By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
The (Longview) Daily News reports the retirement of Winlock Police Chief Terry Williams this summer will be followed by the city contracting with Toledo for law enforcement services.
News reporter Marissa Luck writes the divided city council voted to dissolve the police department and pay Toledo $196,000 for 20 hours a day of patrolling, rejecting a $250,000 proposed contract from the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office.
Read about it here
•••
Updated at 1:50 p.m.
FARMHOUSE CATCHES FIRE IN TOLEDO
• A fire that broke out last night at a Toledo area home appears to be related to its wiring, according to the fire investigator. Firefighters were called just before 8 p.m. to the 600 block of Jackson Highway South by a neighbor who noticed smoke, Investigator Ted McCarty said. The area burning was above the kitchen ceiling and below the second story floor, McCarty said. “Firefighters got there fast and did a pretty good job, got a good stop,” he said. The couple and their 8-year-old grandson who live there were not home at the time and nobody was injured, according to McCarty. “They did have a lot of animals,” he said. “By the time I left, she was still missing two cats but was going to look in the basement.” McCarty said he believes the problem was most likely an electrical issue, as its a farm house with the old knot and tube wiring, but his investigation is not yet finished, he said.
RETAIL BURGLARY
• Chehalis police called about 10:30 p.m. yesterday regarding people behind Ace Hardware on South Market Boulevard arrived to discover merchandise outside the fenced area of the building including a wheelbarrow and a couple of lawn mowers, according to the Chehalis Police Department. A police dog was put on a track but no suspects were located, according to police.
POSSIBLE MUGGING
• Chehalis police were called about 9:50 p.m. yesterday to the 100 block of Southwest Interstate Avenue by an employee who said a customer asked them to call 911 because someone tried to rob him. The victim said the thief was a man in his 30s with short cropped hair, about 5-feet 9-inches tall and 190 pounds, and had a slight limp, according to the Chehalis Police Department. Further details were not yet put into an incident report, a department spokesperson said this morning. Update: It was more like someone asking for directions and being misunderstood, police said.
CAMPGROUND LOSES GOLF CART, TOOLS
• A Yamaha gas-powered golf cart was among the items stolen from Cascade Peaks Campground at the 11,000 block of U.S. Highway 12 in Randle. The late 80s to early 90s model cart is white with a roof and curtain doors, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office. It was last seen outside of their shop at 7:30 p.m. on Friday and gone by 9:30 the following morning, according to the sheriff’s office. Also stolen were gas cans and plumbing tools, among them a 54-inch pipe wrench, Chief Deputy Stacy Brown reports.
CAR PROWL
• Chehalis police were called about 9:25 a.m. yesterday to Southwest Newaukum Avenue about a vehicle prowl.
BREAKING WINDOWS
• Centralia police responded yesterday about 10:10 a.m. to the 900 block of Harrison Avenue regarding a report someone broke out a vehicle’s window. The suspect Alisha A. Holmes had been trespassed from the business previously, so she was arrested for second-degree burglary, according to the Centralia Police Department. The 25-year-old Centralia resident was booked into the Lewis County Jail, according to police. Prosecutors declined to charge her with a felony and moved the case to be evaluated for Lewis County District Court.
• Centralia police were called about 9:50 a.m. yesterday regarding a broken window at a business on the 300 block of North Tower Avenue.
AND MORE
• And as usual, other incidents such as arrests for warrants, shoplifting, driving under the influence, driving with suspended license; responses for alarm, dispute, hit and run, dog chasing cat, receipt of counterfeit bills, collision on city street … and more.
•••
Updated at 6:51 p.m.
FRACTURED FACE
• A 33-year-old Morton area man turned himself in yesterday as deputies were investigating an assault in which he allegedly beat a woman, punching her repeatedly in the face. Deputies were called around 3 p.m. about the incident that had just occurred at the residence on the 900 block of state Route 7, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office. The 52-year-old woman had already been taken to Morton General Hospital with suspected broken bones in her face, according to the sheriff’s office. When interviewed, she said she and the suspect were arguing and he got on top of her and struck her with his hands, but also with an unknown object, according to Chief Deputy Stacy Brown. The sheriff’s office subsequently got a call from the father of Brian D. Veach who said his son wanted to turn himself in and Veach was arrested for second-degree assault, domestic violence, Brown said. He was booked into the Lewis County Jail.
OTHER ASSAULT
• Centralia officers responded to call from a doctor at about 3 o’clock this morning who advised that he had a juvenile assault victim that was being treated in the emergency room for minor injuries. The case is connected to the 900 block of E Street, according to the Centralia Police Department. An investigation is underway, according to police.
• Shannon L. Wachter, 19, of Centralia, was arrested for third-degree assault yesterday, according to the Centralia Police Department. She was booked into the Lewis County Jail. Further details were not readily available.
