Archive for November, 2013

The ladies at the office and the gift of life

Saturday, November 30th, 2013

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – She’s a mother of six, grandmother to six and great grandmother to three more.

She bowls in a league, and belongs to the Southwest Washington Fair Association’s booster club.

For Thanksgiving, she gives thanks for her family, friends and co-workers.

Kathryn Estep, 69, born and raised in Chehalis works part time at a call center with a group of women who saved her life.

“A co-worker said Kathryn dropped a pen,” Paramedic Steve Busz said. “I guess Kathryn was slumped in her chair.”

Her heart had stopped pumping, according to Busz.

Lyla Spears, the supervisor at Service Bureau then on Bishop Road, recalled what she and her co-workers did next after one of them sitting near Estep, Donna Lavigne, hollered out, “She needs help.”

Spears said she came out from the back room, took one look at Estep and knew right away what was going on; she’d witnessed her sister take her last breath not long before.

Spears checked her pulse and helped move Estep out of the chair onto the floor, she said.

“Jennifer’s the one who gave chest compressions the whole time, Charlene did mouth to mouth,” she said.

Carmen Lyon called 911 and stayed on the phone with them, while Rhoda Mendoza waited outside to flag down the ambulance, she recounted.

“Everybody just fell together, like we knew what we were doing,” Spears said.

What happened in August is something Estep has only heard about from others.

“I went to work that day and the next thing I knew, I woke up in the hospital,” she said.

Estep said apparently the condition that struck her is something that runs in her family, but her doctor has said her heart is fine now. She got back to work in October, and began bowling again earlier this month.

“I had no idea Jennifer knew the CPR like she did,” Estep said. “But they all did. I’m so grateful, words can’t express. They’re all angels.”

Paramedic Busz sees the events of that day as something that others could learn from, and easily mean more lives being saved.

“Everything that happened that day was perfect,” he said.

The lesson, for Busz, is something the American Heart Association calls the chain of survival, five steps that can mean the difference between life and death when it comes to cardiac arrest.

Overall, only 8 percent of cardiac arrest patients survive, according to AHA statistics.

“It’s not something we get to see all that often,” he said.

But effective Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation provided immediately can triple a person’s chances for survival, Busz said.

What’s important for non-medics to know, is a good portion of what needs to be done can be implemented even before emergency responders arrive, Busz says.

The first is immediate recognition of cardiac arrest and calling 911 and the second is right away starting CPR with the emphasis on chest compressions, according to Busz.

“All of the links in Kathryn’s case were met that day, as you can see, it proved itself to work,” he said.

Busz and Firefighter-EMT Greg Folwell work for Lewis County Fire District 6, protecting the rural areas surrounding Chehalis and a population of about 8,000.

When they arrived at mid-morning that day to Service Bureau’s office, the pair took over CPR, put Estep on a heart monitor, defibrillated her and administered other interventions. Medics from AMR joined them.

They got a pulse back on Estep before she was even transported, he said. She was taken to Providence Centralia Hospital and then transferred to Providence St. Peter Hospital in Olympia where she stayed for a week.

The third link in AHA’s chain of life is the “shock” which in Estep’s case was done by the medics, but which can also be handled when workplaces have on site Automated External Defibrillators, according to Busz. He’d like to see more of them out there, he said.

The fourth step is effective advanced life support by professionals like the medics and the final step is the post cardiac arrest care provided at a hospital.

Busz said its his understanding Estep is doing phenomenally well.

Busz said they’d like to increase the 8 percent survival rate to 15 percent, to 25 percent or more and it seems possible, if only more folks reacted the way the six women did that day at Service Bureau’s office.

The message he wants to share with Estep’s story is, saving lives of those whose hearts stop begins with ordinary people.

“Sixty percent of everything that can be done to increase the odds of survival can be done prior to us getting there,” he said.

The other message: Take CPR training, Busz says.

“Call your fire department, if they don’t do it, they know someone who does,” he said.

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Kathryn Estep is surrounded by co-workers and two of the medics who helped get her heart restarted after a sudden cardiac arrest.

