Bozarth said.

Bozarth estimated his department, Newaukum Valley Fire and Rescue in Napavine, has gone to 30 such calls since the restrictions were put in place.

“Usually its recreational fires, or someone burning trash,” he said.

For a first offense, the firefighters usually just advise the people of the rules, he said.

Earlier this week, Mossyrock’s fire chief was feeling less patient about those who’ve ignored the danger.

Lewis County Fire District 3 Chief Doug Fosburg said his department chased campfires all weekend. The offenders usually claim they didn’t know of the ban, he said.

Alder Lake, 225 acres,
Elbe-Mineral area, ongoing

“People haven’t gotten the idea they can’t have open flames,” he said.

Each time he and his crews are toned out, they have to react as though it’s a working structure fire, with everyone responding, he said.

In one case, Fosburg said, the resident assumed since they’d watered their yard, it would be fine.

“I explained, you can’t control what goes airborne,” he said.

Both he and Salkum’s fire chief had to stop what they were doing at the Gore Road chicken farm to deal with illegal burns, he said.

Ignoring the outdoor burn ban can be costly even if one doesn’t accidentally burn down their neighbors house.

Acting Lewis County Fire Marshal Lee Napier said it’s a civil infraction which can bring a fine of up to $250.

On the criminal side, the sanction is a gross misdemeanor, with the possibility of a fine up to $10,000 and up to 364 days in jail.

Lewis County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Stacy Brown said yesterday morning she wasn’t aware of any such citations issued this year.

Typically, reports of illegal burning are handled by the particular fire department, according to Brown.

“The fire department then goes out and evaluates the situation and typically educates the person,” Brown said. “If the person refuses to put it out or causes a problem, then we respond and use our discretion, as always, to evaluate the situation.”

Chief Fosburg said he doesn’t give people a choice. He  waits and watches the campfire getting put out, and sticks around to make sure it’s entirely extinguished.

“If I have to go back more than once, I will bring law enforcement with me,” he said.

The causes of the first three big fires are unknown, although the sheriff’s office said preliminarily the Gore Road incident was believed to have been sparked by a brush hog operating in a field. DNR is investigating them.

Outdoor burning in unincorporated Lewis County has been prohibited since mid-June, with the increased restrictions put into place within days of the Centralia-Alpha Road fire.

Those in the Mineral area have been advised to continue to monitor their local news media.

The weather service has also noted it it will likely become locally windy on Saturday due to a strong front moving across the area.
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For the details about the specifics:

The Lewis County Board of Commissioner’s resolution allows for enforcement under Lewis County Code 15.05.020.  The code referencing the penalty for violation is under RCW 70.94.430(1).
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For background, read “Fire evacuation alerts issued for residents west of Mineral” from Wednesday August 26, 2015, here

Looking south across Alder Lake at mid-day on Tuesday. / Courtesy photo by Raymond Schrader

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – A lightning-caused forest fire northwest of Mineral has grown from 60 acres to 173 acres since Friday and is progressing to the southeast, according to the U.S. Forest Service.

More than 200 members of the public attended a community meeting at the Mineral School last night to hear information about the wildfire and this afternoon, a level one evacuation notice was issued for people living on or near the Pleasant Valley Road.

A Code Red notification was sent out by the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office at about 3:45 p.m. today, to those who have registered their phone numbers with the emergency alert system.

“(Level one) means that danger exists and you should begin making arrangements to evacuate,” the alert stated. “Evacuations at this time are voluntary.”

Pleasant Valley Road is northwest of Mineral.

If the fire advances to necessitate a level two evacuation notice, residents should either voluntarily relocate to a shelter or with family or friends outside of the affected area, according to the Lewis County Department of Emergency Management. Those who choose to stay should be ready to go at a moments notice.

If a level two evacuation occurs, shelter would be setup in the Morton area, according to the sheriff’s office.

The fire was first reported two weeks ago, burning just south of Alder Lake. It is approximately four miles west of Elbe, five miles from Mineral and seven miles south of Eatonville.

It is being managed by the Gifford Pinchot National Forest and the state Department of Natural Resources.

One hundred and five personnel are assigned to the fire, which is being battled with heavy equipment, fire engines, a helicopter and hand crews.

The fire behavior today was described as moderate, creeping, rolling and occasional torching. It’s burning in steep rugged terrain on a 60 percent slope.

