Posts Tagged ‘news reporter’

News brief: Vacant house, shop burn separately overnight in rural Centralia

Thursday, July 27th, 2017

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – Two Centralia structure fires that were extinguished simultaneously during the night are under investigation, according to authorities.

The first was a shop building on the 3000 block of Graf Road which responders report was intentionally set afire and the other a vacant residence in Galvin.

No injuries have been reported.

Riverside Fire Authority reports it was 2:57 a.m. when they were dispatched to Graf Road where they found a shop building which had been burning for some time unnoticed.

The roof on the approximately 25-foot by 25-foot shop had already collapsed and flames had spread to light brush, according to Riverside Fire Authority. They were able to contain the fire from spreading further, according to Fire Capt. Erik Olson.

The specific cause is undetermined but it is suspicious, according to Olson.

While enroute, at 3:08 a.m., the fire department was called to the 100 block of Sheridan Street in Galvin where arriving units found a home fully involved in fire, Capt. Tim Adolphsen stated in a press release.

They were joined by three other fire departments, according to Adolphsen. It had been vacant for some time and was a complete loss, he stated.

County records show the one and a half story house built in 1920 has an assessed value of $87,000.

The Lewis County Sheriff’s Office responded to both fires.

News brief: Centralia pedestrian injured in crosswalk

Thursday, July 27th, 2017
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Airlift responds directly to the scene at West Main and Iron streets. / Courtesy photo by Riverside Fire Authority

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – A 77-year-old woman was seriously injured when she was walking in a cross walk and was struck by a passenger vehicle in Centralia last night.

Police and firefighters were called to the intersection of West Main Street at Iron Street just before 8:30 p.m.

Centralia Police Department Sgt. Kurt Reichert said the driver of the vehicle, a Centralia man in his late 60s, indicated the sun was in his eyes. He had been headed westbound, Reichert said.

A medical helicopter responded to the scene and flew the Centralia woman to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, according to authorities. Riverside Fire Authority described her condition as serious.

The Washington State Patrol is investigating.

News brief: Mossyrock woman, son drowned after wreck

Wednesday, July 26th, 2017
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Updated

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – The Lewis County Coroner’s Office determined today the man and his mother whose car ended up submerged in Mayfield Lake died from drowning.

The incident in which the sport utility vehicle traveled off U.S. Highway 12 and sheered off several trees down an embankment before landing in the water on Sunday night was witnessed by boaters, according to authorities.

Life-saving efforts for Eric T. Sprague, 44, of Olympia and his mother Lorraine J. Sprague, 60, of Mossyrock, were unsuccessful.

It happened just before the west end of the bridge. They had been heading eastbound.

Their 2013 AUDI Q7 sport utility vehicle was recovered on Monday.

The Washington State Patrol is investigating the cause of the wreck. However, state patrol spokesperson Trooper Will Finn said initial observations suggest speed as a factor in the incident, given the length of the path the vehicle traveled.

It will likely be many weeks before the investigation is finished, according to Finn.
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CORRECTION: This news item has been updated to reflect the correct age of the passenger.

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For background, read “News brief: Two dead after SUV goes into Mayfield Lake” from Monday July 24, 2017, here

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The car is pulled from Mayfield Lake. / Courtesy photo

Wildfire ignites east of Randle

Wednesday, July 26th, 2017
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Looking north from the Cascade Peaks Campground. / Courtesy photo by Robin Hylton

Updated at 4:35 p.m.

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – Crews are on the scene this morning improving fire lines in the Carr Road area between Randle and Packwood.

No structures have been damaged, none are threatened and nobody has been injured, according to Lewis County Fire District 14.

Firefighters from Randle, Packwood and the state Department of Natural Resources were fighting what was described early yesterday evening as a five-plus-acre brush fire.

Photos and video shared by observers showed a helicopter making water drops yesterday.

Fire Chief Jeff Jaques said it was mostly brush and stumps in a clear cut area about one mile up from U.S. Highway 12. He believed it ended up covering about 10 acres.

“It got into the trees a little bit,” he said.

Crews are in the mop up stage now, Jaques said just before 1 p.m. today. The fire was reported just after 2 o’clock yesterday afternoon.

The Board of (Lewis) County Commissioners put outdoor burning restrictions in place nine days ago due to the current and extended weather forecast and substantial fire dangers.

Meanwhile, the cause of a fire that destroyed a Randle residence several miles to the west over the weekend remains under investigation.

Firefighters responding to approximately 3:10 a.m. call on Sunday on the 600 block of Silverbrook Road found a double-wide mobile home and adjacent shop building fully involved in flames, according to Jaques.

Nobody was home as it turns out but they couldn’t be sure, spending a lot of time checking, said Fire Investigator Derrick Paul.

Paul said he understood a family consisting of seven people, five of them children, lived there.

There were two cars inside the shop that were destroyed as well, he said.

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Bringing water to the Carr Road fire. / Courtesy photo by Lewis County Fire District 14

Saying goodbye to Chehalis police dog

Tuesday, July 25th, 2017
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Memorial folder cover for K-9 Reign

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – His life was short, but it was full.

Those were some of the sentiments shared today when a fair-sized gathering of people came together to pay their respects to Chehalis police dog Reign.

The memorial service for the five and half year old K-9 was held at W.F. West High School in Chehalis.

The mayor spoke, the police chief spoke.

Reign’s strength and stubbornness were recalled as well as his achievements in apprehensions and the impressive amounts of narcotics he sniffed out.

Reign served four years with his partner Officer Warren Ayers at the Chehalis Police Department beginning in May 2013. He died suddenly and unexpectedly of unknown causes while training on duty the night of June 27.

