By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
The (Longview) Daily News writes the doctor at a new medical marijuana clinic in Castle Rock – who is also an emergency room physician at Providence Centralia Hospital – was reprimanded in 2007 for prescription abuse.
Dr. Robert E. Billings was since cleared to treat patients again and the matter was closed, according to news reporter Barbara LaBoe.
Read LaBoe’s story here
By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
A Galvin resident was killed when his motorcycle struck a tree yesterday west of Centralia.
Troopers were called about 12:19 p.m. to the 200 block of Joppish Road where Mycol E. Turner, 35, was dead at the scene, according to the Washington State Patrol.
Turner was traveling northbound when he failed to negotiate a curve to the right, ran off the road and down the shoulder before impacting the tree, according to the state patrol.
His 1983 Harley Davidson was totaled. The investigating trooper blamed the collision on speeding.
This news item was updated at 12:30 p.m.
By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
CHEHALIS – Troopers are looking for witnesses to a fatal hit and run on Interstate 5 south of Chehalis last night that left a 77-year-old pedestrian dead.
The Washington State Patrol was called about 10 p.m. to the northbound lanes near the Labree Road interchange where Lily M. Rowland of Chehalis was killed when she was struck by a vehicle, according to Trooper Steven Schatzel.
Rowland was walking southbound when she was struck, according to Schatzel.
“My understanding is she was walking in the lane of travel,” Schatzel said today.
Schatzel said troopers don’t know why she was walking on the freeway. He didn’t believe she had left a disabled vehicle nearby, he said.
Lewis County Fire District 5’s public information officer Lt. Laura Hanson said crews responded, found the victim and proceeded as they normally would in such a situation. Hanson had no further details.
Rowland was dead at the scene, according to the state patrol.
Anyone with information about what happened is asked to call detective Matt Hughes at 360-449-7944.
POLICE SEIZE MARIJUANA GARDEN IN CENTRALIA
• A 24-year-old Centralia man was arrested yesterday after police found more than 90 marijuana plants growing at his home. Officers served a search warrant at the residence on the 1500 block of Delaware Avenue in Centralia and also discovered several “bindles” of suspected methamphetamine, according to the Centralia Police Department. Donald J. Greene was booked into the Lewis County Jail for manufacturing marijuana and possession of methamphetamine, police reported this morning.
MUGGER’S VICTIM FIGHTS BACK
• A woman confronted by a knife-wielding stranger on a Centralia street who tried to take her purse yesterday pulled out her own knife thwarting the attempted robbery. According to the Centralia Police Department, the woman was walking along the 500 block of Harrison Avenue about 4 p.m. when the unidentified male demanded her purse. Upon seeing her weapon, the male stepped back and she ran to safety, according to police. Further details were not readily available.
SOLES SAVED FROM SNEAKERS SET AFIRE NEAR CEMETERY
• Firefighters said yesterday they bagged a pair of shoes found burning in an alley next to a Centralia cemetery to check for traces of gasoline or similar substances. A neighbor near Washington Avenue saw the tennis shoes on fire and called 911 late Thursday afternoon, according to Riverside Fire Authority Capt. Ken Colombo. The man doused the flames with a bottle of water, Colombo said. They appeared to be about a size 9, but all that was left were the soles, Colombo said.
ASSAULT OF CHILD
• A 21-year-old Centralia woman was arrested for first-degree assault yesterday morning after she allegedly threatened to drown her 5-year-old son and forced his head under water during a bath. A family member fought the child away from his mother and took him to the hospital, where he was found not to be seriously injured, according to the Centralia Police Department. Mercedes K. Lopez was booked into the Lewis County Jail, according to police.
NEAR MISS
• A speeding driver passing another vehicle on Jackson Highway outside Chehalis nearly ran head on into a deputy sheriff’s patrol car last night, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office. The deputy clocked him at 68 mph in a 40 mph zone and subsequently arrested Jeffrey D. King, 27, of Centralia, for reckless driving, according to Sgt. Rob Snaza. The deputy had to slam on his brakes and turn to the right and King swerved at the last moment, Snaza said. It happened about 9 p.m. on the 2800 block of Jackson Highway. King was booked into the Lewis County Jail.
THEFT
• Centralia police were called just before 8 p.m. yesterday about a pressure washer stolen from a carport on the 200 block of Tilley Avenue. A suspect was later contacted by Chehalis police and found to be in possession of the item, according to the Centralia Police Department. Christopher D. Buck, 25, of Chehalis, was arrested for second-degree burglary and booked into the Lewis County Jail, Centralia police reported.
• Centralia police arrested a 34-year-old man yesterday for possession of methamphetamine and an outstanding warrant. Subsequently, an officer learned a computer Matthew W. Rackley had in his possession had been stolen from an apartment. Rackley was booked into the Lewis County Jail for possession of methamphetamine and second-degree burglary, according to the Centralia Police Department.
• Centralia police were called about 2 p.m. yesterday about a small dog stolen from a vehicle parked at the 1300 block of South Gold Street.
• Centralia police were called yesterday morning o the 1500 block of View Avenue where they learned several items – such as a bicycle, a drill and wrenches – had been stolen from a porch and a car.
• Chehalis police arrested an employee at Home Depot for allegedly stealing some $3,700 worth of brass fittings. An officer called Wednesday evening to the home improvement store on Louisiana Avenue arrested John C. Baker, 45, of rural Chehalis, for second-degree theft, according to detective Sgt. Rick McNamara. Baker returned the items he said he thought were destined for the trash, McNamara said. He was not booked, but the case was referred for charging, McNamara said.
