Lewis County Sirens.com

Updated at 5:51 p.m.

CAR RUNS OFF INTERSTATE 5 UP HILL, AND BACK DOWN

• One person had rib pain after a two-vehicle accident this morning on Interstate 5 in Chehalis in which a car swerved off the road, up an embankment and into a fence before rolling back down the hill and coming to rest on its wheels on the shoulder. Troopers called just before 8 a.m. to the northbound lanes near West Street reported that Merilee S. Hill, 59, of Chehalis was taken to Providence Centralia Hospital. Traffic had slowed and Hill tried to slow down too but struck the back end of another vehicle before her Acura RSX traveled up the hillside, according to the Washington State Patrol. The 48-year-old driver of the other vehicle, Diana L. Jennings of Chehalis, was described by the trooper as uninjured. Her 2006 Hyundai Santa Fe was drivable after getting struck, according to the state patrol. Hill was cited for speed too fast for conditions, according to the trooper.

SALKUM-AREA WRECK

• A 48-year-old driver from Oregon as hospitalized after a roll-over wreck on U.S. Highway 12 east of Salkum yesterday. A trooper called to the scene at 1:30 p.m. reported the eastbound Ford Focus left the roadway to the right and struck an embankment before rolling onto its top. It happened near Fischer Road, according to the Washington State Patrol. Kelly L. Jaffe, of Central Point, Ore. was transported to Providence Centralia Hospital with neck and back pain, according to Lewis County Fire District 8. Passersby had removed her from the car and she seemed disoriented, Fire Chief Duran McDaniel said. The collision is under investigation.

TRUCK VERSUS TREE CENTRALIA

• A driver escaped serious injury when his pickup truck veered into a tree at Van Wormer Street and Reynolds Avenue in Centralia yesterday afternoon. Responders called about 4:19 p.m. said there was considerable damage to the truck but the male driver declined to be taken to the hospital.

JEEP VERSUS TREE ONALASKA

• A pair of Onalaskans were taken to Providence Centralia Hospital yesterday after a Jeep ran off Middle Fork Road into a ditch and then a tree. A deputy arriving to the scene about 1:20 p.m. was told by the 67-year-old driver he heard a snap and then lost his steering, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office. The vehicle had only lap belts so the driver and his 59-year-old female passenger “went forward into the windshield pretty good” but seemed to have escaped serious injuries, according to responders.

DOG SNATCHED FROM CENTRALIA YARD

• Police were called just before 6:30 p.m. yesterday when someone stole a dachshund from in front of a house on the 1100 block of F Street in Centralia. The dog thief was driving a red Isuzu Rodeo, according to the Centralia Police Department.

JEWELRY THEFT

• A deputy was called yesterday to the 100 block of Kauer Road in Packwood about a burglary involving almost $12,000 worth of jewelry. Sometime between Thursday and Saturday someone stole several items from a couple in their 80s, including a ruby ring, a pearl necklace with matching earrings, a 14 karat gold wedding band and a women’s fake Rolex watch, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office.

TWO FLEE WITH STOLEN GROCERIES

• Chehalis police were called to the 1100 block of South Market Boulevard about 3 p.m. yesterday when someone left Safeway with a cart full of groceries they had not paid for. An employee took down the license plate information from the van and it was later stopped in Cowlitz County, according to the Chehalis Police Department. One occupant fled and a 33-year-old man was taken into custody there on an unrelated matter, Officer Linda Bailey said. The loss is estimated at $400.

THEFT

• A 33-year-old Centralia man wanted for stealing electricity from an abandoned house on the 200 block of East Van Buren Street was arrested yesterday by Yard Birds shopping center in Chehalis. Eric E. Hemenway was booked into the Lewis County Jail for second-degree burglary as he allegedly broke into the house to plug in a cord which led to a garage next door, according to police. He is to be released without charges pending further investigation.

• The Morton Police Department is investigating the theft of a firearm from a residence on the 500 block of Main Avenue. A rifle was reported missing on Sept. 10.

• Morton police were called last week about yet another theft from a lumber yard at the Northwest Home Center. During their investigation, officers learned roofing materials were also stolen from Dels Farm Supply, according to police.

