By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
Lewis County Coroner Warren McLeod is inviting the public to come by and see the newly renovated coroner’s office on Friday.
They will hold an open house from noon until 2 p.m. when visitors can also meet the staff and get a tour of the facility.
The coroners office is located at 585 N.W. Center St. in Chehalis.
McLeod says there is parking in the fenced lot around the corner on North Street.
They will have snacks.
By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
An Army Ranger from Olympia was charged today with assault and kidnapping following his arrest after a 45-year-old man was found beaten and wandering along Skookumchuck Road near Tenino.
Aid and the sheriff’s office were called about 10 p.m. on Friday night when the 45-year-old Tenino man was discovered on the roadside calling for help, according to detective Sgt. Cheryl Stines.
His hands were bound behind his back, his shirt was pulled over his head and his face was bloody and swollen, Stines said.
Shannon Bussey, 25, was arrested later at Fort Lewis, Stines said.
The sheriff’s office is still looking for a second man they believe was involved, she said today.
Stines said it began earlier in the evening when the man’s wife called her son to ask him to take his step-dad away. The two had what Stines called a domestic incident, although no violence was involved, she said.
The son couldn’t come, so he sent his friend, Stines said.
Two men arrived to the home on the 19,000 block of Steelhead Court, the wife was somewhere else by then, Stines said.
They ended up putting his shirt over his head, duct taping his hands, putting him in the vehicle and beating him up, Stines said.
He was dropped off on the 6,000 block of Skookumchuck Road where he was later discovered, she said.
Stines said he has since been released from the hospital.
Bussey was charged today in Thurston County Superior Court with first-degree kidnapping, second-degree assault and first-degree burglary.
His arraignment is scheduled for Aug. 30.
By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
The Salkum woman who was rescued from her burning home on Saturday remains in critical condition today.
The 65-year-old, whose name has not been released, was airlifted to Legacy Emanuel Hospital in Portland after the morning fire on the 2100 block of Spencer Road near Forest Retreat Drive.
The blaze was contained to the room of origin, but the woman who uses a wheelchair only made it to the door before her call to 911 cut off.
Sheriff’s Deputy Jason Mauermann was the first on the scene, arriving one minute before Lewis County Fire District 8 and pulled her out the door to safety. The sheriff’s office says Mauermann found her tangled in a phone cord which he had to cut.
Fire Investigator Derrick Paul said she suffered burns, but the smoke inhalation was really the problem.
The woman uses oxygen, he said. The pump and oxygen tank were near her when she awoke to the fire, but there was no explosion, he said.
The cause was a cigarette in a trash can, according to Paul.
Sheriff Steve Mansfield yesterday praised Mauermann saying while its the duty of properly equipped firefighters to do what the deputy did, he is extremely proud of the deputy’s actions.
•••
For more, read “Breaking news: Salkum woman critical after morning house fire” from Saturday August 13, 2011 at 12:22 p.m., here
OOPS
• Centralia police say a 19-year-old driving without his headlights turned on, on the wrong side of the road, toward a patrol car overnight was arrested for driving under the influence. Joshua J. Lemhouse, of Vader, pulled to to the correct side of Harrison Avenue once he saw the officer, but was then booked into the Lewis County Jail, according to the Centralia Police Department.
TOLEDO MAN FOUND BY K-9 AFTER FLEEING TRAFFIC STOP
• The Lewis County Sheriff’s Office said this morning that their K-9 Leko tracked down a man overnight who had fled a traffic stop by the Washington State Patrol. Leko and his handler were requested just after 10 p.m. to the area near U.S. Highway 12 and Larmon Road in Ethel, according to the sheriff’s office. The driver, Christopher A. Drummheller, 31, of Toledo, was found hiding in some brush nearby, Chief Civil Deputy Stacy Brown said.
ASSAULT
• A 48-year-old Morton man was arrested last night after deputies were told he hit his 24-year-old girlfriend in the head with a stick and choked her. A deputy who responded about 7:30 p.m. to a 911 hang up call from the 5300 block of state Route 508 was told the assault occurred because she took too long at the store buying him beer, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office. Colen W. Corey, 48, reportedly also pulled the cord from the telephone when she tried to call for help, Chief Civil Deputy Stacy Brown said. He was booked into the Lewis County Jail for second-degree assault, unlawful imprisonment and interfering with domestic violence reporting.
• Centralia police were called about 3:30 p.m. yesterday to the 300 block of East Magnolia Street where a 22-year-old woman had been struck with an aluminum chair and punched in the face. Her nose appeared to be broken, according to Centralia police. Officers are looking for her husband, Ricardo Martinez-Hernandez, seeking to arrest him for second-degree assault, according to the Centralia Police Department.
