Sgt. Fred Wetzel and Trooper Mark Soper confer before Soper takes a closer look at the bus about 1 p.m. today in Onalaska.
By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
ONALASKA – A bomb squad was called out to meet a bus in Onalaska after an anonymous threat this morning there was a bomb on a transit bus.
There wasn’t.
The Lewis Mountain Highway Transit bus was making its 85 mile trip from Packwood to Centralia.
More later
By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
The Olympian is reporting today about a Rochester man who led two patrol cars through a soccer field in Lacey.
Read news reporter Jeremy Pawloski’s story here.
By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
I’ve been doing some reporting this afternoon on last night’s fatal house fire in Ethel, and I haven’t written anything on it yet but I see The (Longview) Daily News has posted a really nice story about Gary Allen Ike, the 54-year-old man who perished.
More later from me, but meanwhile read about a man someone today said had a heart the size of Texas.
Read The (Longview) Daily News reporter Greg Garrison’s news story from today here.
•••
Read this morning’s news story on the fire here
By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
One person is dead after a house fire overnight in the Ethel area.
Lewis County Fire District 2 Chief Grant Wiltbank said a male was found deceased in the home on Nicholson Road, about a half mile east of Lewis and Clark State Park.
The cause is under investigation.
District 2 was called just before midnight and found the residence fully involved in flames when they arrived, Wiltbank said.
“The first engine company got there and fire was coming out all the openings, all the windows and doors,” he said.
A neighbor had smelled smoke, looked outside and saw the fire, he said.
The chief didn’t say where in the home the individual was found. He wasn’t there. District 2 Assistant Chief Mike Dorothy was the incident commander.
Nicholson Road is a dead-end road off of Oyler Road.
About thirty firefighters from four departments responded, Wiltbank said.
A Napavine area firefighter who assisted described the residence as a smaller single-story wood frame house.
By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
KOMOnews.com is reporting a search is underway for a Cessna that left the Chehalis airport about 7:30 a.m. today and reported engine trouble a few minutes later northeast of Randle.
KOMO reports the plane is owned by Chehalis-based Pacific Cataract and Laser Institute and is carrying three on board.
Read more here
Firefighters Jay Birley, left and Rob Gebhart brought Vancouver Firefighters Pipes and Drums to the Eagles on Saturday night.
By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
A huge crowd gathered Saturday night to support the Jeff and Angie Elder family and listen to Chehalis firefighters Jay Birley and Rob Gebhart play their bagpipes.
Jeff and Keeton Elder
The fundraiser was held at the Chehalis Eagles to help the couple with medical expenses for their daughter, 9-year-old Keeton Elder who has an undiagnosed condition.
Donations came to more than $1,600, and then the Chehalis firefighters union added $100 and the Lewis County Corrections Officers Guild gave $500, according to Chehalis Police Department Officer Jeff Elder.
By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
The Olympian reports an agreement has been reached for excess inmates from the Olympia City Jail to stay at the Lewis County Jail.
Chandra Brady – formerly Wrzesinski – manager at the Olympia facility, was the chief administrator at the Lewis County Jail as it was enlarged some six years ago with the idea of renting out some of its 358 beds to local governments outside the county.
Read news reporter Matt Batcheldor’s story here.
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