DRUGS

• A married father of three from Longview and 29-year-old homeless woman from Astoria were arrested in Winlock last night for possession of methamphetamine. Jonathan R. Swann, 30, was pulled over just after 11 p.m. on Northwest Fir Street after an officer conducted a background check on his license plate and discovered the vehicle had recently been sold but the title was unchanged, according to charging documents. Swann admitted he was driving on a suspended license and was arrested, charging documents state. Charging documents go on to give the following account: A police dog was summoned to sniff around leading to a search of the vehicle. A small baggie of suspected methamphetamine was found in the trunk, along with some marijuana. Swann  told the officer he had a medical marijuana authorization. Inside a brown purse near where a female passenger had been sitting, suspected methamphetamine was found, as well as a small clear baggie with Batman symbols on it containing five brown round objects as yet unidentified. Lashawna L. Smith, who initially gave a different name, was then arrested for possession. A third occupant of the vehicle was not charged with any felony. The pair were booked into the Lewis County Jail and are being held on $10,000 bail.

CAR PROWL

• Police were called at 6:25 a.m. today to the 1100 block of Long Road in Centralia where a purse was stolen from a vehicle sometime overnight. The victim had left the windows down, according to the Centralia Police Department.

• Centralia police were called just after 9 p.m. to an interrupted vehicle prowl on the 1000 block of West Main Street. Officers were unable to locate a suspect as the individual had fled on foot, according to police.

• Police took a report about 4 p.m. yesterday from the 300 block of Noel Avenue in Centralia about the possible theft of medication from a vehicle.

VANDALISM

• Centralia police took a report yesterday of gang-style graffiti found on a fence at the 1300 block of Delaware Avenue.

Updated at 1:22 p.m.

ARSON ARREST

• A 44-year-old Centralia man was arrested over the weekend for first-degree arson in connection with a June 6 fire in which a 30-foot travel trailer on the 300 block of Kearney Street in Centralia was destroyed, according to the Centralia Police Department. Officer John Panco said officers picked up Brian H. Jones near the Sixth Street viaduct on Saturday and booked him into the Lewis County Jail. Authorities at the time said Jones previously lived in the trailer. It belonged to a woman who lives at the address, according to Panco.

SUSPICIOUS FIRES CONTINUE

• Lewis County Fire District 6 was called about 10:30 p.m. yesterday for another brush fire on Salsbury Avenue in Chehalis. Firefighters have been plagued with someone lighting fires in the area following a Sept. 1 blaze that destroyed a vacant mobile home on the 2200 block of Salsbury. Last night’s fire was about 10 feet by 10 feet and is part of an ongoing investigation, according to Fire District 6.

BURGLARY CHEHALIS

• A woman who lives in an apartment on the 200 block of Southwest 16th Street in Chehalis returned home Friday evening and discovered her television was missing. She told an officer she might have forgotten to lock the door, according to the Chehalis Police Department.

BURGLARY ONALASKA

• Two Timex watches, five Xbox games and assorted clothing were among the items stolen in a burglary to a home on the 600 block of Carlisle Avenue in Onalaska, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office. The break-in occurred sometime on Friday between 3:30 p.m. and 8 p.m., according to the sheriff’s office.

BARN BREAK IN

• A deputy was called on Saturday about a burglary to a barn on the 1600 block of state Route 6. Among the items stolen were a garden hose and gasoline taken from a fuel tank, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office. It happened between 5 p.m. on Friday and 7:30 a.m. the following day, according to the sheriff’s office.

VEHICLE THEFT

• A white 1994 Ford Ranger extended cab pickup truck was stolen from the 1100 block of West First Street in Centralia, according to a report made to police about 2:40 p.m. yesterday. It has a license plate of B25120S.

• A blue 1994 Ford Crown Victoria was stolen overnight from the 500 block of South Oak Street in Centralia, according to a report made to police yesterday. It has a license plate reading AEL 4226, according to the Centralia Police Department.

• A deputy was called yesterday about a 1988 GMC pickup stolen from the 3100 block of Zenkner Valley Road outside Centralia. The truck vanished sometime after midnight and before 9 a.m., according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office.

STEALING POWER

• Centralia police say they took a report about 10:40 a.m. yesterday of someone breaking into an abandoned building at the 200 block of East Van Buren Street to use electricity.

FIGHT AT PARTY

• Centralia police say they responded about 12:30 a.m. on Sunday to a report of a fight at a party on the 1100 block of Prospect Street, but none of the victims would cooperate in pressing charges. Several people had minor injuries and one suspect fled the scene, according to the Centralia Police Department.

