Lewis County Sirens.com

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – Three firefighters and an engine from Lewis County Fire District 5 headed out early yesterday morning with a strike team to help with the California wildfires.

District 5 Lt. Laura Hanson said she wasn’t sure exactly where they would would be deployed to.

They are among 193 firefighters from 45 fire departments and districts across Washington which will combine into nine strike teams, according to Washington Emergency Management Director Robert Ezelle. A tenth strike team was to be sent out later yesterday.

As of Thursday, as many as 18 fires were burning in nine counties with an estimated 20,000 people evacuated, primarily in Northern California, according to Washington Emergency Management.

“The assistance comes after many of these fire districts have battled wildfires in our own state,” Washington Emergency Management stated.

From the Tenino area fire department, four firefighters headed south to help, Thurston County Fire District 12 Administrative Chief Tina Vanderhoof said. West Thurston Regional Fire Authority is among those listed who have also sent personnel to assist.

Last night, District 5 posted on Facebook that the strike team was safely in place in California and would be assigned today to work in Sonoma or East Napa counties

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS –  A 23-year-old Chehalis man survived reportedly uninjured a two-vehicle wreck this morning that left the other driver dead in Yakima County.

Sean M. Teeter, 23, of Chehalis, was traveling southbound on state Route 97 in a GMC Sierra pickup when an oncoming Jeep turned left and they collided, according to the Washington State Patrol.

The pickup struck the 1995 Jeep Cherokee in the intersection, ejecting its driver, according to the state patrol.

Troopers called to the scene on state Route 97 at Jones Road just north of Wapato at 6:25 a.m. report the injured driver, 23-year-old Julio Gonzalez of Wapato, was transported to Regional Medical Center and died.

Both vehicles were totaled.

Teeter’s passenger, 48-year-old Steven L. Saunders, also of Wapato, was injured and transported to Virginia Mason Memorial Hospital, according to the patrol.

Teeter and Saunders had been wearing seat belts, but Gonzalez was not, the investigating trooper reports.

The crash was blamed on failure to yield the right of way and no charges are expected.

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – An elderly woman reported missing from a Chehalis  assisted living facility was located about a block away hunkered down outside a church, cold but otherwise in good health and spirits, according to the Chehalis Police Department.

Hilda Wenz, 92, was last seen at midnight at the Chehalis West Assisted Living Center on  Northwest Quincy Place. Police were notified at 8 o’clock this morning she was missing.

Department spokesperson Linda Bailey said Wenz was found at approximately 11:17 a.m. tucked in a little cubby place outside the church on the corner of Northwest West Street and Northwest Rhode Island Avenue.

Bailey said she did not know what time the woman left the facility, but residents are not locked in there.

“I don’t know she knows where she was, really,” Bailey said.

Chehalis police issued a Silver Alert and were going door to door this morning searching. They were assisted by employees from the city’s public works department, parks and recreation department and a sheriff’s deputy, Bailey said.

Wenz was checked by medics and taken back home, Bailey said.

Updated at 6:32 p.m.

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS –  Chehalis and Centralia are experiencing phone outages and the Lewis County 911 line is experiencing difficulties.

Lewis County Department of Emergency Management Manager Steve Mansfield said shortly after 5 p.m. they are working on the situation.

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At 5:50 p.m., Mansfield advised they were switched to a back up system, so that when a person calls 911 here, their call will be answered at the Thurston County 911 center and the information relayed back to Lewis County dispatchers.

During the approximately one hour, people could only reach the local dispatchers by calling their non-emergency phone number, using certain cell phones.

Some landlines in Chehalis and Centralia are out of service. It’s not clear how widespread the issue is.

Mansfield said he understands a fiber cable got cut somewhere, and it could be six to eight hours until it is repaired.

Citizens no longer need to call 360-740-1105 for assistance.

The Lewis County dispatch center asks citizens to call 911 for emergencies only and not for routine calls.

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS –  The Centralia Police Department announced today the retirement of K-9 Lobo, after seven years with the city.

Lobo

The German Shepherd is leaving the department as of the end of the month due to an unforeseen medical condition, according to a press release.

Lobo joined the department in June 2010 at age 1 and completed his certification that December. He is partnered with Officer Ruben Ramirez, a 16-year veteran of the department.

He will be honored at tomorrow’s Centralia City Council meeting. Tomorrow is deemed “Police K-9 Lobo Appreciation Day”, according to detective Patty Finch.

During his career, Lobo was deployed 197 times for various kinds of searches and tracking, making successful captures of people 84 times, according to Finch.

The police dog didn’t become certified to detect narcotics until May 2016, but has assisted in the seizure of approximately $100,000 in drug related cash, according to Finch. Lobo’s most notable “sniff” was 24 pounds of methamphetamine, concealed in a gas tank of a vehicle, Finch stated.

The police dog has participated in 24 public demonstrations throughout the community.

Finch states that while Lobo cannot be replaced, the department is seeking to  purchase another K9 and appoint another K9 handler. Officer Ramirez is one of two who have applied, according to Finch.

The Centralia Police Department K-9 program is funded by donations from the public.

Updated

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS –  A 68-year-old Centralia man is dead after a single-vehicle wreck this morning on state Route 6 one mile west of Pe Ell.

Troopers called at 10:40 a.m. report Leonard D. Bridges was deceased at the scene.

Bridges was traveling westbound when his truck left the roadway to the right and struck some brush before re-entering the roadway and coming to rest blocking the westbound lane, according to the Washington State Patrol

His Ford Ranger pickup truck was described as totaled, but he had been wearing a seat belt, according to the state patrol. Bridges’ next-of-kin has been notified by the Lewis County Coroner’s Office, according to the investigating trooper.

Trooper Will Finn stated that all lanes were blocked near milepost 27, but the highway was cleared just about 3 p.m., according to the Washington State Department of Transportation.

The cause of the collision is under investigation.