Local News
State Republican Budget Leader Calls for No Tax Increases Following Revenue Forecast
State Sen. Lynda Wilson, R-Vancouver, released a statement on Monday regarding a revenue forecast showing the state government now expects to bring in more than $1 billion less in revenue over the …
Gluesenkamp Perez Backs Bipartisan Effort to Assist Businesses With Career and Technical Education Graduates 
U.S. Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, D-Skamania County, on Wednesday introduced the Supporting Small Business and Technical Education Act along with a bipartisan group of congressional members, …
20th Legislative District Lawmakers Talk Guns, a ‘Bad Bill,’ Taxes and More During Virtual Town Hall
During a virtual town hall on Tuesday night, the 20th Legislative District’s three lawmakers answered questions from constituents about a wide array of issues.  State Sen. John Braun, …
Sirens: Indecent Exposure; Disorderly Conduct; Theft; Assault of Elderly Patient
CHEHALIS POLICE DEPARTMENT  Indecent Exposure  • A subject was reportedly “flashing people” in the 500 block of Southeast Washington Avenue just after 3:35 p.m. on …
Rochester High School Student Earns Prestigious PLU Scholarship 
Rochester High School student Hunter Morgan has been named a President’s Scholar at Pacific Lutheran University (PLU), according to a news release from the university.  Morgan was one …
Chehalis Middle School Student Earns Accolades at Prestigious Regional Swim Meet 
Addisyn Olson, a 13-year-old Chehalis Middle School student, earned a number of notable accolades during the Age Group Regionals Championship swim meet held at the Weyerhaeuser King County Aquatic …
Dawn’s Delectables Prepares for 10-Year Anniversary Next Month 
Now a staple of downtown Centralia, Dawn’s Delectables is preparing to celebrate its 10-year anniversary on Tuesday, April 18, according to a news release from the coffee, dessert and sandwich …
Chehalis Foundation and School District to Fund Drainage System Overhaul at Bearcat Stadium
The Chehalis School Board will allocate up to $300,000 to overhaul the drainage system at Bearcat Stadium, the board decided Tuesday.  That drainage overhaul is the first phase of a project …
35th District State Lawmaker Voices Support for Bill Addressing Fake Pills
In a statement released on Monday, state Rep. Dan Griffey, R-Allyn, said House Bill 1209, a bipartisan bill he is cosponsoring, “could become the most significant policy to come out of this …
Nonprofit Holding Homeless ‘Myths and Facts’ Forum at Centralia Library
Friends Without Homes, a Lewis County nonprofit organization focusing on providing those experiencing homelessness with resources and aid, announced at last week’s Centralia City Council …
Gluesenkamp Perez Signs on to Letter Urging SEC to Hold Silicon Bank Executives Accountable 
U.S. Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, D-Skamania County, last week joined fellow House Democrat Rep. Seth Magaziner, D-Rhode Island, in penning a letter to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) …
Washington Deadline to Remove Studded Tires Approaches 
The deadline to remove studded tires in Washington is before the end of day on Friday, March 31.  In a news release, the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) encouraged all …
A Look Back in Time: Two Green Hill Escapees Caught After Week-Long String of Thefts in 1963
Two Green Hill escapees, both 17, admitted to sheriff’s officers they committed a string of thefts before being apprehended, The Chronicle reported on Monday, March 25, 1963. The two escapees …
Onalaska School District Selects Brenda Padgett as New Superintendent
The Onalaska School Board has selected Brenda Padgett as its new superintendent after a special meeting on Wednesday following an interview process that included students, staff, parents and …
Two People in Custody After Man Dies of Apparent Overdose in Centralia Apartment 
Two people were arrested on drug offenses after law enforcement connected them to the overdose-related death of a 22-year-old man in Centralia on Tuesday.  Officers with the Centralia Police …
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Local Sports
Tigers One-Hit in Toutle
The Napavine baseball team came one out away from being no-hit by Toutle Lake, and while the first knock did put the Tigers on the board, it was too little, too late in a 4-1 loss to open up a …
Beavers Win on Golden Goal
The Tenino boys soccer team got back in the win column in dramatic fashion Friday, taking out Raymond-South Bend with a golden goal early in overtime. Tyler Minerich came away with the deciding …
Track Roundup: Napavine Girls 2nd in Eatonville
The Napavine track and field team went north to Eatonville on Thursday, taking second out of five schools in the girls meet and third out of four on the boys’ side. The Tigers cleaned up in …
Adna Girls Golf Drops First Match
In its first action of the season, the Adna girls golf team fell to Elma Thursday afternoon, 285-328.  Parker Feist led the Pirates, carding a 62, and Jaylee Humphrey (72), Annie Murphy (74), …
Bearcats Hoping to Run it Back After Successful 2022 Campaign
The W.F. West softball team — no stranger to success — didn’t achieve its major goal last season.  Finishing third at state after an undefeated run through districts for a …

Chronicle Podcast

  • Sports Dump Ep. 55: Baseball is BACK (weather permitting)
  • News Dump Ep. 135: Bury Me in Blue Jeans (in the Front Yard)
  • News Dump Ep. 134: Your Replacement Podcast Is Abysmal
Obituaries

In Loving Memory of Marlane Eastman: 1934-2023 

Marlane "Marty" Ruth Eastman was born in Denver, Colorado, to parents Aldor and Ruth Olson. She married Orville "Digger" Eastman in 1958. Together, they had three children, Geoff, Jennifer and Joel. …

