Lewis County Sirens.com

By Darrin Corson
Onalaska, Wash.

My country sends me to foreign lands
To fight wars and push their demands.
These battles I have seen with my own eye
My comrades fighting some of them die.
The blood, the fire, the screams of all kind
Some things will never leave my mind.

I come home to the country I adore
My friends tell me I am not the same anymore.
I tell only few my deepest fears
God the pain to me its so near!
I am not mean it just makes me sad
I am a veteran and done things really bad.
No way to cope no way to think
Really bad this time, I need a drink!

Drinking to numb and try to forget
Those things I swore I would protect.
Drinking too much I know isn’t the way
But it’s how I cope with any new day.
Drinking daily now, my life is a mess
Now I know true loneliness.
Drinking has now turned me mean
Police almost daily called to the scene.
Too drunk to think and ready to fight
Off I go to jail this night!

In the cell I see a mess.
A once proud soldier, I think at best.
My life hurts too much can’t you see?
God why are you doing this to me?
My mind is scattered and gone array.
Come fight me God! Today is the day!

I leave the jail. I’ve done my time
I have hurt people when I said I was kind.
I have lied, I have stole, I was mean and cheated.
God showed me how much I was depleted.
The fight God showed me wasn’t with him.
It is with me deep within.

He told me my life is a gift.
I asked why I got stiffed?
He laughed and said “you need care”
“Now go find me again, right over there.”

I walked in to a strange meeting
Of happy people sitting and eating.
I asked if this was A.A?
Yep, have a seat, why don’t you stay?
I had people tell me their life.
It was strange but kinda nice.
Their stories were something like mine
And it was possible to be happy over time.
First thing I should do is get a book
Life can be awesome, take a look.

It has been four years since my last drink
Life is tons better as I stop and think.
I have stayed sober and haven’t gone astray.
Thank you God, my friends and the program of A.A.

By Rob Snaza
Lewis County Sheriff

As your sheriff, I can’t help but express my sadness for those who were injured and courageously lost their lives in the line of duty last night in Dallas.

What we do know is that these officers were killed and injured simply for the badges they pin over their hearts, doing what they swore to uphold, law and order and keeping their community safe.

Lewis County Sheriff Rob Snaza

We mourn the loss of our fellow officers and I am praying for their families, friends, and loved ones, and all the people of Dallas affected by this horrifically tragic event as they struggle to cope and understand.

Reflecting, I am truly overcome with mixed emotions, feelings of anger, bewilderment and disgust, to tears of sadness and helplessness, but most of all, emotions of what is next for us in public service.

It’s so very important for everyone to know just how proud I am of the men and women who work for the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office and the phenomenally important work they do, day in and day out, protecting and serving our community. I am also proud of all those who put on the badge and commit themselves to serve their communities across this great nation, may we never forget who and why we serve.

The Lewis County Sheriff’s Office motto is, “Public Safety through Professional Service,” and our folks live that motto day in and day out, remaining committed to it without pause or fail.

These tragic events happening across the country cause me to think of where we are at in today’s society, what we can do better, and what needs to be collaboratively addressed.

I know that together we can and will continue to make a difference.

I believe in the freedom of speech and the right to peacefully protest, but I refuse to condone any sort of violence associated with these rights we enjoy.

The First Amendment gives the freedom of speech, but nowhere does it say to cause violence, destruction of property, mayhem, or worse.

What I do believe in is, “All Lives Matter,” regardless of ethnicity, religion, or beliefs. We are sworn to protect and serve all citizens.

As a career law enforcement officer, some 25 years ago I took that oath and have never deviated from it.

As your sheriff, I pledge to you that the men and women of the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office are and always will be committed to serving our communities and providing the very best we can in law enforcement as we strive to provide public safety through professional service.

Thank you for giving me the honor to serve as your sheriff, and I thank all the women and men of the sheriff’s office for choosing to serve our community.

By Gregg Peterson
Fire Chief, Newaukum Valley Fire and Rescue

My regular fall reminder to everyone, to take a walk around your home and see that all the hoses are disconnected from your faucets and exposed pipes are protected from freezing.

