Lewis County Sirens.com

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – While the Lewis County Board of Commissioners just days ago selected Scott Tinney to finish out the term of retired Lewis County Clerk Kathy Brack, the local Republican’s first choice for the position signaled her intentions today to run for the post next year.

Tinney is a Lewis County resident, and comes from the Thurston County Clerk’s Office. He began his new job this week.

Brack vacated the elected office in mid-September, two years into a four-year term. Because she served as a Republican, her party had a role in the process of replacing her.

Carla Shannon was their top pick, among three names the party forwarded to county commissioners.

She registered today with the Washington State Public Disclosure Commission as a candidate to run for for Lewis County clerk in a special election next November.

Shannon is a deputy clerk in the Lewis County Clerk’s Office, where she has worked almost five years. She serves as the courtroom clerk for Lewis County Superior Court Judge Nelson Hunt.

Her campaign treasurer-manager, her husband Jim Shannon, said she’s following up on the commitment she made when she submitted her name to the local Republican party at the end of this summer as a potential replacement for Brack.

He said she congratulated Tinney and also sent a letter to the Republican precinct committee officers to thank them. She got 27 of their 29 votes, he said.

The Lewis County clerk serves as the official record keeper for the Lewis County Superior Court. The job pays $75,108 a year.

The county commissioner’s Vice Chair Gary Stamper said they formally appointed Tinney on Monday.

Stamper said he felt all three candidates were very good and did a great job in the interview process, but they could only choose one.

Tiffini Walker who previously was a deputy clerk in the Lewis County Clerk’s Office was the Republican’s second preferred choice. Tinney was their third.

“Through my questioning and information I received, he had a real broad base and experience in every area the questions centered around,” Stamper said. “And had perspective coming from another county.”

The elected position will be on the ballot again in November 2018, for a regular four-year term.
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For background, read “News brief: Three vying for Lewis County clerk job” from Wednesday November 2, 2016, here

Detective shares images of phony cash. / Courtesy Centralia Police Department.

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – Centralia police are trying to track down the source of counterfeit $100 bills being passed at local businesses, with tell-tale markings of Chinese or Asian symbols printed on them in pink or red ink.

Police detective Patty Finch is asking anyone who accepts a suspicious looking bill to call the police immediately to help them identify the person or person’s using them.

“Although we have only received reports of $100 bills being passed, it is our understanding that there may be other denominations circulating,” Finch said in a news release today.

The detective advises the public to inspect bills before accepting them, especially in light of approaching holidays, and presumably the increased spending that means.

Anyone who has any information on this is asked to please contact Finch at the Centralia Police Department.

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Backside of fake $100 bill. / Courtesy Centralia Police Department.

Updated at 4:48 p.m.

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – A woman reported her vehicle was shot at after a confrontation with a group of males on a Centralia street last night.

Police were called just before 8 p.m. about the incident near Long and Brotherson roads, according to the Centralia Police Department.

There are no reports anyone was injured.

Police were told she was driving down Long Road when a group of males blocked her path, that she honked at them and when she drove around, something was thrown at her vehicle, according to the Centralia Police Department.

The 20-year-old Centralia woman drove back by them a second time to get descriptions for police when someone pulled out a handgun and shot at her vehicle, according to police.

The males fled on foot down Brotherson Road and were not located as of this morning, according to police.

Officers could find no bullet hole or holes in the car, according to police.

Police have leads to follow up on and the case is still under investigation, according to Sgt. Jim Shannon.

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By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – A Toledo man whose electronic devices turned up child pornography after detectives stumbled upon concerning text messages in another investigation was sentenced today to 77 months in prison.

When Wayde G. Rice, 58, was arrested in June, he told investigators the conversation about a girl with the person the FBI was investigating was just fantasy that he would never act on.

However, the retired firefighter pleaded guilty last month to four counts of first-degree possession of depictions of minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct and one count of second-degree possession of depictions of minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct.

Detectives with the Seattle Police Department’s Internet Crimes Against Children task force were assisted by members of the Toledo Police Department and the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office in executing a search warrant at his home on the 1800 block of state Route 505 in Toledo on June 20. ICAC detectives had obtained a search warrant for his Yahoo account and traced email and messages back to him.

When the Seattle Police Department announced Rice’s arrest, it noted it believed Rice had offered his dog up online for sexual encounters.

His defense attorney Don Blair and Lewis County Deputy Prosecutor Melissa Bohm made an agreed recommendation to a judge this morning in Lewis County Superior Court.

“As the court can see, he’s never been in trouble, ever,” Blair told the judge.

Rice told the court he was sorry he’d picked up the images.

Judge James Lawler went along with the recommended sentence of six years and five months and Rice was taken into custody at the end of the hearing.
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For background, read “Police: FBI case leads detectives to Toledo man who offered dog online for sex” from Thursday June 23, 2016, here

Updated

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – Centralia police today said they believe the life-threatening lacerations a woman suffered at the apartment complex in Centralia on Sunday were self-inflicted.

The 44-year-old Centralia woman was found in the bathroom of a common area of the complex with cuts to her wrists and throat, according to the Centralia Police Department. A box cutter was located there.

Detective John Panco in a news release this afternoon said investigators feel confident that she was not assaulted, based on the evidence they have.

However, detectives have not yet been able to interview her. When they went to visit her at Tacoma General Hospital in the intensive care unit, she was on a ventilator and could not speak, according to Panco.

Police will continue to investigate and if anyone has any information about the matter, they are asked to call the police department.

It’s the same apartments on the 1000 block of Scammon Creek Road which saw two suspicious fires last week. Panco said they don’t know if Sunday’s incident is related.
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For background, read “News brief: Centralia apartment manager hospitalized with life threatening lacerations” from Monday November 7, 2016, here