GARAGE BURGLED OF DRILLS
• Chehalis police were called at 11:40 a.m. yesterday to the 1400 block of Southwest Mills Avenue where someone had broken into a detached garage and made off with tools. Missing are three Milwaukee hand drills, two of which use a “slip chuck drive valve system” and the other which is a three-eighths inch chuck, according to the Chehalis Police Department. Also taken were two rechargeable batteries for the drills, according to police.
BARN BURGLED OF GUNS
• Someone got into a safe inside a barn on the 200 block of Evans Road outside Toledo and stole eight antique firearms, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office. The theft just reported occurred sometime since November of 2013, Chief Deputy Stacy Brown said. Taken from the 82-year-old owner were a revolver, shotgun and rifles, Brown said. The loss is more than $5,000, Brown said.
CHEATED ONLINE
• A 44-year-old Chehalis woman appears to be out almost $2,000 after responding to an online offer of part-time employment from home. “(It appears to be) a typical, ‘we give you a cashiers check, you cash it and get money orders’,” Chehalis Police Department spokesperson Linda Bailey said. “She did that and sent them off.” Then the victim learned from her bank she was overdrawn because the first check was no good, Bailey said. It wasn’t clear exactly the reason given for the complex transactions, Bailey said.
VANDALISM
• Centralia police were called at 2 p.m. yesterday about a window getting broken on a vehicle parked at the 1100 block of Harrison Avenue.
BUSHES IGNITE NEAR LAKE
• Firefighters called about 12:10 a.m. today to a report of a fire on the north end of Plummers Lake in Centralia found mixed grass and brush burning over an area of approximately 30 feet by 20 feet. it was extinguished without difficulty, according to Riverside Fire Authority. It appeared the fire may been started in or around a camping area, or where garbage had been dumped, according to Fire Capt. Scott Weinert.
RAILROAD TRACKS ON FIRE
• Rural Chehalis firefighters called regarding smoke seen by someone working at Stan Hedwall Park at 12:30 p.m. yesterday were dispatched to the 800 block of Shorey Road for what turned out to be two railroad ties burning. A lot of times a fire on railroad tracks like that can be from a spark off a train, Lewis County Fire District 6 Firefighter Matt McCoy said. They used a water can to extinguish it, and asked for BNSF to be notified, McCoy said.
WRECKS
• An 86-year-old driver was hurt when his truck ran off the road and into a power pole yesterday at the 800 block of Middle Fork Road in Onalaska. Deputies responding about 12:10 p.m. noted major front end damage to his 2005 Dodge pickup, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office. The patient had cuts to his hands and other unknown injuries, Chief Deputy Stacy Brown said. He was transported to Providence Centralia Hospital for treatment, according to Brown.
• The Washington State Patrol blames inattention on the part of a 19-year-old driver for a two-vehicle wreck yesterday on state Route 508 that sent an older couple to the hospital. It happened about 12:30 p.m. just east of Interstate 5, according to the state patrol. Zachery R. Braun, of Chehalis, was southbound at Roberts Road in a Dodge pickup and stopped for the stop sign but then entered the highway without checking traffic and struck a Toyota Prius which was eastbound, the investigating trooper reports. Responding firefighters evaluated all three persons and found one needed to be transported with non-life-threatening injuries, according to Newaukum Valley Fire and Rescue, formerly known as Lewis County Fire District 5. Linda R. Ferson, 71, was taken to Providence Centralia Hospital and her husband Galen D. Ferson, 75, went along with her, according to the state patrol. A citation for failure to yield the right-of-way was to be issued to Braun.
AND MORE
• And as usual, other incidents such as arrests for warrants, shoplifting, harassment, disorderly conduct, misdemeanor assault, driving with suspended license; responses for alarm, misdemeanor theft, collision on city street; complaint of neighbor with too-tall grass … and more.
By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
CHEHALIS – A line-of-duty death memorial service for Chehalis Police Department Officer Rick Silva will be held at 11 a.m. on Friday, and is open to the public.
Officer Rick Silva
Silva, with more than a quarter century of law enforcement service behind him, died Thursday of complications following surgery to repair an on-the-job hip injury.
“Rick’s family would like to extend their deepest gratitude to the community for the outpouring of love and support they have felt over the past week.” Lewis County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Stacy Brown stated in the announcement today.
Brown stepped in to assist with public information officer responsibilities for the Chehalis Police Department.
Silva, 61, worked at the sheriff’s office before moving to the Chehalis Police Department in 2002.
On Friday, a police procession will depart from the Southwest Washington Fairgrounds on North National Avenue at approximately 9 a.m. and travel to W.F.West High School where the service is to be held.
A public reception will follow immediately afterward in the commons area of the high school. W.F. West is located at 342 SW 16th Street, Chehalis.