The incident commander’s primary objective is to stop and hold eastward spread of the fire.

Fifteen homes are threatened, as are 20 other structures, all on the Lewis County side of the fire, according to Public Information Officer Kristen Bowles. The fire is only two percent contained. Forest Service Roads 74 and 7409 have been closed.

Alder Lake is at the intersection of Lewis, Thurston and Pierce counties.

A level three evacuation notice, if issued, would mean leave immediately because danger is current or imminent.

The Lewis County Sheriff’ Office indicated in its Code Red alert that people can get additional information from the sheriff’s office website or call the DEM information line at 360-740-1152. Locals may contact Alder Lake Fire Information at 360-623-5525.

Emergency Management recommends people continue to monitor their local news media as well.
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Other Resources:

• Northwest Large Fire Information Summary, here

• InciWeb Incident Information System, here

• The Forest Service-Gifford Pinchot National Forest on Facebook, here

• Sign up for Code Red alerts, here

The south shore of Alder Lake dips into Lewis County. / Courtesy photo by Raymond Schrader

Salkum Fire Department’s fire engine-tender / Courtesy photo by Lewis County District 8

Updated

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – After three days of pulling apart a dozen 20,000 square-foot buildings to extinguish smoldering hot spots at the Onalaska chicken farm that burned, the all-volunteer fire department was able to turn the scene over to the property owner yesterday.

Firefighters from the state Department of Natural Resources finished their work the night before and put the fire on patrol status yesterday, Lewis County Fire District 8 Fire Chief Duran McDaniel said this morning.

Wednesday Aug. 19, 2015

The fire that rolled through 175 acres of grass, tree lines and briars on Wednesday destroyed 12 large chicken barns, three or four tractors and one fire engine-tender that was abandoned when a wall of flames jumped a fire break where a crew was defending a large propane tank.

The farmer’s house was saved as was a neighbor’s barn and several other structures,

Neilson’s chicken farm is located on the 200 block of Gore Road, west of Salkum.

“I can’t thank all of the volunteers enough,” McDaniel said.

In a phone interview, the chief’s voice broke as he spoke of the help his department got from fire districts in three counties. And crews from Pacific County were on standby, he said.

“It’s overwhelming,” McDaniel said this morning.

Over the past three days, members of his department, with some help from Lewis County Fire Districts 6 and 1, worked until midnight, he said.

Eight of the 12 barns contained chickens. Thousands of chickens perished and with the heat, most were consumed, he said. Each wood-framed, metal-sided building measured 40 feet by 500 feet long.

They worked with crews from Draper Valley Farms and tractors, pulling back the metal to make sure everything was extinguished and to get rid of all the heat, he said.

A spokesperson with the Mount Vernon headquartered poultry company said 200,000 chickens were lost. Draper Valley owns the chickens; the farmer raises Draper Valley’s chickens under contract, according to Julie DeYoung.

“It’s a tragic situation and we are working with the farmer to minimize the economic impact from losing this flock,” DeYoung said. “We are thankful that no one was injured fighting the fire.”

Chief McDaniel said two very large stockpiles of sawdust have sprinklers on them, and will probably have to be torn apart as well to make sure nothing reignites.

“We’re blessed, we have volunteers that work opposite shifts,” McDaniel said, meaning they would leave to go to their regular jobs at different times.

The Lewis County Sheriff’s Office has said the fire is believed to have been sparked by a tractor-brush hog operating in a field.

The fire, among the largest seen in Lewis County, prompted evacuations for a mile around. Residents weren’t given the all-clear to return home until almost 8 o’clock on Wednesday night.

Officials have been warning all season that the exceptionally hot and dry summer is presenting extreme fire danger. Two weeks ago, McDaniel and his department assisted neighboring Lewis County Fire District 1 with a wildfire that was the largest McDaniel had seen in more than three decades – the Gish Road fire was 102 acres.

This fire was nearly twice as large.

“DNR confirmed the fire behavior we saw has only been seen in Eastern Washington,” McDaniel said.

All outdoor burning is banned. Only closed-lid barbecues are allowed.

Last night, McDaniel said, he responded to three calls for prohibited activities, including one campfire and two parties burning open-propane fires.

His message to members of the public today: “Please, please, observe the burning regulations.”
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For background, read “Onalaska chicken farm and almost 200 acres consumed by wildfire” from Thursday August 20, 2015, here