Lewis County Sirens.com

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

A 33-year-old Centralia man was arrested last night in connection with the fire the night before at a real estate business on the 1000 block of Johnson Road.

Darren G. Waggoner was arrested at his home for first-degree arson and second-degree burglary and booked into the Lewis County Jail, according to the Centralia Police Department.

Firefighters responding about 11 p.m. on Sunday to the RE/Max office on Johnson Road near Caveness found smoke rising from the roof and flames inside on the main floor. It was quickly extinguished.

Centralia police say security video from the nearby Les Schwab showed a person breaking a window, and was the same person a police officer spoke to at the scene of the fire. A computer and a cell phone were recovered and the investigation led to Waggoner, according to police.
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For background, read “News brief: Centralia real estate office hit with arson” from Monday March 30, 2015, here

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

A Morton area couple couple won their appeal of a court order to pay more than $20,000 restitution for the cost of care, boarding and veterinary expenses for their horses seized by the sheriff’s office in 2012.

The Lewis County Sheriff’s Office confiscated nine horses from property at the 800 block of state Route 7 following an investigation into animal neglect, saying one was in such poor condition it had to be put down.

Joanne M. Simmons, 65, and Terry L. Simmons, 58, were initially charged in Lewis County Superior Court with six counts of first-degree animal cruelty and two counts of second-degree animal cruelty.

The couple accepted the state’s amended plea offer and subsequently pleaded guilty to two counts of second-degree animal cruelty, misdemeanors associated with knowingly allowing the animals to live in conditions that caused unnecessary pain.

The Simmonses argued that the trial court abused its discretion when it imposed restitution for costs connected to uncharged or dismissed crimes, according to the opinion issued last week from the Washington State Court of Appeals.

The three-member panel of judges agreed the trial court erred and remanded for modification of the order to provide for only the costs associated with the horses subject to the pleas.

The couple was represented in their appeal by John Hays in Longview and Jodi Backlund in Olympia. Lewis County Deputy Prosecutor Eric Eisenberg argued for the state.
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For background, read “Former owners of Morton horses charged with animal cruelty” from Tuesday November 13, 2012, here

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

Tenino’s mayor says he plans to hire a new police chief as as soon as possible after letting go Chief John Hutchings yesterday.

Hutchings was hired by Mayor Bret Brodersen’s predecessor in the summer of 2012.

“It’s just a difference in philosophies,” Brodersen said, calling the termination a release from service.

The small department is budgeted for a chief, three officers and a part time administrative person, but currently has only two officers, according to Brodersen. He appointed one of them as officer in charge for the time being, he said.

“I’m looking forward to improving the police department and continuing to provide quality services in the future,” Brodersen said. “I thank Mr. Hutchings for his service to the community and wish him the best in his future endeavors.”

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

A planned brief shutdown of the power at Providence Centralia Hospital on Saturday morning means its outpatient pharmacy and outpatient lab will be closed.

Several departments, including the emergency room, will be using generator power during that time, according to a hospital spokesperson.

Providence has been working with Centralia City Light to improve the reliability of its power supply, according to spokesperson Chris Thomas.

“We upgraded the electrical transformer in September connected to the east side of the building, and now we’re connecting the west side of the building,” Thomas said. “We don’t anticipate any problems.”

It begins at 7 a.m. and won’t take very long, but they’ve given themselves a two-hour window to complete the work, according to Thomas.

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

An appeals court ruled in favor of Thurston County yesterday, regarding an incident in late 2010 in which its police dog bit a Tumwater officer in the testicle during a search in a darkened building for a burglary suspect.

According to Thurston Deputy Rod Ditrich, K-9 Rex thought Tumwater Officer Bryent Finch was a threat when Finch shouted at the suspect to show his hands, at the same time Ditrich was calling Rex to come back to him.

The two men were standing next to each other.

Finch drove himself to the hospital, underwent surgery and then on June 6, 2012 filed suit against the county, the sheriff’s office, the deputy and the deputy’s wife, according to court documents.

A judge hearing the case in Mason County Superior Court granted a summary judgement to the respondents dismissing the strict liability claim. Finch, and his wife Patricia Finch appealed.

The opinion issued yesterday by the Washington State Court of Appeals, Division II, held the legislature abolished strict liability claims for injuries from lawfully used police dogs, even though the police dog exemption didn’t go into effect until the day after Finch’s suit was filed.

The Finches initially also claimed negligence and intentional infliction of emotional distress, but had dismissed those two portions after the Mason County decision, according to court documents. Deputy Ditrich and his wife are immune from civil liability under a statute regarding police dog handlers acting in good faith, according to the appeals court.

The three-member panel was unanimous.
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For background, read “Read about police dog bites police man in groin in Thurston County …” from Friday November 19, 2010, here

The Chehalis Police Department says this picture of Sara Candice was taken in about 2007; authorities are looking for her relatives.

Updated

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – The coroner is appealing to the public for help to find family of the woman whose skeletal remains were discovered on a wooded Chehalis hillside a month ago.

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