Local News | The Daily Chronicle

In focus: Firefighters douse brush fire north of Centralia

The Washington Department of Natural Resources extinguished a brush fire that burned a quarter acre north of Centralia near Oconnor Road Southeast on Thursday, May 8. According to Incident Commander … more

5/9/25

Death notices: May 9, 2025

• JERRY DARREL SEIFERT, 77, Oakville, died April 27 in Chehalis. Arrangements are under the care of Funeral Alternatives of Washington. • KENNETH ELVIN HOLMES, 81, Chehalis, died May 1 … more

5/9/25

W.F. West students and Lewis County Coffee Co. staff members and owners pose for a photo outside of the stand in Chehalis on Tuesday, May 21, 2024

Lewis County Coffee Co. supporting W.F. West club behind Crimson & Gray coffee shop with fundraiser

Lewis County Coffee Co. will serve a drink called the Bearcat Energizer from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Tuesday, May 13 at its 2015 Jackson Hwy location in Chehalis to support W.F. West High School’s … more

By The Chronicle staff | 5/9/25

"Eastern Railway, Lumber Firm Was Once Biggest: Organized in 1903, the Eastern Railway and Lumber Company of Centralia reigned as an industrial landmark for nearly 40 years. During its heyday, it was one of the largest mill operations in the state although by the time it was destroyed by fire in the fall of 1939, much of its equipment had become outdated in comparison to the mill giants that had sprung up at Longview, Everett, and Grays Harbor. The record is not entirely clear, but the location was first by the Ballard and Bond mill, built about 1888 and one of Lewis County's early mills. It operated until 1903, when F. B. Hubbard purchased the plant with the assistance of eastern capital. He enlarged its operations and gave it the name it carried for almost 40 years. The Eastern became Centralia's largest payroll, employing more than 500 men at one time. The Eastern firm. also acquired what was the H. H. Martin Lumber Co., and named it the Western Mill. It was located northwest of the Eastern plant and on the west side of the mainline Northern Pacific railroad tracks. For a short time, both plants combined their railway and logging operations, giving jobs to about 1,000 men. Mention history of the Eastern Railway and Lumber Co., and in most of it is Sam Agnew, who rose from foreman to be its general manager and owner of the principal amount of its stock. The Eastern also figured in the history of Centralia's municipal light system. In the middle 1920s, the city and the Puget Sound Power and Light Co., which supplied the city-owned system, tangled over a raise in power rates. Under a corporation arrangement, the mill firm built large generators at the Western Mill, coupled them with the mill's generators and provided power for the city. The arrangement lasted for about 10 years, when the city utility entered its hydroelectric project on the Nisqually River near Yelm. When the Eastern was lost in the fire, Sam Agnew headed an organization to lease the Western properties from the Eastern corporation. That was the S. A. Agnew Lumber Co., which continued production until the 1950s. By 1965, the plant equipment was sold off and work started to remove the mill's structures. Mr. Agnew, with more than 70 years in the industry, died in 1965, He was 86 and regarded as one of the Northwest's last lumber kings." — originally published by The Daily Chronicle on Oct. 10, 1966

A Look Back in Time: Strike shuts down Centralia sawmill; Burglar accidently gets into police car; Tumwater woman honored as Mother of the Year at WSU

In this installment of A Look Back in Time, the Friday, May 10, 1935, edition of The Chronicle featured a story about operations being shut down due to the start of a labor strike at the Eastern … more

By Owen Sexton / owen@chronline.com | 5/9/25

The WSU Extension Lewis County Master Gardeners' 2023 Spring Plant Sale.

Master Gardener Foundation of Lewis County to host annual Spring Plant Sale

The Master Gardener Foundation of Lewis County has announced the return of its annual Spring Plant Sale. The event will take place from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on May 17 and from 9 a.m. until sold out … more

By The Chronicle | 5/9/25

This static image is from a USGS Cascades Volcano Observatory research camera located at the Johnston Ridge Observatory, north of Mount St. Helens. The view is to the south. This camera is intended to assist the USGS with situational awareness. At times, clouds, rain, and snow obscure visibility.

After two years, Mount St. Helens camera back online

After nearly two years, the camera at the site of the 1980 Mount St. Helens eruption is back online. Steven Friederich, public information officer for the Washington Emergency Management … more

By The Daily News | 5/9/25

Readers Lens: Stunning morning views from above Mount St. Helens

Mount St. Helens is pictured from above at about 6 a.m. May 2 in these photos captured by Shawn Downs, a commercial rated pilot who flies out of Toledo. It was captured from about 7,500 feet from … more

5/9/25

Centralia Point Assisted Living and Memory Care staff are pictured in this photo provided by the Centralia-Chehalis Chamber of Commerce.

Centralia Point Assisted Living and Memory Care to host May Business After Hours

Centralia Point Assisted Living and Memory Care will host May’s Centralia-Chehalis Chamber of Commerce Business After Hours event. The event takes place from 5 to 7 p.m. on Thursday, May … more

By The Chronicle staff | 5/9/25

Centralia Mayor Kelly Smith Johnston receives a round of applause and a standing ovation during a Women in Business Seminar inside the Vintage Grand Room at the Washington Hotel in Chehalis in 2023. She is a speaker at this year’s Women in Business event.

