Lewis County Sirens.com

Updated at 10:11 a.m.

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

A dog who reportedly charged officers preparing to make a warrant arrest at a vacant Centralia house was shot last night.

The animal’s condition is unknown this morning.

Centralia Police Department detective Patty Finch said police went to the residence on the 100 block of South Cedar Street because they knew a 31-year-old Onalaska woman with a felony warrant was there.

It was about 7:50 p.m. and officers found three or four individuals who shouldn’t have been at the house because it’s condemned, according to police.

The dog was shot once, with the officer’s handgun, in the front shoulder-leg area, Finch said.

The animal – described as a large white pit bull – was taken to Cascade Veterinary Clinic, she said.

“To my understanding, the dog is still there, I don’t know the condition,” Finch said this morning.

According to Finch, as officers contacted the individuals inside, the dog exited the house and charged at Sgt. Carl Buster.

Buster feared he was going to be attacked and fired one shot, according to Finch.

Alisha M. Rowley, 31 of Onalaska, was booked in to the Lewis County Jail for her warrant. Richard D. Thoreson, 42, of Centralia and John R. Cabell, 23, of Olympia, were booked for trespassing, according to police.

Detectives and police commanders were called to the scene last night, Finch said.

The intersection of Anderson and Glenoma roads was shut down by a tangle of power lines. / Courtesy photo by Elizabeth Graf

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

Powerful winds ripped through Lewis County over the weekend, leaving some without electricity for as long as 30 hours.

A patch of cottonwood trees toppled in Glenoma on Saturday, knocking out power to every substation up through the east end, according to Lewis County PUD.

“We had pretty good gusts of wind on Saturday,” PUD Assistant Dispatcher Bryan Myers said. “It didn’t last very long, but if affected Glenoma, Randle and Packwood.”

At one point, as many as 4,000 customers were out, he said.

Utility crews were assisted by Centralia City Light.

The storm caused scattered outages elsewhere around the county, but by this morning the electricity was back on, according to Myers.

Sheriff’s detectives are looking for 33-year-old Elizabeth A. Pham.

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – The Lewis County Sheriff’s Office is asking for the public’s help to find a Centralia woman whose car was found on Interstate 5 near Vader, unlocked with the keys in it.

Elizabeth A. Pham, 33, was last seen on Saturday evening in the area of exit 59 wearing purple pajama bottoms, a pinkish red shirt and no shoes, according to the sheriff’s office.

She was reported missing at 10:30 a.m. yesterday, Chief Deputy Stacy Brown said.

“It is under suspicious circumstances,” Brown said. “We believe she may have gotten a ride with someone hitchhiking.”

Pham is described as 5-feet 6-inches tall and weighing 122 pounds, with blond hair and blue eyes.

Brown didn’t have a lot of details this afternoon, saying detectives are starting to dig into it.

Anyone with any information is asked to contact sheriff’s detective Jeremy Almond at 360-748-9286 or jeremy.almond@lewiscountywa.gov

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – The Lewis County Coroner’s Office will be holding an interment service on Friday for seven individuals who were unclaimed after their deaths in Lewis County.

The urns containing their cremated remains are to be buried at Pioneer Cemetery in south Chehalis.

The public is welcome to attend. The ceremony is set for 11 a.m.

Pioneer Cemetery is located at 2000 Jackson Highway. It is owned by John and Marie Panesko, who are donating the space.

“John Panesko has once again offered the use of his cemetery allowing for the cremated remains to be interned with dignity, respect and compassion,” Coroner Warren McLeod stated in a news release this morning.

Two years ago, the coroner’s office and Panesko arranged for two unclaimed individuals to be interred at Pioneer.

McLeod said there may be an eighth person laid to rest with them, if his urn is delivered back from the crematory in time.

Parking is available across the street.

The following are the individuals:

• Robert Francis Aita, 73, Centralia, died Oct. 3, 2013

• Johnny Barna, 60, Centralia, died Nov. 30, 2014

• Jack I. Cook, 67, Centralia, died April 11, 2014

• David Hahn, 51, Centralia, died Sept. 15, 2014

• Trisha McKenzie-Fire, 57, Randle, died Sept. 22, 2011*

• Kenneth Petkevis, 57, Centralia, died Jan. 7, 2014

• Richard Reise, 72, Centralia, died Jan. 26, 2015

* McKenzie-Fire, was reported missing from her home in April 2011 and her remains were discovered about a mile and a half away on Sept. 22, 2011.

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

A 59-year-old Toledo man was dead at the scene of a single-vehicle wreck on northbound Interstate 5 near the Lewis-Cowlitz county line this morning.

Troopers called about 11:25 a.m. found the 1999 GMC Jimmy had drifted to the right, struck the guard rail and jersey barrier before traveling down the embankment where it hit a tree.

It happened near milepost 56, seven miles north of Castle Rock.

The driver, Kelly V. Dougherty, 59, had been wearing a seatbelt, according to the Washington State Patrol. It’s unknown if drugs or alcohol may have been involved, according to the state patrol.

The truck was totaled. The cause of the crash is under investigation.

A tranquilized male bear rests inside a trailer before his trip to the Gifford Pinchot National Forest. / Courtesy photo by Austin Kimball

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

A bear spotted several places around a Centralia neighborhood yesterday has been moved to a new home.

“I can tell you, we managed to tranquilize him – a male, about 3 to 4 years old – take him out of the area and into the Gifford Pinchot,” Washington Department of FIsh and Wildlife spokesperson Craig Bartlett said.

Authorities got calls about the black bear beginning at 7:30 a.m. at the 500 block of South Rock Street and then from locations such as West Chestnut Street, Bartlett said. There was also a sighting on Sky Meadow Drive.

Bartlett said wildlife officers are getting a lot of bear calls right now, as they are preparing to den and trying to beef up for the winter.

“This guy was seen snacking at a bird feeder earlier in the day,” he said.

Game officers arrived in the area around 4 p.m. The bear had climbed up a tree.

By about 8 p.m., he was captured and put in a trailer to head to the forest, he said. He should be all settled in now, Bartlett said.

“As always, the main thing to keep from attracting bears, is try not to feed them,” he said. “Like with bird feeders and garbage.”

•••

Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife shares information about the black bears which live in Washington state, here

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

Two people were injured when the driver of a pickup truck lost control making a left turn off U.S. Highway 12 in Packwood and struck a tree this morning.

Transported to Morton General Hospital were Dale A. Ryf, 55, of Packwood, and his passenger Jeanette C. Seaman, 46, from Tacoma, according to the Washington State Patrol.

Troopers called at 9:50 a.m. noted the 1995 Chevrolet 1500 was westbound going too fast when it attempted the turn into a private driveway. The truck was totaled.

Ryf was cited for second-degree negligent driving, according to the state patrol.