Chief Gregg Peterson

Remember to get the coolant in your car checked for protection against freezing. Check your tires for good tread depth to avoid hydroplaning and check the tire pressures as well.

Lots of repair shops would be more than glad to perform these checks if you cannot.

If you have chains, locate them now and check that they are in good repair. Throw in a cheap flashlight as well as well as a good pair of gloves in the trunk and an old blanket to lay on if you have to change a tire.

A little bit of prevention can save a lot of mess and expenses.

Be sure your furnace is in good working order. Check the filter to see that air moves well through the system. Dirty filters can cause furnaces to overheat and operate less efficiently costing you money.

Last but by no means least, check your smoke detector(s) and carbon monoxide detector(s).

Be prepared.

Gregg Peterson, Chief
Lewis County Fire District #5

The new chaplains are front row, left to right: Theresia “Brook” Yri, Connie Densmore, John Anders, Victoria Erskine, Kim Thompson, Jane Anderson and Mike Griffee. In the back row from left to right are: Edgar Densmore, Thomas Walker, Matthew March and Louis Hopkins.

By Kevin Curfman
Lewis County Chaplaincy Services President

Across Lewis County, crisis strikes our communities every day. It may be a residential house fire, an elderly spouse experiencing a cardiac arrest or a tragic accident at a workplace.

Regardless of the event, it is traumatic for the individual, family members and friends that are involved. These types of calls also can have a heavy toll on the emergency responders who respond on a daily basis.

Responding alongside those emergency responders are dedicated chaplains from the Lewis County Chaplaincy Services (LCCS).

Kevin Curfman
Lewis County Chaplaincy Services President

These dedicated men and women are there to help to bring a calm to the scene and to assist all those involved during and immediately after the crisis.

They may explain to the family members the actions of the emergency responders and help to provide for their immediate needs. They are there to assist them through the event and will work to put together a support system of resources that will assist them with rebuilding their lives after a tragedy.

For the emergency responders, the chaplains are there to support them in their jobs and to be a “listening ear” when they need to talk about that especially bad call to which they recently responded. It is our goal that all emergency response agencies have a chaplain connected to their department that they can work with and consider to be their chaplain.

Emergency chaplaincy services began in Lewis County in 1989.

A program was started in the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office and the Centralia Police Department at the same time a different one was started with the Chehalis Fire Department. In 1993, the two programs merged into the Lewis County Chaplaincy Services. It has since been available to serve all emergency agencies in the county including law enforcement, fire departments, the dispatch center and the coroner’s office.

Since the programs joined, I have had the privilege of serving as the director and president of the board of directors for the chaplaincy since that time. Over the years we have added more chaplains and expanded our services in various ways. Two years ago we were asked by the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office to begin overseeing the volunteers who come into the jail to work with inmates and provide chaplain services to them. This has proven to be a great extension to the work of LCCS.

We have also had other exciting changes.

One is that we recently commissioned a total of 11 new chaplains to serve in Lewis County. Some of these chaplains will be working in emergency response and others in the jail ministry. This will give better and more efficient coverage for calls especially in the east end of the county. We are excited to have the new chaplains on-board and they are currently undergoing training to prepare them to respond.

With the recent growth, the board of directors saw the need to have someone to focus on the daily operation of LCCS. We are happy that Chaplain Betty Kitchen has accepted the position of executive director. I will continue to serve as president of the board of directors.

We also have expanded the board by adding two new positions. One is a board member to represent the jail ministry. The other is the position of community pastor which has been filled. This gives us six board members from the emergency agencies and the community that we serve.

I look forward to seeing the LCCS continue to grow and serve those responding to and in crisis situations across our community.

Sincerely,

Kevin T. Curfman, President
Lewis County Chaplaincy Services

Man says he’s dropping in to Chehalis on Saturday.

CHEHALIS – His 1971 hijacking of a Northwest Airlines flight from Portland to Seattle remains the only unsolved aviation crime in the history of the United States.