•••
For background, read “Chehalis police mourn loss of veteran officer” from Friday June 19, 2015, here
By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
CHEHALIS – Worries about fire danger have prompted a timber company to close their properties to the public as well as caused an expansion of last week’s burn ban on state-protected lands in Eastern Washington to now cover the west side of the mountains.
Both announcements were issued today.
The majority of Port Blakely Tree Farms property in Lewis County is in the Morton area.
Their closure applies to foot, horse, motorized and any other form of access, according to a company spokesperson.
“With the recent weather so warm and dry, and even higher temperatures expected in the coming days, we are doing what we can to keep our forestlands safe,” Teresa Loo stated. “As soon as the fire danger subsides, we will re-open our lands for public access.”
The state Department of Natural Resources reports westside forests are drying out so outdoor burning is now prohibited in state forests, state parks and other property protected by DNR, with the exception of recreational fires in approved fire pits within designated state, county, municipal and other campgrounds.
Fireworks and incendiary devices, such as exploding targets, sky lanterns, or tracer ammunition, are illegal on all DNR-protected property, according to DNR.
Last week, outdoor burning restrictions were put into place in unincorporated Lewis County.
•••
Updated
PERSON FOUND IN PASTURE BOOKED FOR STOLEN TRUCK
• A 36-year-old Olympia man was arrested this morning after he allegedly wrecked a truck into a utility pole along Cooks Hill Road in Centralia. The vehicle was stolen out of Thurston County, police said. Officers responding about 6 a.m. were pointed in the direction the suspected driver had headed on foot, according to the Centralia Police Department. A police dog conducted a track and found 36-year-old Richie L. Sreap hiding in a cow pasture near Swanson Drive, according to police. He was booked into the Lewis County Jail for possession of stolen property, according to Sgt. Kurt Reichert.
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
• A 49-year-old Chehalis area man was arrested after allegedly loading a shotgun with two shells in the bedroom with his wife while they were arguing, and then turning and pointing the weapon at her. Deputies called to the home on Literal Road east of Chehalis at 12:03 a.m. yesterday booked Robert G. Ernst into the Lewis County Jail for first-degree assault, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office.
FAKE BILL
• Police were contacted by a convenience store at the 600 block of South Tower Avenue overnight about a counterfeit $5 bill received.
VANDALISM
• Chehalis police were called just before 11 p.m. yesterday after an individual on the 800 block of Northwest West Street watched a vehicle pull up by their vehicle and break out the window. No suspect was found, according to the Chehalis Police Department.
• Centralia police took a report yesterday afternoon that an unknown person broke a window with a rock at the 200 block of North Washington Street.
• Someone put graffiti on a garage on the 700 block of H Street in Centralia, according to a report made to police on Saturday.
• AND, FROM MORTON
• A juvenile reported the theft of his bicycle from the 200 block of Main Avenue in Morton, the evening of June 12. A responding officer discovered his parents had taken the bike because he was not being responsible for its care, according to the Morton Police Department.
AND MORE
• And as usual, other incidents such as arrests for warrants, shoplifting, disorderly conduct, misdemeanor assault, malicious mischief, drinking in public, protection order violation, driving under the influence; responses for alarm, dispute, vandalism, hit and run, misdemeanor theft, injured deer on roadway, collision on city street, collision on county road, child left alone in a parked car, dog left alone in parked vehicle; complaints of tall grass at neighboring vacant house, someone lighting off fireworks … and more.
Updated
By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
An 11-year-old girl is dead after an ATV driven by her step-sister flipped on a trail at a private campground near Salkum.
She was a passenger on the quad, and after it wrecked, the sister ran back to camp as much as a mile away to get help, according to responders.
It happened around 4:30 p.m. on Saturday at the Cowlitz Timber Trails on the 1900 block of Spencer Road along the Cowlitz River, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office.
Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Stacy Brown said the 11-year-old driver said they had come to a sharp corner, and though they weren’t going very fast, she knew the ATV was going to flip and told her sister to jump. She didn’t jump and the ATV ended up on its side with the passenger’s head pinned beneath one tire, fender and rail, Brown said.
The 11-year-old driver ran back to the campground to get help and when a resident of the campground arrived to the victim, the child wasn’t breathing, according to Brown.
Both had been wearing helmets, Brown said.
Multiple members of Lewis County Fire District 8 responded to the 5:08 p.m. call to the scene, found adults performing CPR on the girl and took over, transporting her to Morton General Hospital.
Fire Chief Duran McDaniel said they called for airlift, while other responders retrieved the 11-year-old driver from the camp for her suspected injuries.
Both girls ended up at the Morton Hospital. Airlift wasn’t needed. Brown said the driver’s injuries were very minor.
The girls are from Graham, according to Brown.
Join us