Lewis County Sirens.com

Here’s what I’m hearing this morning: It’s been q-u-i-e-t out there.

Except, Riverside Fire Authority Capt. Casey McCarthy says the outgoing crew was called about 9:45 last night to a report a vehicle struck the median on southbound Interstate 5 at milepost 84 near the Lewis-Thurston county line and then went about 25 feet down an embankment.

It appears there were no more than minor injuries, McCarthy said.

Four of the six individuals who’ve checked in to the Lewis County Jail since yesterday afternoon appear to be simply serving time for past arrests. Looks like Lewis County sheriff’s deputies arrested one person for drugs this morning.

If anyone’s heard anything different, or got a news tip, you know where to reach me.

I may have to go out and snap a picture of a baby farm animal or something. Check back later.

Oh wait. In the meantime, here’s something I meant to share a while back.

Lewis County Fire District 5 invited news reporters a couple months ago to do a little hands-on learning about the work they do.

You can see below a bit of what I learned that day.

The outfits firefighters wear are very heavy. / Photo by Maleah Heldreth

The Jaws-of-Life are even heavier. (That's me too.) / Photo by Maleah Heldreth

ASSAULTS

• Centralia police were called about 1:50 a.m. today to the 3200 block of Borst Avenue where they learned a woman was assaulted by her husband who reportedly struck her in the face and choked her. The 42-year-old suspect fled the scene before officers arrived, according to the Centralia Police Department.  The case is being referred to the Lewis County Prosecutor’s Office for a recommended charge of second-degree assault, according to police.

• A Centralia man was arrested yesterday after he went to the police department and recanted a previous report his wife had assaulted him. His wife had been arrested after his initial report in recent days, according to police. Marcus E. Prince, 38, was arrested yesterday for false reporting and booked into the Lewis County Jail, according to the Centralia Police Department.

DIAMOND RING MISSING

• Chehalis police were called yesterday afternoon to a residence on Northwest St. Helens Avenue about the theft of a gold and diamond ring. The ring’s value is estimated at $4,000, according to the Chehalis Police Department.

DRUGS

• A 19-year-old Centralia woman was jailed last night after contact with a police officer about 6:15 p.m. at the 1300 block of Belmont Avenue in Centralia. Courtney C. Phelan was arrested for a violation related to the Department of Corrections and for possession of methamphetamine, according to to the Centralia Police Department.

• Two Centralia men were arrested after a traffic stop late yesterday afternoon at West Walnut and Hemlock streets in Centralia. Sean W. Thomas, 28, was booked for a previous incident involving deliver of methamphetamine and Joshua P. Wildman, 33, was booked for driving with a suspended license, according to police.

PEDESTRIAN STRUCK IN CENTRALIA

• A motorist was cited just after noon-time yesterday after what police described as a vehicle versus pedestrian collision with minor injuries at West Main and North Iron streets in Centralia.

CAR PROWL

• Centralia police were called just after 2 p.m. yesterday to the 300 block of Latona Street where an officer took a report of items taken from an unlocked vehicle.

FRAUD

• Chehalis police were contacted yesterday by an Onalaska man who said someone was using his identity. He found out someone had opened a bank account in his name when they ordered something and accidentally had it shipped to his address, according to police. They were minor transactions, as low as $1 and $2, according to detective Sgt. Rick McNamara.

• Centralia police took a report yesterday from the 1100 block of South Schueber Road of someone using a person’s credit card to make a purchase in Georgia.

• Police took a report yesterday afternoon from the 500 block of South Rock Street of fraudulent charges on a person’s account.

PICKUP TRUCK COLLIDES WITH SEMI ON I-5 NEAR NAPAVINE

• A motorist reportedly distracted by two dogs in his vehicle struck a semi-truck and then his pickup truck rolled coming to rest on it top on Interstate 5 near Napavine yesterday evening. Aid and troopers were called about 6:50 p.m. to the scene in the southbound lanes near exit 72. The driver of the Ford F150, Arnel Tadas, 47, of University Place, was taken to Providence Centralia Hospital with cuts and scrapes, according to the Washington State Patrol. His vehicle was totaled. The 28-year-old driver of the 2006 Kenworth from California was reportedly uninjured. At least one of the dogs didn’t survive the wreck, according to responders.

TWO ARRESTED FOR THEFT OF GUNS AND JEWELRY

• A pair of Centralia men were arrested yesterday in connection with a Thursday interrupted burglary in Toledo in which two semi-automatic pistols, a rifle and a 16-gauge shotgun were among the items stolen. Deputies called on Thursday to the residence on Poetsch Road were told two males fled in a small vehicle, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office. A photo montage was created and two men were identified, Sheriff Steve Mansfield said this morning. Kodey L. Howard, 20, and Daniel C. Miller, 20, were arrested for first-degree burglary, according to Mansfield. Also missing after the break-in were several pieces of expensive jewelry, Mansfield said. The loss was estimated at more than $5,000.

