Sharyn’s Sirens: Daily police and fire roundup

December 7th, 2010

BURGLARY, NOTHING TAKEN

• Centralia police responded to a report about 5:40 this morning to a break-in at a building on the 1300 block of South Tower Avenue. A back window was broken and an alarm activated but it didn’t appear anything was missing, according to the Centralia Police Department.

FELONY ASSAULT

• Brian S. Baimbridge, 48, was charged Monday with second-degree assault, harassment and interfering with domestic violence reporting for an incident that allegedly occurred Saturday in Silver Creek. Senior Deputy Prosecutor Brad Meagher said the suspect choked the victim until she couldn’t breathe, loaded an air pistol in her presence and threatened to kill her and himself. He was ordered by a Lewis County Superior Court judge to be held on $75,000 cash or bond.

SEXUAL ABUSE OF A CHILD

• Troy C. Connatser, 29, Castle Rock, was charged Monday with two counts of rape of a child or in the alternative child molestation both in the first degree in connection with incidents that allegedly occurred between 2009 and March of this year. He was ordered by a Lewis County Superior Court judge to be held on $15,000 cash or bond.

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Man found dead in tent off Kresky in Chehalis

December 7th, 2010

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

This news story was updated at 11:17 a.m.

A homeless man was found dead inside a tent on the hillside off Kresky in Chehalis yesterday afternoon.

Police say there were no obvious signs of trauma or a struggle but are investigating.

Chehalis Police Chief Glenn Schaffer in a news release described him as in his mid-60s and a client of the state Department of Corrections.

Community corrections officers found him dead when they went to check on him after he missed an appointment earlier in the day, according to Shaffer.

The fire department and police were called about 4:30 p.m. to the camp, in the trees about 150 yards east of Kresky along the 2200 block near the Lewis County Mall.

His identity has not been released.

Chehalis detective Sgt. Rick McNamara said the individual is not someone he is familiar with. He probably hadn’t been dead more than a day or so, McNamara said.

The man had been pretty routine about showing up at DOC’s Chehalis community corrections office, said Scott Albert, the supervisor there. The office is in the Lewis County Mall.

“I would see him here regularly Monday around 8 or 9 a.m.,” Albert said this morning.

The deceased, who Albert said was 67 years old, has been under their supervision for two years after getting out of prison. He was incarcerated in July 1999 and was a level one registered sex offender, Albert said.

It’s not unheard of for some of their clients to be homeless or live in tents, according Albert.

“He was homeless, he didn’t have any resources,” Albert said. “A lot of people get labeled as a sex offender and nobody wants to house them,” he said.

The man had been in prison for first-degree rape of a child, he said.

It appears he was compliant with the conditions imposed on him and had about a year more of being under their supervision, Albert said.

One lane of Kresky was shut down until about 9:30 p.m. as police conducted their investigation.

The cause of death is yet to be determined but at this point in the investigation appears to be related to natural causes, according to police.

Both the fire department and Albert indicated it initially didn’t appear as a natural death, for reasons they didn’t specify. McNamara said there was a little blood around his nose and mouth.

Police will treat it as suspicious until they determine otherwise, according to McNamara.

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Read about lawyers apologize for “article” in The Olimpian …

December 6th, 2010

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

The mock newspaper that published a comedic, made-up editorial by Lewis County Superior Court Judge Richard Brosey drew a formal complaint in the Thurston County courthouse for a satirical article a county worker said was racially offensive, according to a news story in The Olympian today.

News reporter Jeremy Pawloski wrote that Rob Hill and Clint Morgan of the Morgan-Hill law firm sent an apology to the presiding judge today.

The Olimpian, an occasionally published look at the “seamy underbelly of the local legal community, delivering all the news that is fit or unfit to print …” was distributed at the Thurston County courthouse last week, according to Pawloski.

Read news reporter Pawloski’s story here

•••

Read the current issue of The Olimpian

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News brief: Attorneys argue on allowable questions at upcoming Onalaska murder trial

December 6th, 2010

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – Ronald A. Brady pleaded not guilty today to first-degree murder in connection with April’s fatal shooting of a suspected burglar outside his Onalaska house.

2010.1012.mug.ronald.brady_2

Ronald A. Brady

Brady, 60, had already been arraigned in the case, but today’s court hearing followed the increase of charges from manslaughter to murder.