DRUGS
• A 29-year-old Centralia man was arrested for a warrant and possession of heroin about 6 p.m. yesterday. Mical S. Ryan was booked into the Lewis County Jail after contact with an officer on the 1000 block of Roosevelt Avenue, according to police.
WRECKS
• A 20-year-old driver was cited for texting while driving after her vehicle left the roadway and rolled over about 10 p.m. last night on McClure Road near Toledo. The Lewis County Sheriff’s Office said neither the Winlock woman nor her 18-year-old passenger were injured, but the Chevrolet Blazer sustained an estimated $1,500 damage.
• A 16-year-old driver suffered what were described as minor injuries when her vehicle rolled over an embankment yesterday morning outside Chehalis. The Chehalis teenager was traveling along Shorey Road near Rogers Road when she took her eyes off the road to adjust the visor, according to Sgt. Rob Snaza.
By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
CHEHALIS – The recently released report on crime in Washington state suggests that while crime is down a bit statewide, it grew by more than 18 percent across Lewis County last year.
The biggest jump locally was murder, with six occurring in Lewis County during 2010, compared with only two the year before.
The Lewis County city with the highest crime rate, when numbers are adjusted for population, is Chehalis.
Last year in Chehalis, there were 103.3 “part one” offenses -serious crimes against people and property – reported for each 1,000 Chehalis residents, according to the report published last month by the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs.
The report’s crime index looks at certain offenses, not all, which are selected because they are indicators of the total amount of criminal activity.
Chehalis Police Chief Glenn Schaffer said 2010 was definitely a “crazy year” with almost double the number of arrests over 2009.
However, viewing the numbers per capita can be somewhat misleading, Schaffer said.
“We have I-5, we have the whole Twin City Town center, so you have an influx of people who travel through here or come to work here,” Schaffer said.
His officers go to Wal-Mart more than 600 times each year for shoplifters, he said.
Schaffer holds to the idea there’s no easy way to explain why the trends of crime rise and fall.
When the economy started to decline in 2009, he expected the city’s crime rate would sky rocket, but it didn’t, he said.
“We got into 2010 and that’s when we saw the spike,” he said.
Centralia came in second, with a crime rate Police Chief Bob Berg called disturbing when he released preliminary numbers in February.
Also according to the report: Most listed crimes increased from 2009 in Lewis County, including burglary, larceny, motor vehicle theft, aggravated assault and robbery. Only arson and rape were down.
The most common crimes locally and statewide are larceny (theft) and burglary.
The Lewis County Sheriff’s Office reported 256 burglaries last year, down slightly from 2009.
Centralia saw 212 burglaries and Chehalis saw 97, both up by almost half from the year before.
Morton showed a decrease of the listed crimes of 35 percent from 2009.
Not all cities and towns passed their numbers along to WASPC last year, among those were Pe Ell and Vader.
Other data included in the Crime in Washington 2010 Annual Report include the number of employees by agency, assaults on officers, crime clearance rates and more.
According to the numbers provided, the Chehalis Police Department cleared 333 of their part one crimes last year, which translates to almost 45 percent of those crimes.
The Centralia Police Department cleared 237 of their part one crimes last year, which is about 19 percent of them.
The Lewis County Sheriff’s Office cleared 142 part one crimes, or about 18 percent of them.
•••
“Part one” crimes per 1,000 population last year, by agency
Chehalis: 103.3, up 27.3%
Centralia: 78.4, up 41.2%
Morton: 39.1, down 35.3%
Toledo: 28.8, up 100%
Napavine: 28.6, (no 2009 numbers to compare)
Winlock: 26.3, no change
Mossyrock: 25.9, no change
Lewis County Sheriff’s Office: 17.0, down 1.2%
Pe Ell: no report
Vader: no report
Lewis County total: 38.8, up 18.5%
Thurston County total: 34.9, up 7.7%
Cowlitz County total: 39.5, down 5.2%
Grays Harbor County total: 39.5, up 10.6%
Yakima County total: 50.4, up 2%
Washington state overall: 39.8, down .3%
Source: Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs, Crime in Washington 2010 Annual Report
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Notes from behind the news: Not crime, but a little good news
May 22nd, 2011By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
Lewis County Sirens’ news web site was honored with an award last night in the Northwest Excellence in Journalism Contest.
The annual competition coordinated by the Society of Professional Journalists recognizes work produced during 2010 in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana and Alaska.
Lewis County Sirens received third place in the category of web sites, specialized subject.
First place in the category went to an all-about-Mount St. Helens site created by The (Longview) Daily News.
And second place went to a meteorologist at KOMOnews.com for a fun facts about weather sub-site.
Publications of all sizes competed against one another in the online division.
The contest honors journalism in all forms of media, such as print, television, radio and online.
Also recognized last night were three staffers from The (Centralia) Chronicle in the competition among daily newspapers with a circulation of 25,000 or less.
Okay, so I was just one of probably a couple hundred people singled out during the shindig last night, held at Safeco Field in Seattle. (The Mariners were elsewhere)
But that’s okay.
I’m just happy that my peers (I’m told members of the Society of Professional Journalists in Colorado judged the entries) think I’m doing good work.
And third place is really pretty darn good for me, a simple news reporter, who knows next-to-nothing about creating a web site.
Tags: By Sharyn L. Decker, news reporter
Posted in Columns and commentary | 8 Comments »