Lewis County Sirens.com

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

The group responsible for maintaining a response plan document for accidental releases of hazardous materials in Lewis County met yesterday and re-elected Mark Anders as its chair.

Anders works for Puget Sound Energy at its jointly-owned Jackson Prairie Gas Storage Project. The meeting was held at the  Zandecki Road facility.

The committee, comprised of representatives from private industry and public agencies, hasn’t met since May 2007.

Michaelle Fries of the Red Cross accepted the vice chair position.

The group, known as the Lewis County Local Emergency Planning Committee, is also charged with keeping a list of facilities inside the county which submit reports on the amounts and kinds of hazardous substances they use and store.

The list currently consists of some 80 actively reporting entities.

Members of the public who wish to view the response plan or information about what kind of hazardous materials are stored at facilities in their community can do that at the Emergency Management office at the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office in Chehalis during regular business hours.

Back row left to right EMTs: Thomas Trott, Zachary Marti, Christian Vavrinec, Ryan Roland, Scott Brownell, Kylie Kavanaugh, Colin Stone, Jameyson Miller (not shown; Kim Thompson) Front left to right firefighters: Nicholas George, Demetrios Themelis, Gavin Mjelde, Lorenz Schock, Scott Standing, Anastasia Themelis / Courtesy photo by Illusions of Grandeur Photography

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

The fire department that serves the area from Grand Mound to Maytown has added 15 new volunteer firefighters and EMTs.

The training they completed Friday included between 200 and 220 hours over a four month period, according to West Thurston Regional Fire Authority Chief Robert Scott.

The new additions will be assigned to West Thurston Regional Fire Authority stations in Rochester, Grand Mound, Maytown and Littlerock.

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

This news story was updated at 11:30 a.m.

CHEHALIS – A 44-year-old man is hospitalized after a knife attack last night in Chehalis and a suspect is in custody, according to the Chehalis Police Department.

It happened at a residence in the 500 block of Southwest McFadden Avenue near Cascade Elementary School.

Officers arrested Dennis P. Kelly, 57, at his home nearby. He was booked into the Lewis County Jail for first-degree assault.

The victim, whose name was not released, was flown by helicopter to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle.

Officers, called about 10:40 p.m. to a report of an assault, were told by several people at the residence the two men were arguing, according to a news release. Police said Kelly then attacked the man with a knife.

The victim sustained extensive, but not life-threatening injuries, according to police. He is a Chehalis resident who was staying at the residence, according to Deputy Chief Randy Kaut.

Kaut said he didn’t believe the two men knew each other before last night.

Police searched Kelly’s home this morning in an attempt to secure additional evidence, according to Kaut.

The Chehalis Police Department noted the reason for the dispute is still under investigation.