CAR PROWL

• A victim  of an almost-car prowl confronted a male getting into his vehicle this morning on the 1300 block of Rose Street in Centralia. Officers called about 4:45 a.m. noted the victim heard something outside and then saw a male wearing a dark-colored hoody and a red backpack getting into his vehicle. The prowler ran off, according to the Centralia Police Department.

• A woman called police about 8:30 a.m. on Saturday and said she left her purse in her vehicle when she shopped for about a half an hour at the Dollar Tree in the Twin City Town Center and when she returned it was gone. The doors to her car were unlocked, according to the Chehalis Police Department,

• Police took a report of a vehicle prowl about 7:45 a.m. on Saturday at the 800 block of H Street in Centralia.

VANDALISM

• Centralia police took several reports on Saturday morning of “gang-style” graffiti on buildings and property on the 1400 block of Windsor Avenue. They occurred sometime after 12:30 a.m., according to the Centralia Police Department.

WRECK

• Centralia police said a child suffered minor injuries when he ran his go-cart into a parked car on Friday evening at the 200 block of West Oakview Street.

• A 37-year-old Randle man was hospitalized early this morning after he said his his truck nearly struck an elk on U.S. Highway 12 near Glenoma. Troopers called to the scene about seven miles east of Morton reported David C. Haviland was westbound when he swerved to miss the animal and rolled his pickup. The 1995 Ford Ranger came to rest on its top and was deemed totaled, according to the Washington State Patrol.

CENTRALIA BURGLARY

• A deputy took a report yesterday of an estimated $9,500 of valuables stolen in a burglary on the 1600 block of J Street North in Centralia. Sometime between 11 a.m. and 10 p.m. the day before, someone entered the home and stole a safe, a television, a computer, jewelry, prescription medications and cash, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office.

TRESPASSING FOR WOOD

• A pair of individuals who were caught cutting firewood last night on Weyerhaeuser property near Pe Ell will likely find themselves in court for theft and trespassing, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office. A deputy arriving about 8 p.m. to an area off the 4000 Line was advised by Weyerhaeuser security the 34-year-old resident and 29-year-old Chehalis resident had driven around a closed gate and taken a half cord of wood, according to the sheriff’s office. The main issue is the property was clearly posted closed because of the high fire danger, Chief Civil Deputy Stacy Brown said. They were not arrested but the case will be referred to prosecutors for evaluation of charges of third-degree theft and second-degree trespassing, according to Brown.

WRECKS

• A 62-year-old Randle man suffered a laceration to his forehead and his truck sustained major front end damage when he wrecked on the 100 block of Peters Road yesterday evening. A deputy arriving to the scene just before 6 p.m. found the 2006 Dodge Ram in a ditch on its side and the driver outside the vehicle, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office. The man said he was on his way to the store and didn’t know why he drove his truck off the road, the sheriff’s office said. He was cited for wheels off the roadway, according to Chief Civil Deputy Stacy Brown.

• An overnight collision in which a truck driver from Winlock ran into the rear and totaled a car stopped on Interstate 5 is under investigation.

Courtesy photos by WSP

The 43-year-old driver of a 2005 Kia Spectra was transported to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle after the early morning wreck in the southbound lanes between Maytown and Tumwater, according to the Washington State Patrol. The car’s lights were out, according to the state patrol. Steven W. Staggs, 57, of Winlock was not injured, but his 2008 Kenworth was impounded, the state patrol reported.

BURGLARIES IN BOISTFORT

• A 47-year-old woman returned home yesterday to the 600 block of Boistfort Road west of Chehalis to discover she’d been burglarized, but a surveillance camera captured images of four people getting out of  vehicle in her driveway and the sheriff’s office has some suspects. Missing are more than $4,000 worth of belongings including two flat screen televisions, a laptop computer, a Sony PlayStation and two Xbox games and a baseball hat, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office.

• Four people were arrested yesterday afternoon when they were discovered loading items into two vehicles outside a Boistfort area home where the day before deputies had served a search warrant and arrested the resident. Deputies called to the 200 block of Lake Creek Road were told by the subjects they were retrieving items that either belonged to them because they had lived there temporarily or getting back their own stolen property, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office. The resident, Michael Glenn McBride, is accused of operating an illegal wrecking yard. Deputies knew the owner wanted no one on the property and arrested all four for residential burglary, according to the sheriff’s office. Booked into the Lewis County Jail were Richard A. Pruett, 50, of Winlock; Mark S. Hendricks, 56, of Toledo; Brent L. Heath, 30, of Toledo; and Casey S. Fredrick, 26, of Castle Rock, Chief Civil Deputy Stacy Brown said. Among the items they attempted to take were tools and stereo equipment, Brown said.

