Posts Tagged ‘By Sharyn L. Decker’

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Primary voters favor Tinney, Shannon for county clerk

Wednesday, August 2nd, 2017

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – It looks like challenger Carla Shannon and appointed Lewis County Clerk Scott Tinney will advance to the November election, based on numbers released for the primary.

Out of 9,302 ballots cast and counted in yesterday’s primary election, a third candidate, Linda Williams, took in just a tad more than 26 percent.

The numbers between Shannon and Tinney are close.

The Board of (Lewis) County Commissioners selected Tinney in November to finish out the term of retired Lewis County Clerk Kathy Brack, who left in the middle of a four-year term.

Tinney came from the Thurston County Clerk’s Office but resides in Lewis County.

Shannon was actually the first choice of three names forwarded to county commissioners by the local Republican party after Brack’s retirement.

Shannon is a deputy clerk in the Lewis County Clerk’s Office, where she has worked about five years.

All three identify as Republicans.

Shannon so far has secured 36.07 percent, or 3,114 votes and Tinney has 37.85 percent, or 3,268 votes, according to the Lewis County Auditor’s Office elections division.

As of 8 p.m. yesterday, the elections division had tallied 8,268 votes and then today processed and counted another 1,034 in the all vote-by-mail primary.

More ballots may come in, but they must be postmarked by no later than yesterday to be valid, Elections Supervisor Heather Boyer said today.

The office won’t count those until Aug. 14 and they will certify the election on Aug. 15.

Regardless of who wins in November, the elected position will be on the ballot again in November 2018, for a regular four-year term.

Lewis County Fire District 5 had an Emergency Medical Services levy on the ballot and while a majority of voters cast ballots in favor of it, it’s not clear it will clear the hurdles to pass.

As of today, 58.96 percent, or 895, people voted yes but the measure needs to pass by a super majority of 60 percent.

Boyer said the EMS levy also requires validation, meaning the total number of votes has to reach at least 40 percent of the number who voted in the last general election. That number is 1,585, Boyer said.

As of today, only 1,518 individuals cast ballots on the levy.

The Napavine-based fire district failed to get at least 60 percent support for an emergency medical services levy in November.

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News brief: Rochester man taken into custody for fatal May wreck

Wednesday, August 2nd, 2017

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – The driver of a car that crossed the centerline killing an 18-year-old Centralia motorist has been arrested, as he was under the influence of marijuana at the time of the crash this past spring, according to the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office.

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Grand Mound, May 17, 2017

Cheyllyn R. Collinsworth, 18, of Centralia, died the night of May 17 just as LifeFlight was landing following the collision at Old Highway 99 near Oregon Trail Road in Grand Mound.

Donald D. Siegler, 25, of Rochester, was seriously injured and hospitalized.

The sheriff’s office said Siegler was not well enough until this past week to take into custody. He was arrested on a warrant for vehicular homicide at his home on Monday, sheriff’s Lt. Tim Rudloff stated in a press release today.

The sheriff’s office investigated the collision and concluded Siegler was under the influence of marijuana when his Ford Focus crossed the center line and struck Collinsworth’s oncoming Kia, according to Rudloff. Siegler was booked into the Thurston County Jail.
•••

For background, read “News brief: Victim of fatal two-car wreck is Centralia resident” from Friday May 19, 2017, here

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Hang with firefighters during heat wave

Wednesday, August 2nd, 2017

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – When the coroner puts out a public service announcement cautioning about the dangers of extreme outdoor temperatures, it’s worth paying attention to.

Of particular concern, are the more vulnerable members of the community such as the very old and the very young.

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•••

“If you do not have a way to cool down your residence you can go to a library or other public building during the hottest part of the day,” the Lewis County Coroner’s Office stated in a press release this morning.

An excessive heat warning remains in effect though late Friday, with highs tomorrow forecast to surpass 100 degrees in Chehalis, according to the National Weather Service.

Along with that, an air quality alert has been issued due to smoke from wildfires in Washington and British Columbia, advising that children, the elderly and those with respiratory issues should limit outdoor activities.

Lewis County Fire District 6 announced they will open their main station in south Chehalis for citizens to come in and cool off between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. today, tomorrow and Friday.

Their building is located at 2123 Jackson Highway.

The city of Centralia is opening city hall for the same reason from from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. during the same period. Water will be provided.

Coroner Warren McLeod asks folks to please check on older neighbors and family members.

As others in the know have recommended, McLeod says people should avoid prolonged direct exposure to the sunshine and be sure to drink more water than usual, or beverages with added electrolytes. He says carbonated drinks and alcohol should not be used for hydration purposes

Here’s what the coroner wants you to know about two conditions that can develop during hot spells:

Heat exhaustion:

Signs: Heavy sweating, dizziness, rapid pulse, fatigue, cool/moist skin.

