Lewis County Sirens.com

Crates were stacked upon crate inside a motor home near Centralia.

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

Authorities yesterday seized 38 dogs living in filthy conditions inside a motor home with a Centralia man.

Forty-nine-year-old Jimmie R. Jemison was arrested, but not booked into jail because of a medical condition, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office.

The visit yesterday afternoon to property on the 1600 block of Little Hanaford Road followed a tip at the end of April that Jemison was breeding puppies in unsanitary conditions, according to the sheriff’s office.

Photographs shared by the sheriff’s office show numerous portable kennels, some stacked on top of each other inside the roughly 30-foot long recreational vehicle.

“The animals were sleeping and eating in their own feces,” Chief Civil Deputy Stacy Brown said.

Seventeen puppies and 21 adult dogs were taken to the Lewis County Animal Shelter where they are under observation, being treated for dehydration and other ailments, according to Brown. She described them as various types including Boxer, Daschund, Chihuahua, Basset and mixed breed.

Numerous other animals on the property were living in clean cages and spaces and were left behind, including seven dogs, a goat, quail, chickens and about a dozen pet rats, according to the sheriff’s office.

“His brother lives nearby and is going to take care of them,” Brown said.

Lewis County does not require permits or licenses for dog breeders, but an ordinance outlines certain requirements for anyone with more than 10 dogs such as providing enclosures with enough space for each animal to turn about freely, stand, sit and lie down. And the housing must be kept in a sanitary condition, with convenient access to clean food and water.

Brown said they believe Jemison was selling puppies.

The search warrant yesterday was obtained after the county humane officer previously visited Jemison and observed violations of the dog breeding ordinance, according to Brown.

Responders wore protective gear as they did their work beginning about 3 p.m. yesterday. Buckets and garbage cans containing feces were stored outside the motorhome, she said.

Also found were deceased baby possums inside one kennel, according to Brown. She said she didn’t know why Jemison was keeping possums or how they died.

Deputies and personnel with code enforcement from the county health department were joined by the state veterinarian at the scene.

Brown said Jemison has been highly uncooperative during prior visits and ended up getting Tased yesterday, which resulted in one of his own dogs biting him. He was taken to Providence Centralia Hospital but transferred to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle because of what she described as a severe medical condition.

Sheriff Steve Mansfield called it an unfortunate situation all around.

Jemison faces possible charges of second-degree animal cruelty.

Lewis County Code Enforcement Supervisor Bill Teitzel in a prepared statement said sometimes investigations appear to outsiders take too long but they have to follow the law, and Jemison was not cooperative.

“I am proud of the work my staff did in remaining tenacious and rescuing these animals so that they have a better chance in life,” Teitzel stated.

Humane officers, code enforcement personnel and deputies emptied a recreational vehicle of 17 puppies and 21 adult dogs.

New Fire Chief Gregg Peterson, right, talks with Chief Tim Kinder of rural Chehalis’s Lewis County Fire District 6, left, and District 5 firefighters Raymond Smerek and Merlin Correia.

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

NAPAVINE – Two months after both the chief and his second-in command resigned, the fire department that protects Napavine and the surrounding area has hired a new leader.

Gregg Peterson, who has served the past six years as the volunteer chief in the Boistfort Valley where he resides, was sworn in last night.

“I consider it an honor to be here working for, actually working for, you guys,” Peterson said to a small group of the department’s firefighters, EMTs and two its three board members.

Peterson, 59, has more than three decades of experience as a professional firefighter behind him. He retired in 2011 from  Valley Regional Fire Authority in South King County.

The father of four now grown children counts 28 years total as a volunteer, much of which came after he joined Lewis County Fire District 13 in 1995 when the family moved to Lewis County.

Lewis County Fire District 5 which serves a population of about 12,000 over a 66-square-mile area south of Chehalis is known for changing chiefs fairly often.

Jamie Guenther, chair of its board of commissioners, said the trio wanted to hire someone who could have broad support.

He told the group assembled last night they pared the five applications they got back down to three candidates. The interviews were conducted by a group of six members of the public, including individuals such as the chair of the school board, a city council member and local business owner, John Sweeny of Ace Hardware, he said.

The vote was unanimous, Guenther said.

“All the people in that room chose Gregg, so I think we can say he’s the people’s chief for District 5,” he said.

Peterson’s first day on the job will be Monday.

Fire Commissioner Lyle Hojem told the gathering the board graded candidates and all three agreed on the committee’s choice.

In contrast with the district’s last chief Eric Linn who was paid $82,000 a year and benefits that totaled more than $19,000, Peterson agreed to an annual salary of only $40,000 a year. It’s  $35,000 during a probationary period, according to Guenther.

Their agreement calls for the chief to work up to 32 hours.

“The current board didn’t hire Eric, a lot of people didn’t like the high wages,” Guenther said while attendees shared ice cream with Peterson and his family.