Sharyn’s Sirens: Daily police and fire roundup

Thursday, November 28th, 2013

CENTRALIA PUB CRAWL

• Two people were arrested for allegedly breaking a wooden gate behind the Hub Tavern on the 100 block of South Tower Avenue in Centralia just before 2 o’clock this morning, four others were arrested for warrants and / or driving with suspended license last night and one person booked into jail for driving under the influence of marijuana. An officer at about 12:45 .m. spotted a vehicle making a wide turn into oncoming traffic near the 900 block of Harrison Avenue and arrested Jonathan P. Church, 20, of Onalaska, for DUI, according to the Centralia Police Department. When his vehicle was impounded and searched, a mason jar of suspected marijuana was found, leading to his arrest also for possession with intent to deliver, according to Sgt. Kurt Reichert.

BANK CARD THEFT

• A 24-year-old Centralia man was arrested last night for allegedly going into the locker room at Thorbecke’s FitLife Center on the 2000 block of Borst Avenue in Centralia and stealing credit cards from a wallet. Police say David L. Davenport ended up with a bloody nose from his encounter with the victim. Davenport was booked into the Lewis County Jail for second-degree burglary, according to the Centralia Police Department.

FROM THE COURTHOUSE

• Christopher T. Morrison, 20, Centralia, was ordered held on $50,000 bail yesterday following his Tuesday arrest and charges filed in connection with an incident in October involving his 18-year-old girlfriend of one week. According to the lawyers and charging documents, it happened when the two who attend Centralia College were at his Centralia home doing homework. Lewis County Prosecutor Joely O’Rourke said the victim is mobile but suffers from a birth condition leaving her with limited use of her right side and is described by a detective as mentally delayed. Defense attorney Bob Schroeter described his client as having learning disabilities that prevented him from finishing high school. Charging documents allege Morrison engaged in sex with her while she was screaming for him to stop and holding her down by her “strong side.” The charge is second-degree rape, by forcible compulsion and/or because the victim was incapable of consent by reason of a physical or mental disability. Morrison denied it was rape.

• The 50-year-old Hoquiam man who was accused of committing perjury by the defense attorney during Ricky A. Riffe’s kidnapping and murder trial in connection with a plea deal he got in exchange for his testimony was sentenced yesterday to 20 days in jail. Erwin B. Bartlett testified last month that Riffe confessed his crime while the two were in the medical unit of the Lewis County Jail earlier this year. While he denied on the witness stand he got consideration from prosecutors, the jury learned he was told if he testified truthfully about what Riffe told him, Lewis County Senior Deputy Prosecutor Will Halstead would recommend a 30-day sentence for Bartlett’s failed attempt to smuggle prescription medication into the jail. The maximum for the offense was 12 months. Yesterday afternoon in front of Lewis County Superior Court Judge Richard Brosey, Bartlett’s lawyer David Arcuri said his client held up his end of the bargain. At issue was the drug offense, there was no talk of any perjury charge. Arcuri also said because Bartlett is on disability and doesn’t have a job, he wouldn’t qualify for work release, and that if he was given more than 20 days, he would lose his medical and social security benefits. Brosey sentenced him to 20 days, told him to report to the jail to serve his time by Dec. 10 – after Riffe would be transferred to prison – and not to bring any drugs with him.

WRECKS

• Two people were hospitalized after a single-vehicle collision at North Military and Koontz roads about 8 p.m. yesterday and two others were transported following a wreck about an hour earlier at Nelson Road and Highway 603, according to responders. Further details were not readily available.

AND MORE

• And as usual, other incidents such as responses for violation of protections order, misdemeanor theft … and more.

News brief: Reducing roadway fatalities

Wednesday, November 27th, 2013
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The Washington Traffic Safety Commission offers downloadable, printable designated driver gift cards for the holidays.

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

Looking for an inexpensive but possibly priceless present to give this year?

The Washington Traffic Safety Commission has designated driver gift cards available, to give to someone you’d rather not see among the 49 (average) collision fatalities between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day in Washington.

