Lewis County Sirens.com

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – Thurston County authorities are asking the public to call 911 if they see a missing 69-year-old woman or her car.

Carol Biehl

Carol A. Biehl was last seen at noon yesterday in the Olympia area driving a white 1996 Honda Accord, according to the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office.

Biehl suffers from dementia and has heart conditions, according to Sgt. Carla Carter.

She is 5-feet 4-inches tall, weighs about 235 pounds and has blue eyes with gray hair dyed light brown, according to Carter.

The car has a license plate reading 911 SLJ.

Current and forecasted level of Chehalis River at Centralia as of 4:18 p.m. today. / Image from NWS Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – Warmer weather, rising snow levels and a threat of heavy rain mean its time for those whose areas are prone to flooding to start monitoring the latests forecasts.

The National Weather Service says river flooding is possible this week across portions of Western Washington.

High temperatures could reach into the low 50s over the lowlands and snow levels would rise to above 6,000 feet by Tuesday, according to the weather service. Precipitation may begin late Monday and persist through at least Wednesday.

Windy conditions are possible in some areas beginning Monday night.

As of this afternoon, confidence is low as to the specific timing, magnitude and locations of the heavier rains, winds and potential flooding.

Rainfall totals of five to eight inches are possible in the Olympic Mountains during that 48-hour period, with four to seven inches possible in the Cascades, according to the NWS.

“Western Washington rivers are running low currently, but the rain will cause them to rise quickly and flooding could possibly begin Tuesday or Wednesday,” the NWS states.

People who reside in areas which traditionally flood ought to pay attention to the weather forecasts and keep an eye out for flood watches or flood warnings.

Flood watches have already been put into place in Cowlitz and Pacific counties.

Check the National Weather Service information for our area by checking the link called “Weather alerts, forecasts” on the righthand sidebar, always here on LewisCountySirens.com

Tip, for those who want to get a sense of how quickly the river level forecasts can change: Check your river level chart today and then check it again tomorrow, and the next day. “River levels” from NWS, also always on the righthand sidebar of this page.

2012 Maserati Quattroporte found parked off Big Hanaford Road. / Courtesy photo by Riverside Fire Authority.

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – Authorities believe someone torched a Maserati discovered burning alongside a remote rural Lewis County road during the night.

Firefighters responding to a 2:30 a.m. call of a vehicle fire on the 900 block of Big Hanaford Road east of Centralia arrived to find the passenger car well-involved in fire, according to Riverside Fire Authority.

“The fire was quickly brought under controlled and extinguished without damage to other property,” Fire Capt. Scott Weinert wrote in a brief summary of the incident.

The location is near the TransAlta power plant.

The 2012 Maserati Quattroporte is registered to a Seattle resident, according to Weinert.

The Italian luxury car was parked off the roadway and is a total loss. The cause is presumed to be arson, Weinert wrote.

•••

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – A group of firefighters from rural Chehalis are once again going to tackle the 69 flights of stairs at the Columbia Tower in Seattle in March, outfitted in their full gear to raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

Their fundraising effort includes an auction in downtown Chehalis  next Friday night, Jan. 20.

Mike Goodwillie, of Lewis County Fire District 6 says the team’s honoree continues to be little Noah McDaniel.

Goodwillie said they have a lot of great stuff to auction off such as a chartered fishing trip and two-night stays in Leavenworth, Astoria and Long Beach.

Where: The Loft, 547 NW Pacific Ave.
When: Jan. 20, 2017, at 7 p.m.
What: Firefighter Auction for a Cure
Why: For the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.
Who: All members of the community are welcome

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – The now-former Lewis County social services manager accused in September of stealing tens of thousands of dollars from a governmental association in which she served as treasurer is expected to enter a guilty plea next week.

April K. Kelley, 35, was charged with first-degree theft in Lewis County Superior Court following an investigation by the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office.

