Lewis County Sirens.com

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

The Thurston County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a fire that broke out in a Grand Mound mobile home last night.

Firefighters called about 11 p.m. to the 20300 block of Old Highway 99 Southwest found the backside of the uninhabited single-wide mobile home burning, according to West Thurston Regional Fire Authority.

About a dozen firefighters from four agencies quickly brought the flames under control, Fire Chief Robert Scott said this morning.

He estimated about one-quarter of the structure was damaged.

The mobile home is adjacent to the old Grand Mound Motel, he said.

Nobody was living there and it appeared someone was in the process of tearing it apart, Scott said.

There was no power service to the structure, making it a suspicious fire, according to Scott.

The cause is being looked into by the sheriff’s office and West Thurston fire investigators.

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – Police seized an estimated quarter-pound of black tar heroin when they searched an apartment last night in Chehalis.

Three people were arrested in what the Centralia Police Department calls the culmination of a month-long narcotics trafficking investigation involving individuals from as far away as Puyallup.

A search warrant was served about 8 p.m. at the 300 block of Southwest Third Street, according to police.

Arrested were Darin L. Miles, 38, of Chehalis; Scott T. Johnson, 44, of Centralia; and Jose G. Estrada-Alva of Puyallup.

Officers collected items such as power tools and sports memorabilia believed to be stolen in various thefts and burglaries in the greater Twin Cities area, according to a new release this morning from  the Centralia Police Department.

Police called the quantity of heroin significant; they also found a small amount of suspected methamphetamine and some pills, according to the news release. The exact weights have not yet been determined, police said.

The street value of a quarter pound of heroin in Washington state, according to tracking by the federal Drug Enforcement Administration  is about $12,800, Officer Chris Fitzgerald said. It sells for about $100 per gram here, she said.

Miles’ girlfriend and two small children were at the home when officers arrived and allowed to leave with a relative, according to police.

The three men were booked into the Lewis County Jail, initially for offenses including possession and delivery of a controlled substance,  as well as unlawful possession of a firearm, according to the news release.

The Centralia Police Anti-Crime Unit was assisted by Chehalis police and members of the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office.

Update Thursday June 16, 2011 at 12 p.m.: The amount of heroin turned out to be just a few grams shy of a pound, according to Officer Fitzgerald. Street value: approximately $43,600.

Runners carry the torch through Lewis County on June 3. / Courtesy photo by Jason Baker

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

The Lewis County Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics  raised more than $2,600, according to organizer Doug Lee.

About 25 people ran on June 3, in a route that began in Winlock and ended in Centralia, according to Lee.

The money will go to local Special Olympics athletes.

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – A 25-year-old Centralia man escaped serious injury when his car was hit by not one but two semi-trucks on Interstate 5 in Chehalis today.

Tyler C. Mohoric was taken by ambulance to Providence Centralia Hospital with neck and back injuries, according to the Washington State Patrol. His 2009 Volvo was totaled.

Aid and troopers were called about 1:48 p.m. to the southbound lanes just south of Chamber of Commerce Way interchange.

A southbound Freightliner changed lanes and clipped the Volvo, spinning it around sideways into the path of a 1997 International semi truck, according to responders. The car was pushed down the freeway some 300 yards, Chehalis Fire Department Capt. Ted McCarty estimated.

“It was lucky there was nobody in the passenger side, they would have been severely injured,” McCarty said.

Firefighters were already at the scene nearby of a two-vehicle crash on Chamber Way and Louisiana Avenue and Police Chief Glenn Schaffer was stopped for a third wreck on one of the ramps, McCarty said.

The International was driven by a 57-year-old Portland man who was reportedly unhurt, but his truck sustained an estimated $6,000 damage and was towed, according to the state patrol.

Troopers blamed the driver of the Freightliner – a 44-year-old Sacramento man – for inattention and an unsafe lane change. His truck was able to be driven from the scene. He too was reportedly uninjured.

Update Tuesday June 14, 2011 at 9:30 a.m.: Mohoric has been treated and released from the hospital.

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

The Lewis County Sheriff’s Office announced a level three registered sex offender moved to a new address in Winlock.

Kenneth N. Rock, 22, is registered as living on the 100 block of Nelson Road.

He is not wanted by law enforcement, but notification to the community is meant to inform the public and enhance public safety, according to the sheriff’s office.

Rock was convicted at age 15 of first-degree child rape and molestation involving a 3-year-old boy he knew, according to sheriff’s detective Jamey McGinty. He was released from custody in early 2007.

The sheriff’s office designated him as a level three sex offender, meaning they believe he is a high risk to the community, according to McGinty.

Rock is described as 6 feet tall and weighing 250 pounds with brown hair and blue eyes.

To see more details from the bulletin and a photo of Rock, visit the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office web site level three sex offender page, here.

Questions? The sheriff’s office says call 360-748-9286 for detective McGinty or Chief Criminal Deputy Gene Seiber.