Lewis County Sirens.com

Courtesy photo by WSP

Updated at 7:58 p.m. and on Monday December 17, 2012 at 2:55 p.m.

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

A head-on collision on U.S. Highway 12 at Denmark Street in Rochester this afternoon sent four adults to area hospitals.

A man and a woman in the victim car sustained serious injuries, according to responders. Angela M. Saxon, 40, was airlifted to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle and Eric W. Saxon, 41, was taken to Providence St. Peter Hospital, according to West Thurston Regional Fire Authority. Both are from Rochester, according to the Washington State Patrol.

A man and a woman in a van with less serious injuries were taken to Providence Centralia Hospital, according to Fire Lt. Eric Smith.

Washington State Patrol spokesperson Trooper Guy Gill said the van crossed the centerline and hit the car. It happened about 3 p.m.

J. Vidal Dominguez Mireles, 54, was driving a 1993 GMC van eastbound when he went into the oncoming lane to avoid stopped traffic, according to the state patrol.  His passenger was Rita S. Dominguez, 54, of Warden, according to the state patrol.

Both the van and the 2008 Dodge Avenger were described as totaled.

Smith said Rochester-area firefighters were joined by firefighters from Oakville and Centralia because of the number of patients and prolonged extrication work with the Jaws of Life.

Trooper Gill said Eric Saxon was transported to Harborview Medical Center. A news release from the state patrol said he was taken to Providence Centralia Hospital, and the fire lieutenant at the scene said he was taken to Providence St. Peter Hospital.

The state patrol blames speed and inattention on the part of Dominguez Mireles.

The roadway was blocked with a detour in place until about 6:45 p.m., according to the state Department of Transportation.

Update at 2:55 p.m. on Monday December 17, 2012:  Angela M. Saxon was listed in critical condition at mid-day today at Harborview, according to a hospital spokesperson. Eric Saxon was listed in good condition this morning at Providence St. Peter Hospital in Olympia.

Rita S. Dominguez was still at Providence Centralia Hospital this morning in fair condition. J. Vidal Dominguez Mireles was treated at Providence Centralia and then transferred to another unspecified hospital.

Courtesy photo by WSP

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – A 16-year-old boy is in trouble after breaking in to the fenced compound that contains Green Hill School, the state’s juvenile lockup facility for older boys in Chehalis.

Police were called to the institution on Southwest 11th Street about 5:15 a.m. today after security personnel found him outside and brought him inside, according to the Chehalis Police Department.

“I guess on  a dare, is my understanding, he decided to climb over the fence,” Police Sgt. Rick McNamara said.

The teen was intoxicated and apparently managed to scale the razor wire-topped fence without serious injury, according to McNamara.

“Usually we hear of them trying to get out, this is the first time I’ve seen anyone trying to get in,” McNamara said.

The boy is from outside the local area, but new to Chehalis, he said.

He was released to a parent or guardian, pending charges.

McNamara said he wasn’t even sure yet what the crime might be.

Weston G. Miller goes before a judge in Lewis County Superior Court to plead not guilty to murder.

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – Centralia resident Weston G. Miller pleaded not guilty today in the March shooting death of his houseguest at Miller’s B Street home.

The former welder has been held in the Lewis County Jail since his arrest, unable to make his pleas to first-degree murder because of a question whether he was competent to stand trial.

Miller, 30, told police he acted in self-defense, but prosecutors say it was unprovoked attack when he shot 43-year-old David Wayne Carson twice in the chest area.

Miller pleaded not guilty today to first-degree murder and five counts of second-degree unlawful possession of a firearm in Lewis County Superior Court.

When police searched the home they found five guns, a silencer, a laser site for a gun and a bullet-proof vest, according to charging documents.

Miller’s only criminal history includes a two-year-old fourth-degree assault gross misdemeanor, but that meant he was prohibited from possessing guns.

Carson, a Centralia resident who had just signed up for college and was going to learn to fly so he could go work in Alaska, died on March 13.

A trial was set for the week of February 4.

Miller’s attorney J.P. Enbody has said the issue of insanity – at the time of the incident – could still come up.
•••

For background, read “B Street homicide: Defendant says self defense” from Wednesday March 14, 2012, here

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

Two collisions involving two semi trucks have Interstate 5 blocked in both directions just south of Vader, according to the Washington State Department of Transportation.

The closure near milepost 58 near the Cowlitz River began about 12:45 a.m., according to a news release from DOT.

Northbound traffic is being diverted at Jackson Highway.

The roadway isn’t expected to be cleared for several hours.

Update at 3:12 a.m.: The southbound right lane has opened. The rest of the freeway may be cleared within the hour, according to DOT.

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

Four fire departments were called last night to a fire at a Napavine market that caused extensive damage.

Nobody was injured and the cause is under investigation, according to Lewis County Fire District 5.