The man popularly known as DB Cooper demanded and received $200,000 in a duffel bag, then parachuted from the Northwest Airlines plane somewhere over Southwest Washington and wasn’t heard from again.

But like many criminals, Cooper couldn’t resist returning to the scene of the crime, and on Saturday will present his Second Annual DB Cooper Music Festival at the Southwest Washington Fairgrounds in Chehalis, the mid-point of his famed flight.

A special correspondent for Lewis County Sirens.com caught up with the notorious hijacker to talk about the upcoming festival.

“I feel kind of bad that the authorities have spent so much tax payer money trying to track me down over the years,” says Cooper (not his real name). “So bringing some smoking hot music to Southwest Washington is my way of giving back to the community.”

DB Cooper

Topping the three-stage, all-day musical lineup are names like Curtis Salgado, 2013’s worldwide Blues Entertainer of the Year; six-time Grammy nominee Maria Muldaur; finalist on season one of “The Voice” Vicci Martinez; blues pioneer Alice Stuart, and Capitol Records’ rising star Ethan Tucker.

But that’s just a sampling of the 22 acts that will be landing at the fairgrounds on the day after tomorrow, with gates opening at 11 a.m.

The festival is an expansion of the single-stage event held for the first time last year in Nisqually.

Cooper says he hopes to find a permanent home here in Lewis County, and if the event is successful, to expand it further to a full weekend of music.

“I’d like to see this become a destination event in the future, something that people will make people come from outside the area and stay for a while,” Cooper asserts. “I mean, if anyone knows how to drop some cash into Southwest Washington, it should be me. But this time, I’d like it to be unmarked bills. And I’d like to spread it around a little.”

Cooper says he’ll be at the festival all day, enjoying the music and kicking up his heels, and that he isn’t worried about authorities placing him under arrest during the party.

“People have been turning themselves in to the FBI and claiming to be me for over forty years,” he explains. “At this point, I could walk into any police station in the country and say I’m DB Cooper, and no one will believe me. They will refer me to a local therapist and send me on my way.”

Cooper says his musical vision for the festival is two fold – to bring well known talent to Southwest Washington, but also to turn the spotlight on some great talent from the Pacific Northwest.

“One of the great things about doing this festival is that I get to scout performers in the area,” says Cooper, who himself is an accomplished harmonica and penny whistle player. “And I find that there are a lot of musical treasures that the average person doesn’t even know about.

“I mean SweetKiss Momma? Those guys are some badass Southern Rockers. Sour Owl will rock your socks off with a piano player that’s older than Moses. And I’d be putting a ring on Brittany Kingery’s finger myself if I were forty years younger.

“Seriously, this musical lineup is worth jumping out of a plane for,” says Cooper. “But there will be plenty of parking, so I think it’s easier to just drive.”

The complete festival lineup and advance tickets for the event are available at www.dbcoopermusicfestival.com. Tickets for the full day of music are $35 in advance and $40 at the gate. Festival goers must be 21 or older to attend, and proof of age is required for entry.
•••

DB Cooper Music Festival
When: Saturday, Aug 2, 2014
Where: Southwest Washington Fairgrounds, 2555 North National Avenue, Chehalis, Wash.
Parking: $5 per vehicle
Tickets sales online, here

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – Well, many of you know I really, really like gathering information and writing news stories about crime, cops, courts, fire, and what-have-you in greater Lewis County.

It’s something I’ve done here for more than a dozen years.

When I decided to launch an independent online-only news site, I was able to re-double my dedication to providing news that is accurate, timely, fair, balanced, and most of all, newsworthy.

I work hard to avoid disappointing my readers.

Sharyn L. Decker

Often that means I’m punching away at the keyboard at 9 o’clock at night. Sometimes it means I set my alarm for 5 a.m.

It always means I ask myself, what do readers want to know about this? And I reach out to get answers; and confirm the “facts” that I’m not certain about.

Well, it’s been four years now.

That’s right.

Lewis County Sirens celebrates its four-year-anniversary this month.

I still enjoy very much getting up each morning and digging up what no other news outlet has found.

