Lewis County Sirens.com

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

A 32-year-old Rochester man was stabbed in downtown Olympia early this morning.

Police responded about 3 a.m. to the 300 block of Fourth Avenue where the man was found; he had been stabbed in the chest, according to the Olympia Police Department.

No suspects have been identified, and the motive remains unclear, according to a news release.

The victim, whose name was not released, was taken to Providence St. Peter Hospital where he is expected to recover, according to police. The investigation is continuing.

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

The Lewis County Sheriff’s Office is asking for the public’s help finding a man who didn’t return to jail from a one-day furlough.

Kevon L. Tracy

Chief Civil Deputy Stacy Brown indicated yesterday in a news release that Kevon L. Tracy, 41, of Chehalis, is supposed to be in custody in connection with an attempted first-degree malicious mischief. There are also pending charges of violation of a protection order, according to Brown.

Deputies have been to several locations in Lewis County looking for him, according to Brown.

He is described as a white male who is 5-feet 10-inches tall, weighing 175 pounds with blue eyes and grayish-brown hair with a receding hairline.

Brown asks anyone with information on his whereabouts to call 360-748-9286 or Lewis County Crime Stoppers at 1-800-748 6422.

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

Firefighters are on the scene of an overnight blaze that left a Napavine area family without a home.

Nobody was injured, but the residence on Koontz Road near Coulson Road – and its contents – are a total loss, according to Lewis County Fire District 5.

“It’s all the way on the ground, it’s just terrible,” Chief Eric Linn said this morning.

Crews called about 2:10 a.m. arrived to find roughly 75 percent of the structure burning, Linn said. The owner and his son were asleep, but had awakened and got themselves out, he said.

It was an older single-story house with a fairly recent addition of a garage and upstairs “bonus” room, Linn said. The fire appears to have begun in the new end of the structure, and seems to have been burning undetected for some time, he said.

Portions of the firefight were delayed while responders waited for workers to shut off the power to the building, while exploding ammunition increased the challenge, according to the chief.

“We couldn’t be really super aggressive, because it was just too dangerous,” Linn said.

Members of fire departments from Winlock, Toledo and rural Chehalis hauled in water by trucks, since the area has no fire hydrants, he said.

The Red Cross has been to the scene already to assist the residents.

Linn said this morning they are sifting through smoldering remains in an attempt to find the cause. He hasn’t yet determined a dollar amount for the loss, he said.

“It will be in excess of $100,000, as it was a relatively nice house,” he said.

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

Crime Stoppers of Lewis County will be available at the Southwest Washington Fair this week to help parents out by creating special laminated identification cards for youngsters.

A photograph, thumbprint and basic information will be put on the card, with one copy for the child to carry and a duplicate to put away in a safe place in the event it is ever needed, according to the organization.

Crime Stoppers will not retain any of the data from the cards, according to a news release.

The program being launched tomorrow is called “My ID Club” and is sponsored by Community Health Plans of Washington and supported by Valley View Health Centers, according to the news release.

The cards can be obtained between 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. starting tomorrow through the last day of the fair at the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office booth on the south fairway.

For more information, check My ID Club, here

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

Even though their zero tolerance, month-long emphasis on catching motorists using cell phones while driving has ended, Centralia police plan to continue aggressively watching for violators, according to Centralia Police Department Chief Bob Berg.

The fine is $124, the other potential consequence whether ticketed or not is a car crash, according to Berg.

“Almost one third of the fatal traffic collisions in Washington State since 2007 occurred because one of the individuals involved was a distracted driver,” Berg stated in a news release.

While not all wrecks related to inattention can be blamed on texting or talking on a cell phone, studies show phone use behind the wheel causes an “impairment” that can be likened to driving while intoxicated, according to Berg.

“The problem is real in escalating in terms of safety on the roadway,” the police chief stated when the emphasis began. “Education alone has not curbed the problems of texting and cell phone use while driving.”

Centralia officers issued 131 citations between July 10 and Aug. 10, compared with 52 of the tickets in the previous five months.

Texting while driving (RCW 46.61.668) is illegal in Washington as is having a cell phone to your ear and talking while driving (RCW 46.61.667). The prohibition, in effect since 2007, became a primary offense last year.

Berg notes those who have been ticketed may qualify for Centralia Municipal Court Traffic School, which can help keep the citation from appearing on the individual’s driving record and being reported to their insurance carrier.