Lewis County Sirens.com

The orange circles to the right of the north end of Spirit Lake mark the location. / Image from Pacific Northwest Seismic Network

Updated

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – A mild earthquake was recorded overnight south of Randle and Glenoma.

The 3.2 magnitude quake was measured by the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network as three miles deep.

It occurred at 1:50 a.m. and was followed five minutes later with a 2.0 quake, according to PNSN.

The Lewis County 911 communications center indicated just after 2 o’clock this morning there were no reports of damage.

At least three people shared on Lewis County Sirens Facebook they felt shaking and three citizen responses were received by the “Did You Feel It?” function of PNSN’s web site.

Bill Calkin was awake in his recliner in Randle when it happened, causing him to think a big tree must have come down on his property.

“It only lasted for a few seconds,” Calkin stated in a message this morning. “Just a low rumble and then a thug like jolt.”

PNSN described the location as 21 miles southeast of Morton. Lewis County 911 described it as 10 miles northeast of Mount St. Helens.

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – A 63-year-old woman told a deputy yesterday she lost a satchel filled with thousands of dollars cash and she was certain it disappeared in Randle.

The bag contained $15,000 to $20,000 in U.S. currency, mostly in $100 bills, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office.

Chief Deputy Dusty Breen said she lives in Wapato but owns rental property on the 600 block of Silverbrook Road in Randle.

She said she recalled it being in the back of her car and the car being left unlocked while there between Oct. 20 and 31, Breen said.

The woman didn’t realize it was gone until a week or so after returning to Eastern Washington and spent a couple more weeks digging around looking for it, Breen said.

Breen said he didn’t know why she had been carrying so much cash with her.

Roadway is closed at 20200 block of state Route 507 for investigation. / Courtesy photo by Thurston County Sheriff’s Office.

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – A 24-year-old Chehalis man was texting when his car left the roadway and struck a tree in South Thurston County yesterday evening.

Daniel M. Aker died at the scene, according to the the Washington State Patrol.

Troopers called just before 6 p.m. to state Route 507 about three-quarters of a mile south of Bucoda found Aker’s Honda Civic was totaled, according to the state patrol.

The highway was shut down until just before 10 p.m.

The investigating trooper determined Aker was traveling northbound and texting when his car crossed over the oncoming lane and hit a tree on its driver’s side.

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – A case in which a 33-year-old man confessed to police he was growing marijuana for a Seattle dispensary inside a Centralia building owned by his mother ended today with a 30-day sentence.

Anh Tuan Hoang Nguyen struck a deal with prosecutors in which they dropped a charge of manufacture of marijuana and he pleaded guilty instead to felony possession of marijuana. The agreement included dismissing the charge against his mother.

Lewis County Deputy Prosecutor Paul Masiello said the only difference between the penalties for the two offenses was the opportunity to serve the time on electronic home monitoring.

Charging documents in the case indicate the investigation by detectives with the Lewis County Joint Narcotics Enforcement Team began on April 20, following up on tips from citizens about the  building described only as on Tower Avenue in Centralia – with recently darkened windows.

More than 100 plants were found inside, according to Masiello.

Seattle attorney Andrew Nguyen told the judge his client had been cooperative. Lewis County Superior Court Judge Nelson Hunt agreed with the recommendations.

The defendant, who lives in Auburn, was ordered to begin electronic home monitoring by no later than Jan. 3.
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For background, read “Pot in Centralia: A growing underground industry” from Friday July 29, 2016, here

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – A nearly 50-mile police chase down Interstate 5 ended near Vader this morning; the driver had failed to stop for speeding, according to the Washington State Patrol.

It began about 3:40 a.m. when a trooper tried to pull a vehicle over near milepost 109 in Olympia for going too fast, according to the state patrol.

They didn’t want to stop and a pursuit reaching speeds of 118 mph ensued, Trooper Todd Bartolac said.

Numerous law enforcement officers got involved because when they ran the license plate, they found the suspected driver had quite a bit of history, threatening police, Bartolac said.

Law enforcement used spike strips and flattened one of the tires, he said.

Finally, a PIT maneuver was performed near milepost 60 and the driver was taken into custody, without further incident, Bartolac said. The driver was to be booked into the Thurston County Jail.

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – Deputies in Thurston County are now carrying a medication in their patrol cars that can help save lives when minutes count.

Beginning today, the opioid overdose medication Naloxone is an extra tool available to deputies, in the event that they arrive on the scene of an overdose before the medics.

“This problem appears to be getting worse and more widespread,” Thurston County Undersheriff Timothy Braniff stated in a news release. “We need to be prepared to help anyone who we come in contact with who may have succumbed to this addiction.”

Naloxone is a nasal spray designed to reverse the depressive effects of opioids on the respiratory system and may counteract the effects of a heroin or other opioid overdose, according to the sheriff’s office. Opioids include heroin and many other powerful prescription pain killers.

Thurston County Public Health and the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office worked collaboratively to equip patrol deputies with the prescription medicine.

At any given time, there are at least a half dozen patrol deputies on the job around the county, according to Sgt. Kenneth Clark.

“We’ve had cases when a deputy is two blocks away, and it’s five to six minutes for the fire department to arrive,” Clark said. “That could mean the difference between life and death.”

Previously, deputies could start CPR, but now they have this additional way to help, until medics get there and take over, he said.

They are the first law enforcement agency in Thurston County to carry the drug, according to Clark.

The Thurston County Sheriff’s Office encourages people to call 911 if a friend or loved one may be experiencing an overdose. The symptoms of an opioid overdose can include unresponsiveness, absence of breathing or no pulse, and bluish lips or finger nail beds, according to the sheriff’s office. When suffering from an opioid overdose minutes count if the person’s life is going to be saved, they state.

The sheriff’s office reminds the public that recent changes in the law have provided protection against prosecution for possession of a controlled substance when a person seeks medical assistance for a person who is experiencing a drug-related overdose. The law also provides similar protections from prosecution for the person who may have suffered an overdose, according to the sheriff’s office.

“There’s a lot of people who recognize we have the problem, and this is a way of potentially helping,” Clark said.

Diesel fuel and sulfuric acid are cleaned up on I-5 near milepost 78 on Thursday. / Courtesy photo by Washington State Patrol

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – The driver of the semi truck that wrecked on Interstate 5 in Chehalis yesterday was listed in satisfactory condition this morning.

The Washington State Patrol reports they believe the 44-year-old man from Lakewood fell asleep. His northbound truck crashed through the center barrier and landed on its side beneath the West Street bridge.

The southbound lanes were closed for about eight hours while the wreckage and mess was cleaned up after the approximately 6:30 a.m. collision.

The 2016 International tractor and trailer were totaled.

Tanu V. Teloma was transported to Providence Centralia Hospital and then airlifted to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle.

His is being charged with negligent driving, according to the state patrol.
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For background, read “News brief: One injured, I-5 closed southbound at Chehalis” from Thursday December 1, 2016 at 8:20 a.m., here