CAR STOLEN IN CENTRALIA

• Centralia police took a report yesterday morning of a car stolen from the 1600 block of Windsor Avenue. Taken was a blue 1992 Honda Prelude. The two-door vehicle has a license plate of 027 ZJY.

STOLEN VEHICLE FOUND IN CENTRALIA

• Centralia police took a report about 11 a.m. yesterday of a stolen vehicle recovered on the 100 block of West Main Street.

WINDOWS “SHOT” OUT OVERNIGHT IN MOSSYROCK

• A deputy was called about 2:30 a.m. today to Lakewood Drive near Mossyrock to a report a window and a glass sliding door had been shot out. Sheriff Steve Mansfield said it appeared it was done with marbles and some sort of slingshot.

POLICE LOOK FOR WANTED PERSON AT ECKERSON ROAD HOME

• Centralia police arrested two people yesterday evening at a residence on the 1200 block of Eckerson Road. Officers were at the home around 5:30 p.m. looking for a wanted person, according to the Centralia Police Department. Christopher H. Quimby, 50, of Centralia, was arrested for obstruction and then released, according to police. Officers found Crystal P. Timbrook there and arrested the 30-year-old Centralia woman on an outstanding warrant. She was booked into the Lewis County Jail.

VANDALISM

• Centralia police were called twice yesterday to reports of slashed tires on vehicles. The first was at the 1000 block of North Tower Avenue and the other was on the 600 block of H Street.

• Centralia police took reports of “gang-style” graffiti to two buildings yesterday. One was at the 200 block of South Tower Avenue and the other on the 500 block of North Gold Street.

ONALASKA AREA FIRE STARTED ON STOVETOP

• Fire investigator Ted McCarty said yesterday a kitchen fire east of Onalaska on Christmas night started after a burner was left on and nearby items ignited. Fire damage was minimal but there was smoke damage to the mobile home on the 100 block of Stub Road, according to McCarty. Residents had left around noon and after they returned she heard a commotion in the kitchen and spotted flames on the stovetop, McCarty said. The burner had been left on all day, he said. “Fortunately they were home when it took off, otherwise they wouldn’t have a home,” he said.

ASSAULTS

• Centralia police were called about 4 p.m. yesterday to the 1500 block of Lum Road where a woman said her boyfriend rammed her car with his when she tried to drive away. Police reported this morning they are still looking for him.

• A 35-year-old Winlock man was arrested after a Sunday night incident in which his wife told police he attacked her and started choking her with a “head lock-type” hold. She reportedly fled their apartment and called 911 about 8:30 p.m.  Erik J. Vanasch was later taken into custody and yesterday he was charged with second-degree assault.

• A 44-year-old Toledo man was charged yesterday after a Christmas Eve incident in which a woman told deputies they were at his residence when he began yelling profanities, grabbed her and threw her on the bed. She was eventually able to get him off her and leave, according to charging documents, but as she tried to get in her vehicle, he allegedly tried to pull her out of her car by her leg. Steven R. Stanton was charged yesterday in Lewis County Superior Court with unlawful imprisonment and fourth-degree assault, domestic violence. He was released after court on a $5,000 signature bond.

FLAGS HEISTED

• Chehalis police were called yesterday morning to a report somebody stole two flags from the flag pole at the Lewis County Mall. Missing from the Northeast Hampe Way location are an American flag and a POW flag, according to the Chehalis Police Department. Detective Sgt. Rick McNamara said a key is needed to lower the flags so it’s not clear how someone got them down.

STOLEN STUFF

• An officer was called about 8:25 a.m. yesterday to a burglary at a business on the 2000 block of Borst Avenue in Centralia. Police report its not known if anything was taken.

• Tools were reported stolen in a burglary to a shed on the 300 block of North Rock Street in Centralia, according to a report made to police about 10 o’clock yesterday morning.

• A vehicle found abandoned on the 900 block of Harrison Avenue yesterday was stolen from Yamhill County in Oregon and returned to its owner, according to the Centralia Police Department.

• Police took reports yesterday morning from two different locations in Centralia of stolen debit card numbers being used for purchases in Louisiana.

GRAFFITI

• Centralia police took a report yesterday morning of graffiti being spray painted onto a wall on the 900 block of West Main Street.

