Local News | The Daily Chronicle

Thurston County Commissioners Award Treatment Sales Tax Funds

The Thurston County Board of Commissioners this week voted unanimously to approve $1.2 million in treatment sales tax funds over a 19-month period beginning June 1 for six local service … more

By The Chronicle staff | 5/20/22

FILE PHOTO — South Silver Street, left, and South Iron Street, middle, run south in this aerial view of the site where Centralia College’s athletic complex is set to be built. The college’s gymnasium sits in the top center of the photo. The new turf complex will house a baseball field, softball field and an NCAA-sized soccer pitch.

Centralia College to Break Ground on New Athletic Field May 25

After over 20 years of planning and nine years of student fundraising, Centralia College will finally break ground on its new Multipurpose Athletic Field at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, May 25. The … more

By The Chronicle staff | 5/20/22

Visitors line up at vendors throughout Klickitat Prairie Park in Mossyrock during Freedom Festival celebrations last year.

Arbor Health Organizes Freedom Festival Benefit Run for Mossyrock Community Group

Arbor Health is partnering with the Mossyrock Area Action League (MAAL) to organize a benefit run during the communityFreedom Festival. The event will span the Fourth of July holiday weekend with the … more

By The Chronicle staff | 5/20/22

U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell lowers her mask as she is greeted before touring the Nisqually River by boat last April.

Cantwell Bill Allowing Longer Leases for Chehalis Tribal Land Moves to Senate Floor

A bill introduced by U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell that would add the Confederated Tribes of the Chehalis Reservation to a list of Tribes authorized to hold leases of up to 99 years has passed out of the … more

By The Olympian | 5/20/22

Hernestina Venegas-Gatica, 45, of Astoria, Oregon, appears virtually in Lewis County Superior Court on Wednesday.

Two More Suspects in Regional Drug Trafficking Case Appear in Court

Two more suspects in a drug trafficking case connected to a family-run operation out of Fresno, California, have appeared in Lewis County Superior Court. Juan Tolentino-Chino, 33, and Hernestina … more

By Emily Fitzgerald / emily@chronline.com | 5/20/22

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Deputy District Engineer for Programs and Project Management Liza Wells, left, chats with U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell at the top of the Sediment Retention Structure on the North Fork Toutle River recently. Cantwell held a roundtable discussion in Toutle before the tour.

Cantwell Meets With Cowlitz Leaders About Future of Controlling Sediment From 1980 Mount St. Helens Eruption

TOUTLE — The unpaved road to the Toutle River Sediment Retention Structure was blocked by fallen trees, so Sen. Maria Cantwell and a group led by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers walked through … more

By Brennen Kauffman / The Daily News | 5/20/22

A bald eagle soars over a barn off the Willapa Hills Trail on Monday afternoon. After an unseasonally wet and cold start to spring, the National Weather Service in Seattle is predicting warmer weather and clearer skies for the week ahead. Highs in the mid-60s to mid-70s and partly sunny skies are predicted through Thursday, according to the National Weather Service. The timing is especially helpful for the photographer who captured these photos. Reporter Isabel Vander Stoep and photographer Jared Wenzelburger on Saturday will embark on a journey on the Chehalis River — via kayak — from Pe Ell to Grays Harbor. They’ll take readers along for the ride, with comprehensive coverage of their journey and issues related to the river unfolding over 10 days. Follow along at chronline.com, and be sure to follow The Chronicle on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for bonus content.

In Focus: Views From Willapa Hills Trail, Tune Road and Highway 603

5/20/22

Virginia Krausch smiles while holding Maria, a pygmy goat, at Woodland Village Concepts of Chehalis Thursday afternoon.

Pygmy Goats Steal the Spotlight at Woodland Village in Chehalis During Visit With Seniors

The staff at Woodland Village in Chehalis works to make sure the seniors who reside there are always the center of attention. But on Thursday afternoon, a group of furry visitors stole the show. … more

By Matthew Zylstra / matthew@chronline.com | 5/20/22

Winlock native Julie Jacobo was sworn in as an officer with the Centralia Police Department during a January Centralia City Council meeting. She read the Law Enforcement Code of Ethics and her oath of office was administered by police Chief Stacy Denham. Shortly after, Jacobo’s badge was ceremonially pinned to her uniform by wife Kalyn Jacobo. Jacobo comes to the job with five years of law enforcement experience, mostly with Lewis County Sheriff’s Office and Lewis County corrections. She also has experience as a SWAT team member, Swiftwater Rescue Team member, Lewis County JNET detective and a general investigations detective. “In this case, it became very clear to me that Officer Jacobo has an impeccable reputation, she’s a hard worker, is accountable, ethical and a very determined individual,” Denham said, adding that it was an “extremely easy” decision to hire her. According to Denham, Jacobo enjoys spending time with her wife and two sons, hiking, working out, playing in the snow and swimming.

