Local News | The Daily Chronicle

Ray Chapman-Wilson, Leah Sisemore and Chuck Kifer are running for the Centralia City Council District No. 2 seat in the Aug. 5 primary election.

Three candidates vying for Centralia City Council District No. 2 seat

The lone Twin Cities council race with three or more candidates on the Aug. 5 primary election ballot hails from Centralia as three candidates seek to earn the District No. 2 seat currently held by … more

By Dylan Reubenking / dylanr@chronline.com | 8/1/25

David Edward Merrill appears in Lewis County Superior Court via video call from the Lewis County Jail for his preliminary hearing on Thursday, July 31.

$100K bail: Man, 22, charged with rape in Centralia

A local man was charged in Lewis County Superior Court on Thursday, July 31, with crimes connected to an alleged sexual assault. David Edward Merrill, 22, was arrested earlier this week after … more

By Jacob Moore / jacob@chronline.com | 8/1/25

Matthew Alan Poston appears in Lewis County Superior Court via video call from the Lewis County Jail for his preliminary hearing on Thursday, July 31.

$250K bail: Centralia man faces charges linked to alleged ongoing domestic violence

A Centralia man was charged with five felonies and a gross misdemeanor on Thursday, July 31, including burglary in the first degree and violating a protection order. Matthew Poston, 38, was … more

By Jacob Moore / jacob@chronline.com | 8/1/25

Mayor Kelly Smith Johnston speaks about George Washington during a memorial for Founder’s Day at the Washington Lawn Cemetery in Centralia on Saturday, Aug. 10, 3034.

Centralia Founder’s Day celebration set for Aug. 9 at George Washington Park

The Centralia Downtown Association invites the community to come together and honor the legacy of Centralia’s founder George Washington during Founder’s Day on Saturday, Aug. 9, with a … more

By The Chronicle staff | 8/1/25

Winlock Egg Days queen candidate Georgia Sayler speaks to the Winlock City Council during public comment on Monday, June 9, at Winlock City Hall.

A look at the candidates for Winlock mayor, school board and Napavine’s fire district in Tuesday’s primary election

While the majority of candidates running for office in Lewis County this year automatically advanced to November’s general election — as there were no more than two candidates running in … more

By Owen Sexton / owen@chronline.com | 8/1/25

Congresswoman Marie Gluesenkamp Perez talks to visitors at Kemp Olson Memorial Park in Toledo during a town hall event on Wednesday, Aug. 23, 2023.

Gluesenkamp Perez, colleagues introduce legislation to establish national fiscal contingency plans

U.S. Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, D-Skamania, along with Reps. Ben Cline, R-Virginia, Jared Golden, D-Maine, and Jack Bergman, R-Michigan, this week introduced the bipartisan Fiscal Contingency … more

By The Chronicle staff | 8/1/25

Conditions of Thurston County river basins improve modestly, new report shows

Thurston County is home to multiple watersheds and basins — areas of land where rivers, streams or other flowing surface waters converge. According to a Thurston Regional Planning Council … more

By The Chronicle staff | 8/1/25

Historic High Rock Lookout, shown here in an aerial drone photo taken by Mary Prophit in 2018, is perched on a 5,685-foot peak, offering visitors a spectacular view of Mount Rainier. It is one of the most popular destinations for hikers in the area.

Volunteers rebuild historic High Rock fire lookout near Mount Rainier after vandalism

One of Washington state’s most photogenic hikes, the High Rock Trail — known for its dramatic cliffs and panoramic views of Mount Rainier — is temporarily closed through … more

By Ian McCluskey / Oregon Public Broadcasting | 8/1/25

Eva Borst McElfresh is seen in this 1937 photograph showing three students the nightcap she wore when she lived at Fort Henness, the stockade on Mound Prairie, during the Indian Wars of 1855-56. She was taken to the fort as a 6-wek-old baby and was old enough to walk by the time her family left the fort. The girls are Donna Tisdale, who wrote the story of the Borst Family, Dorothy Rigg, who wrote an account of local Indian tribes, and Evelyn Walkling, whose history of Fort Henness and the Indian Wars makes up the early part of the history of Centralia. At the time, Eva McElfresh was one of the only living former residents of Fort Henness. This photo was found in a box in The Chronicle's building.

