Updated at 7:52p.m.
CLEAN A CHIMNEY, SAVE A HOUSE
• Since this is the time of year when folks start firing up their wood stoves and fireplaces to keep warm, Riverside Fire Authority is taking the opportunity to remind the public that chimneys should be inspected and cleaned at least once a year. “You get a lot of soot build up,” Fire Capt. Erik Olson said. Just yesterday evening, crews were summoned to a house on the 200 block of North Rock Street in Centralia when a passerby noticed flames above a chimney, Olson said. The fire was basically out, but firefighters had to douse a roof beam which had ignited and was left charred, Olson said. A similar incident occurred in Morton less than two hours later. In that case on Westlake Avenue, firefighters found smoke but only had to unclog the chimney, according to Lewis County Fire District 4.
SUSPICIOUS PACKAGE
• Chehalis police were called to Northwest Chehalis Avenue yesterday afternoon about a suspicious manila envelope filled with papers left outside Security State Bank. A similar package was found this morning at the farm store on Main Street. Detective Sgt. Gary Wilson said the writings inside of it make no sense, as though perhaps someone with some type of mental disorder is accusing someone else of doing something. The documents were not threatening, WIlson said.
COMPUTER HACKED
• Chehalis police were called yesterday morning to the home of a woman in her 20s on Southwest 11th Street who said someone hacked into her computer. Detective Sgt. Gary WIlson said it began with a phone call earlier that day from someone who said they were from Microsoft and then a link to click on, a request for her password and then her computer froze up. There was nothing he could do for her except advise her in the future not to give out that kind of information to anyone who makes the initial approach with any kind of pitch.
THEFT
• Police responded yesterday morning to the 1400 block of South Tower Avenue in Centralia where someone had cut through a fence to steal recycled batteries. The case is under investigation, according to the Centralia Police Department.
• Someone stole tires and various car parts from the 1200 block of Harrison Avenue in Centralia, according to a report made to police about 2:30 p.m. yesterday.
• Centralia police were called about 3:45 p.m. yesterday to take a report of medications stolen from a purse at the 900 block of South Schueber Road.
DRIVING DRUNK
• A 44-year-old motorist traveling the wrong way on North Tower Avenue was stopped about 8:40 p.m. yesterday and arrested for driving under the influence. Michael D. Hellem, from Auburn, was contacted in the 500 block of the downtown street and booked into the Lewis County Jail, according to the Centralia Police Department. He was also driving with a suspended license, according to police.
FROM THE COURTHOUSE
• A now 23-year-old man has come forward to claim past sexual abuse by his youth pastor, after initially denying the incidents that allegedly occurred when he was 12 and 13 years old in Winlock. The young man in speaking with a detective said he decided to talk because he now sees the damage that was done, according to court documents. The accused, Michael D. Whitson, now 51, go before a judge in Lewis County Superior Court next week to make his pleas to two counts of second-degree rape of a child. Whitson, who now lives in Vancouver, Wash., made a brief appearance in court Tuesday afternoon where his conditions of release were set with a $25,000 unsecured bond. According to charging documents, the young man said he two had a sexual relationship that began when he was 12. He said he spent quite a bit of time at Whitson’s home as part of the youth group, and because he was having problems at home with his parents, according to charging documents. Lewis County Prosecutor Jonathan Meyer said today often times victims of sexual abuse will delay reporting. The young man told the detective that previously he felt he needed to be loyal and believed he loved Whitson, charging documents state. The charges were filed on Sept. 6. Whitson was not arrested or jailed but summonsed to court for his Tuesday appearance.
AND MORE
• And as usual, other incidents such as arrests for warrants; responses for collision, disputes, suspicious circumstances, possible stolen vehicle; complaint of a computer getting hacked, car doing doughnuts, dogs using neighbors yard for a potty … and more.
Tags: By Sharyn L. Decker, news reporter