Driving under the influence is still the leading cause of death on the roadways and the cards are part of a campaign to reach zero traffic deaths and serious injuries from wrecks by the year 2030, according to the WSTC.

Just go to the WTSC website to print, then clip, fold and fill out the card offering your services as the sober driver on a given night. It’s the gift of a ride home that tells a loved one you’d rather they celebrate the season in style, not in jail or dead.

The Olympia-based organization coordinates traffic safety efforts in various ways, including assisting the Lewis County DUI Traffic Safety Task Force which organizes and supports putting extra law enforcement officers on patrol beginning today in search of intoxicated motorists.

Through Jan. 1, expect to see participants locally such as police departments in Centralia, Chehalis, Morton, Toledo, Winlock and  the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office.

The WSTC offers the following advice so members of the public can help as well.

• Call 911 if you see a suspected intoxicated driver on the roads.

• If you drink, smoke marijuana or take other drugs, don’t drive.

• If hosting a party, make a plan with sober designated drivers to get your guests home safely or arrange for them to stay put.

Talk with your children and make sure they know to call you instead of ever getting into a car with someone who has been drinking.

• For anonymous, confidential assistance by phone, the Washington Recovery Help Line number is 1-866-789-1511.

• For further resources and ideas on keeping family and friends safe during the coming holidays, check the Target Zero website.

Sharyn’s Sirens: Daily police and fire roundup

Wednesday, November 27th, 2013

DOMESTIC INCIDENT

• Officers called about 8:30 p.m. yesterday to the 900 block of North Tower Avenue in Centralia found a male whose had was cut from trying to take a knife from his girlfriend and arrested both for violating anti-harassment orders which were in place against each other, according to the Centralia Police Department. Police say Donald K. Gould, 56, was also booked for misdemeanor assault because he got angry and struck her in the head. Toni J. Lovato, 48, was cited and released, according to police.

INJURY ASSAULT

• Chehalis police were called about 1 p.m. yesterday to Green Hill School regarding an assault that sent  a 16-year-old student-inmate to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle. The suspect is a 20-year-old resident at the state juvenile incarceration facility on Southwest 11th Street, according to the Chehalis Police Department. The case is still under investigation, according to police.

SEXUAL ASSAULT

• A 20-year-old Centralia resident was arrested for second-degree rape yesterday following an ongoing investigation by the Centralia Police Department. Christopher T. Morrison was booked into the Lewis County Jail, according to police.

AUTO PART CUT FROM VEHICLE

• Centralia police were contacted yesterday by an individual who said the catalytic converter was stolen from their vehicle while at church Sunday on the 1100 block of West First Street.

IDENTITY THEFT

• An unknown person reportedly used the name and social security number belonging to a 15-year-old to obtain work in Puyallup, according to a report made to police from the 1000 block of Scammon Creek Road in Centralia yesterday.

AND MORE

• And as usual, other incidents such as arrests for warrants; responses for alarms, collisions, shopping cart in Wal-Mart parking lot striking a vehicle, chicken running loose near a parking lot, barking dogs … and more.

Read about Toledo child neglect case leads to suit against DSHS …

Wednesday, November 27th, 2013

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

Kirotv.com reports a lawsuit has been filed against the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services on behalf of two Lewis County girls claiming the agency failed to stop years of abuse and neglect by their mother despite repeated warnings.

News reporter Kevin McCarty writes DSHS received two dozen reports over a period of six or seven years but allowed the children to stay with their mother Theresa Hutton at the rural property where she took in dozens of dogs, cats and horses.

It wasn’t until the summer of 2007 after a highly contagious disease prompted authorities to euthanize more than 40 dogs, and the eldest child at age 12 was found so malnourished she weighed only 60 pounds that the girls were removed from the Toledo area home to an aunt and uncle’s care.

The mother was convicted in 2009 of second-degree criminal mistreatment and sentenced to four years in prison.

