Lewis County Sirens.com

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

The 40-year-old Thurston County woman reported missing has turned up safe and sound.

Dorothy Free

Thurston County sheriff’s detectives earlier this weeks asked for the public’s help with the whereabouts of Dorothy L. Free. She hadn’t been seen since the end of August.

Sheriff’s Lt. Cliff Ziesemer indicated this morning that friends of hers who saw the news called to report she was safe. The sheriff’s office confirmed that, according to Ziesemer.

A missing person flyer showed her last name as Free, and Ziesemer referred to her a Troutfree, the same name used on her Facebook profile.
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For background, read “News brief: Thurston sheriff’s detectives looking for missing woman” from Wednesday September 9, 2015, here

Dorothy L. Free’s driver’s license photo on the right and her picture from her Facebook profile – Dottie Troutfree – is on the left. / Courtesy photos from Thurston County Sheriff’s Office

Updated

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

Thurston County sheriff’s detectives are seeking information on the whereabouts of a 40-year-old woman who hasn’t been seen for a week and a half.

Dorothy L. Free was involved in a domestic dispute on Aug. 15 and hasn’t made any posts on her Facebook page since the day before, according to the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office. Her Facebook profile uses the name Dottie Troutfree, according to the sheriff’s office.

She is listed as a missing person, with a clothing description given of blue jean capris and a light blue shirt.

Free is 5-feet 4-inches tall, weighs 180 pounds and has brown or possibly reddish hair, with hazel eyes, according to the sheriff’s office.

She was last seen on Aug. 28 in Yelm and reported missing by her sister on Sept. 2, according to Sheriff’s Sgt. Carla Carter.

Free stays with a friend in the Lacey area off and on and doesn’t work, according to Carter.

The alert issued yesterday notes she could be in Thurston, Pierce or Grays Harbor counties.

Anyone who has seen her or has information about where she might be is asked to contact detective F.M. Frawley at 360-786-5599 or to please call 911.

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – The teen who was one of the two individuals killed in a Highway 12 wreck on Monday morning was actually 15 years old, not 13 and had just started school at White Pass, according to authorities.

Garrett Underland was from Prosser and died following the collision involving a semi truck, a car and a truck pulling a camp trailer east of Randle, according to the Lewis County Coroner’s Office.

Initial information gathered by troopers had his age at 13, but Coroner Warren McLeod said he met with the boy’s parents on Monday night and got the correct information.

McLeod said the boy’s family are longtime friends with the couple in whose car he was a passenger.

“He came here to go to school in Randle,” Washington State Patrol Sgt. Mike Cournyer said.

Passenger Kerri M. Denniston, 39, of Randle, also died in the wreck.

The driver, her husband, Jeremy W. Denniston, 37, was transported to Tacoma General Hospital in critical condition, but Cournyer said this morning it sounds as though he is doing a little better.

Their 2000 Dodge Stratus was stopped to make a left turn into the Cascade Peaks Campground when a semi truck behind them failed to slow down and forced their car into the oncoming lane where it was hit by the pickup truck, according to the Washington State Patrol.

The collision remains under investigation.

Cournyer said the 79-year-old driver of the semi truck with two unloaded trailers was hauling produce for National Frozen Foods. The 2014 Kenworth  was a leased truck, he said.
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For background, read “Investigation into double fatality Highway 12 crash continues” from Tuesday September 8, 2015, here

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

More than 150 firefighters continue to work at the Alder Lake fire which has remained at about 280 acres since the rainy weather kicked in a week ago.

The forest fire is 17 percent contained.

Alder Lake Fire

Minimal fire behavior has been observed due to the cooler temperatures and precipitation, but smoldering continues in the heavy down and woody debris, according to a report from incident commanders this morning.

The lightning-caused fire was first reported August 11, burning about five miles from Mineral.

There is a chance of showers for the next couple of days but a warming and drying trend expected over the next week will allow fuels to be receptive to fire spread, according to report.

The Lewis County Sheriff’s Office reiterated the total burn ban is still in effect throughout unincorporated Lewis County until further notice.

