Lewis County Sirens.com

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – Free boating safety inspections can be had at the Mayfield Lake Park on the last Saturday of this month.

The Lewis County Sheriff’s Office will be partnering with Tacoma City Power on June 27 for an event with a goal in part of raising awareness of the dangers of boating under the influence and removing impaired operators from the waterways, according to the sheriff’s office.

“Lewis County is a beautiful place, with great waterways,” Snaza stated. “We encourage locals and visitors to have fun on the water, however; we expect people to follow the laws and do so safely.”

Between the hours of 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. at the park, safety displays will be set up with handouts and activity books for children.

It’s part of something called Operation Dry Water, a national outreach and enforcement campaign.

Sheriff’s deputies will be on water patrol that day as well as throughout the summer, looking for impaired boaters, according to Snaza.

The sheriff’s office also reminds adults to keep a close eye on children around water and utilize approved life jackets to avoid preventable drownings.

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – Outdoor burning restrictions go into place tomorrow for all of unincorporated Lewis County because of substantial fire danger, given the weather conditions and extended forecast.

The only outdoor fires allowed will be campfires in designated campgrounds or in fire pits on private property that meet specific criteria, according to Lewis County Community Development Director Lee Napier, acting as fire marshal.

The ban begins at 12:01 a.m. tomorrow.

Anyone with a current winter open burning permit that was to expire on June 30 needs to take note of the change.

The restrictions will remain in effect until lifted by the county Board of Commissioners.

The board has authority over areas in Lewis County that are outside any city limits and not part of any state or federal lands.

For specifications on acceptable fire pits, check the Lewis County Community Development Department’s web page.

For further information concerning outdoor burning, Napier can be reached at 360-740-1146. The fire marshal’s office is in the Lewis County Public Services building, located at 2025 NE Kresky Avenue in Chehalis.

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

A motorcyclist was airlifted after he collided with a deer yesterday morning south of Rochester, according to West Thurston Regional Fire Authority.

Firefighters called about 9 a.m. to Prather Road near Lundeen Road found the man was initially unconscious but then he slowly began to come to, according to Fire Chief Robert Scott.

“He was wearing a helmet though, which is good,” Scott said. “It probably saved his life.”

A helicopter met them and the patient at Rochester High School to transport him to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, Scott said. He said the vicim was a local person and probably in his 30s or 40s.

The deer didn’t make it, Scott said.

On Saturday morning, it was a wooden porch that took a hit when a motorist on Southwest Cascade Avenue near Main Street in Chehalis left the roadway, crossed the sidewalk and came to rest in front of a home.

There was significant damage to the porch and damage to the front end of his car, but 20-year-old Justin A. Deel of Rochester was unhurt, according to the Chehalis Police Department.

He was cited for driving with a suspended license and without insurance, according to police.

And about 1:30 a.m. today, the front end of a car was “pretty smashed up” and the concrete center barrier shoved into the oncoming lane following a single-vehicle collision on Interstate 5 in Chehalis, according to the Chehalis Fire Department.

The driver was northbound and wrecked near the Main Street interchange. Nobody was transported to the hospital, Fire Capt. Rob Gebhart said.

“It sounds like the driver fell asleep,” he said.

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – Got a wad of cash in your pocket for that used car you found on Craigslist? A bit nervous about doing business with someone you only know from an Internet ad?

The Lewis County Sheriff’s Office is welcoming the public into the lobby of the Lewis County Law and Justice Center, suggesting it’s a good place for those who buy and sell items online to meet up with each other.

“Online selling and buying on Craigslist, Facebook, and other sites has become increasingly popular and with that comes risks,” Chief Deputy Stacy Brown states in a news release. “Robberies, thefts, and even deaths in some cases, have resulted from people meeting strangers to sell or buy an item advertised online.”

They’ve dubbed the front lobby on the first floor as a Neutral Exchange Zone.

“We hope this program helps to address unsafe situation(s) or deter crimes from occurring during the exchange of an item,” Sheriff Rob Snaza stated. “If someone refuses to meet in a public place or a neutral zone, that should be cause for concern with continuing a transaction.”

The sheriff’s office reminds the public that no weapons are allowed inside the building.

Exchanges can only be made there during business hours when the building is open. That’s 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

The Lewis County Law and Justice Center is located at 345 W. Main Street in Chehalis.

Brown says no personal services may be traded there.

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

Chehalis area residents can expect to see smoke beginning at  9 a.m. tomorrow, as firefighters burn down a house.

Lewis County Fire District 6 is using the donated structure on the 200 block of Devereese Road to get some practice in, according to Chief Tim Kinder.

They should be finished at about noon, he said.

Updated

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

Centralia police are investigating the death of a 9-year-old boy this morning.

Detective Patti Finch said officers were dispatched at approximately 10:22 a.m. to a home on the 300 block of North Diamond Street regarding the child who was found unresponsive in bed by his mother.

Officers arrived to find CPR in progress, according to Finch. Members of the fire department were summoned at the same time.

The child was transported to the Providence Centralia Hospital in critical condition where he was pronounced dead a short time later, according to responders.

Finch indicated the boy had a recent medical procedure, but didn’t elaborate on what that was.

An autopsy will be performed on Thursday.

Nothing obvious at the scene suggested foul play, but anytime a child dies unexpectedly, police will get involved and investigate the circumstances, she said.