Read about it here

Sharyn’s Sirens: Daily police and fire roundup

Tuesday, November 26th, 2013

MAN SHOOTING UP HOUSE DRAWS POLICE

• Deputies were called about 3:40 p.m. yesterday to a residence on the 400 block of Blanchard Road outside Centralia where a 47-year-old resident had allegedly fired several shots inside the home including at a television and a mirror as well as allegedly struck his fiancee in the face leaving bruises. Darrin Corson was taken into custody and booked into the Lewis County Jail for reckless endangerment and fourth-degree assault, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office. Sgt. Rob Snaza said he didn’t know what Corson was upset about but that he had been drinking.

ALLEGED BREAK-IN PLAN THWARTED BY SWAT TEAM

• A 21-year-old soldier and his wife from Lacey were intercepted by a SWAT team as they exited Interstate 5 suspected to be on their way to an planned burglary of a home in rural Chehalis Friday afternoon. According to authorities, the individual asked to be their getaway driver was a confidential informant working with a detective at the Centralia Police Department, who told the detective of the plan earlier this month. Their target was a house on the 200 block of Hewitt Road east of town, believed to have cash and other valuables and owned by a former employer of the wife, according to charging documents. Lewis County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Rob Snaza said it was about 4 p.m. when law enforcement stopped their car at the intersection of Maurin and Rush roads. Jason R. Stephens, 21, Catherine E. Stephens, 21, Lacey, were booked into the Lewis County Jail and charged yesterday with attempted residential burglary. Their car was to be subjected to a search, Snaza said this morning, presumably to look for the gloves they said they brought to avoid leaving finger prints and the 9 mm handgun they may have brought along. They each were allowed to be released from jail on $5,000 unsecured bonds.

OTHER THEFT

• Someone stole an $8,000 40 hp Briggs and Stratton motor from a fertilizer trailer off the end of Coleman Road outside Toledo, according to a report made yesterday to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office. It disappeared from the piece of farm equipment sometime in the previous two weeks, the sheriff’s office was told.

• Police were called about 4:30 p.m. yesterday to the 600 block of Centralia College Boulevard about an iPad and a debit card theft. Someone attempted to use the card minutes after stealing it but were unsuccessful, according to the Centralia Police Department.

• A deputy took a report yesterday of more than $5,000 worth of items such as light fixtures, carpets and window trim removed from a bank-owned vacant home on the 1200 block of U.S. Highway 12 in Ethel. It occurred sometime since November of last year, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office.

• A couple in their early 40s were arrested for misdemeanor theft yesterday evening at the 200 block of North Railroad Avenue in Centralia after they allegedly jumped onto an Amtrak train without paying for tickets. Raul Marques, 42, from Alaska, and Kristi M. Servanty, 42, from Seattle, were booked into the Lewis County Jail after contact with an officer about 7:15 p.m., according to the Centralia Police Department.

DRUGS

• Centralia police arrested a 21-year-old individual overnight for having hallucinogenic mushrooms. Kessler E. Mooney-Gregonis, from California, was booked into the Lewis County Jail after officers were called about 2 a.m. to a motel on 700 block of Harrison Avenue to remove some individuals, according to the Centralia Police Department.

AND MORE

• And as usual, other incidents such as arrests for warrants, trespassing, responses for suspicious circumstances, fraudulent charges on a bank card, shoplifting and other misdemeanor theft, someone throwing a rock at a vehicle following an argument … and more.

News brief: Residence heavily damaged by fire south of Tumwater

Tuesday, November 26th, 2013
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Firefighters battle a blaze at a single-wide mobile home

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

West Thurston Regional firefighters called about 9 a.m. today to a burning home north of Littlerock found flames rolling out the front door and most of the windows but the three occupants safely outside.

Damage to the single-wide mobile home on the 7700 block of Prine Drive off Littlerock Road was extensive, according to Fire Chief Robert Scott.

Twenty members of four departments responded, including the Tumwater Fire Department as it was just south of their jurisdiction, Scott said.

Crews remain at the scene this morning investigating the cause, he said.

The residents were referred to the Red Cross for assistance, according to West Thurston Regional Fire Authority. Scott said he was waiting to hear if two cats there turned up.