Lewis County Sirens.com

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – There’s almost nothing better than sitting around a campfire, but officials are worried that forests on both sides of the state are more more vulnerable than usual to catastrophe this weekend.

In Western Washington, the snowpack is a fraction of normal, and much of Eastern Washington has endured years of persistent drought, according to the state Department of Natural Resources.

DNR urges everyone to be careful and please help prevent wildland fires over the upcoming Memorial Day weekend and throughout the summer.

Simple steps to do your part include: before leaving home, check to find out what the campfire restrictions are for the area you plan to visit.

And then, authorities advise:

If campfires are allowed; extinguish them properly before leaving:
• Never leave a campfire unattended at any time.
• Drown fire thoroughly with water.
• Stir until cold.
• Drown fire again and stir.
• Never leave a campfire until it is completely out and cool to the touch.

Already this year, the state agency has responded to 124 wildland fires.

Stay connected during the wildfire season through DNR’s Twitter at http://twitter.com/waDNR_fire

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – Firefighters called for smoke inside a Napavine home yesterday evening discovered lightning had struck an approximately 40-foot tall tree, run down the tree, jumped to the corner of the roof and ruined a portion of the family’s electrical system.

It actually ended up damaging two homes, Firefighter Brad Bozarth said.

The Newaukum Valley Fire and Rescue crew called about 6 p.m. to the 200 block of Meadow Lane in Napavine found a mother and two youngsters outside, he said. Nobody was hurt.

“They didn’t know what happened, they just saw a big flash and noticed smoke,” Bozarth said.

He described the damage to the roof as involving little pieces of wood everywhere.

Debris was also found on the neighbor’s roof and there, all the electronics inside were ruined, according to Bozarth.

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – Now might be a good time to brush up on properly restraining children when they ride in motor vehicles.

Beginning on Monday, law enforcement officers around Lewis County will participate in extra patrols focusing on seatbelt safety especially regarding youngsters, with the support of the Lewis County DUI Traffic Safety Task Force.

Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of unintentional deaths among children in the United States, according to the Washington Traffic Safety Commission. Between 2010 and 2012, in Washington, 26 child passengers age 12 and younger died, and another 122 were seriously injured as a result of traffic crashes.

The majority of these tragedies likely could have been avoided had these children been properly restrained, as dictated by Washington state law, according to a news release from the WTSC.

For example, children under the age of 13 are required to ride in the back seat.

The emphasis patrols involve the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office, the Washington State Patrol and police departments in Centralia, Chehalis, Morton, Toledo and Winlock. The current campaign goes until the end of May.

For more information about child passenger safety, check out the law here

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

Hundreds of pieces of jewelry believed to have been stolen in various burglaries during the past year in the east end of Lewis County have been recovered at a residence in Glenoma, and the sheriff’s office is looking to reunite the pieces with their rightful owners.

The cache of goods was found by detectives on Friday following a complex investigation conducted over several weeks, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office.

“It is believed many victims may not have reported the theft of their jewelry and/or may be unaware any is missing,” the sheriff’s office states in a news release today.

Much of the find is costume jewelry dating from the 1960s, 70s and 80s, according to Chief Deputy Stacy Brown.

Among the pieces are earrings, broaches, bracelets, necklaces, tie clasps, specialized pins, watches, belly dancing chains, tourist collection coins, rings, and cuff links. They are being held in the custody of the sheriff’s office.

Brown indicates an investigation is ongoing, so authorities are not releasing further details about the recovery of the items.

Members of the public are asked to call detective Gene Seiber at 360-740-1324 if they believe they are missing any of the aforementioned described jewelry. They will need to provide specific description of the jewelry prior to it being released, Brown states.

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – The final results of the special election certified yesterday show voters in the Mossyrock area failed to approve a bond to build a new fire station.

They needed at least 60 percent yes votes, but just shy of 56 percent of voters were in favor of the proposal for up to $1.2 million in bonds.

The Centralia area’s Riverside Fire Authority passed a measure to continue its EMS levy, with 70 percent of voters checking the yes box on their ballots.

The results of the April 28 special election can be found here.
•••

For background, read “News brief: Election day for three local measures” from Tuesday April 28, 2015, here

Red roses for remembrance share the pedestal with The Guardian statue in Chehalis.

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – A medal of valor and other commendations will be awarded tonight as Centralia police recognize courage, service and sacrifice among their ranks.

The annual ceremony will take place at Centralia City Hall during the city council meeting, according to Chief Bob Berg.

It’s National Police Week. Friday is National Peace Officers’ Memorial Day, time set aside and established by Congress to pay tribute to those officers who have paid the ultimate sacrifice in service to their communities, according to Berg.

The retiring police chief notes that 117 law enforcement officers were killed in the line of duty across the country last year, an increase of 10 from the year before.

Lewis County Sheriff Rob Snaza took the opportunity yesterday to issue a news release noting the week is a solemn reminder of how dangerous their jobs can be.

“My hat is off to all of the men and women in law enforcement who choose this honorable profession, are true guardians, and are willing to lay down their lives to protect their neighbors,” Snaza stated.

The Lewis County Law Enforcement Memorial, a bronze statue installed outside the Lewis County Law and Justice Center in Chehalis last year, will be decorated with red roses each day this week, as a tribute to fallen local officers.

Updated at 8:58 a.m.

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – A 44-year-old motorist was injured last night when he fell asleep and his Volkswagen van drifted to the shoulder, hit the ditch and flipped several times along state Route 6 west of Chehalis.

Troopers called about 11:30 p.m. to the scene near Chandler Road at Dryad report the vehicle was totaled and came to rest in the eastbound lane.

Donald R. Silver was transported to Providence Centralia Hospital, according to the Washington State Patrol.

Lewis County Fire District 16 Chief Greg Feuchter said he had a few cuts, but avoided life-threatening injuries.

Silver, from McMinnville, Oregon, was cited for second-degree negligent driving, the state patrol reports.