Lewis County Sirens.com

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

The city of Centralia is offering sand bags and sand for residents beginning at 6 p.m. this evening and again tomorrow morning.

The move follows the mid-day upgrade of a flood watch to flood warnings on several Southwest Washington rivers, including the Chehalis River and the Skookumchuck River.

The distribution center is on the 100 block of West Center Street, in between Tower Avenue and Pearl Street. It will stay open until 9 p.m. tonight, according to a news release.

It will reopen at 7 a.m. tomorrow along with two other sites.

Police officers will be there confirming addresses since only city residents are eligible, according Police Chief Bob Berg.

Berg urges residents to listen to their local radio for updates as the situation develops.

Moderate flooding is forecast from the Chehalis River at Centralia and minor flooding from the Skookumchuck at Centralia.

More soon.
•••

Read the latest flood warnings, watches and weather statements here

Check the river level forecast for your area here

Check the weather forecast or your area here

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

Chehalis police are investigating a situation in which a 42-year-old man was found dead in his home by a friend.

Detective Sgt. Rick McNamara said yesterday it’s not obvious how the man died and they’ll wait for the coroner’s office to determine what happened.

Officers were called to the shared residence on the 100 block of Northeast Division Street about 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday.

Based on information at the scene, police are investigating whether its drug-related. It doesn’t look like foul play, according to Deputy Chief Randy Kaut.

McNamara said there was drug paraphernalia present. He didn’t specify what it was.

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – The sheriff’s office has referred a March homicide case to the Lewis County Prosecutor’s Office, recommending a charge of second-degree murder in the death of 58-year-old Guy LaFontaine.

Guy LaFontaine

LaFontaine died from injuries following an assault the 11,000 block of U.S. Highway 12 in Randle, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office.

A relative, Erik R. Massa, 43, of Randle, was initially arrested and booked for second-degree murder, but was released pending further investigation. Sheriff’s Cmdr. Steve Aust said detectives are now requesting Massa be charged with second-degree murder.

LaFontaine, who lived in Federal Way, had been taken to a hospital closer to his home where he died March 13. He worked at Todd Shipyards in Seattle as a welder.

Aust said the sheriff’s office investigation was completed and yesterday sent to prosecutors.

They had been waiting for reports from the Washington State Crime Lab, according to Aust.

The dark green represents the areas under a flood watch. The pink areas are under a winter storm warning / Courtesy picture from National Weather Service

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

The National Weather Service early this morning issued a flood watch for tomorrow afternoon through Monday afternoon for portions of Western Washington including Lewis County.

Heavy rains mean some rivers are certain to flood and some – such as the Chehalis River in Lewis and Grays Harbor counties which face at least a moderate threat of flooding, according to the advisory.

Even small streams could overflow their banks and urban flooding where drainage is poor is possible, according to the Weather Service.

The forecasters note it’s impossible at this point to say how much rain will fall and where.

The advisory comes as East Lewis County and other areas of the state are under a winter storm warning through noon today – with up to six inches of additional snow expected in some places.
•••

Check the weather forecast or your area here

Read the latest flood warnings, watches and weather statements here

Check the river level forecast for your area here

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

This news story was first published at 2:21 p.m., and was updated at 6:42 p.m.

CHEHALIS – The homeless man found dead in a tent in Chehalis on Monday has been identified as 67-year-old Eugene Briese.

The Lewis County Coroner’s Office said he also went by the name Gene Wayne Briese.

Briese lived in the wooded area east of Kresky Avenue along the 2200 block. He was a convicted felon required to check in regularly at the Department of Corrections office located in the nearby Lewis County Mall.

The Chehalis Police Department has said there were no obvious signs of trauma or a struggle.

An autopsy today concluded Briese died from massive bleeding related to cancer in one of his lungs. Chief Deputy Coroner Dawn Harris said it appeared to the forensic pathologist coughing caused the mass to tear an artery.

Scott Albert, the supervisor at the DOC Chehalis office, said Briese had never mentioned anything about having cancer; he suspected Briese didn’t know it.

“The last time we saw him, he had a cold, and we were all coming down with colds,” Albert said today, noting Briese offered them advice on taking care of themselves. “He’d seen a doctor.”

Briese has been homeless since he got out of prison two years ago and has been under their supervision, according to Albert.

Despite being a registered sex offender who turned to residing in the out of doors, he would comment there were people worse off than him, Albert said.

“The guy, for the most part, was pretty positive,” Albert said. “He was pretty upbeat, doing the best with what he had.”

Chief Deputy Coroner Harris said she wasn’t able to find that he had any family.

A pair of community corrections officers found him dead when they went to check on him after he missed an appointment Monday morning.

•••

Read “Man found dead in tent off Kresky in Chehalis” from Tuesday Dec. 7, 2010 here