Peterson said he doesn’t need medical insurance as his wife works, and he gets it through her job. He said they negotiated a deal he thought worked well for the district and for himself.

“I think they’re getting the best bang for their buck,” Peterson said.

His primary goal in the near term is learning how District 5 operates and meeting the people the department serves, he said.

The fire department currently has four full time paid firefighters and 21 volunteers. Their fourth firefighter-EMT Maria Kennedy was hired in mid-April.

Peterson expects he will gradually transition out of the volunteer chief position in Boistfort.

The introduction to the department and swearing in ceremony was planned on short notice, because Peterson wanted to get started away, according to Guenther. The commissioners only met with him the night before.

Ruth Peterson, his wife of 29 years, said she wasn’t entirely surprised her husband came out of retirement after just three years.

Firefighting is his passion, she said.

“He became a volunteer before he was even old enough to drive a car,” she said. “His parents would drive him to car accidents on Highway 18.”

He would go on emergency medical calls, and then head off to school, she said.

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – The Lewis County Sheriff’s Office wants to spread the word about the danger of what they call cold water shock following this weekend’s drowning in Mayfield Lake.

“Many people think if the air temperature is hot, the cool water will have little to no effect upon them, however water conditions this time of year are not warm enough to avoid temperature shock or stay in for any length of time,” Sheriff Steve Mansfield said in a news release today.

At mid-morning on Saturday, during a fishing outing, a 46-year-old man jumped in the lake in an attempt to retrieve his boat which was drifting away from a small island near Ike Kinswa Park.

His companion saw he was in distress and attempted to get to him, but had to turn back because of how cold the water was. And despite efforts by a park employee and arriving medics, Gary L. Rhoades was pronounced dead at the hospital.

Water temperatures are still in the mid 40’s on almost all waterways in Lewis County. Cold water shock is a major concern at this time of year, in these conditions, according to the sheriff’s office.

The immediate danger is the result can be shortness of breath, involuntary gasping, hyperventilation, panic and even heart failure that leads to drowning, Mansfield says.

Every year, deputies here investigate drowning deaths which likely could have been avoided had the victim known about cold water shock, according to Mansfield.

The National Center for Disease Control say drowning is one of the leading causes of unintentional injury or death among all ages.

“Understanding the dynamics of swimming in cold water, knowing water conditions, swimming with others, and staying away from drugs and alcohol will prevent water fatalities and help ensure an enjoyable accident free outing,” Mansfield stated.

The sheriff’s office said Rhoades  was a Silver Creek resident. Lewis County Coroner Warren McLeod today said he lived in Mineral.

His companion, a 49-year-old man from Tacoma, was taken to Morton General Hospital to be treated for hypothermia.

The sheriff’s office said the men had been drinking.
•••

For background, read “Mayfield Lake incident claims one boater, another rescued” from Saturday April 26, 2014, here

Now former manager at Yard Birds David Briscoe appears in court for bail hearing this afternoon.

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – A  manager at Yard Birds arrested yesterday for allegedly stealing as much as $30,000 from his employer over time told police he’d gone bankrupt and was getting behind in his medical bills.

David E. Briscoe, 58, was booked into the Lewis County Jail and charged with first-degree theft. He appeared before a judge this afternoon.

Defense attorney Bob Schroeter said the Centralia man worked at Yard Birds-Shop ‘n Kart for the past seven years, but is no longer employed there. “He has $19 in the bank,” Schroeter said.

Briscoe qualified for a court-appointed attorney.

Police say Briscoe was responsible for managing the business’s swap meet area, vendors, storage units and recreational vehicle spaces on the property at the 2100 block of North National Avenue in Chehalis.

They say he was collecting rents for the spaces and keeping the cash for himself, over a two to three year period.

According to charging documents, the alleged thefts came to light when one RV space tenant contacted the property manger TJ Guyer about relocating and staff there could not find a record for the woman.

The transactions were investigated by a loss prevention specialist hired by the business and a financial audit conducted by the owner on Friday turned up numerous discrepancies, according to charging documents.

Charging documents indicate Briscoe signed a statement for the loss prevention investigator estimating he may have taken as much as $30,000 and made a handwritten listing of instances he could recall amounting to $18,980.

When interviewed by Chehalis Police Department Officer Troy Thornburg, Briscoe said he believed he had taken somewhere around $24,000 over the past few years, the documents state.

He reportedly admitted to providing tenants with their rental receipt, then destroying his copy and keeping the cash. Briscoe explained to Thornburg he was bankrupt and falling behind on medical bills, charging documents state.

First-degree theft carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and / or a $20,000 fine. Lewis County prosecutors attached a so-called aggravating factor that the crime is a major economic offense.

Lewis County District Court Judge R.W. Buzzard set his bail at $5,000.

Briscoe is expected to be arraigned on Thursday morning, in Lewis County Superior Court.

Yard Birds in Chehalis sits between North National and Northeast Kresky avenues.