Lewis County Sirens.com

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – The 51-year-old man who presumably drowned in Lake Mayfield two weeks ago has been positively identified as Terrence E. Murphy of Winlock.

His body was recovered on Monday by the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office Dive Team in the area where he had jumped from a bluff at Ike Kinswa State Park.

Lewis County Coroner Warren McLeod indicates an autopsy is scheduled for tomorrow.

The Lewis County Sheriff’s Office has said there was no sign of foul play.

The team used a submersible camera device, and located Murphy 65 feet below the surface between a cliff wall and a log.

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For background, read “Man who jumped into Lake Mayfield yesterday presumed drowned” from Wednesday Sept. 3, 2014, here

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

A 1-year-old girl was killed when she was run over by a car in a Tenino area driveway this morning.

“A tragic accident, no charges, just a tragic accident,” Thurston County Sheriff’s Office Lt. Cliff Zeisemer said today.

Deputies and firefighters were called about 8:15 a.m. to the baby’s family home on the 16,000 block of Melville Street.

Ziesemer said a 21-year-old woman arrived to the residence to pick up a child for daycare, as the families carpooled.

“Mom came out with the child and also the 1-year-old,” Ziesemer said. “Unbeknownst to everyone, the child had walked in front of the van.”

He said the newer van pulled away very slowly in the circular driveway; the mother had turned to head back into the house.

An arriving deputy started CPR and members of Thurston County Fire District 12 continued, but the baby was pronounced dead at the scene, according to responders.

The parents were both home, the mother had thought the child was back in the house, he said.

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

The sixth day of firefighting at an active logging site outside of Pe Ell began with the Fork Peak Fire at 70 percent containment.

The forest fire has spread over 120 acres since it was discovered, about five miles southwest of Pe Ell. It’s burned recently harvested timber, slash and mature timber on property owned by Rayonier.

Fork Peak Fire / DNR

It’s smoldering now, with low spread potential, according to the Department of Natural Resources.

Smoke may still be visible from Pe Ell and adjacent communities, DNR reported this morning.

A crew supervisor was injured over the weekend while working on the fire and airlifted to Providence Centralia Hospital, but released by that evening, according to DNR spokesperson Janet Pearce.

Two hundred-twenty-one personnel are actively fighting the fire, according to Pearce.

Authorities continue to advise the public avoid to Elk Prairie Road, A-Line and Forks Creek Road near the fire area to help firefighters in minimizing any potential hazards. They originally mis-stated the name of Elk Prairie Road as Elks Creek Road.

Their work is supported by nine fire engines, eight water tenders, two bull dozers and one helicopter, Pearce states in this morning’s report.

No structures are threatened.

The fire in Pacific County, near the Lewis County line, is under the command of DNR’s Pacific Cascade Region.

The fire was reported at 5:15 p.m. on Thursday. Its cause is under investigation.

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For background, see ” ‘Really big’ wildfire spreading southwest of Pe Ell” from Friday Sept. 12, 2014 at 9:15 p.m., here

Cash and processed marijuana buds are seized from Kelso home / Courtesy photo by Centralia Police Department’

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

A two-month investigation  by the Centralia Police Department’s special Anti-Crime Team led yesterday to the seizure of 21 pounds of dried marijuana buds, guns, cars, more than $50,000 cash and nine-foot tall marijuana plants growing in a Kelso backyard.

Centralia police say the suspects were illegally supplying large amounts of marijuana in the Lewis, Thurston, Pierce and Cowlitz county areas, as medical marijuana distributors.

“The suspects were then laundering the money by buying and selling used cars to hide the large amounts of cash,” Centralia Police Department Officer Patty Finch states in a news release.

Police say officers conducted an unspecified number of undercover purchases from the suspects and then yesterday made a traffic stop and arrested George Szerency, 62, of Kelso.

A search that followed of his nearby home on the 800 block of South Seventh Avenue turned up 10 fully mature plants growing in his yard, a handgun, a rifle, just under $51,000 in U.S. currency and the buds plus 24 grams of hash oil. Also seized were a 2004 Pontiac Bonneville and a 1997 Mercedes E320, according to police.

Centralia police were assisted by the Kelso Police Department and the Cowlitz County Drug Task Force.

Szerency was booked into the Cowlitz County Jail for unlawful delivery of marijuana, conspiracy to deliver 15 to 20 pounds of marijuana, unlawful possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver and unlawful manufacturing of marijuana, all within 1,000 feet of a school zone and while armed, according to the news release.

Officers are referring to prosecutors a case for charging Teresa Torres, 60, also of Kelso, with the same offenses. A case involving a third person, Dennis McCracken, 43, of Kelso, is also being referred to prosecutors for consideration of the charges of unlawful possession of marijuana and unlawful possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver, according to police.

Police estimate the street value of the seized marijuana at $84,000.

Ten mature marijuana plants grow in a Kelso backyard. / Courtesy photo by Centralia Police Department

Deputies with Lewis County and with the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office Dive Team conduct recovery operation today on Lake Mayfield. / Courtesy photo by Lewis County Sheriff’s Office

Updated at 4:09 p.m.

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

The body of the 51-year-old Winlock man who vanished after jumping into the water from a bluff two weeks ago was pulled from Lake Mayfield today.

Dive team members from Thurston County assisted Lewis County sheriff’s deputies this morning, using a submersible camera device and found him between a cliff wall and a log, 65 feet below the surface, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office.

He was about 25 feet from where he was last seen, according to Chief Civil Deputy Stacy Brown.

The victim’s name has not been released.

Brown said there was no sign of foul play, but an autopsy will be conducted later this week.

A short search was launched the afternoon of Sept. 2 near the boat launch at Ike Kinswa State Park after the man’s friend called to report they had jumped into the lake and the 51-year-old didn’t resurface.

The cliff was described as 30 feet above the water.

The 43-year-old Mossyrock area man told deputies he’d spent about an hour searching the lake bank for his friend and then went home.

Deputies began today’s operation at 9 o’clock this morning and located the body at 12:20 p.m., according to Brown. He was removed within the hour, she states in a news release.

Ike Kinswa is off state Route 122, which runs around the north side of the lake, in between Silver Creek and Mossyrock.
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For background, read “Man who jumped into Lake Mayfield yesterday presumed drowned” from Wednesday Sept. 3, 2014, here

Updated at 9:06 p.m.

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS –  The Lewis County Sheriff’s Office reports this morning it is investigating a third-degree malicious mischief in Adna, where someone blew up a mailbox and started a small forest fire early yesterday.

Deputies learned that around 4 a.m. two neighbors in the area of the 600 block of Brockway Road near Lanakila Lane heard an explosion and then the sound of either a truck or an ATV with a loud exhaust speeding away, according to the sheriff’s office.

A neighbor arriving home at 4:30 a.m. discovered the flames which had spread to trees and brush and covered an area of about 100 feet by 50 feet, Chief Civil Deputy Stacy Brown said.

Firefighters from two departments responded, and put out the fire, described as burning grass and trees on a long private driveway and not threatening any structures; they finished their work about 7 a.m., according to Lewis County Fire Districts 6.

Brown said the fire was quickly extinguished and two mailboxes were damaged by an unknown explosive incendiary device or a firework.

The victims are a 59-year-old man and a 74-year-old woman, according to the sheriff’s office. Brown said the loss is $20.

Personnel from the state Department of Natural Resources are investigating, according to Brown.