He remains free on an $50,000 unsecured appearance bond.

Deputy Prosecutor Colin Hayes and defense attorney Don Blair hashed out various issues today with a judge about what will be allowed at the upcoming trial.

Lewis County Superior Court Judge James Lawler nixed the deputy prosecutor’s attempt to charge Brady with first-degree murder, second-degree murder, first-degree manslaughter and second-degree manslaughter.

Hayes said it was a strategic move for the state to “cover its bases” while Blair called it the “wet noodle approach.”

Brady has admitted opening fire on Thomas McKenzie and McKenzie’s estranged wife Joanna McKenzie, telling sheriff’s detectives he was staying overnight at the unoccupied house in case burglars from earlier in the day returned. The 56-year-old Morton man died at the scene and his wife escaped uninjured.

Brady is charged with and has pleaded not guilty to first-degree assault for allegedly shooting at Joanna McKenzie.

Hayes told the court he wants to prevent Blair from telling the jury the details of Joanna McKenzie’s subsequent conviction for attempted burglary from that night.

He argued that she made a so-called Alford plea, not admitting guilt.

Lawler postponed making ruling on the issue. The attorneys expect to meet with the judge again to bring him more information about their reasoning.

A new trial date was scheduled for the week of April 25.
•••

Read “Onalaska shooting: Charges upped from manslaughter to first-degree murder” from Monday Nov. 22, 2010 here

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Sharyn’s Sirens: Daily police and fire roundup

December 6th, 2010

DEPUTIES PURCHASE MARIJUANA, ARREST THREE

• Sheriff’s detectives bought marijuana in the parking lot at the Chehalis K-Mart and subsequently arrested three people, the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office reported this morning. Chief Civil Deputy Stacy Brown said the sale was arranged after a citizen told deputies on Thursday they were being solicited to buy drugs by phone calls and texts by someone they didn’t know. Detectives began communicating with “Justin” who said he could sell a half ounce of marijuana for $160, Brown said. Arrested from the 1700 block of Northwest Louisiana Avenue were Hillary Wayland, 20, Justin D. Mask, 20, and Christopher A. Miller, 23, according to Brown. They are Woodland residents, she said. When they were arrested and what offense each was arrested for was not reported by the sheriff’s office.

GUN MISSING FROM CENTRALIA GARAGE

• A .357 pistol and tools were among items reported stolen in a burglary to a garage on the 1800 block of Hillview Drive in Centralia, according to a report made Saturday morning to Centralia police.

DRUG ARRESTS

• Centralia police made several arrests for possession of methamphetamine over the weekend. About 3 o’clock this morning, Felicia F. Harris, 39, of Centralia was arrested and booked following contact with an officer on the 700 block of North Pearl Street, according to the Centralia Police Department. A Spokane resident was arrested last night following contact with an officer on the 600 block of Harrison Avenue. Jeremy D. McCurdy, 28, was booked for methamphetamine as well as possession of stolen property and obstructing a police officer, according to police. Kassie M. Martin, 27, of Centralia, was arrested last night after contact with an officer at Kresky Avenue and East Summa Street, police reported. On Saturday night, Rebecca L. Hodge, 50, of Centralia, was arrested for possession of methamphetamine and heroin at the 1200 block of Harrison Avenue. And Brian M. Williams, 22, of Centralia, was arrested about 5 p.m. Saturday from the 100 block of South Gold Street.

STEREO STOLEN FROM VEHICLE IN WINLOCK

• A deputy took report of a car prowl from the 100 block of Tingle Road in Winlock, the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office reported this morning. Taken was a stereo sometime between 2 a.m. and 2 p.m. last Thursday, according to the report.

MALICIOUS MISCHIEF

• Chehalis police took reports of four incident of malicious mischief on Cascade Avenue about 12:30 a.m. on Sunday. Further details were not readily available.

CRASH IN BOISTFORT VALLEY

• The Lewis County Sheriff’s Office reported this morning a 60-year-old man was hospitalized with head and face injuries after a single-vehicle collision on Friday afternoon near Curtis. The driver was headed south near the 700 block of Wildwood Road when his vehicle left the roadway and came to rest in some trees and brush, Chief Civil Deputy Stacy Brown said.

