Lewis County Sirens.com

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

A 31-year-old man was arrested in north Centralia last night after he allegedly shot at a truck occupied by his wife and young son in Bucoda during an argument.

Deputies called to the Bucoda home were told that Michael J. Thorson then grabbed two hand guns and fled, saying he knew the cops were coming and he planned to get in a shootout with them and die, according to the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office.

A deputy caught up with Thorson’s vehicle when it pulled into a convenience store parking lot at North Pearl Street and Zenkner Valley Road, sheriff’s Lt. Greg Elwin said this morning. The deputy, who was alone, asserted himself “pretty strongly,” Elwin said.

“The bad guy just essentially gives up right there,” Elwin said.

Thorson said he was upset because his wife was taking his child and he was afraid he would never see him again, according to Elwin. He said he knew he screwed up and he was sorry, Elwin said.

It began with a call to 911 about 7:50 p.m. to the couple’s home on the 100 block of Perkins Street in Bucoda.

The wife said her husband pointed a shotgun at her, Elwin said.

She told a deputy she had put their toddler in a truck and was leaving, when Thorson allegedly fired the shotgun at two of its tires. Thorson then left, and the first arriving deputy went after him, Elwin said.

Two loaded handguns were recovered from Thorson’s vehicle, according to Elwin. He said he decided at the last second not to draw his weapons, Elwin said.

Thorson was booked into the Thurston County Jail for second-degree assault, domestic violence, and for unlawful possession of a firearm. He is prohibited from having guns because of his criminal history, according to the sheriff’s office.

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

Four people, including two small children, escaped serious injury after a head-on crash on U.S. Highway 12 near Oakville last night.

Troopers called about 7:45 p.m. to the scene two miles north of town found both vehicles totaled, according to the Washington State Patrol.

A 2-year-old girl and a 1-year-old boy in a Dodge Caravan were reportedly uninjured.

According to the state patrol, Joseph H. Bannwarth, 59, of Rochester, was traveling westbound near milepost 34 when his car ran into the guard rail, then struck a part of the bridge on the opposite side of the highway before colliding with the eastbound van.

Bannwarth was taken to Providence St. Peter Hospital in Olympia where this morning he is listed in good condition.

The driver of the van, Davette R. Lahaie, 46, of Elma, was taken to Providence Centralia Hospital, according to the state patrol. She was treated and has been released.

Bannwarth’s 2006 Chrysler Sebring was impounded.

The cause of the wreck remains under investigation.

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Correction: This news story has been updated to reflect the correct time troopers were called to the collision. The Washington State Patrol incorrectly reported to the news media it was 11:15 p.m., but it was actually 7:46 p.m.

Updated 1:13 p.m.

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

A Pe Ell church was evacuated during Sunday morning services yesterday when a fire broke out in a classroom area used for storage.

Nobody was injured but the blaze did an estimated $10,000 damage at the New Harvest Assembly of God Church on the 100 block of Mauermann Road, according to authorities.

An 11-year-old boy believed to have started the fire was arrested.

Three members of the fire department were at church when it happened about 10:30 a.m., according to Lewis County Fire District 11 Chief Michael Krafczyk.

One left and got the ambulance, another retrieved the fire engine and Assistant Chief Michael Davis used a fire extinguisher and then a garden hose through a window to knock down the flames, Krafczyk said.

The chief estimated 150 individuals were inside when it occurred. The pastor is a firefighter from a nearby district as well, he said.

“Everybody stayed real calm, got everybody out in an orderly fashion,” Krafczyk said. “Nobody got hurt, that was the important thing.”

The room that burned was across from the nursery, Krafczyk said.

A plastic tree caught fire, light fixtures melted and flames spread up the wall, according to Fire Investigator Jay Birley. The person who discovered it saw smoke all the way down to about three feet above the floor level, he said.

Firefighters got out their big hose, but didn’t need to use it, according to the chief. They borrowed a thermal imaging camera from District 16 and tore out some of the ceiling to make sure nothing more was smoldering, he said.

The storage room will likely need new sheetrock, and some of the rest of the building will probably need repainting because of smoke damage, according to Krafczyk.

A sheriff’s deputy was called as it was suspected to have been intentionally set and the deputy interviewed the 11-year-old boy, the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office said this morning.

The child admitted he started the fire with matches he found in one of the rooms, according to Chief Civil Deputy Stacy Brown.

He was arrested for second-degree arson and booked into the Lewis County Juvenile Detention Center, Brown said.

Brown said the boy did not say why he did it, but he has had some problems with starting fires at home previously.

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – A 59-year-old woman found dead in her Chehalis apartment last Friday died from a gunshot wound through her mouth, according to the Lewis County Coroner’s Office.

Chehalis police are continuing to investigate the death, but at this time aren’t looking for a suspect, detective Sgt. Rick McNamara said today. It appears preliminarily to be suicide, he said.

Police are sending the gun off for testing, according to McNamara. They are also still waiting for a report from the coroner following Monday’s autopsy.

Lewis County Coroner Warren McLeod said the cause is the gunshot and the determination of the manner of death is pending the results of the police investigation.

Police were called after the woman was found by her husband in the apartment on the 400 block in between Market Boulevard and Pacific Avenue. A handgun was found at the scene, according to McNamara.

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

A remembrance ceremony on the 10th anniversary of the events of Sept. 11, 2001 is set to be held at the Southwest Washington Fairgrounds.

The 1 p.m. program is being organized by the Lewis County Fallen Heroes Committee and United Way.

Expect a speaker who was present at “ground zero”, pipes and drums and a reading of first responder’s names.

Commemorative T-shirts will be sold to benefit the Fallen Heroes fund, a fund that assists the families of fallen heros in Lewis County and throughout the state, according to United Way Director Debbie Campbell. Donations will be accepted.

The event, and parking, is free.

Gates open at 11:30 a.m. and activities will continue after the program, to include live music.