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Photos by Jared Wenzelburger / jared@chronline.com Sandrini Construction crews work Wednesday morning to fill LeMay shipping containers with debris from the former Papa Pete’s Pizza and Shari’s Restaurant location in Centralia after a fire destroyed the building on Harrison Avenue in early March. Christopher Jackson Jr. was convicted for breaking into the building on Sunday, March 5, lighting a Sterno can on fire and then accidentally knocking it over, spilling the flaming fluid and starting the fire that destroyed the building. He was sentenced last week to three to six months in a court-imposed residential drug offender sentencing alternative inpatient program. The hexagon-shaped building where Papa Pete’s was most recently located originally opened in January 1983 as the 26th restaurant in the Shari’s chain, according to previous Chronicle reporting. Shari’s closed in 2007, but the building remained. Three years later, in June 2010, the Castle Rock-based chain Papa Pete’s Pizza announced it would open a new location in the hexagon-shaped building on Harrison Avenue. At 4,300 square feet, the Centralia location was Papa Pete’s smallest eatery, according to previous Chronicle reporting. The pizza chain operated on Harrison Avenue through February 2022 before permanently closing its Centralia location. According to Lewis County Parcels, the property is owned by Vahan Dinihanian of 933 Harrison Avenue Centralia LLC. About $16,500 is owed in taxes on the property.

In Focus: Crews Work to Clear Scene of March Fire in Centralia

6/28/23

Oakville Superintendent Richard Staley Recognized as Outstanding Educator at State Conference

Oakville School District Superintendent Richard Staley was one of three Washington superintendents selected to receive the Robert J. Handy Most Effective Administrator Award at a statewide educators … more

By The Chronicle staff | 6/28/23

Photos by Jared Wenzelburger / jared@chronline.com Carrie Bredy smiles while embracing a passerby who stopped to help and provide encouraging words in Morton on Tuesday after an act of vandalism. Sara Smiley and husband Jason Sawyer own a woodworking shop in downtown Morton where they sell topographic maps and niche furniture. Smiley is a board member on the Lewis County Dignity Guild, a nonprofit that hosted this year’s Lewis County Pride event and provides signs frequently seen across the county that read “rural Americans against racism” and Pride flag-colored signs that read “Lewis County Welcomes Everyone.” Smiley and Sawyer’s shop window is adorned with the signs and Pride flags. Out front, they have a rainbow bench called “The Buddy Bench.” The week of June 13, someone vandalized their window. Then, early in the morning on Saturday, June 24, the business was one in a string of four locations significant to the Dignity Guild that were vandalized: four full-sized windows were smashed in. At the other three sites, a rainbow-painted fence in Chehalis, “The Friendship Fence,” was splattered with black paint; the organization’s new headquarters in Chehalis near the county courthouse had several windows broken; and a flagpole that hosted a Pride flag was bent and the flag stolen. To read a full story about the vandalism, visit https://tinyurl.com/3udmbrmy.

In Focus: Volunteers Make Repairs After Vandalism in Morton

Sara Smiley and husband Jason Sawyer own a woodworking shop in downtown Morton where they sell topographic maps and niche furniture. Smiley is a board member on the Lewis County Dignity Guild, a … more

6/28/23

Dakota Hawkins throws a pitch during Washington State's 7-6 loss to Stanford on May 18 in Pullman. Hawkins, a W.F. West alum, posted a 4.32 ERA with 92 strikeouts in 73 innings for the Cougars this past spring.

Hawkins’ Long Journey Pays Off in Pullman

After an early career chock-full of unsteadiness, former W.F. West standout Dakota Hawkins found some consistency in his final collegiate season for the Washington State Cougars in 2023. … more

By Alec Dietz / alec@chronline.com | 6/28/23

In Loving Memory of Charlene Lytle: 1952-2022

Charlene Ilene Dickinson Lytle was born on July 7, 1952, and passed away on Oct. 18, 2022. Charlene met the love of her life at an early age. John Lytle gave Charlene her first ring at 11 … more

6/28/23

In Loving Memory of Shirley Rhoades: 1936-2023

Shirley Anne Rhoades, 86, went home to be with the Lord on June 5, 2023 while surrounded by her family in Oakville, Washington. Shirley was born Oct. 16, 1936 to Ernest Fredrick and Thelma … more

6/28/23

In Loving Memory of Harold Oster: 1940-2023

Harold Oster was born May 23, 1940, in Centralia, Washington to Hazel Huff and Edwin Oster. Harold passed away on June 1, 2023, in Kennewick, Washington. He graduated from Centralia High … more

6/28/23

Murder-Suicide Suspected in Vancouver After Two Girls Call 911

Two Vancouver girls called 911 Monday night to report that their stepfather had shot their mother and then himself, the Clark County Sheriff’s Office said. Sheriff’s officials later … more

