Lewis County Sirens.com

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

A 25-year-old motorist was airlifted to a Seattle hospital after she ran into an excavator in a freeway work zone north of Centralia this evening.

The Honda Civic driven by Ashley E. Williams of Kent was totaled, according to the Washington State Patrol. The 2000 Cat excavator sustained about $300 damage, the state patrol reported. It was unoccupied.

Troopers and aid were called just before 5:30 p.m. to the collision on Interstate 5 just south of the Lewis-Thurston county line.

The responding trooper reported Williams was southbound when she lost control of her car, traveling to the right and hitting what was described as a huge piece of machinery.

Responders from Riverside Fire Authority found the dashboard and steering column of the car shoved into the passenger compartment leaving the driver pinned in only about 18 inches of space. Fire Capt. Scott Weinert called it a difficult extrication.

They cut through the door and got the woman out in less than 10 minutes, a feat Weinert labeled as outstanding work by his crew.

Williams suffered injuries to her pelvis and legs and was flown by helicopter to Harborview Medical Center.

The trooper indicated the cause was driving under the influence of drugs.

It’s the second time in just over a month a driver has crashed into heavy equipment in the same construction zone. A Seattle woman lost control of her pickup truck in the northbound lanes on Sept 13 and struck several construction barrels before hitting a bulldozer.
•••

This news item was updated at 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday Oct. 19, 2010

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

Firefighters from Chehalis and Centralia have been meeting to see if there is interest in joining forces, perhaps creating one big fire department.

Chehalis Fire Department Capt. Casey Beck, who is president of the IAFF Local 2510 representing his department’s union members, said this week they owe it to the citizens to at least consider the options.

“We work together all the time anyhow,” Beck said. “Both groups want to explore it further.”

Beck said such consolidations are happening around the country and the firefighters on the ground here seem to be ready to begin evaluating if the numbers pencil out so they could provide service more effectively and efficiently.

A gathering is set for the end of this month with city managers, fire chiefs, labor representatives from Riverside Fire Authority and the Chehalis Fire Department, as well as Lewis County fire district’s 6 and 5, according to Beck.

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

If you still have questions about the ballot measure from Lewis County Fire District 5, they are holding an informational meeting tonight at 7:30 p.m.

The department that protects the greater Napavine area is asking for a fire levy lid increase.

It’s at the District 5 administrative office in Napavine.

Police seized about 160 marijuana plants growing inside a home in Centralia on Wednesday. / Courtesy photo by Centralia Police Department

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

Centralia police seized roughly 160 marijuana plants when they served a search warrant at a home on Kulien Street in the north end of town yesterday.

The action followed a week-long investigation by the department’s Anti-Crime unit, according to a news release.

Police say the plants were in various stages of growth, from starts to fully mature.

The man who lives in the house said it was medical marijuana, but he “had way too many plants for medical marijuana,” Centralia detective Sgt. Pat Fitzgerald said today.

Generally, police look upon a supply of 15 of 16 plants to be in line with the many rules under which people are allowed to grow medical marijuana, according to Fitzgerald.

The man had documentation that he is allowed medical marijuana, as well as documentation for another person, the sergeant said.

Arrested was Bradley S. Andrews, 56, of Centralia. He was booked into the Lewis County Jail for unlawful manufacture of marijuana and unlawful possession of a firearm. He is a convicted felon and not allowed to possess guns, Fitzgerald said.

Officers went to the house about 10 a.m. and Andrews was the only one there at the time. The event was fairly “low key”, Fitzgerald said.

Officers found seedlings being cultivated in a laundry room, medium-sized plants in a bedroom and some as large as 6-feet tall  in the garage, according to Fitzgerald. The lighting used in the garage cast the orange glow shown in the photos, he said.

Also recovered were a pistol, two rifles and equipment commonly used for indoor marijuana cultivation, such as irrigation, ventilation and light systems, according to the news release.

The plants seized are being stored until they are dry and then will be destroyed, probably by incineration, Fitzgerald said.
•••

This news story was updated at 1:09 p.m. on Thursday Oct. 14, 2010

Police seized about 160 marijuana plants growing inside a home in Centralia on Wednesday. / Courtesy photo by Centralia Police Department