News | The Daily Chronicle

The gun that was allegedly used by Jenny Laurel Kearney during an encounter with a 15-year-old victim on May 30, 2024, in Ryderwood.

Mistrial declared in child molestation case out of Ryderwood

A new trial date has been set after a mistrial was declared in the case of a 51-year-old woman accused of forcing a teenage boy to touch her genitals at gunpoint in Ryderwood. Jenny Laurel … more

By Matt Esnayra / The Daily News | 7/2/25

A West Thurston Fire truck sprays water Tuesday in Rochester.

Firefighters extinguish ‘suspicious’ brush fires in Grand Mound

Firefighters put out several brush fires they consider suspicious near Interstate 5 at Ground Mound Tuesday night, West Thurston Fire Authority Fire Chief Nathan Drake said. “As of … more

By Martín Bilbao / The Olympian | 7/2/25

W.F. West’s Bearcat Football Stadium is pictured from above at W.F. West High School in Chehalis on Thursday, June 19.

Chehalis Foundation launches fundraising campaign for W.F. West field expansion

The Chehalis Foundation is spearheading a fundraising campaign to install turf, resurface the track and expand the facility to include a regulation-size soccer field at W.F. West High School’s … more

By The Chronicle staff | 7/2/25

Sirens: Jailed for criminal impersonation; air conditioner stolen; DUI arrest; report of assault ends in crash

CENTRALIA POLICE DEPARTMENT Arrests • Heaven C. Wilcox, 25, of Benton City, was arrested and booked into the Lewis County Jail for criminal impersonation at about 8:51 a.m. June 30 in … more

By The Chronicle staff | 7/2/25

Death notices: July 2, 2025

• ARTHUR L. SPITZMILLER, 83, Tenino, died June 28 at Providence Centralia Hospital. Arrangements are under the care of Cattermole Funeral Home. • RUFUS “SONNY” MCCLESKEY, … more

7/2/25

Fireworks light up the sky as spectators look on during a display at the Freedom Celebration at the Jesus Name Pentecostal Church in Chehalis on Wednesday, July 3, 2024.

Chehalis church’s Fourth of July fireworks show canceled this year, will return in 2026

Jesus Name Pentecostal Church (JNPC) in Chehalis puts on a massive fireworks show every Fourth of July known as the Freedom Celebration. Along with the fireworks show in the evening, church … more

By The Chronicle staff | 7/2/25

‘Butter Sweet’ bakery gaining popularity in Thurston County town of Rainier

Local baker Grace Robinson needed something to do. The Michigan native was living at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in 2019 with her husband and firstborn when she got the idea to start making sugar … more

By Jacob Farmer / For The Chronicle | 7/2/25

Thurston County Commissioner Wayne Fournier, crouched at center, assists at the scene of a rollover crash in Centralia on Monday in this photo he provided to The Chronicle.

Thurston County commissioner assists at scene of rollover crash in Centralia

Thurston County Commissioner Wayne Fournier, who is also a full-time firefighter in Grays Harbor County, found himself in the right place at the right time to assist victims of a crash in Centralia … more

By The Chronicle staff | 7/2/25

Fourth annual Darian Paige Atkinson Memorial 5K scheduled for July 13 in Glenoma

By The Chronicle staff The fourth annual Darian Paige Atkinson Memorial 5K, named in honor of Atkinson, a White Pass High School graduate who died in 2021 at the age of 25, is scheduled for … more

7/2/25

Centralia Middle School's Wyatt Oliver, Bailey Gwinn, Skyla Collins, and Caden Erickson pose for a photo with their school records at Centralia Middle School.

Four Centralia Middle School track and field athletes set new school records

Four Centralia Middle School track and field athletes set new school records this season, and the quartet was presented with labels recognizing the new records last week. Wyatt Oliver ran the … more

By The Chronicle staff | 7/2/25

Thurston County teen claims reserve world championship at national junior rodeo

8.99 seconds. Brooklynn Bell traveled over 1,800 miles and over 28 hours from Rainier to Des Moines, Iowa, for just that seemingly miniscule amount of time. But in the junior high breakaway … more

By Dylan Reubenking / dylanr@chronline.com | 7/2/25

From left, University of Idaho students Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin were killed in a November 2022 attack at an off-campus house on King Road in Moscow.

‘Guilty’: Bryan Kohberger admits to murder of 4 University of Idaho students

Bryan Kohberger admitted in court Wednesday that he killed four University of Idaho students in 2022, finally bringing some closure to the 2 ½-year case that brought national attention to the … more

By Alex Brizee and Kevin Fixler /The News Tribune | 7/2/25

Coeur d’Alene Fire Department Battalion Chief John Morrison, Kootenai County Fire Department Battalion Chief Frank Harwood and Coeur d’Alene Fire Department Engineer David Tysdal.

Donations now accepted for victims in North Idaho firefighter shooting ambush

Donations are being accepted for firefighters shot in an ambush in Coeur d’Alene. Memorial funds for the two killed firefighters, a support fund for the injured firefighter, … more

7/2/25

Plan to sell 5.4 million acres of public lands dropped from ‘big beautiful bill’ Senate OK’d

The U.S. Senate, with help from Vice President J.D. Vance, passed President Trump’s “big beautiful” budget bill, but Washington’s public lands will not be up for sale. … more

Ann Duan / The Bellingham Herald (TNS) | 7/2/25

Ex-Washington state pastor accused of $5.9M crypto fraud called ‘serious danger’ to community

The former pastor of a Pasco church is back in jail after accusations he committed fraud and tampered with witnesses while awaiting trial in a multi-million dollar cryptocurrency fraud case in … more

Annette Cary / The Bellingham Herald (TNS) | 7/2/25

New laws are taking effect in Washington state this week. Here’s what to know

Washington state legislators had an action-packed 2025 session, leaving Gov. Bob Ferguson to sign loads of bills into law. Some new laws took effect immediately while others had a longer wait … more

Simone Carter / The Bellingham Herald (TNS) | 7/2/25

Mat Farnum, center, pickets outside Angel of the Winds Arena as striking Boeing employees pass through to vote on a contract Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2024, in Everett, Washington. (Ryan Berry)

Boeing relents in fight over nonunion work, reinstates laid-off engineers

Boeing has reinstated dozens of laid-off Washington workers who, the engineering union alleged, were in the same roles as nonunion workers but spared from the widespread job cuts. The Society of … more

Lauren Rosenblatt / The Seattle Times (TNS) | 7/2/25

Authorities have released updated photos of Travis Decker, who’s wanted in the deaths of his three young daughters, warning the 32-year-old suspect may have changed his appearance.(Chelan County Sheriff's Office/TNS)

New evidence implicates Travis Decker as sole suspect in deaths

A poster displaying information about Travis Decker hangs Tuesday at the at the Stuart Lake Trailhead outside Leavenworth. New evidence points to Travis Decker as the sole suspect in the deaths … more

Jenni Rodas / The Wenatchee World (TNS) | 7/2/25

Increased outdoors fees in effect as of July 1

In a controversial decision, Washington State has approved a significant increase in recreational fishing and hunting license fees, which officially took effect July 1. "This bill proposes an … more

Nance Beston / Columbia Basin Herald (TNS) | 7/2/25

Washington state Wildlife commission sued, accused of ‘egregious’ violations of records law

A national sportsmen's group says it has found “egregious” violations of Washington’s Public Records Act by the state’s Department of Fish and Wildlife commissioners, and it's … more

Shauna Sowers / The Seattle Times (TNS) | 7/2/25