Sometimes it’s just a snippet, or a snapshot of the previous 24 hours as in Sharyn’s Sirens Roundup where you can read about select calls and encounters involving local police and fire departments.

Sometimes it’s in-depth coverage over time of a significant event: think John Booth triple murder on Wings Way, or Ronda Reynolds suicide or homicide with court case and coroner’s inquest, or Ronald Brady and the intruders outside his Onalaska house.

And then other times, it’s every kind of thing in between.

I don’t know who said it first, but it stuck in my mind; that news reporters are the ones who bring us the first draft of history. What a tremendous responsibility that is.

It’s been rewarding for me, and I’m pretty sure its been a refreshing bit of reading for many who live in, work in or care about this area.

I actually had 1,000 readers the same month I launched, June 2010. By the end of that year, Lewis County Sirens.com was approaching the circulation of the local daily newspaper here.

Twelve months later, my number of readers had more than tripled.

Today, Lewis County Sirens.com has well over 50,000 readers. That’s huge in a county with a population of somewhere around 75,000 people.

That’s more than five times the number of people who subscribe to the newspaper here.

Really, it’s not surprising it has become wildly popular, because crime (and high school sports) are the most-read parts of any newspaper. Plus, and mainly, I think, my reputation as a trusted news source is solid.

Readers spend an average of about five minutes navigating around my news site during each visit. And best of all, what has really grown is how readers contribute through their comments.

It along with its companion Facebook page – which is a horse of a different color really, but is also a wealth of reader contributed information and commentary – have grown into something I wouldn’t quite have imagined four years ago.

Lewis County Sirens has found a bit of time to reach further out into the community, through an opportunity to support Centralia’s live theater, in a small way. And now, as co-media sponsor of the upcoming DB Cooper Music Festival. Doing my part to help give us all a break from the trauma, drama and disaster that comes with focusing on crime daily, and when it happens.

Will Lewis County Sirens be around four years from now?

It’s hard to say.

As many of you know, being an entrepreneur has its challenges. Me, I’m that and a dedicated news reporter. Those are two tall pairs of boots to fill at the same time.

And I’m just one human. I really do only have two feet.

So, as Lewis County Sirens celebrates four years, I’m going to suggest that any of you who find it a truly valuable resource in our community consider what, if anything, you might do to ensure its continued publication.

Feel free to simply keep reading and enjoying it for no charge. I grew up with the idea of free news, and I like that. In fact, absolutely do continue reading. The larger the number of readers, of visits, of page views, the more valuable the advertising space is to those who want to promote what they do.

And that’s what supports Lewis County Sirens when it comes right down to it, the advertising.

While I think I’m a pretty terrific news reporter, the one who fills the boots in the ad sales department hasn’t done a whole lot to make sure that area businesses, organizations and other enterprises know what an amazing opportunity exists with an ad on the news site.

There simply is nowhere else locally to reach so many people, for so little money. We get hundreds of thousands of page views each month.

So readers, I’m asking you, if you’re a fan, if you are someone who really wants to help, then think about your own business, or someone close to you, who could benefit from placing an ad on the most-read local news site. And then tell them about it.

I’m feeling so good on this fourth “birthday” that I’ve come up with a special pricing deal – a super good one, actually – for anyone who launches an ad before June 30. Ask me about it.

Also, there’s that little yellow “donate” button on the right hand side of the news site. This may sound like a public television pitch, but if you like what you are reading, and feel it’s worth paying for, and can afford to, consider making an ongoing small donation, or consider a one-time contribution.

Whatever suits you. Whatever feels right.

If money is too tight, but you still feel like you really want to contribute to the ongoing success of this resource, one way to do that, if you happen to be on Facebook, is whenever you read a particularly interesting news item, hit the share button and blast a link to all your friends.

That’s pretty much it for Lewis County Sirens’ birthday wish list.

Well, okay, there is one other thing, for anyone who may be feeling a bit of appreciation and can’t think of any other way to show it. Since you asked …

You could send me a Starbuck’s gift card, and consider the caffeine an investment in helping me get through one of the coming news cycles. 😉