Archive for May, 2016

Read about Salkum man faces charges after death of beloved elk named Bullwinkle …

Sunday, May 15th, 2016

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – The Yakima Herald-Republic reports a 76-year-old Lewis County resident has been charged with second-degree unlawful hunting of big game in connection with allegedly shooting the biggest bull elk in the Kittitas Valley near Ellensburg, in a location closed to such hunting and moving it to a private field where it would have been legal.

News reporter Scott Sandsberry writes that Tod Reichert, 76, of Salkum, has a pre-trial hearing in Lower Kittitas District Court on May 31, despite his Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife’s special eastside elk auction tag for which he paid $75,000.

Read more about it here

Sirens: Daily police and fire roundup

Sunday, May 15th, 2016
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BIG KNIFE, BIG TROUBLE

• A 20-year-old Centralia woman was arrested for first-degree assault when police responded to a dispute between roommates at a residence on the 400 block of West Pear Street in Centralia on Friday evening.  Angelica J. Parker was allegedly throwing items and ended up displaying a decorative knife with an approximately 12-inch long blade, according to the Centralia Police Department. She reportedly was swinging the knife, but nobody was cut, according to police. Parker was booked into the Lewis County Jail.

ASSAULT ALONG RIVER

• Centralia police contacted an individual about 4:30 a.m. today at Mellen Street and Old Airport Road who reported being assaulted at a transient camp near the Chehalis River. The suspect has not been identified and the case is currently under investigation, according to the Centralia Police Department.

DOWNTOWN THEFT

• Centralia police were called about 10:45 a.m. yesterday to a business on the 200 block of North Tower Avenue to take a report of a burglary involving the theft of cash.

PORCH PROWL

• Police were called about 12:25 p.m. yesterday about a bicycle stolen from a porch at the 1000 block of Scammon Creek Road in Centralia.

• Centralia police reported this morning an officer was called about 1:35 p.m. yesterday to the 1000 block of J Street where someone had stolen tables from a porch. One of them was subsequently recovered in an alley nearby and returned to its owner, according to the Centralia Police Department.

CAR PROWL

• Centralia police were contacted about 1:20 a.m. yesterday by an individual who reported financial information was stolen from their vehicle at the 100 block of North Buckner Street. The victim reported problems with his bank account, according to the Centralia Police Department.

• Someone stole a lighter from an unlocked car parked at the 200 block of South Buckner Street in Centralia, according to a report made to police at about 2:40 p.m. on Friday.

DRUGS

• Police arrested a 20-year-old Winlock resident early this morning at the 1000 block of Eckerson Road in Centralia for a warrant and also for possession of methamphetamine. Trevor L Bartley was booked into the Lewis County Jail after contact with officers around 2:55 a.m., according to the Centralia Police Department.

AND MORE

• And, as usual, other incidents such as arrests for warrants, probation violation, driving with suspended license; responses for alarm, dispute, third-degree theft, suspicious circumstances, collision on city street … and more, among 149 calls for local law enforcement and / or fire-emergency medical services in the 24-hour period ending about 7 a.m. today.

Coroner report: Zero homicides for last year

Friday, May 13th, 2016
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Compiled from information contained in Lewis County Coroner’s Office annual report

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – The Lewis County Coroner’s Office has released its annual report showing that last year 33 individual’s deaths here were accidental, 11 of them were suicide and none were found to be homicide.

Of the 767 deaths occurring in Lewis County during 2015, most of them were labeled as natural, meaning they occurred from the natural disease process.

The coroner’s office serves the county by investigating sudden, unexpected, violent, suspicious and unnatural deaths.

Lewis County Coroner Warren McLeod is responsible for finding the cause and manner of death. He was elected to the half-time position at the end of 2010 and since has been authorized into a full-time position.

In past years, the coroner has generally been unable to determine the manner of death for five or fewer people annually. At the end of 2015, McLeod had 13 cases in which he could not say why the person died, according to the report.