In Loving Memory of Gary Davis: 1935-2023

Gary Arnold Davis was born on Dec. 8, 1935, to Clyde and Beuala (Bee) Davis in Carnation, Washington. He passed away at age 87 on March 12, 2023, in Centralia, Washington. He was preceded in death by …

In Loving Memory of John Dee Sill

John Dee Sill, a beloved father, grandfather and friend, went to heaven on March 14, 2023, at the age of 69. He was born in Centralia, Washington, to Rezin and Gloria Sill. He was the third child of …

Death Notices: March 24, 2023

• COLBY LENZ, 37, Died Feb. 3. Arrangements are under the care of Fir Lawn Funeral Chapel. • TRUDY DARLENE HOWELL, 70, Rochester, died March 12 at Providence St. Peter Hospital. …

In Loving Memory of Jean Schieck: 1929-2023

Jean Schieck peacefully went to be with the Lord on March 1, 2023, at 94 years of age. She was a loving, devoted wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother.  Jean was married to Don for …

 In Loving Memory of James ‘Jim’ Richey: 1945-2022

On Dec. 30, 2022, James “Jim” Arnold Richey passed away peacefully while being comforted by his wife at Providence St. Peter Hospital in Olympia, Washington, as a result of exposure to …
State & Regional News

Thurston County Police Arrest Man in Connection With 'Tragic' 2022 Child Homicide

Lacey police arrested a 32-year-old man Wednesday who is accused of killing a toddler in late 2022. Detectives booked the man into Thurston County jail on suspicion of second-degree murder, …

Nation/World News

Poland to Send Four Fighter Jets to Kyiv

Poland will send four Soviet-era fighter jets to Ukraine in the coming days as the nation moves ahead with deliveries to bolster Kyiv’s air power, President Andrzej Duda …

Schools
The Math Problem Part 2: Chehalis School District Aims to Conquer Its Biggest Hurdle With Innovative Teaching
Editor’s Note: This is the latest installment in an ongoing series focused on the Chehalis School District and the success of its Student Achievement Initiative, which was launched in 2013. The …
Achieving Success: The Math Problem: Chehalis — And America’s — Biggest Academic Hurdle
Editor’s Note: This is the latest installment in an ongoing series focused on the Chehalis School District and the success of its Student Achievement Initiative, which was launched in 2013. The …
‘The New Buzzword’: How the Chehalis School District Prioritized STEM and Technical Education to Give Students a Brighter Future
Editor’s note: This is the latest installment in an ongoing series focused on the Chehalis School District and the success of its Student Achievement Initiative, which was launched in 2013. The …
Chehalis School District Awarded $1.05M Grant for Student Achievement Initiative
The Chehalis School District will receive $1,050,000 from the Washington Student Achievement Council over the next 18 months to benefit the district’s Student Achievement Initiative. …
‘A Partnership That May Go On Forever’: How The Chehalis School District and Chehalis Foundation Achieved Success
Editor’s note: This is the third installment in an ongoing series focused on the Chehalis School District and the success of its Student Achievement Initiative, which was launched in 2013. …
Business Stories
UScellular Centralia Has a New Store Manager

Edgar Garcia Cisneros has been named the new manager for UScellular’s Centralia store, according to a news release.  With 15 years of experience in the wireless industry, Cisneros will …

Commentary

Isabel Vander Stoep Commentary: A Chehalis Rotary Club Story That Spans Generations

Some friendships span generations. In tight-knit Lewis County, we’re blessed to find these more frequently.  They are a privilege. I get to enjoy them because my grandparents, parents …

Braun Commentary: Supreme Court’s Income-Tax Ruling Clouds Encouraging News About Budgets

The no-new-taxes operating-budget proposal introduced in the Senate this session is a welcome turnaround. To be clear, there is no more need for new taxes this year than there was in either 2019 …

Erik Martin Commentary: Lewis County’s Future Is Bright

In 2009, I was hired as an engineer in the Lewis County Public Works Department. The Great Recession was in full swing, the housing bubble had burst and communities here had, in the span of less than …

Richard Stride Commentary: A Look Back at a Legend: Who Was the Real Lone Ranger?

Do you like the show “Yellowstone” or its spinoffs, “1883” and “1923?”  If you have not seen them, you should give them a try. Western TV shows and movies …

Commentary: Sacrifices of Medal of Honor Recipients Should Refocus America

Earlier this month, when President Joe Biden fastened the Congressional Medal of Honor around retired U.S. Army Col. Paris Davis’ neck, it was a welcome pause to the endless venomous rhetoric, …
Outdoors
Outdoors
WDFW Approves Razor Clam Digging at Long Beach; Digs Still on at Other Coastal Beaches
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) shellfish managers on Wednesday confirmed coastal razor clam digging will reopen at Long Beach on Thursday, March 23, in addition to digs planned at …
Spring Chinook Salmon Sportfishing Seasons Set for Lower Columbia River
Despite a significant increase in the predicted 2023 spring chinook salmon run, anglers will get just one day longer than last year to keep hatchery spring chinook through early April. Oregon and …
With Runs Rising, State Questions How to Manage Smelt in the Cowlitz, Columbia Rivers
The public is being asked to give their opinion on an environmental analysis focused on managing Eulachon in the Columbia River basin. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife drew up a …