The Centralia woman worked at the Lewis County Department of Public Health & Social Services, and in that capacity, served as treasurer for the Association of County Human Services. When a new treasurer took over last year, the books were reviewed and $60,000 to $70,000 was missing, according to the sheriff’s office.

Defense attorney Shane O’Rourke told a judge today he wanted to schedule a hearing next week for his client to change her plea.

Outside the courtroom, O’Rourke said he’s already delayed for months to go over the documents but Lewis County Prosecutor Jonathan Meyer wanted to know by today if they were going to trial or if they would settle.

He said he will still need time to prepare for Kelley’s sentencing hearing as the prosecutor is going to recommend a fairly significant sentence.

Her hearing is set for 9:30 a.m. next Wednesday.
•••

For background, read “Former association treasurer charged with 10 felony counts for alleged dipping into account” from Monday September 26, 2016, here

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – Four fire departments responded yesterday to the 600 block of Chilvers Road where a fire in a fifth-wheel trailer spread to an adjacent garage and through the attic into a house.

Chehalis Fire Department Chief Ken Cardinale, the first on the scene, found the RV fully involved in flames, according to Fire Capt. Casey Beck.

They were joined by members of Lewis County Fire Districts 6 and 5 as well as Riverside Fire Authority in answering the 9:54 a.m. call west of Chehalis, Beck said.

Crews pulled down the ceiling in the garage to make sure all the fire was out, Beck said.

Nobody was hurt but the home sustained smoke damage and the garage will have to be rebuilt, Beck said.

The cause is under investigation.

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – A rural Chehalis resident who hoped for a lighter sentence following an appeal for an assault almost three years ago was told by a judge yesterday he’s going to prison.

Cole T. Rife was convicted by a jury in Lewis County Superior Court in August 2014 of second-degree assault and attempted first-degree burglary.

The case involved Rife and an acquaintance’s actions at a party at the 500 block of East Maple Street in Centralia in which a 19-year-old Centralia resident was struck numerous times as well as kicked in the face while he was on the ground, according to court documents.

A witness told police Rife, then 18, had come to the gathering and was trying to pick a fight with anyone who would fight him and turned his attention to 19-year-old Logan Crump, according to court documents.

The victim’s jaw was broken ending his college baseball career, Lewis County Superior Court Judge Richard Brosey said.

Rife was arrested in mid-April 2014, about a month after the incident. When he was sentenced that summer to 19 and one half months, his lawyer filed an appeal and he was allowed to remain free pending the results.

His attorney Sam Groberg appealed to Brosey yesterday to take into account his client’s young age at the time of the offense and lack of criminal history.

“He’s been out of trouble, he’s bettered himself,” Groberg said. “He’s done what he should do.”

He suggested that spending months in the Lewis County Jail for someone who has never been in trouble before would be sufficient punishment.

“I hope Mr. Rife has learned from this incident,” Groberg said. “I think he has; it’s a life-changing incident.”

Lewis County Senior Deputy Prosecutor asked the judge to give Rife the same sentence he was given before his appeal.

Judge Brosey sided with the prosecutor.

The judge said he didn’t believe there were any mitigating factors the first time and he feels the same way now.

“I decline to consider a sentence below the standard range,” Brosey said. “Me and the court of appeals could debate, but we’re not going to.”

A (just out of) high school kid had no business being at a Centralia College party, Brosey said. And the victim was someone who just happened to arrive to pick someone up, he said.

Brosey ordered exactly the same sentence he ordered on August 27, 2014.

Besides the prison time, Rife, now 21, was ordered to undergo evaluations for anger management and alcohol, and follow the recommendations. He will be under the supervision of the state Department of Corrections for three years after his release.

The judge didn’t order Rife into custody, but told him report no later than 3 p.m. next Thursday.
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For background, read “News brief: Chehalis resident locked up briefly for assault of baseball player” from Wednesday Aug. 27, 2014, here