DUI ARREST FOLLOWS ROLLOVER CRASH

• A motorist was taken to Providence Centralia Hospital overnight after a wreck in which responders found a vehicle upside down in water between Interstate 5 at milepost 71 and Estep Road, according to a news release from Lewis County Fire District 5. Fire Lt. Laura Hanson reported the driver had self-extricated from the car and was hospitalized for evaluation after the 3 a.m. call. The 30-year-old female driver from Raymond was cited for driving under the influence, according to the Washington State Patrol.

PRESENTS STOLEN FROM VEHICLE

• Chehalis police were called just before 8 o’clock on Saturday morning about the theft of Christmas gifts overnight from a vehicle parked outside on the 1400 block of Southwest Mills Avenue. At least some of the presents were toys, according to the Chehalis Police Department. The vehicle was unlocked, according to police.

STOLEN CAR FOUND IN CHEHALIS

• A car stolen out of Centralia was discovered Saturday afternoon parked behind a Chehalis home on the 700 block of South Cascade Avenue. It appeared someone was trying to hand paint the 1996 Honda Accord a different color, according to Chehalis police.

RACOON AND PIG FIGHT REPORTED

• Chehalis police were called about 3:40 a.m. on Sunday to a report a “really small” pig and a raccoon fighting outside off Washington Avenue. The arriving officer was unable to locate the animals, according to police.

MASS VANDALISM AT PARADISE ESTATES

• Detectives are investigating vandalism in Paradise Estates in Ashford totaling an estimated $10,000. The Lewis County Sheriff’s Office reported this morning somebody broke the glass on 31 water meters sometime between 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. last Monday, according to Cmdr. Steve Aust.

TWO MEN ARRESTED AFTER CRAWLING THROUGH WINDOW

• Centralia police arrested two men on Sunday afternoon for trespassing into a vacant house on the 400 block of South Iron Street. A neighbor reported seeing two guys crawling in a window, according to Officer Paul McCormick. Zachary J. Maurer, 21, of Centralia, and Ezekiel L. Johnson, 22, a homeless person, were arrested, according to police. Johnson was booked into the Lewis County Jail as he was found in possession of a handgun reported stolen out of Winlock, according to McCormick.

BURGLARIES AND THEFTS

• A business on the 1000 block of Caveness Drive in Centralia was burglarized, according to a report made to police about 11:45 a.m. on Saturday. An unspecified amount of cash was taken from a drawer, according to the Centralia Police Department.

• Tools were stolen from a vacant house being renovated on the 200 block of Hemlock Street in Centralia, according to a report made to police Sunday morning.

• Centralia police were called Saturday to a garage burglary on the 1300 block of Crescent Avenue.

• Centralia police were called about 9:30 a.m. on Sunday to a vehicle prowl on the 300 block of Latona Street. Among the missing items were CDs, a cell phone and unspecified medication.

WINDOW BROKEN

• Chehalis police were called about 4 p.m. on Thursday about somebody breaking out a window to Paradise Teriyaki on the 300 block of Northwest Chehalis Avenue.

TIRES SLASHED

• Police were called just before 8 a.m. on Saturday morning to a report of two ties being slashed on a vehicle at the Peppermill Empress Inn on the 1200 block of Alder Street in Centralia.

GRAFFITI TAGS

• Centralia police took a report about 2 o’clock this morning on the 1000 block of West Main Street where the side of a building was “tagged” with graffiti.

COLLISIONS IN FREEWAY BACKUP

• Two cars were totaled in two separate rear-end collisions on Interstate 5  south of the U.S. Highway 12 interchange on Sunday afternoon. Troopers were called about 2 p.m. to milepost 57 near the Lewis-Cowlitz county line where a northbound 2008 Dodge Avenger ran into the back of a Jeep which was stopped for traffic, according to the Washington State Patrol. The Dodge was totaled but its 42-year-old driver from Federal Way was reportedly uninjured. A pair of Woodinville residents in the Jeep were taken to St. John Medical Center in Longview neck pain or stiffness, according to the investigating trooper. About an hour later, a 20-year-old motorist from Renton unable to stop for slowing traffic ran into the back of a northbound Toyota Camry near milepost 67, according to the state patrol. The Camry was towed and its driver, a Redmond resident, was taken by ambulance to Providence Centralia Hospital with a lower back injury, according to the state patrol. An infant in the Camry was reportedly uninjured. The 20-year-old’s 1999 Toyota Corolla was described as totaled.