THEFT
• Somebody broke into a Mossyrock-area store and stole boxes of candy, cans of Monster energy drinks, lighters and matches, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office. A deputy called yesterday morning to the 200 block of Ajlune Road was told it occurred sometime between Sunday and Monday, according to the sheriff’s office. Chief Civil Deputy Stacy Brown said there was some evidence left at the scene.
• Coins, jewelry and other items were reported stolen yesterday from a residence on the 600 block of West Seventh Street in Centralia. Police were told it happened during the past month.
• Centralia police were called just before 7 p.m. yesterday to a car prowl at Rotary Riverside Park on the 700 block of Harrison Avenue. Medication was stolen, according to police.
VANDALISM
• Chehalis police were called yesterday to a complaint of “tagging” on a garage on the 600 block of Southwest Cascade Avenue.
FIRES
• Firefighters were called to extinguish a smoldering stump in the Seminary Hill nature area in Centralia about 6 o’clock last night.
• Riverside Fire Authority was called yesterday afternoon to Green Gables Drive on Seminary Hill to a burning truck. Its owner said it was running rough so he popped the hood, went to get a wrench and when he came out it was on fire, according to Capt. Ken Colombo. The cab was fully engulfed in flames and then it was extinguished.
• A shed and its contents were destroyed by a fire on Friday evening at the 3100 block of Harrison Avenue in Centralia, according to Riverside Fire Authority. The cause is undetermined, although it is seemed to have started near the floor, according to Assistant Chief Rick Mack.
By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
Two men and a woman pushing a baby stroller on a Centralia sidewalk were confronted by a man with a gun last night, according to Centralia police.
Officers called just before 8 p.m. were told the man started arguing with the trio at the intersection of Washington Avenue and Main Street, pulled out a Glock 40, pointed it at them and then ran into a nearby house.
There was no indication of a robbery or anyone injured.
The three told police they did not know the individual or why he confronted them, Officer John Panco said this morning.
Officers knocked on the door to the home where there was a woman and a half dozen males who were asked to come outside, Panco said.
The victims, all in their 20s except for the 1-year-old child, identified one of them as the man who had stopped them on the street, according to Panco.
A search of the home turned up the suspect gun in a bedroom, Panco said. It was found to be stolen, he said.
Nicholas L. Gonzalez, 21, of Chehalis, was subsequently arrested for four counts of first-degree assault, possession of a stolen firearm and felon in possession of a firearm, Panco said. He was booked into the Lewis County Jail.
By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
CHEHALIS – Preliminary results from the emergency medical services levy for the Packwood-area fire district are expected to be posted on the Lewis County Auditor’s web site a little after 8 p.m. tonight.
Lewis County Fire District 10 in Packwood is asking its voters to approve a levy of 25 cents, or less, per thousand dollars of property valuation for six years. It needs 60 percent to pass.
It’s a continuation of the same levy approved in 2005.
Today’s vote-by-mail primary election also includes three-way races for positions on some city councils, school boards and the board of the Centralia Port District.
Four fire districts in Lewis County will see contested races for commissioner positions in the November 8 election.
•••
For primary results, click here or go to the “elections center” section of the county auditor’s page on the web site for Lewis County government.
BAR BRAWL
• Chehalis police called to a large fight on the 300 block of Northwest Chehalis Avenue about 1:40 a.m. on Sunday found a 32-Winlock man with a broken nose, according to the Chehalis Police Department. No suspect was arrested. However, a 26-year-old Toledo woman was arrested for allegedly punching another woman in the face at the one of the bars, detective Sgt. Rick McNamara said. Leah D. Greenwood was arrested for fourth-degree assault and then released, according to McNamara. The two incidents were somehow related, he said.
NEPHEW ARRESTED FOR CHOKING AUNT
• A 24-year-old Chehalis man was arrested for second-degree assault after he allegedly choked his aunt and threw her to the ground yesterday. The Lewis County Sheriff’s Office said Emmanuel Bullen was angry because she would not give him a ride or money. Bullen was subsequently found on Bishop Road and booked into the Lewis County Jail, Chief Civil Deputy Stacy Brown said.
DEPUTY: WOMAN EATS EVIDENCE
• A 46-year-old Winlock woman was hospitalized and arrested after she swallowed a plastic bag of some unknown substance after a deputy told her to spit it out. A deputy had contacted Barbara Fisher about an alleged violation of a protection order following an investigation that began on Friday evening, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office. Fisher was taken to the emergency room where she was treated or observed and then booked into the Lewis County Jail for tampering, obstruction and violation of a protection order, Chief Civil Deputy Stacy Brown said. Brown said the sheriff’s office didn’t know what it was she swallowed, but did not believe Fisher when she said it was sleeping pills.
