Lewis County Sirens.com

By Sharyn L. Decke
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

Already at least two victims have turned up following the break-in to the blue mail drop bin outside the Centralia Post Office two weeks ago.

Centralia Police Department detective Sgt. Pat Fitzgerald says police have learned that over the past few days checks which may have been amongst the stolen mail have been cashed at locations around the state, but not by their intended recipients.

Over the weekend before Jan. 27, someone pried open a drop box at the drive-through beside the post office at the 200 block of Centralia College Boulevard. Post offices in Galvin and Rochester were hit as well. Several school levy ballots which were presumed to have been deposited there were found hours later along a Centralia sidewalk.

Fitzgerald said he has heard from victims who either mailed a check which never reached its destination or received cancelled checks back from the bank and saw the name of the payee had been altered.

He asks anyone who deposited mail into either of the two bins during the weekend prior to the morning on Jan. 27 to take steps to confirm if their item actually reached the person or business it was addressed to.

More importantly, if the outgoing item contained a check for payment of some kind, he urges the sender to monitor the related accounts and contact the intended recipient.

Fitzgerald says after a reasonable amount of time has passed, if a piece of possibly stolen mail does not arrive where it is supposed to, he asks the sender to call the police department’s investigative division at 360-330-7614.

Theft of mail is also a federal crime, which is investigated by U.S. Postal Inspection Service.

The Centralia postmaster said they empty the bins on Saturday afternoons but not on Sundays and there is no way to know how many pieces were taken. Postmaster Jade Nevitt also indicated anyone who believes they may have been a victim needs to visit the post office to pick up a form they’ll need to forward to the postal service.

By Sharyn L. Decke
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

The Washington State Patrol says a medical issue caused a motorist from Winlock to run a stop sign as he exited Interstate 5 where his vehicle was struck by two cars before it caught fire this afternoon about 10 miles south of Chehalis.

The driver, Scott B. Caulfield, 38, was unhurt, but his Chevrolet Aveo was totaled, according to the state patrol.

It happened when Caulfield got off southbound at exit 68, and involved two other vehicles traveling on U.S. Highway 12, according to the state patrol.

Troopers called just after 3 p.m. to the scene note no one else was injured, but only one vehicle was able to be driven away on its own.

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – A year-end report shows suicides locally continue to trend upward, a statistic that is troubling for the Lewis County coroner.

“It’s not skyrocketing, but nine during 2011, and 14 the next year and 16 the next year that have taken their own lives,” Coroner Warren McLeod said.

“It’s a concern,” he said.

The coroner’s office tracks all deaths that occur in the county and is responsible for determining their cause and manner. Last year, the coroner counted 714 deaths in all. The vast majority of cases are ascribed to natural disease processes.

McLeod said he may sit down with the county medical officer and the folks from Cascade Mental Health – as they are often the ones who often deal with suicidal individuals before the end – and perhaps talk about conducting another public awareness campaign.

It’s something that is potentially preventable, according to McLeod.

One thing he knows to be true, McLeod said, is if you ask someone if they are suicidal, they will usually say yes if they are.

As in the past, one of the most used methods is with firearms, according to the coroner. Hanging is second, he said.

McLeod says can’t answer why the number is going up, and he and his office don’t always figure out a person’s reasons for committing suicide.

In general, less than 20 percent leave a suicide note, he said.

“The ones I know the motive, a lot of times it’s relationship issues,” McLeod said. “And sometimes health issues with older persons.”

McLeod finalized his annual report yesterday.

During 2013, 16 deaths were attributed to suicide in Lewis County.

Eighteen deaths during the same period were found to be accidental, compared with 19 the year before.

And 2013 saw only one homicide, whereas 2012 saw four.

Four cases from last year are undetermined as to the manner of death, where there was not enough forensic evidence to label them otherwise, according to McLeod.

His office has already responded to two deaths by suicide this year.

In September, the corner’s office partnered with the county department of public health and social services as well as Cascade Mental Health to educate the public about the signs and symptoms of impending suicide, and publicized the available resources.

Cascade offers what McLeod called 24/7 crisis services in Lewis County at no cost. The phone number is 360-330-9044.

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – The Lewis County Sheriff’s Office Association is inviting the public to the unveiling and dedication ceremony of the memorial statue for local law enforcement officers who have died in the line of duty.

The event takes place at 1 p.m. on Thursday outside the entryway to the Law and Justice Center in Chehalis, on West Main Street.

Local artist Jim Stafford was selected to create a bronze statue of a law enforcement officer, police K-9 dog and child. The piece is entitled “The Guardian”

Fundraising efforts have been in place for about the past three years. According to to information on the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office web site, a $10,000 donation pledge toward the cost came from the Lewis County Sheriff’s office Deputies Guild.

A reception will immediately follow.