Lewis County Sirens.com

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – The sheriff’s office is again appealing to the public for help in the disappearance of a teenage girl who was last seen this past spring.

Kayla Croft-Payne

Kayla Mae Croft-Payne frequently used her MySpace Internet account but has not accessed it since April 28, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s office. A friend made a missing person report on May 5, after not seeing or hearing from Croft-Payne for several days.

Detectives are treating the case as an active and ongoing investigation, according to a news release yesterday.

The sheriff’s office has described the 18-year-old as jobless and somewhat transient, living most recently in the Chehalis area. Her last known location was in Cowlitz County, the sheriff’s office reports.

She also is known to spend time in Pierce and Grays Harbor counties.

Croft-Payne is a white female with blue eyes and brown hair, described as 5 feet 6 inches tall and weighing about 105 pounds.

Anyone with any information on her whereabouts is urged to contact the sheriff’s office online, according to a news release.

Anonymous tips can be left in two places: Crimes Stoppers of Lewis County or the sheriff’ s office online crime tips page

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

As the 25th anniversary approaches of one of Lewis County’s most unsettling homicides, detectives are asking for the public’s to solve the case.

Ed and Minnie Maurin, both in their early 80s, were kidnapped from their Ethel home and forced to withdraw a large amount of cash from their bank in Chehalis on Dec. 19, 1985, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office.

Their bodies were soon found off a logging road near Adna and their car was discovered abandoned in the Yard Birds parking lot.

The sheriff’s office is asking anyone who knows who is responsible or has any information which could assist in the investigation to call Lewis County Crime Stoppers at 1-800-748-6422 or send the information online.

Crime Stoppers will pay up to $1,000 for information leading to the clearance of crimes.

It’s one of eight unsolved homicides listed with the sheriff’s office, all from the 1980s and 1990s.

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

The Thurston County Sheriff’s Office is waiting for results from the coroners office to learn more about a 50-year-old man found dead in a field in Rochester on Friday.

Norman D. Penn, of Oakville, was discovered laying shirtless off the side of the road at 183rd Avenue Southwest and Sargent Road around 8 a.m. Friday morning. A mountain bike was nearby, according to sheriff’s office.

“There were no indications of violence, trauma or foul play,” Lt Chris Mealy said this morning. “The coroner took possession of the body and we’re just waiting or the results of an autopsy to decide if we will launch a criminal investigation.”

The detective had seen Penn riding his bike about 8 p.m. the night before about five miles away on Case Road, Mealy said.

A passerby found Penn beneath a large sign in the two-acre field, not far off the roadside, according to Mealy.

Troopers and DOT remove trees that fell on Interstate 5 overnight / Courtesy photo Trooper Doug Pardue

This news story was updated at 11:50 a.m.

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

Strong winds overnight toppled trees onto Interstate 5 south of Vader blocking all the southbound lanes.

One lane remains closed this morning for a work zone as authorities prepare to deal with partially uprooted trees they’re concerned could fall onto the roadway, according to the state Department of Transportation.

The first of the trees came down about 11:40 p.m. last night near milepost 54 and the Tootle River Rest Area. Trooper Doug Pardue estimated between eight and 12 trees fell.

National Weather Service Meteorologist Chris Burke called it a “squall line” that blew through the area.

“Short duration of strong wind,” Burke said. “A line  of thunderstorms moves through rapidly and brings the wind up.”

A detour was put in place overnight using exit 57 at Barnes Drive and exit 52 north of Castle Rock.

State Route 507 at Bucoda remains blocked this morning in both directions from power lines over the roadway.

Firefighters from Bucoda and Tenino responded to the call about 1 o’clock this morning. First responders were still waiting about 11:15 a.m. for Puget Sound Energy to clear the scene. As of 11:50 a.m., alternating one-way traffic was getting through.

Motorists are advised to avoid the area at milepost 10 near Sumner Street, according to DOT.

Winds blew very strong around midnight in Centralia sending responders to one downed power line on lower Cooks Hill. A roughly 20-foot section from the top of a tree snapped and dropped onto a parked passenger vehicle on the 300 block of M Street, according to Centralia police.

At the Chehalis-Centralia Airpot at 11:55 p.m., winds were measured at 21 mph with a gusts up to 35 mph, according to the weather service.

In Napavine “It was raining sideways and crazy blowing at the station,” District 5 Lt. Laura Hanson said.

A tree fell on top of a house in Mossyrock, but no one was injured.

Lewis County Fire District 3 Chief Matt Hadaller said it happened about 1 a.m. on the 100 block of West State Street. The roof of the single-story home was damaged, he said.

Firefighters this morning returned to cut up the Douglas Fir.

•••

DOT says motorists in both directions should expect slowdowns and delays of up to 20 minutes between 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. this afternoon on Interstate 5 near the Tootle River Rest Area in north Cowlitz County when workers drop a 100-foot-tall tree.

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – An autopsy conducted after a 42-year-old man was found dead in his Chehalis home by a friend last week was inconclusive.

The Chehalis Police Department was called to the shared house on Northeast Division Street last Tuesday afternoon. Russell L. Lamb died about 5 a.m. that day, according to the Lewis County Coroner’s Office.

Police are investigating if the death was drug-related based on information they got at the scene. There was drug paraphernalia present.

Chief Deputy Coroner Dawn Harris indicated yesterday the autopsy didn’t reveal any obvious illness or disease processes.

A determination of the cause and manner of death will have to wait for the results of toxicology tests which check for alcohol, prescription and street drugs, according to Harris.

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

The newest Centralia police dog finished his training to become certified last week.

Lobo

Lobo, a German Shepherd who will work with Officer Ruben Ramirez, came to the department in June.

They join Sgt. Brian Warren and police dog Kayo – a German Shepherd who started working in Centralia in 2006. Kayo is about three years away from retirement, according to police Chief Bob Berg.

Lobo finished and passed his testing – which requires 400 hours of training – in police patrol team work last Wednesday, according to Berg.

Officer Tracy Murphy – partner to the late police dog Bak – served as the duo’s training officer, making Murphy eligible to become certified as a master trainer with the Washington State Police Canine Association, according to Berg.