Treatment: Get into shade, sit or lie down and hydrate with fluids.

Heat stroke:

Signs: Confusion, nausea and vomiting, but most importantly is the skin is hot and dry.

Treatment: This is a true medical emergency that can lead to death if not treated immediately. Call 911.

Also on McLeod’s list of ways to avoid an unwanted encounter with his staff this week: “Always wear a life jacket when you are in, on or around the water.”

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Sirens: Daily police and fire roundup

Tuesday, August 1st, 2017
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•••

Updated

LAW ENFORCEMENT PURSUES CAR PROWL SUSPECT

• Deputies investigating a car prowl from the 100 block of Forest Service Road 25 yesterday afternoon went to the gas station in Morton where the victim said her credit cards were being used and ran into their suspect, briefly. The suspect pulled up to the gas pumps at Gas Plus, but when an officer tried to contact him, he got back in his vehicle and took off, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office. A chase ensued west on U.S. Highway 12, spike strips were deployed but the motorist parked on the south side of the Mayfield Lake bridge and fled on foot, according to the sheriff’s office. A K-9 track was unsuccessful, Chief Deputy Dusty Breen said. The vehicle turned out to have been stolen in Pierce County, Breen said. The suspect was described as a balding white male wearing a blue shirt, shorts and white knee-high socks.

TOOLS TAKEN

• A radial arm saw and multiple saw horses were reported stolen in a burglary at the 600 block of J Street in Centralia, according to a report made to police just before 10 a.m. yesterday.

EGGS APPROPRIATED

• An 80-year-old resident from the 600 block of Boistfort Road contacted the sheriff’s office yesterday morning to report that an estimated 15 dozen farm eggs had been stolen from her home since mid-April. Also missing is a Ryobi drill and charger, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office.

AUTO THEFT

• A gold 1993 Acura Legend was reported stolen from in front of a residence at the 500 block of State Street in Centralia about 7:40 a.m. yesterday. The four-door car has a license plate reading BFD 5216, according to the Centralia Police Department.

FUEL STOLEN

• Chehalis police were called at 1:30 p.m. yesterday to investigate the theft of gasoline from two vans during the night on Northeast Kresky Avenue.

SEXUAL SOCIAL MEDIA

• Centralia police were called about 12:45 a.m. today to take a report that unwanted communication of a sexual nature had occurred over Facebook in an incident associated with a location on the 400 block of South Silver Street.

• Police were called about 5:15 p.m. yesterday by an individual at the 2500 block of Kristine Court in Centralia who reported receiving pornographic images of two teenage looking boys through Facebook from an unknown person. This case is being referred to the Washington State Missing and Exploited Children Task Force, according to the Centralia Police Department.

DRUGS

• Two Chehalis residents were arrested yesterday morning in Centralia for possession of heroin after contact with an officer at the 1100 block of Alder Street. Sarah A. Gee, 28, and Benjamin T. Stenberg, 24, were booked into the Lewis County Jail, , according to the Centralia Police Department. Prosecutors declined to file a charge on Stenberg today.

LOST AND FOUND

• Chehalis police were notified about noon yesterday that a wedding ring set had been found in a parking lot on Northwest Chehalis Avenue.

HEAVY EQUIPMENT BURNS

• The fork truck was heavily damaged when it caught fire inside a shipping shed at a Centralia area business yesterday, but a sprinkler system activated, keeping the fire in check until firefighters arrived and extinguished it, according to Riverside Fire Authority. The cause of the approximately 2:50 p.m. yesterday fire at the 2000 block of Industrial Drive in under investigation. Nobody was hurt.

ON THE ROAD, OFF THE ROAD

• A 40-year-old motorist was arrested after he allegedly backed his vehicle into a city of Centralia community services vehicle at Summa and South Pearl streets in Centralia just abut 5:10 p.m. yesterday. David C. Rahnert, of Centralia, was booked into the Lewis County Jail for driving under the influence, according to the Centralia Police Department.

• A 21-year-old Toledo resident sustained lacerations and possibly an ankle injury in a rollover wreck at Jackson Highway and state Route 505 last night, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office. A deputy responding about 10:30 p.m. noted the Ford F250 pickup was totaled and arrested Jonathan M. Hinkley for driving under the influence, according to the sheriff’s office. Hinkley was booked into the Lewis County Jail, Chief Deputy Dusty Breen said.

AND MORE

• And, as usual, other incidents such as arrests for warrants, hit and run, misdemeanor assault, reckless endangerment, driving under the influence, driving with suspended license, protection order violation; responses for alarm, fraud, civil issue, hit and run, trespassing, misdemeanor theft, suspicious circumstances, vehicle collision … and more among 197 calls for local law enforcement and / or fire-emergency medical services in the 24-hour period ending about 7 a.m. today.