Economic Alliance of Lewis County’s annual Women in Business Seminar set for May 14

The Economic Alliance of Lewis County will host its third annual Women in Business Seminar on Wednesday, May 14. The event invites working women and their supporters to learn from the … more

By Emily Fitzgerald / emily@chronline.com | 5/9/25

he Thurston County Sheriff’s Office is on the lookout for 27-year-old Damien Madison, who’s wanted for multiple felony crimes after firing at a deputy with an AR-15 style rifle during a pursuit.

Thurston County Sheriff’s Office searching for man on the run who fired an AR-15 at a deputy

The Thurston County Sheriff’s Office is on the lookout for a 27-year-old man who is wanted for multiple felony crimes after firing an AR-15 style rifle at a deputy late Thursday night during a … more

By Ty Vinson / The Olympian | 5/9/25

News Dump hosts Eric Schwartz, left, and Aaron VanTuyl.

News Dump Ep. 234: Chris Judd introduces us to Dolly Parton

On the 234rd episode of The Chronicle News Dump, hosts Aaron VanTuyl and Eric Schwartz welcome on Chris Judd from United Way of Lewis County to discuss Dolly Day and the Imagination Library, the many … more

5/8/25

Centralia College’s 2025 Legacy Award honoree once opened for Elvis Presley

The Centralia College Foundation has selected Don Rich, who was born Donald Eugene Urich, for its 2025 Legacy Award. The award honors his dedication, commitment and contribution to music, … more

By The Chronicle staff | 5/8/25

Roger Morningstar attends a Board of Health meeting in Chehalis in January of 2023.

Trial for former Morton Police Chief Roger Morningstar delayed to week of June 2

The criminal trial for former Morton Police Chief Roger Morningstar has again been delayed, this time to the week of June 2. A trial confirmation hearing is scheduled for 9:40 a.m. on May … more

By Emily Fitzgerald / emily@chronline.com | 5/8/25

Mark Allan Leach, 20, of Centralia, appears in Lewis County Superior Court on Thursday, May 8.

Bail set at $250K for Centralia man accused of holding a woman at gunpoint overnight

Bail is set at $250,000 for a Centralia man accused of holding a gun to his girlfriend’s head and repeatedly threatening to commit a muder-suicide Sunday night. “This is one of … more

By Emily Fitzgerald / emily@chronline.com | 5/8/25

Terry Joe Ayres Jr., 40, appears in Lewis County Superior Court on Monday, May 5.

$1 million bail: Man accused of sexual assault of a child in Centralia charged in Lewis County Superior Court

The 40-year-old man arrested Friday, May 2, and held in the Lewis County Jail on $1 million bail and 72-hour hold was charged Wednesday with one count of first-degree rape of a child. The … more

By Emily Fitzgerald / emily@chronline.com | 5/7/25

Nicholas Adam Judson, 40, of Centralia, appears in Lewis County Superior Court on Wednesday, May 7.

Green Hill School employee accused of ordering THC-filled burrito arrested for abuse of office

The Green Hill School employee who allegedly placed a food order for an inmate on March 30 that was intercepted and found to contain 1.3 pounds of THC concentrate has been arrested. … more

By Emily Fitzgerald / emily@chronline.com | 5/7/25

Sirens: Man arrested after grabbing genitals; possession of fentanyl, meth and methadone; theft of EBT benefits reported; possible sex trafficking of teen reported

CHEHALIS POLICE DEPARTMENT Vehicle accidents • A non-injury, two-vehicle collision was reported at the intersection of Northwest State Avenue and West Main Street at approximately … more

By The Chronicle staff | 5/7/25

Morton City Clerk LuAnn Ward, on the right end of the table, takes questions from the Morton City Council during the council's Monday, April 28, meeting, concerning a proposal to pay Office of the Washington State Auditor fees using the city's Local Government Investment Poll funds. Tamara “Tammy” Clevenger served as the clerk-treasurer for Morton from 2012-2022. She's accused of steal nearly $1 million over a decade.

Former Morton clerk-treasurer pleads guilty to federal wire fraud charge

The former clerk-treasurer for the City of Morton pleaded guilty Wednesday in U.S. District Court to a wire fraud charge connected to her nine-year scheme to steal nearly $1 million from city … more

By The Chronicle staff | 5/7/25

Mount Rainier glows during sunset on Friday, Jan. 12, as seen from U.S. Highway 12 near Onalaska.

Strange things in the skies above Lewis County: Reports reveal sightings of unidentified objects going back to 1996

UFOs and discussion of sightings, long discredited and mocked in the mainstream, have become more widely accepted. In 2022, the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) even established the All-Domain … more

By Owen Sexton / owen@chronline.com | 5/7/25

Chehalis Flying Saucer Party speaker Steve Edmiston talks about the Maury Island Incident at McFiler's Chehalis Theater during the Flying Saucer Party on Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024.

Organizers preparing for UFO debate in New Mexico, pitting Kenneth Arnold and Harold Dahl against Mac Brazel

While Chehalis Flying Saucer Party organizers are preparing for this year’s festival in September, they also have a debate coming up — and the debate’s date has now been set, … more

By Owen Sexton / owen@chronline.com | 5/7/25