Man Accused of Seriously Injuring Officer During Arrest in Centralia

A Tacoma man is facing assault charges after he allegedly threw an officer to the ground, possibly giving her a concussion, while resisting arrest on vehicle and identity theft charges in Centralia … more

By Emily Fitzgerald / emily@chronline.com | 5/19/22

Alice Marie McKnight makes a video appearance in Lewis County Superior Court Thursday in Chehalis.

Toledo Woman Accused of Animal Cruelty Arrested and Released

A Toledo woman accused of animal cruelty was arrested on Wednesday and released on unsecured bail Thursday. Alice Marie McKnight, 75, was arrested on a $100,000 warrant on Wednesday and remained … more

By Emily Fitzgerald / emily@chronline.com | 5/19/22

Victor Hugo Ortiz Bucio, 27, sits next to his attorney Richard Woodrow, during his sentencing hearing on Tuesday, May 17, 2022. Thurston County Superior Court judge Mary Sue Wilson sentenced Victor Hugo Ortiz Bucio to a total of 29 months in prison with 18 months of community custody.

Thurston County Judge Sentences Man for Assault, Car Chase That Led to K9 Arlo Shooting

A 27-year-old Thurston County man who led police on a car chase in 2021 that resulted in him and a popular K9 being shot has been sentenced to more than two years in prison. On Tuesday, … more

By Martín Bilbao / The Olympian | 5/19/22

Cristopher Allen Gaudreau, 28, of Centralia, appears via video in Lewis County Superior Court on Wednesday. His trial for the murder of 39-year-old Rikkey Outumuro has been delayed until December.

Centralia Murder Trial Delayed Again as Crime Lab Continues Processing Evidence

The trial for Cristopher Gaudreau, the Centralia man accused of killing his girlfriend, 39-year-old Rikkey Outumuro, has been delayed until the week of Dec. 12. A Lewis County Superior Court … more

Emily Fitzgerald / emily@chronline.com | 5/19/22

Arrest Warrant Issued for Winlock Man Accused of Stealing Fuel From Vans at Centralia College

A Lewis County Superior Court judge has issued a $25,000 warrant for the arrest of a Winlock man accused of stealing fuel out of two vans at Centralia College in March. The defendant, … more

By The Chronicle staff | 5/19/22

A scene of the devastated landscape after the May 18, 1980, eruption of Mount St. Helens. (The Oregonian)

Mount St. Helens Eruption: Oregonian Images From 1980 Capture Awesome Power, Deadly Destruction

Mount St. Helens blew up on May 18, 1980. “The initial explosion was heard more than 150 miles away,” The Oregonian wrote the next day, with the volcanic eruption flattening forests … more

Douglas Perry / Oregonlive.com (TNS) | 5/19/22

Thurston County Narcotics Task Force Arrests Man Accused of Dealing Fentanyl, Heroin and Meth

Deputies arrested a 39-year-old Thurston County man on Tuesday who is accused of dealing fentanyl and other illicit drugs. The Thurston County Narcotics Task Force arrested the man after … more

Martín Bilbao / The Olympian | 5/19/22

Sen. John Brain, R-Centralia, speaks on the Senate floor in this photograph provided by Senate Republicans.

Braun Calls For Gas Tax Suspension; Southwest Washington Colleagues Voice Agreement

On Monday, State Sen. John Braun, R-Centralia, released a statement calling for a suspension of the 49.4 cent state gas tax, calling it the “one sure way to lower the cost of … more

By Matthew Zylstra / matthew@chronline.com | 5/18/22

Upcoming Lewis County Workshops Aimed at Possible Massive Quake

Beginning in June, the Lewis County Department of Emergency Management (DEM) will lead a discussion-based activity to address the recovery phase 96 hours after a hypothetical 9.0 earthquake hits the … more

By The Chronicle staff | 5/18/22

Hens peck through dirt west of Chehalis on Tuesday night.

Thurston County Confirms Bird Flu in a Backyard Flock

Since its arrival in Washington state two weeks ago, highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), also known as bird flu, has now hit nine backyard flocks in seven counties, with Thurston County … more

By The Chronicle staff | 5/18/22

Maps of Mickelsen Parkway hang on a wall inside the Winlock City Office last February.

Winlock Rescinds Application For Urban Growth Area Expansion

The City of Winlock has withdrawn its application to expand the city’s Urban Growth Area (UGA). The city had been considering expanding its UGA — a designation under the Growth … more

By The Chronicle staff | 5/18/22

The winners in the male, female and two youth runner categories pose for a photo following the Run for Five, Recovery is Alive 5k in Chehalis on Monday.

‘Run For Five, Recovery Is Alive’ Race Celebrates Lewis County Drug Court Participants

Runners and walkers took to Stan Hedwall Park in Chehalis on Monday for an out-and-back 5K on Rice Road to recognize National Drug Court Month and celebrate the participants of Lewis County’s … more

By The Chronicle staff | 5/18/22