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Read about Centralia woman charged with child pornography …

December 6th, 2010

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

A 34-year-old Centralia woman charged with receiving child pornography in connection an alleged affair with a New Jersey teenager she met playing an Internet video game made an appearance in U.S. District Court on Friday, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Jessica Pearce was permitted to remain free on electronic monitoring, according to news reporter Barbara Boyer.

Read news reporter Barbara Boyer’s story here

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About the news: You can help Lewis County Sirens bring you the news

December 5th, 2010

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

When I launched this news site, a former executive editor who was super enthusiastic about the idea suggested to me such local news sites could probably only be sustainable by tapping into multiple revenue streams.

Local advertising, sure. Donations from readers. Perhaps support from a patron who believes deeply in the value of independent local news. Grants. And then those little Google or Yahoo ads sprinkled throughout that pay a few cents for each click.

Maybe even “micro-payments” – charging a little bit to read each story, but I’m not so keen on that.

On any given day however, it’s way funner to report and write a news story. And it’s no secret that I’m not all that technically savvy, so I’ve been slow to do the web development work to incorporate new elements.

I’m in between advertising sales people right now, which apparently I have been for a few months.

So yesterday, I finally took the time to add a “donate” button to the web site.

If you like what you’re reading here and would like to help support Lewis County Sirens, it’s super easy to contribute that way. Just click on the yellow button and it will take you to PayPal, a secure site to send money through.

If giving money electronically makes you uncomfortable, Lewis County Sirens’ mailing address can be found on the right sidebar under “Contact us at Lewis County Sirens“.

Meanwhile, for anyone who has wanted to advertise on Lewis County Sirens and didn’t get a response to an inquiry, please contact me directly at adminsharyn@lewiscountysirens.com

Readership just continues to grow and grow.

Last month, Lewis County Sirens tallied more than 68,000 page views. Local people who want to read quality journalism and keep current with what’s going on in their community.

Who brought you a story with photos by 8:45 a.m. on July 7 telling that the reason a freight train was idling in downtown Centralia was because police were investigating a man getting run down on the tracks?

Who brought you photos on the weekend of July 24 of the Centralia wood furniture store fully engulfed in flames – one of the most destructive fires seen in Centralia in years?

Who brought you – within 16 minutes – news of an earthquake striking near Mossyrock last month?

Who told the extensive backstory of the three men sought by the law after August’s triple homicide on Wings Way in Onalaska? And later, brought you the link between one of them and an Olympia murder suspect?

Who described two weeks ago how ATF undercover agents have been roaming gun shows in Centralia?

Who told you Friday the Centralia Factory Outlet Stores are in foreclosure?

Who told you Winlock homicide victim Jackie Lawyer was “a little fiery”, that Ron Meeks who died in his Centralia apartment fire had never lived on his own before because of a brain injury, that the 21-year-old accused of accosting a child in a public restroom is developmentally delayed, that the death of supposed runaway Morton teen Austin King was homicide – a month before the sheriff’s office acknowledged foul play was involved?

And who finally got a public comment last week from Lewis County Prosecutor Michael Golden about his election loss?

Those are just some of the stories told first, or only, on Lewis County Sirens.

The news site is also a one-stop site to check in with free-to-read newspapers surrounding Lewis County, find out who’s in jail, see summaries of court cases and monitor river levels and weather conditions to get an early heads up when storms threaten.

Choosing to advertise or to donate are two important ways to support Lewis County Sirens. However, if you appreciate a reliable source for local news, you can contribute to its success in other ways a well.

If you come across a story here you’d like to share with friends, do it. Send them a link, and spread the word that Lewis County Sirens is the place to find news daily and when it happens of crime, police, fire and courts in greater Lewis County.

If you know someone you think could benefit from advertising here, make sure they know Lewis County Sirens exists.

Also, if you happen to snap a photo of some newsworthy event, send it my way.

Even more important to the journalist in me, if you have a news tip, don’t hesitate to contact me. That’s where some of the best stories come from.

And most of all, you can simply continue to read the news here. For that, I thank each and every one of you.

Your news reporter,
Sharyn L. Decker
sharyn.decker@lewiscountysirens.com
360-748-4981 and 206-546-3638

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