FLATBED TRUCK HITS CAR, HEDGE, POLE, HOUSE …

• A motorist was arrested for possession of methamphetamine after allegedly driving erratically into Centralia running vehicles off the roadway, striking a car and then crashing through a hedge and into a house on Wednesday evening. The Lewis County Sheriff’s Office reported yesterday the commercial flatbed truck clipped the mirror of a big rig on southbound Interstate 5 and then headed north on Harrison Avenue at times passing cars by using the southbound lane and running a red light. The truck hit a 1993 Mercury near Sandra Avenue and lost control before damaging a utility pole and coming to rest against the exterior of the fireplace on a home, according to authorities. Aid, called about 6:20 p.m., determined there were no injuries. The driver had fled the scene, according to the sheriff’s office. Chief Civil Deputy Stacy Brown said the driver was later located by a detective and taken to Providence Centralia Hospital for treatment. Michael J. Emerling, no age or hometown reported, was then booked into the Lewis County Jail for possession of methamphetamine and referred for a myriad of possible other charges, according to Brown. Damage was estimated at about $8,000.

MAN THREATENS TO BURN OCCUPIED VEHICLE, POLICE SAY

• A Centralia man was arrested after he reportedly poured gasoline on an occupied vehicle and threatened to light it on fire Wednesday. Centralia police, called about 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday to the incident at the 1000 block of South Gold Street, booked Roger L. Estep, 39, into the Lewis County Jail for first-degree assault, domestic violence. He was released from jail after a scheduled court appearance yesterday afternoon.

SAFE STOLEN IN FARM STORE BURGLARY

• Somebody circumvented an alarm system, got inside Del’s Farm Supply store in Chehalis and made off with a safe, Chehalis police said yesterday. An officer called about 7:40 a.m. on Wednesday to the business on the 2500 block of Northeast Kresky Avenue was told the backdoor was found unlocked. Chehalis police detective Rick Silva said it contained a “fair amount of money.”

HONDA TAKEN IN CENTRALIA

• Centralia police were called yesterday to the 500 block of North Iron Street where a black 1986 Honda had been stolen overnight. The four-door car has black rims, tinted windows and a license plate reading 836 YZZ, according to the Centralia Police Department.

ATTEMPTED BURGLARY WHILE RESIDENT IS AT HOME

• Sheriff’s deputies were called about 10:30 p.m. on Wednesday when a Morton area woman said she was sitting at her kitchen table and somebody attempted to come in the front door of her home. The door at the residence on the 100 block of Klasey Road was locked and the subject did not get inside, apparently fleeing before a deputy arrived, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office.

ARREST FOR FALSE REPORTING

• A 34-year-old Centralia man was jailed yesterday for attempting to make a false report and get another person arrested. Alvin R. Stonechocker was arrested for false reporting after contact with an officer about 2:30 p.m. at the 1400 block of Johnson Road, according to the Centralia Police Department. Details on his claim weren’t readily available.

VAN CONSUMED BY FIRE

• Riverside Fire Authority called to a vehicle fire on Wednesday night at the corner of Yew and Main streets in Centralia found a passenger van fully engulfed in flames. Assistant Chief Rick Mack said the driver noticed smoke coming from the dashboard area and considered popping the hood but the fire was too far along. The vehicle was destroyed. Mack said it appeared a piece of cardboard placed next to the battery had ignited.

GRAFFITI FOUND

• Police called yesterday morning to the 100 block of Harrison Avenue in Centralia took a report of gang-style graffiti on a fence.

• On Wednesday morning, an officer took a report of graffiti spray painted onto the wall of a building at the 1200 block of Harrison Avenue in Centralia.

CAR PROWL

• Centralia police took a report of a car prowl about 6:40 a.m. yesterday at the 1400 block of Lewis Street. Among the items taken from the unlocked vehicle were CDs, according to the Centralia Police Department.

GIFTS MISSING FROM BENEATH CHRISTMAS TREE

• Christmas presents were stolen from under  a tree at a residence on the 1300 block of Central Boulevard in Centralia, according to a summary of a Centralia Police Department call from 5:15 p.m. yesterday. Police report there were no signs of forced entry into the home and they have no suspect information.

BEER RUN

• Police were called to the 1100 block of Mellen Street in Centralia about 7:40 p.m. last night to a report that a male took a case of beer from a store and fled in a black van.

CRASH OF LOG TRUCK AND PASSENGER VEHICLE

• Police were called about 4:50 p.m. yesterday to a collision involving a log truck and a passenger vehicle at the 1100 block of Harrison Avenue in Centralia. Centralia police report there were no injuries.

CAR PROWL

• Centralia police were called about 3:10 p.m. yesterday about a vehicle prowl on the 600 block of West Main Street in Centralia. A gold watch was taken, according to the Centralia Police Department.