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News brief: Centralia pedestrian death still under investigation

Tuesday, August 1st, 2017

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – It could be weeks before the investigation into the crosswalk collision with a pedestrian last week in Centralia is completed, according to the Centralia Police Department.

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Wednesday July 26, 2017

Patricia Toothill, 77, of Centralia, was walking in a cross walk when she was hit by a passenger vehicle and seriously injured last Wednesday night at the intersection of West Main Street at Iron Street, according to police.

She was airlifted to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle and passed away there the following day, authorities said. The King County Medical Examiner’s Office determined Toothill died of a head injury and labeled the manner of death accidental.

The driver of the vehicle, a Centralia man in his late 60s, had  indicated to police the sun was in his eyes.

“It’s under investigation,” Centralia police Sgt. David Clary said today. “We’re pending WSP’s investigation.”

Personnel from the state patrol assisted with the analysis of the scene.

Clary said the last time he was involved in a similar incident, it took a few weeks before the police department received the state patrol’s reports.
•••

For background, read “News brief: Centralia pedestrian injured in crosswalk” from Thursday July 27, 2017, here

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News brief: Chill with city employees during heat wave

Tuesday, August 1st, 2017

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – Centralians can hang out at city hall to stay cool during business hours during the last three days of the work week when temperatures outside could go over 100 degrees.

Water will be provided at the Centralia city-sponsored cooling station.

Centralia Police Department detective Patty Finch issued a press release this morning advising the forecast is for between 96 and 105 degrees.

It is very important to stay cool, Finch states. She advises:

• Stay in an air-conditioned, indoor location as much as possible.
• Drink plenty of fluids even if you don’t feel thirsty; water is best.
• Schedule outdoor activities carefully – wear lightweight clothing and sunscreen.
• Take cool showers or baths to cool down.
• Never leave children or pets in cars.

Centralia City Hall is at 118 W. Maple St. at the corner of North Pearl and Maple streets.

The doors will be open from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.

An excessive heat warning is in place for Lewis and surrounding counties through Friday, with the potential for the highest temperatures on Thursday, according to the National Weather Service.

The forecast for Centralia and Chehalis is 93 degrees today.

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Fire weather: Brush fires break out in Rochester, Chehalis

Tuesday, August 1st, 2017
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More than two dozen firefighters worked the area off Hilt Road in Rochester last night. / Courtesy photo by West Thurston Regional Fire Authority

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – Flames spread over a little more than three acres in Rochester yesterday evening but crews stopped them before they afflicted any homes.

Firefighters were called just after 5 p.m. for a brush fire in the area of U.S. Highway 12 and 183rd Avenue Southwest but found their fire off of Hilt, Denmark and Roseburg streets, according to West Thurston Regional Fire Authority.

They were joined by several neighboring fire departments to tackle the fast moving long, skinny fire on the backside of various properties, Lt. Lanette Dyer said.

A 22-year-old firefighter was taken to Providence St. Peter Hospital suffering from smoke inhalation and dehydration, Dyer said. She was treated and home by about 11:30 p.m., she said.

Dyer said although one pump house burned, a dozen homes were saved.

The scene was turned over to personnel from the state Department of Natural Resources around 7:30 p.m. They planned to watch overnight.

The Chehalis Fire Department kept busy yesterday stamping out small fires, three of them caused by cigarettes tossed into the bark of planting beds at the Twin City Town Center.

A fourth brush fire that broke out along Shoreline Drive was also caused by a cigarette, according to Fire Capt. Ted McCarty.

McCarty said a man said he dropped a cigarette as he and others were being chased out of the area of the old city treatment plant. He approached a deputy at a gas station on Main Street and said he thought he might have ignited a fire, McCarty said.

“And the deputy looked up to see the smoke,” McCarty said. It was held to about an eighth of an acre, he said.

It’s only going to get worse, McCarty said.

An excessive heat warning is in place for much of Western Washington through Friday, with the potential for record-breaking temperatures on Thursday, according to the National Weather Service. A fire weather watch is advising that conditions will be favorable for the rapid spread of any fires.

Washington State Patrol Trooper Brooke Bova reminded motorists via Twitter today that throwing a lit cigarette out the window of a vehicle can also earn them a $1,025 ticket.

Authorities are reminding the public of steps to take to avoid heat illnesses, such as drink plenty of fluids, stay out of the sun and check up on relatives and neighbors.

Young children and pets should never be left unattended in vehicles under any circumstances, the NWS advises.

“This is especially true during hot weather when car interiors can reach lethal temperatures in a matter of minutes,” the NWS stated in a bulletin this morning.

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