BURGLARY IN CHEHALIS

• Police were called to the 1400 block of Southwest Kelly Avenue in Chehalis about 1:40 p.m. yesterday when a resident discovered someone had come into her home and stolen a large amount of jewelry, including necklaces and wrist watches. It happened sometime during the day and it appeared the burglar came in through window that was either left unlatched or they were able to somehow slip open, according to the Chehalis Police Department.

BURGLARY IN CENTRALIA

• Centralia police were called about 11:40 a.m. yesterday when a business owner on the 400 block of North Tower Avenue found their back door unlocked and unspecified items missing, according to the Centralia Police Department.

SMASHED WINDOW

• An unknown suspect threw a large rock through a windshield of a vehicle parked in the victim’s driveway at the 600 block of Alder Street in Centralia, according to a report made to police just after 8 o’clock yesterday morning.

DEER COLLISIONS

• A 17-year-old Curtis resident suffered a broken nose and cuts to his head yesterday after his 1995 Ford Escort ran off the road and down a 100-foot embankment yesterday at the 600 block of Curtis Hill Road. The Lewis County Sheriff’s Office said the teenager said he was southbound when he swerved and braked to miss a deer. The car landed on its top and sustained major damage, according to the sheriff’s office. Its driver was cited for second-degree negligent driving, according to Chief Civil Deputy Stacy Brown.

• A 39-year-old Toledo man was hospitalized after the handle bar of his motorcycle struck a deer on state Route 506 near Interstate 5 yesterday morning causing his bike to go down and him to be ejected, according to the Washington State Patrol. A trooper called about 7 a.m. reported John J. Strom suffered abrasions to arm and a sore shoulder. He was taken to Providence Centralia Hospital, according to the state patrol. The 2008 Honda XR650 sustained an estimated $700 damage, according to the patrol.

MARIJUANA GREENHOUSE IN BOISTFORT

• A Centralia police investigation took them out to property on Boistfort and King roads in west Lewis County yesterday morning where the contents of a greenhouse were confiscated. Colby D. Cave, 35, who lives there was arrested when he returned around 2:50 p.m. for an outstanding warrant, according to police. Centralia’s detective Sgt. Pat Fitzgerald said there were 30-some-odd marijuana plants in the greenhouse.  Cave was booked into the Lewis County Jail for unlawful of use of a building for drug purposes, according to jail roster. It was an ongoing case of the department’s Anti-Crime Team, and they were assisted by sheriff’s deputies when a warrant was served, according to Fitzgerald. Cave had a medical marijuana card but it was in someone else’s name, he said.

THEFT

• A 1989 Honda Civic was reported stolen about 2 o’clock this morning form the 1500 block of Delaware Avenue in Centralia. The car is described as painted flat black with a sticker in the back window that reads “Get lost in Montana” , according to the Centralia Police Department. It has a license plate of AIT 5219.

• Prescription medication and GPS device were missing after a car prowl at the 1100 block of Alder Street in Centralia yesterday, according to police.

• Stereos were taken from two vehicles at the 1300 block of Central Boulevard in Centralia, according to a report made to the Centralia Police Department about 9:15 a.m. yesterday.

OUT-OF-CONTROL IN EMERGENCY ROOM

• An 18-year-old Centralia resident was taken away from Providence Centralia Hospital by police yesterday after he was angry he was not allowed into the emergency room to see his girlfriend and ran in there. Officers called about 8:50 a.m. arrested  Jordan P. Sansouci for being disorderly and interfering with a health facility, and then booked into the Lewis County Jail, according to the Centralia Police Department.

UNHAPPY CAMPERS

• Deputies yesterday afternoon contacted a pair of campers on Weyerhaeuser property near Pe Ell and arrested one of them for violating a no-contacting order in place regarding the other. Barry W. Worley, 36, of Winlock, was arrested and booked into the Lewis County Jail for the offense and also a warrant, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s office. His companion, a 57-year-old Winlock woman, was not arrested but faces a potential trespassing citation, according to the sheriff’s office.