FLEEING POLICE AND POLICE DOGS
• Centralia police dog Kayo tracked a man who fled police just before 8 p.m. on Saturday when they went to a a residence on the 1200 block of View Avenue. An arriving officer recognized the man who ran into the home and back out again as having a warrant, Officer John Panco said. Kayo found 21-year-old Marcus J. Inman at a nearby trailer and the Centralia resident gave himself up, Panco said. Inman was booked into the Lewis County Jail.
• A 24-year-old Chehalis man wanted for an outstanding warrant ran from a traffic stop in the 1200 block of North Tower Avenue about 12:25 p.m. on Saturday, drawing officers from Chehalis, the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office and a police dog. Officer John Panco said Raland A. E. Titus gave himself up before police dog Lobo could catch up to him. He was booked into the Lewis County Jail.
THEFT
• Chehalis police were called about 9:45 p.m. yesterday about a burglary on the 600 block of Northwest West Street. Details on what was missing could not be readily confirmed.
• Centralia police took a report of the theft of a .22 Ruger pistol. The man who lost it told police it was taken from his vehicle sometime since the beginning of last month and Friday.
• Officers responding to an alarm just before 1 o’clock this morning at a business on the 1200 block of Belmont Avenue found a large broken window and the doors open. Nothing appeared to be missing, according to the Centralia Police Department.
• Centralia police were called just after 6 o’clock this morning to the 2500 block of Fords Prairie Avenue when a 61-year-old man discovered his red, three-wheeled electric scooter had been stolen from beside his truck sometime during the night.
• A Toledo woman returned home on Friday to her residence on the 100 block of Plomondon Road to find an estimated $5,500 of items stolen. Among the goods stolen from her garage and boat were fishing reels and life jackets, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s office.
• Police were called Saturday night about a car prowl on the 300 block of South Berry Street in Centralia. Missing was beer and CDs, taken sometime that day, according to the Centralia Police Department.
• Police were called about 5:40 p.m. on Friday by a woman who said a male was loading her car onto a trailer at the 700 block of South Tower Avenue in Centralia. Arriving officers found the vehicle loaded up but no thief was around, according to the Centralia Police Department.
• Somebody stole six-foot lengths of copper ground wire from 21 utility poles along Lincoln Creek Road outside Centralia, according to a report taken Friday by a deputy. A PUD employee said it must have occurred sometime since the beginning of March, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office. The loss is estimated at $2,668.
VANDALISM
• Deputies were called to the Lewis County Jail on Friday arrested an inmate for allegedly using a broken broom handle to destroy the screen on a new visitation kiosk, the sheriff’s office reported this morning. Lyle R. West, 59, of Glenoma, was arrested for second-degree malicious mischief, Chief Civil Deputy Stacy Brown said. The damage was $815, Brown said.
• Chehalis police were called about “tagging” on a garage in an alley between Southwest Fourth and Fifth streets on Friday.
DRUGS
• Centralia police found methamphetamine and heroin when they searched a residence on the 1200 block of View Avenue in Centralia on Friday night. Jose L. Ortiz, 30, was arrested and booked for possession of meth with intent to deliver, according to the Centralia Police Department. Christian D. Brown, 24, was arrested and booked for possession of heroin with intent to deliver, according to police. Both are Centralia residents.
• A 40-year-old woman and a 40-year-old man, both from Centralia, were arrested for possession of heroin about 10:30 p.m. on Saturday night at the 1200 block of Alder Street in Centralia, according to police. Toni L. Maier and Shawn D. Johnson were booked into the Lewis County Jail, police reported. Johnson was also booked for possession of methamphetamine, according to police.
WRECKS
• A vehicle ran into a power pole on the 200 block of Tilley Avenue in Centralia just before 6 p.m. yesterday, knocking out electricity in the area for several hours, according to Centralia police. The pole was broken and a 34-year-old Chehalis man was cited for driving with a suspended license, according to the Centralia Police Department.
• A 50-year-old Onalaska man was injured when his vehicle ran into a tree last night on Jorgenson Road near state Route 508. The Lewis County Sheriff’s Office said this morning that Paul E. Marko received lacerations to his head and body and was taken to Providence Centralia Hospital. His vehicle was totaled, and it appeared he was speeding, Chief Civil Deputy Stacy Brown said. Marko was cited for first-degree driving with a suspended license and operating a motor vehicle without an ignition interlock device, Brown said.
DOG BITES CHILD’S FACE
• A 3-year-old Chehalis boy was taken to the hospital after he was bitten on the cheek by a dog on the 600 block of State Street in Centralia yesterday afternoon, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office. Chief Civil Deputy Stacy Brown said the child had a large open wound on his face that came from an English Mastiff. The child was reportedly playing rough with the dog and may have startled it, so Brown didn’t expect its owner would be cited.
ALLEY FIRE
• Riverside Fire Authority and police were called about 12:45 a.m. today to a fire in a Dumpster in an alley in between South Pearl Street and South Tower Avenue on the 100 block. They don’t know what caused it, according to the fire department.
Join us