The service included a procession to the school, an honor guard, the presentation of a badge and closed with a bagpipe rendition of Amazing Grace.

Numerous K-9 officers were among the many who came to pay their condolences to Ayers and his family.

“Reign went out and would take care of business, however, when that was done, he could be as gentle as any dog,” Chehalis Mayor Dennis Dawes said.

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For background, read “Animal experts: No clear explanation for why Chehalis K-9 died” from Tuesday July 18, 2017, here

Sirens: Daily police and fire roundup

Tuesday, July 25th, 2017
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VEHICLE THEFT

• Chehalis police were called just after 1 p.m. yesterday about a vehicle stolen from in front of a residence at the 1500 block of Southwest Thomsen Avenue. The black 1989 Toyota extra cab pickup truck went missing sometime after 7 p.m. the night before, according to the Chehalis Police Department.

FOOD THEFT

• Police were called yesterday to the 500 block of K Street to take a report that someone entered a detached garage during the night and stole food items, according to the Centralia Police Department.

OTHER THEFT

• Centralia police were called about 10:10 a.m. yesterday regarding a fraudulent check being cashed at the 1300 block of South Gold Street.

VEHICLE PROWL

• Chehalis police were called for a car prowl at the 1600 block of Northwest Louisiana Avenue about 9:45 p.m. yesterday.

• An officer was called about 10:25 p.m. yesterday to the 1200 block of Northwest Louisiana Avenue to take a report of a vehicle prowl in a parking lot. A GPS device was missing, according to the Chehalis Police Department.

VANDALISM

• Someone threw eggs at a vehicle causing minor damage, according to  report made to police about 9:25 a.m. yesterday from the 1100 Creekside Court in Centralia.

AND MORE

• And, as usual, other incidents such as arrests for warrants, obstructing, shoplifting, probation violation, driving under the influence, driving with suspended license, driving with no license, misdemeanor domestic assault, no contact order violation; responses for alarm, dispute, civil issue, vehicle collision, suspicious circumstances … and more among 161 calls for local law enforcement and / or fire-emergency medical services in the 24-hour period ending about 7 a.m. today.

Sirens: Daily police and fire roundup

Monday, July 24th, 2017
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SEX CRIMES

• Police arrested a 24-year-old Centralia resident at the 1100 block of North Pearl Street at 7:20 a.m. yesterday for an outstanding warrant out of Los Alamos County New Mexico for “child solicitation by electronic communication device/sexual exploitation of children/criminal sexual communication with a child.” Tyson M.R. Collins was booked into the Lewis County Jail, according to the Centralia Police Department.

• A woman reported to Centralia police yesterday that she had been raped. The case is under investigation, according to the Centralia Police Department.

VEHICLE THEFT

• A red 199 Acura Integra was reported stolen about 6:45 a.m. today from the 300 block of Northwest Chehalis Avenue, according to the Chehalis Police Department.

• A silver 2002 Volvo S60 was reported stolen from the 1500 block of Lewis Street in Centralia just before 10 a.m. on Friday, according to the Centralia Police Department.

• A purple 2005 Chrysler PT Cruiser was stolen from the 400 block of state Route 505 in Winlock sometime on Friday between 12:30 a.m. and 5 a.m. The victim told deputies he and the suspect – a 20-year-old from Kelso – were staying at a mutual friend’s, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office. Also missing is an Apple iPhone 7 and a wallet with money inside, according to the sheriff’s office. The car has a license plate reading BEJ 3031, Chief Deputy Dusty Breen said.

• A deputy was called to the 2500 block of Jackson Highway yesterday morning where a gas-powered mini bike, a battery operated quad and a gas-powered Spiderman quad had been stolen. They had been in the front yard accompanied by a for sale sign, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office.

OTHER THEFT

• Centralia police were called about 3:40 p.m. regarding the theft of a tire and rim from a vehicle at the 1800 block of North Pearl Street in Centralia.

• Centralia police took a report of the theft of a bank card from the 1100 block of South Pearl Street about 3:15 p.m. on Saturday.

• Police were called about 8:30 a.m. on Saturday to the 1200 block of Eckerson Road in Centralia where An outboard boat motor and down riggers were stolen from a garage. There are no identified suspects, according to the Centralia Police Department.

VANDALISM

• An individual reported that the rear window of her vehicle was broken out at the 800 block of South Pearl Street in Centralia, according to a report made to police about 4:40 p.m. yesterday.

ON THE ROAD, ON THE RUNWAY

• A deputy was called to the Toledo airport on the 5200 block of Jackson Highway about 7:30 p.m. on Saturday for a complaint of an old law enforcement car full of people who were drinking and doing doughnuts on the runway. Kelly J. Hilliard, 44, of Chehalis, was arrested and booked into the Lewis County Jail for being in physical control of a motor vehicle while intoxicated, according to the sheriff’s office.

• A 24-year-old Centralia man seen running through a church parking lot adjacent to where a car crashed into a yard at the 800 block of Eshom Road in Centralia about 10 p.m. on Friday was arrested for driving under the influence. Martin Olivares-Paulino was bruised and scraped but his 2008 Chevrolet Malibu sustained major damage, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office. He was booked into the Lewis County Jail, according to the sheriff’s office.

AND MORE

• And, as usual, other incidents such as arrests for warrants, shoplifting, protection order violation, driving under the influence, driving with suspended license, first-degree negligent driving, misdemeanor domestic assault; responses for alarm, dispute, civil issue, hit and run,  vehicle collision, misdemeanor theft, suspicious circumstances … and more among 468 calls for local law enforcement and / or fire-emergency medical services in the 72-hour period ending about 7 a.m. today.