OOPS

• Firefighters from four departments were called about 11:30 a.m. yesterday when sparks from a truck with a mechanical problem started several grass fires along the southbound lanes on Interstate 5 near the Toledo-Winlock interchange. One was as big as 50 yards long but they stretched over several hundred yards, according to Lewis County Fire District 15. “The truck driver was notified by a motorist and was able to pull over fairly quickly and thankfully not spread fire farther down the freeway,” Assistant Fire Chief Kevin Anderson said.

LAUGHING WOMAN ARRESTED

A 42-year-old Centralia woman was arrested yesterday after allegedly twice running into another vehicle at East Summa Street and Tower Avenue and driving away. Police were called just after 2 p.m. by a man who said a driver got right on his rear end, flashing her lights and honking, according to the Centralia Police Department. When he asked her what she was doing, she just laughed, according to police. As the woman pulled away, she struck the vehicle of a passerby who stopped because of the commotion, backed up, hit the vehicle a second time and then drove off. “She was laughing the whole time,” Buster said. Mary E. Carver later went into the police department to make a report about neighbors’ babies crying and was arrested for second-degree assault when police recognized hers as the suspect vehicle, Buster said.

STRANGER IN BUSHES GRABS WOMAN

• Police were called about 8:40 p.m. yesterday to a Centralia neighborhood after a 24-year-old woman said she and her boyfriend were walking when a hand reached out from some bushes and grabbed her arm. The two fled but saw a person in dark clothing running the other way, according to police. It happened near South Rock and West Cherry streets. A police dog was brought out to sniff around but didn’t find a suspect, according to the Centralia Police Department.

DRUNKEN MAN BEATEN IN CENTRALIA

• A 26-year-old Centralia man went to the police department yesterday to report that a week ago Saturday he was walking home drunk when someone assaulted him breaking bones in his face. “All he remembers is getting hit in the head and then waking up,” police Sgt. Carl Buster said. The victim at some point went to a hospital and learned how serious his injury was, according to police. Buster said he doesn’t know why the man waited to call police.

THEFT

• Police were called about 12:50 p.m. yesterday to a residence on the 1400 block of Johnson Road in Centralia about stolen rings. The case is under investigation, according to the Centralia Police Department.

• Generators were stolen from a business on the 300 block of South Tower Avenue in Centralia, according to a report made to police yesterday morning.

• A computer was reported stolen from a motel room on Westlake Avenue in Morton the Tuesday before last. The case is under investigation, according to the Morton Police Department.

• A woman who called police yesterday afternoon after seeing someone take down some political campaign signs from the hillside near North National Avenue and Chamber of Commerce Way in Chehalis was told they were not being stolen, apparently just removed because the property owner hadn’t been asked in advance for permission, according to the Chehalis Police Department.

THEFT OF WOOD

• Morton police are investigating after a report subjects stole lumber from the Northwest Home Center, carrying it to U.S. Highway 12 where they loaded it into a vehicle, according to the Morton Police Department. It happened the Tuesday before last in the morning, according to police.

• A 26-year-old man was arrested after Morton police received a report of campers cutting down trees for firewood in Gus Backstrom Park on Sept. 1, according to police. David R. Boulet, of Graham, was picked up for theft, obstruction, malicious mischief and a warrant and turned over to the Pierce County law enforcement, according to the Morton Police Department.

VEHICLE PROWL

• Centralia police took a report yesterday afternoon of a car prowl on the 1100 block of F Street. A CD player and wallet were missing, according to the Centralia Police Department.

• Chehalis police were called yesterday morning to take a report that sometime during the past month, somebody removed the registration and insurance information from the glove box of a vehicle parked on Southwest Fourth Street near Market Boulevard.

HARASSMENT

• A 52-year-old Morton man was in trouble with police after allegedly calling and texting a female more than 100 times in just a few hour period. William S. Rakes was arrested for telephone harassment on Thursday, according to the Morton Police Department.

DRUGS

• A 22-year-old Centralia woman was arrested for a warrant and possession of methamphetamine this morning after contact with an officer about 7:10 a.m. at the 800 block of Harrison Avenue. Katrina D. Miller was booked into the Lewis County Jail, according to the Centralia Police Department,

• A 17-year-old boy faces a possible misdemeanor charge for allegedly smoking marijuana on school property in Morton on Wednesday morning. Police found a pipe and a small amount of residue and referred the case to Lewis County prosecutors, according to the Morton Police Department.

