Lewis County Sirens.com

Thurston County Sheriff John Snaza says he’s happy to help properly dispose of the guns folks considered hazardous items. / Courtesy photo by Thurston County Sheriff’s Office

Updated

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

The Thurston County Sheriff’s Office says 26 guns were turned in during their weekend event giving citizens the opportunity to dispose of firearms.

Sheriff John Snaza said in a news release that often times unwanted guns are not secured properly and can end up in the hands of those who don’t know how to use them or shouldn’t have them at all.

Last year, 174 firearms were stolen in burglaries around unincorporated Thurston County, according to Snaza. Those are weapons on the streets and unaccounted for, Snaza pointed out.

On Saturday, the sheriff’s office collected 10 handguns, 16 long guns and three five-gallon buckets of ammunition folks dropped off at the McLane Fire Department, according to the sheriff’s office.

Gun givers were able to choose if their donated weapon was sent to be destroyed or traded to a licensed dealer for ammunition for deputies to use in training.

The sheriff’s office plans to conduct another event this fall, but meanwhile, anyone who wants to get rid of firearms or ammunition can call 360-786-5500, according to Lt. Greg Elwin.

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

A 49-year-old father and his 16-year-old son were airlifted after a single-vehicle accident south of Winlock this morning.

A deputy was called about 11:20 a.m. to the 1100 block of Winlock-Vader Road found the driver of a truck somehow lost control, hit the ditch, rolled over and landed on its top, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office.

The Winlock residents were both wearing seat belts but sustained serious head injuries, according to Chief Civil Deputy Stacy Brown.

They were flown by helicopter to Southwest Washington Medical Center in Vancouver, Brown said. Their names were not released.

The 1996 Toyota 4by4 was totaled, she said.

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

An 80-year-old man with early stages of dementia who went missing early yesterday from his Centralia home ended up at a hospital in Everett, although police aren’t sure why.

“We think a little confusion on his part,” Centralia Police Department Sgt. Stacy Denham said this morning. “Everyone in his family lives south; no one knows why he went north.”

Raymond E. Wolford is okay and back home with his family, according to police.

Police were called to his home near Providence Centralia Hospital about 1:20 a.m. yesterday when his wife realized he and his car were gone. Wolford has late-stage cancer and requires medication daily, according to police.

Officer Mike Lowrey said last night around 8:30 p.m., officers were notified by the family Wolford was located in Everett, about 100 miles away.

Denham said he apparently drove himself there.

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – The Lewis County Sheriff’s Office is inviting the public to tour its new mobile office, a 40-foot-long semi truck set up to respond for search and rescue missions, crime scenes and any other major local incidents.

Courtesy photo

The 1995 Freightliner was obtained at no-cost through federal surplus and outfitted with funds from grants and seizures, according to the sheriff’s office. It replaces two aging vans, Chief Civil Deputy Stacy Brown said in a news release.

The big rig will be on display today from 10 a.m. until noon at the motor pool parking lot at the intersection of West Main Street and Chehalis Avenue in Chehalis.