Man stealing gas ‘blown to pieces’ in Morton; drunk Chehalis teen hits deputy with beer bottle; Seven women seek Chehalis City Council seats

In this installment of A Look Back in Time, the Friday, Aug. 2, 1935, edition of The Chronicle featured a story about an unidentified man who was “blown to pieces” in a Morton tool shed … more

By Owen Sexton / owen@chronline.com | 8/1/25

Bear Gulch fire in Olympic National Forest expands, prompting evacuation

A Level 3 “GO” evacuation was ordered for areas near Lake Cushman in Olympic National Forest Thursday as the Bear Gulch fire grew to more than 3,000 acres and was only 3% contained. … more

By Ty Vinson / The Olympian (TNS) | 8/1/25

Pedestrian dies after being struck by a vehicle on I-5 in Thurston County

A pedestrian died when a vehicle struck them on Interstate 5 near Lacey Wednesday night. The collision occurred just after 9 p.m. at milepost 108 of southbound I-5 near Sleater Kinney Road, … more

Martín Bilbao / The Olympian (TNS) | 7/31/25

Pile of trash leads to arrest of Winlock man accused of having stolen motorcycle, meth

A pile of garbage on a roadway in Winlock eventually led to the arrest of a man now charged with possessing a stolen vehicle and methamphetamine. Brian Keith Roe, 51, of Winlock, made an … more

By The Chronicle staff | 7/31/25

Randle man faces felony charges over sexually explicit messages with 12-year-old girl

A Randle man is facing felony charges in Lewis County Superior Court after allegedly exchanging sexually explicit online messages with a 12-year-old girl. Parveen Parveen, 23, is accused … more

By The Chronicle staff | 7/31/25

Michelle Goodman, 31, of Centralia, was arrested at approximately 6:20 p.m. on Oct. 16 without incident, according to the Chehalis Police Department. She's pictured here during an appearance in Lewis County Superior Court last year.

Former Green Hill employee pleads guilty to abuse of office after allowing assault on inmate

A former Green Hill School employee accused of allowing an assault of an inmate and being involved in sexual misconduct with another inmate in separately filed criminal cases has pleaded guilty to … more

By The Chronicle staff | 7/31/25

Trisha M. Williams, 51, of Toledo, was booked into the Lewis County Jail at approximately 3:55 p.m. on Dec. 29, 2024, according to jail records.

Former bookkeeper of IGA in Winlock pleads guilty to theft, pays restitution

A 51-year-old Toledo woman has pleaded guilty to theft, a charge linked to accusations that she stole nearly $30,000 while serving as the bookkeeper of the Cedar Village IGA in Winlock, and was … more

By The Chronicle staff | 7/31/25

A rodeo participant attempts to stay on a bucking horse during the Thunder Mountain Pro Rodeo on Thursday, July 24 at the Cowlitz County Events Center. Rodeo supporters say bucking is natural, while animal activists disagree.

Cowlitz County, national activists question ethics of rodeos

Longview’s Thunder Mountain Pro Rodeo sold out all three nights for the second year in a row. But while the popularity of rodeo grows, animal activists worry about the treatment of horses, … more

Dan Rosenfield / The Daily News | 7/31/25

Cougar man found guilty of shooting air gun at four people

A Cougar man was sentenced Monday for shooting at four people with an air gun along Lewis River Road in 2023. Terry J. Becker, 58, was sentenced to six months in Cowlitz County Jail. A jury … more

Matt Esnayra / The Daily News | 7/31/25

Russian quake a reminder of Washington state’s risk of a major temblor

A powerful 8.8-magnitude earthquake struck off Russia's Far East coast early Wednesday, prompting tsunami warnings across the Pacific, including Washington state’s west coast. Although the … more

By Carleen Johnson / The Center Square | 7/31/25

Monument Ranger Rebecca Hoffman (top right) and her staff at a meeting on Sept. 23, 2019 at Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest in Washington. The forest is part of the U.S. Forest Service Region 6, who will lose its regional headquarters under a new plan from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. (Photo courtesy of USDA /Cecilio Ricardo)

U.S. Forest Service’s Pacific Northwest Region Headquarters could be closed

U.S. Forest Service offices in Portland charged with wildfire prevention, scientific research, forestland management and conservation across the Northwest would be shuttered and moved out of state … more

By Alex Baumhardt / States Newsroom | 7/31/25

District 3 Congressional candidate Joe Kent speaks during a debate hosted by The Chronicle in the TransAlta Commons at Centralia College on Thursday, Sept. 26.

Senate confirms Joe Kent to lead a national intelligence agency

Joe Kent, a former Army Special Forces soldier and two-time Republican candidate for Congress in Washington state, was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on Wednesday as director of the National … more

Jerry Cornfield / The Washington State Standard | 7/30/25