“Even though we have had some rainfall, the brush and ground remain dry enough that fire is a concern,” Community Development Director Lee Napier stated in a news release before the three-day weekend. “In addition, should a fire begin, obtaining water during times of a depleted water supply could make fighting a fire more difficult.”

However, the state Department of Natural Resources announced on Friday it would allow campfires in established fire rings in official campgrounds on western Washington lands protected by DNR.

The state agency  advised the public to check local restrictions and with campground hosts before considering campfires.

DNR also noted that those who negligently allow fire to spread or who knowingly place forestlands in danger of destruction or damage are subject to possible civil liabilities and criminal penalties under state law. DNR, as well as anyone harmed by such a fire, may pursue damages that include loss of property and fire suppression costs.
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For background, read “News brief: Rain slows forest fire burning near Mineral” from Monday August 31, 2015, here

Updated

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – A 13-year-old boy who injured his leg while hiking the Pacific Crest Trail with his family was brought out on horseback today from south of Packwood by search and rescue volunteers.

The San Diego-area family of four had begun their journey at the Mexican border and authorities got word of their personal emergency beacon activation shortly before 8 o’clock this morning, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office.

Sheriff’s Cmdr. Dusty Breen said he understood about six volunteers on horseback located the family in an area near Chamber Lake just after noon. The specific area was described as southeast of Snowgrass Flats, about seven miles from the lake.

“SAR personnel were able to get the boy out on horseback and the rest of the family walked out on foot,” Breen said.

The child was transported to the hospital for evaluation, according to Breen.

The sheriff’s office said the two adults and two children had departed on April 12 and hoped to reach the Canadian border late this month.

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

Detectives will be investigating further an incident that occurred in Centralia last night where it appears two men – either walking down the street or riding bicycles – were jumped by a group of people from two vehicles.

At least three people were hurt and apparently broken beer bottles and maybe a bat was involved, according to the Centralia Police Department.

Officers got a report just after 11:30 p.m. there were several people fighting near the 700 block of G Street, and when they arrived, they found a 30-year-old and a 24-year-old injured with cuts to their faces and legs, according to police.

The men said they were riding their bikes and two vehicles drove past, throwing beer bottles at them and calling them tweekers, Officer Buddy Croy said.

The men yelled back, the vehicles drove around the block and then got out and started a fight using broken beer bottles, according to a police summary of the incident. One of the two men admitted he stabbed two of the males who attacked them, according to police.

The two men ran, but were found near Washington Avenue and First Street, Croy said. The vehicles – described as a white Chevrolet Camaro and a dark Ford pickup – were gone when officers arrived

It wasn’t long after that police learned that someone in a white Camaro dropped off a 19-year-old at Providence Centralia Hospital, and he was being treated for a stab wound to his liver area, according to police.

The 19-year-old patient, formerly of Centralia but now with a Kelso address, was interviewed but refused to cooperate, according to Croy. He told officers he had fallen on a fence, according to police.

A summary of the report said the two men were on foot, but the incident report indicated they were riding bicycles, according to Croy.

The two injured men decided they didn’t want to cooperate either, but detectives will be looking into it further, because of the severity of the situation, Croy said.

Orange circle south of Riffe Lake and north of Coldwater Lake marks Thursday afternoon’s event. / Image from Pacific Northwest Seismic Network

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – If you felt the earth move yesterday, you weren’t alone.

A magnitude 3.1 earthquake  struck at 3:29 p.m. about halfway between Morton and the peak of Mount St. Helens. That’s 14 miles south of the East Lewis County town.

Scientists with the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network describe it as seven miles deep.

It was felt by residents from Randle to Onalaska and as far south as Woodland and Kalama, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

It was mild enough, some people even closer to the epicenter missed it.

Glenoma Fire Chief Ed Lowe was one of them.

“I didn’t notice it,” Lowe said. “I talked to a few people who felt it shake.”

“The ones I talked to, at least, no damage,” he said. “Nothing fell off shelves, or anything.”

Both Morton’s police chief and fire chief were unaware of the event, they said.
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Look at information from Pacific Northwest Seismic Network here

The same link is always available on the right hand sidebar of this news site, under “Other useful web links” and labeled “Latest area earthquakes”