WRECK

• The city of Winlock’s “welcome” sign and planter box were damaged yesterday when a semi truck driver attempted a U-turn at the 2700 block of Highway 603 and his trailer tires dropped into a ditch, causing damage to his truck as well, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office. The loaded semi had to be towed following the approximately 11:30 a.m. incident, according to the sheriff’s office. The driver, who said he missed his turn, was cited for making an improper U-turn, Chief Civil Deputy Stacy Brown said.

• An 11-year-old girl complained of shoulder pain and her older brother, the driver, of stomach pain after a two-car collision this morning at the 1100 block of Reynolds Avenue in Centralia. Both were taken to Providence Centralia Hospital following the wreck which occurred just before 8 o’clock this morning, according to Riverside Fire Authority.

FIRES

• Firefighters were called about 8:30 p.m. yesterday to the Capitol Forest west of Little Rock when wires which fell after a small pickup truck ran into a power pole sparked a wildfire. On one side of the downed lines, an off-duty firefighter from Grays Harbor County treated the driver for minor injuries and on the other side, personnel from West Thurston Regional Fire Authority battled a blaze that spread onto a slope in the heavily-wooded area, according to Fire Lt. Lanette Dyer. It happened at the end of Bordeaux Road near what’s known as the “E Line”. The fire was contained to an area approximately 100 feet by 200 feet by 9:30 p.m., according to Dyer. The location is about three miles south of an incident early on on Saturday morning in which 37-year-old man from Puyallup fell from atop the cab of a Chevrolet Silverado and was flown to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, according to the fire department.

• Firefighters called about 7:15 p.m. yesterday about a small grass fire in the front yard of a home on Taylor Street in Centralia found a resident had put it out with a garden hose. It appeared someone tossed a cigarette and missed the intended container, according to Riverside Fire Authority.

Updated at 6:31 p.m.

OOPS

• The Lewis County Sheriff’s Office says a 20-year-old Vader resident was arrested after he got inside someone else’s semi-truck near Centralia and tried to drive away. A deputy called about 2:30 a.m. on Saturday was told John J. Crear IV was “highly intoxicated” and thought he was in Rochester and trying to drive home, according to Chief Civil Deputy Stacy Brown. Employees at the business on the 3000 block of Foron Road escorted Crear off the property, Brown said, but he was later located in the area and booked into the Lewis County Jail for attempted vehicle theft. Prosecutors are sending the case to Lewis County District Court where misdemeanors are handled.

ROAD RAGE IN CENTRALIA

• A 72-year-old Chehalis man was arrested for allegedly waving around a gun at outside a convenience store on the 1000 block of Belmont Avenue in Centralia about 5 o’clock this morning. Police said Alvin Fitzgerald told them he was angry at a Centralia driver he thought was intentionally tailgating him and shining his bright headlights causing a glare in Fitzgerald’s rearview mirror. When the Centralia man pulled into a parking lot, Fitzgerald followed him and they got out and “exchanged words,” Officer John Panco said. Both motorist went to their vehicles and Fitzgerald returned with a handgun, Panco said. Police confiscated the gun and arrested him for unlawful display of a weapon, according to police. He was then released.

IMPERSONATION UNDER INVESTIGATION

• Deputies are investigating a suspected identity theft after a 42-year-old Onalaska woman said she learned someone was using her social security number to work. When the victim applied for unemployment benefits, she was asked if she had ever worked in an orchard in Eastern Washington, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office. The first unemployment check she received was short because it was garnished for child support owed by the person who used her social security number, Chief Civil Deputy Stacy Brown said. The sheriff’s office is working with the state Department of Social and Health Services to investigate the situation which was reported last Thursday, according to Brown.

RACE OVER

• Two Centralia residents were arrested after a police officer heard the “roar” of an engine and observed a pair of vehicles racing on Harrison Avenue and West Reynolds Avenue about 10:40 p.m. on Saturday, according to the Centralia Police Department. Both Dustyn J. Lawrence, 18, and Justin L. Stutman, 25,were cited and then released, according to police.

COPPER WIRE THEFT

• The Lewis County Sheriff’s Office reported this morning a deputy took a report from the 2200 block of Highway 603 near Winlock about more than 750 feet of copper wire stolen. It happened sometime between Thursday and Friday, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office. The loss is listed as more than $3,000.