It happened about 8:30 p.m. at a multi-business commercial structure on Alder Avenue Northwest near Washington Street, according to Fire Lt. Laura Hanson.

Arriving units found smoke and fire in the Annie’s Market end of the approximately 7,000-square-foot single-story building, according to Hanson. All the building’s occupants were out, she said in a news release.

Twenty-six firefighters battled the blaze, coming from Napavine, Toledo, Winlock and rural Chehalis, according to Hanson.

The fire was confined to the one business but the rest of the building sustained smoke damage, according to Hanson.

Hanson said the market had extensive interior damage.

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

Centralia police detective Rick Hughes has been honored by the Washington State Patrol for his role in helping subdue a man who allegedly assaulted a trooper this summer along side on Interstate 5 in Chehalis.

Detective Rick Hughes

It was July 3 when Trooper Rob Moore contacted the 23-year-old Centralia man near the Main Street off ramp and ended up tackling the man after a lug nut was thrown in his face, breaking his nose and glasses.

Two passing motorists stopped to help, and then detective Hughes and another passerby, Robert Gordon from Washington County in Oregon, stopped to assist.

Don K. Gonzales, 23, was subsequently charged with second-degree assault, plus three counts of third-degree assault related to the brawl as well as  attempting to disarm a law enforcement officer. His attorney said he was suffering from some type of mental issue when the events occurred.

Hughes and Gordon were honored the week before last in Vancouver with awards of merit.

A citation of the events read during the ceremony thanked the men for their life-saving efforts.

“The actions of Detective Rick Hughes and Robert Gordon not only helped, but also may have prevented further significant injury to Trooper Moore,” Trooper Will Finn wrote in a news release.

The two men sprung into action and assisted Moore in getting the subject under control and into custody, Finn wrote. Hughes was reportedly kicked in the chest before it was over.

State Patrol Capt. Ron Rupke commended the two for their courage.

The state patrol’s award of merit is presented to law enforcement officers or citizens who risk their own safety to assist a state patrol employee in the performance of a hazardous act, according to Finn.

Finn said he wasn’t sure of Gordon’s background, if he is a civilian or possibly a retied police officer.

The pair of local civilians who jumped in Timothy Tyrell Daily, 25, of Napavine, and his brother-in-law Jared Kasinger, 24, of Chehalis, are expected to recognized this coming spring for their actions, according to Finn.

“They’re being honored with a higher award in May,” Finn said. “They haven’t been forgotten.”

Gonzales has pleaded not guilty and is awaiting trial.
•••

For background, read “View from the ground: Helping trooper take down fighting suspect” from  Sunday July 15, 2012, here

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

Santa Claus will be making his pre-Christmas rounds in Centralia and Chehalis this week, collecting donations for the needy as well as handing out candy canes and safety information to good little girls and boys.

In Centralia, members of Riverside Fire Authority are hosting the visit that winds through the community from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. each evening beginning tonight and continuing through Thursday.

His helpers will be happy to accept non-perishable food items and new toys.

The sleigh will park at the end of each route each night and hang out until 8 p.m. where children can pose for photos with Santa.

In Chehalis, the Santa Mobile travels tomorrow night and Thursday night from 6 p.m. until 9 p.m., arranged by the Chehalis Fire Department.

Coordinator Steve Emrich offers sincere apologies for the postponement from last Thursday, noting that circumstances beyond their control got in the way.

CHEHALIS –
Tuesday:
• 6 p.m. – 7 p.m. – Southwest 13th Avenue though Southwest 16th Avenue general area
• 7 p.m. – 8 p.m. – Southwest Snively Avenue general area through Southwest 19th Avenue
• 8 p.m. – 9 p.m. – Southwest 20th Avenue through Southwest 22nd Avenue and Southeast Washington Avenue
Thursday:
• 6 p.m. – 7 p.m. – Northwest Westside neighborhoods
• 7 p.m. – 8 p.m. – Southwest Chehalis Avenue and Southwest William Avenue area
• 8 p.m. – 9 p.m. – Southwest Cascade Avenue and Southwest First Street through Southwest 12th Street

CENTRALIA –
Tonight:
• 6 p.m. until 7:30 p.m.: Jefferson Lincoln Elementary School area starting at West Plum and South King streets and ending at Jefferson Lincoln Elementary School
Tuesday:
• 6 p.m. until 7:30 p.m.: Oakview Elementary School area starting at West Reynolds Avenue and Hillview Avenue and ending at Oakview Elementary School
Wednesday:
• 6 p.m. until 7:30 p.m.: Edison Elementary School area starting on West First Street and ending at Edison Elementary School.
Thursday:
• 6 p.m. until 7:30 p.m.: Fords Prairie area starting at Fords Prairie Avenue and Eshom Road and ending at Riverside Fire Authority Headquarters Station at 1818 Harrison Avenue.

For more Centralia details, click on Firefighters Association Santa Mobile, where you can find a map, here