STOVETOP MISHAPS SCARE APARTMENT DWELLERS
• A building in downtown Chehalis was evacuated yesterday morning when an egg carton left on a stovetop caught fire. Firefighters responding about 8:30 a.m. to the 200 block of Northwest Chehalis Avenue found a lot of smoke and sent about 20 inhabitants outside, according to the Chehalis Fire Department. The ground floor of the two-story structure is occupied by two restaurants and other tenants such as the Lewis County Gospel Mission while the upper floor has numerous apartments, according to Firefighter Kevin Reynolds. A woman had made breakfast and left for work, he said, and the residual heat from the turned off appliance ignited the carton. The damage was minimal, he said.
• Residents of an apartment building on the 300 block of Southwest Third Street in Chehalis were evacuated last night when a crock pot caught fire at dinner time, according to the Chehalis Fire Department. The pot was on the stovetop and the woman inadvertently turned on the stove instead of the crockpot, Firefighter Kevin Reynolds said.
FALSE ALARM
• Fire trucks and police responded to Cascade Mental Health in Centralia yesterday after a 64-year-old woman reportedly pulled the fire alarm in hopes of getting better service. Officers responding about 1:30 p.m. to the 2400 block of West Reynolds Avenue arrested Sherry L. Palmer for tampering with an alarm, according to the Centralia Police Department. The Chehalis woman was then released, according to police.
VANDALISM
• Centralia police began investigating yesterday afternoon a report of multiple tires being slashed at a home on the 800 block of Wayne Drive.
FRAUD
• A woman in her early 60s called police yesterday from the 2800 block of Russell Road in Centralia to report someone had attempted to file a tax return in her name. She got a letter from the Internal Revenue Service saying her claim had been turned down because she hadn’t paid in enough money, Centralia Police Department Sgt. Stacy Denham said. The woman hadn’t actually field a tax return, Denham said. The case is under investigation, he said.
COLLISION
• A 46-year-old driver who missed a 90 degree turn at the 100 block of Jeffries Road west of Chehalis last night was reportedly uninjured but was arrested for driving under the influence. Deputies responding about 7:30 p.m. noted the 2005 Ford Ranger sustained major damage. Kelly L. Olson, of Chehalis, was booked into the Lewis County Jail, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office.
AND MORE
• And as usual, other incidents such as arrests for warrants, vandalism, disorderly conduct; responses for alarms, misdemeanor assault, disorderly person … and more.
Tags: By Sharyn L. Decker, news reporter