The Oregonian / oregonlive.com / (TNS) | 6/28/23

‘I Will Die in Prison’: Oregon Man Convicted in Fatal Stabbing Over Parking Spot

A Gresham man who fatally stabbed his neighbor during a dispute over a parking spot predicted he would die in prison while serving his eight-year sentence — even as the victim’s family … more

Zane Sparling / oregonlive.com / (TNS) | 6/28/23

The U.S. Supreme Court building as seen on Sunday, July 11, 2021, in Washington, D.C. (Daniel Slim/AFP/Getty Images/TNS)

Washington Planned Parenthood Sites See Increase in Out-of-State Visitors

Washington State Planned Parenthood locations have seen an overall uptick in abortion patients, particularly those from out of state, in the year since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. … more

Mitchell Roland / The Wenatchee World (TNS) | 6/28/23

The U.S. Capitol Building in Washington, D.C. (Kent Nishimura/Los Angeles Times/TNS)

Washington Gets $1.2 Billion in Federal Funds to Expand High-Speed Internet

Washington state will get more than $1.2 billion from the federal government to deliver high-speed internet to communities with slow, unreliable or nonexistent service, the Biden administration … more

Alexandra Yoon-Hendricks / The Seattle Times (TNS) | 6/28/23

Man Found Dead in Thurston County Restaurant Bathroom Identified by County Coroner

A 42-year-old man who died in a restroom at the Olive Garden restaurant in west Olympia has been identified, according to the Thurston County Coroner's Office. Although the cause of death is … more

Rolf Boone / The Olympian (TNS) | 6/28/23

King County Stores Must Accept Cash, County Council Says

Retail shops and restaurants in unincorporated King County will be required to accept cash after a divided Metropolitan King County Council voted narrowly for the change Tuesday. It is, on its … more

David Gutman / The Seattle Times (TNS) | 6/28/23

The view of downtown Oregon City from the top of the Municipal Elevator.

Two Arrested During Brawl Between Proud Boys, Nationalists Protesting Oregon Pride Event, Police and Witness Say

Two people were arrested over the weekend after a sidewalk skirmish broke out between rival groups demonstrating against Oregon City’s first-ever Pride Night festival. A now-viral video of … more

Zane Sparling / oregonlive.com (TNS) | 6/28/23

"Lost and Broken: My Journey Back from Chronic Pain and Crippling Anxiety," by Adam Smith. (Simon and Schuster/TNS)

Washington Rep. Adam Smith Shares His Mental Health Challenges in New Memoir

SEATTLE — Politicians campaign by convincing the public they're the best person for the job. While serving in office, they have to be confident and ready to engage on policies and talking … more

Michelle Baruchman / The Seattle Times (TNS) | 6/28/23

North Carolina Man Found Dead at Thurston County Bus Shelter Has Been Identified

A 43-year-old man who was found dead at a bus shelter in Olympia has been identified, according to the Thurston County Coroner's Office. About 11 p.m. June 19, Olympia police and fire crews were … more

Rolf Boone / The Olympian (TNS) | 6/28/23

Peter Abbarno Commentary: The Real Impact of Higher Gas Prices

The real impact of higher gas prices is not only felt at the pump. The real impact of higher gas prices is felt at the kitchen table. It is kitchen table issues such as the cost of food, utilities … more

By Rep. Peter Abbarno, R-Centralia | 6/27/23

Thurston County Deputies Stop Vehicle Fleeing From Lewis County After Occupants Falsely Claim a Baby Was in the Car

The Thurston County Sheriff’s Office successfully stopped a vehicle carrying two occupants who fled from Lewis County law enforcement and called 911 repeatedly to report they had a baby in the … more

By The Chronicle staff | 6/27/23

Flags are displayed on tractors and trucks traveling down South Tower Avenue in downtown Centralia in July 2022.

Centralia Summerfest Brings Back Old Traditions in New Downtown Locations for 2023

This year’s Fourth of July Summerfest will feature the return of some beloved pre-COVID-19 traditions in new locations, as the City of Centralia, the Centralia Downtown Association, Centralia … more

By Emily Fitzgerald / emily@chronline.com | 6/27/23

Holly Johnson smiles as she receives flowers and a certificate of recognition for her Regional Teacher of the Year Award in Tenino on Monday, June 26.

Tenino Special Education Instructor Honored as Regional Teacher of the Year

Having just finished her 21st year as an educator, Parkside Elementary School Special Education Teacher Holly Johnson was recognized Monday as Capital Region Education Service District (ESD) … more

By Emily Fitzgerald / emily@chronline.com | 6/27/23