Lewis County Sirens.com

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

Nobody was hurt but a house was severely damaged and it’s occupants have been displaced following a fire yesterday in Toledo.

Fire Investigator Ted McCarty said he believed they are a mother and three children, plus three grandchildren who resided at the home on the 800 block of Jackson Highway South.

Firefighters called about 1:30 p.m. yesterday learned it started in a pump house, spread to the adjacent garage and then to the house itself, according to McCarty and Lewis County Fire District 2 Chief Dave Germain.

The Red Cross is assisting them with housing, McCarty said.

McCarty said he didn’t think he was going to be able to pinpoint the exact cause, as the pump house was too far gone.

The flames got into the eves and then the attic and partially collapsed the roof, he said. The kitchen and laundry room were gutted, with other parts of the residence sustaining smoke and water damage.

The family lost a lot of their belongings, he said.

McCarty took the opportunity to remind the public that renters insurance isn’t all that expensive, as unfortunately the residents didn’t have it.

He estimated the repairs could be in the neighborhood of $40,000.

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

Police say they don’t know if an encounter in a Centralia neighborhood yesterday was an attempted theft of a bicycle or attempted kidnapping of the child riding it.

Officers were called just after 5:30 p.m. and spoke to the 7-year-old victim who said he was riding in the area near his home in the 1500 block of Delaware Avenue when a male approached him, according to the Centralia Police Department.

He said the male suddenly grabbed him and tried to pull him off his bike, Officer John Panco said. The male was unsuccessful and the little boy was able to ride away, Panco said.

Officers checked the area, but didn’t locate a suspect, according to police.

The child’s description was vague, Panco said. The subject was described as a white male, with black clothing and black shoes, he said.

The boy said he’d never seen the person before and wasn’t sure if he would recognize him if he saw him again, according to Panco.

The responding officer indicated in the report it’s not known if he was trying to take the bicycle or the victim, Panco said.

Updated at 11:24 a.m.

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

Update: The sheriff’s office reports he passed away just before 5 p.m. yesterday.

Previously: A fly fisherman who slipped into the Cowlitz River but was pulled to safety by another person fishing yesterday was transferred to the intensive care unit of Providence St. Peter Hospital, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office.

The man was unconscious but the rescuer performed CPR.

It happened about 500 yards downstream from the Blue Creek Boat Launch south of Ethel.

The sheriff’s office identifies the victim as a 63-year-old resident of Gig Harbor.

According to the sheriff’s office, witnesses saw him wading out in to the water, going farther in when he apparently slipped and went under into a current. The other fishermen saw the incident and jumped in and dragged the man to shore.

Chief Deputy Stacy Brown said she is waiting this morning to learn more about his condition.

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

A fisherman in his 50s who was pulled underwater in the Cowlitz River today was dragged to shore by another fisherman who performed CPR on the unconscious man.

The Lewis County Sheriff’s Office and aid responded about 11:50 a.m. to the area south of Ethel. It’s not yet clear if he was resuscitated or not.

Chief Deputy Stacy Brown said the man was fly fishing about 500 yards downstream from the Blue Creek Boat Launch.

Witnesses saw him wading out into the water and going farther in when he apparently slipped, according to Brown.

A boat that was nearby took the man to the other side, Green Water Drive, and waited for aid to arrive, Brown said.

He was transported to Providence Centralia Hospital, Brown said.

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – The Chehalis Police Department has contributed a detective to a regional drug task force that has been taking shape since earlier this year in Lewis County.

A detective from the sheriff’s office has been working with the team at the Centralia Police Department which is led by a sergeant there, with two Centralia detectives.

It’s been named the Joint Narcotics Enforcement Team and year to date has already made 100 arrests and served 35 search warrants, according to Chehalis Police Chief Glenn Schaffer.

Its sole task is to go after drug dealers at every level, Schaffer told the Chehalis City Council this evening.

The police chief said regional teams for both drugs and SWAT in Lewis County are visions incoming Lewis County Sheriff Rob Snaza had when he took office in January.

Last month, Chehalis assigned a detective to the drug group, he said.

The police chief said that during his tenure, he’s seen cooperative efforts to varying degrees, with combined teams and with individual teams among police agencies in the county.

“At no time have I seen the three working together in such an organized fashion as I do now,” he said.

In just the one month Chehalis has been a part of JNET, the team has made 16 felony arrests and served eight search warrants, he said.

The Lewis County Regional SWAT team has 15 members, and is headed up by Lewis County Undersheriff Wes Rethwill.