DRUGS

• Bail was set at $25,000 today for a man arrested early Saturday morning in Winlock for possession of methamphetamine and a violation of a protection order regarding his wife. Michael W. Reddick allegedly was found with four baggies of suspected meth, defense attorney Bob Schroeter said in court this afternoon. The Lewis County Prosecutor’s Office asked for $10,000 bail because of the no-contact order offense, and Schroeter requested $5,000 but Lewis County Superior Court Commissioner Tracy Mitchell who normally handles family court said her court takes those violations very seriously and made it $25,000.

CAR PROWL

• Centralia police took a report about 5 p.m. yesterday from the 900 block of Marion Street where someone broke out a vehicle’s window and stole an iPod.

FAKE BILL PASSED IN CENTRALIA

• Police were called about 2:50 p.m. on Saturday about a counterfeit $20 received at a business on the 800 block of Harrison Avenue in Centralia.

VANDALISM

• Chehalis police were called yesterday afternoon by a woman who said someone punctured a sidewall of the tire of her vehicle while it was parked at Wal-Mart. There are no suspects, according to the Chehalis Police Department.

WRECKS

• A 31-year-old Chehalis resident was taken to Providence Centralia Hospital with a broken leg after a collision on state Route 6 when he drove into the side of a truck that ran a stop sign at Highway 603 west of Chehalis just before 11 p.m. on on Saturday night, according to the Washington State Patrol. James M. Rada’s 1997 Honda was totaled, the state patrol reported. The driver of the Ford Explorer, Hewitt M. Duncan, 77, and his 74-year-old female passenger were unhurt, according to the patrol. Duncan was cited for failing to yield, the investigating trooper reported.

• Two people had possible injuries after a three-vehicle wreck when a Morton motorist reportedly failed to stop at a stop sign north of Mossyrock on Saturday evening. Angela L. Page, 41, of Morton, was given a citation after troopers were called about 6:40 p.m. to the intersection of state Route 122 and Larson Road, according to the Washington State Patrol. A Honda Accord carrying a Bremerton man was totaled but he was not injured, according to the state patrol. His passenger however, a 48-year-old Gig Harbor woman had a possible shoulder injury, the state patrol reported. A 2010 Ford F-150 driven by 27-year-old Matthew A. Cournyer of Mossyrock sustained an estimated $4,000 damage, according to the investigating trooper. Page was taken to Morton General Hospital with possible neck and back injuries, the trooper noted.

FOREST FIRE EXTINGUISHED IN PACKWOOD

• Firefighters on Friday afternoon were called to an area behind the High Valley park in Packwood when fire broke out on former clear cut property now populated by 30- to 40-foot tall trees. Crews from Randle joined Lewis County Fire District 10 about 2 p.m. and were on the scene three and a half to four hours and then personnel from the state Department of Natural Resources stayed on until later in the night, District 10 Chief Lonnie Goble said. “Neighbors called it in real quick, as soon as it started,” Goble said. The burned area comprised an estimated 300 feet by as much as 100 feet, according to the chief. The closest home was about 150 feet away, he said.

BUSTED CORONA BOTTLE ATTACK SUSPECT BACK IN LEWIS COUNTY

• A former Centralia man who allegedly slashed at a man with a broken beer bottle at a South Pearl Street apartment eight years ago was ordered held today on $75,000 bail. Refugio Jose Vazquez-Tellez, 38, was jailed on Friday on a warrant for first-degree assault in connection with the June 26, 2004 incident. Vazquez-Tellez, known to police by his street name Marlboro, fled after he and another man allegedly initiated a fight over getting “ratted out” over a stolen bicycle, according to charging documents. The boyfriend of the mother of the individual they went to see sustained numerous deep cuts to his face, chest and abdomen when he tried to break up the brawl, charging documents state. The following day, Vazquez-Tellez called in sick to his job at Hub City Recycling with a cut hand, police told prosecutors. He never showed up for court after he was charged, Lewis County Chief Deputy Prosecutor Brad Meagher said this afternoon. Vazquez-Tellez lives and works in Yakima picking apples and his income is such is he qualified for a court-appointed defense attorney Bob Schroeter said. Immigration authorities have placed a hold on him, according to Schroeter. His arraignment was scheduled for Thursday.