The majority of the eight-page report primarily describes the coroner’s office’s purpose, mission and methods.

McLeod’s summary does not offer any data on the causes of death predominant in Lewis County.

Investigation: Fatal Ham Hill fire cause not clear

Friday, May 13th, 2016
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Courtesy photo from Centralia Police Department investigation

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – A joint police and fire department investigation has concluded the blaze that killed three children in their Centralia home was accidental but could not pinpoint a certain cause.

Investigators learned of two possible reasons for the March 4 fire on Ham Hill Road. The fire was believed to have started inside near the front door of the split level home.

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One potential culprit was a compact florescent light bulb in a lamp and the other is recently laundered oily towels, both which had been at the point of origin, according to the Centralia Police Department.

Because more than one possible cause exists, the cause of the fire is officially ruled undetermined.

Their mother who had been sleeping downstairs escaped but the children never made out it out of their upstairs bedrooms. Benjamin D. Tower, 12; Madeline R. Tower, 10; and Samuel J. Tower, 7, died from smoke inhalation.

A police officer who responded to the approximately 12:45 a.m. was injured when he broke a window trying to rescue the kids.

Sue Tower had moved her family into the rental home less than a year earlier.

The Centralia Police Department issued its findings today.

A news release from Cmdr. Pat Fitzgerald states that police detectives and members of Riverside Fire Authority have been diligently investigating.

They knew that morning the origin was within about four feet of the front door.

“At the point of fire origin, there had been a lamp with a compact florescent light bulb (CFL), this light bulb could have malfunctioned and caused the fire,” Fitzgerald wrote. “No remains of the bulb were found.”

The other possible cause is the spontaneous combustion of oily towels, according to Fitzgerald. They had been washed and placed in a crate, near the front door, he indicated.

Sirens: Daily police and fire roundup

Friday, May 13th, 2016
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Updated at 6:12 p.m.

WRECK: BURNING TRUCK IGNITES TREES NEAR PACKWOOD

• A 67-year-old driver who thinks he fell asleep escaped serious injury when he ran off the road and collided with a tree and his truck caught on fire yesterday afternoon near Packwood. A deputy was called about 2:15 p.m. regarding the wreck about three miles up Skate Creek Road South, according to authorities. Lewis County Fire District 10 Chief Lonnie Goble said passersby brought the man into the fire station and told them about the fire. Firefighters found the 2000 Dodge Ram on its side against a tree and flames burning an approximately 50-foot circle around the vehicle. Goble said one tree landed on the back of the truck and six or seven trees partially burned before they got it extinguished. The man, from Graham, was seen by medics at the Packwood fire station for scrapes and told to go see a doctor, according to the fire department and the sheriff’s office. The deputy issued a citation for wheels off the roadway, Chief Deputy Stacy Brown said.

FIRE BREAKS OUT ATOP TALLEST DRAPER VALLEY TOWER

• Chehalis firefighters climbed to the top of a 138-foot tall tower at the Draper Valley Farms’ plant off West Main Street at State Avenue yesterday for a fire. Crews called about 11:20 a.m. arrived to find workers had already got at it with fire extinguishers and knocked down the flames, but it was still smoldering, according to the Chehalis Fire Department. Grain mash had gotten plugged up at the top and the friction with the conveyor belt ignited the materials, Fire Capt. Kevin Curfman said. Curfman and another firefighter carried and then hoisted five-gallon water cans up to finish putting it out. It’s a concern, because any dust can be an explosive hazard, Curfman said. “In fact, years ago they had an explosion there and a gentleman was killed,” he said. The fire department cleared the scene at about 1:30 p.m. The damage was minimal, according to Curfman.

BREAK-IN CENTRALIA

• Centralia police were called about 6:40 p.m. yesterday for a burglary to a home at the 600 block of West Cherry Street. A neighbor had seen two males enter and take items out of the residence, according to the Centralia Police Department. Among the missing valuables were electronics and clothing, according to police.

VANDALISM

• Centralia police called about 12:15 a.m. today to a report someone had pulled out and cut wires to a TV cable box at the 1100 block of South Tower Avenue ended up arresting 31-year-old Adam P. Chapman for third-degree malicious mischief. Chapman had a previous relationship with the resident and was booked into the Lewis County Jail for the alleged domestic incident, according to the Centralia Police Department.

• Police were called about 10 a.m. yesterday morning for a report of of a window broken out of an SUV overnight at the 2800 block of Van Dyke Street in Centralia.

AND MORE

• And, as usual, other incidents such as arrests for drugs, warrants, shoplifting, protection order violation, misdemeanor domestic assault, driving under the influence; responses for alarm, dispute, hit and run, vandalism, third-degree theft, suspicious circumstances, telephone harassment, dog alone in hot car, collision on city street, woman who thought her purse might have been stolen from her cart while shopping; request for help removing handcuffs from a child who had been playing with them … and more, among 179 calls for local law enforcement and / or fire-emergency medical services in the 24-hour period ending about 7 a.m. today.

News brief: Wildland fire threatens house near Cinebar

Friday, May 13th, 2016

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – Two times in as many days it appears outdoor burning has ignited out-of-control brush fires in Lewis County.

Firefighters from four departments spent several hours yesterday afternoon attacking flames on the side of a steep hill east of Onalaska.

Underbrush and trees caught fire, consuming approximately one acre, according to Lewis County Fire District 1.

Fire Chief Andrew Martin said the fire came within 100 yards of one home, so they assigned an engine to stand by there for structural protection.

District 1 was called about 2:45 p.m. to the area of the 100 block of August Road, just north of state Route 508, toward Cinebar, according to Martin.

They were assisted by personnel from Districts 8, 3 and 5 and notified the state Department of Natural Resources, Martin said.

The fire is believed to have been started by a yard trimmings pile that was being burned on nearby vacant property, according to Martin.

On Wednesday afternoon, crews responded to the 600 block of Centralia-Alpha Road east of Chehalis for a brush fire that most likely started with a land clearing debris pile that the owner believed was out when they left the property, according to Riverside Fire Authority. That fire was quickly contained.

Chief Martin said various fire departments around the county are planning to hold informational meetings on how property owners can prepare in advance to defend their homes from the threat of wildfires.

Onalaska, Salkum and Mossyrock are organizing a joint gathering for residents in their communities, he said.

“I encourage people to watch for and attend these short meetings,” Martin said. “It may make the difference between their house standing at the end of fire season or it not being there.”

News brief: Adna teen finds dead birds left on his windshield at school

Thursday, May 12th, 2016

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – No criminal charges will be filed against two Adna High School students implicated in defiling a fellow student’s vehicle with dead baby birds and derogatory messages.

The incident was investigated at the request of the victim’s grandfather, but the boy told a deputy yesterday he did not want to press charges, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office.

The grandfather contacted the sheriff’s office at the beginning of last week to report someone had thrown birds against the vehicle and written “I love (the N word)” and “I love men” in blood, according to the sheriff’s office.

A deputy responded to the high school and found the rear window of the Toyota 4Runner dusty with a freshly cleaned area and was told dead birds had been found under the windshield wipers and on the ground, according to the incident report.

The deputy interviewed the principal, the two suspects and their parents and was told by one of the suspects they’d found an abandoned nest with four deceased baby birds in the dugout at the baseball field and that they “smeared” the birds on the 4Forerunner, the report relates. The second suspect admitted he wrote one message on the vehicle and then wiped it off.

The victim’s parents also told the deputy they did not want to pursue criminal charges, according to the deputy’s report.

The deputy noted the video footage he viewed was grainy and it wasn’t clear exactly what the two boys were doing at the vehicle and also that he couldn’t tell if the birds were actually thrown or if they were alive.

The incident report notes the school principal suspended one student for two days and the other student for three days.