News | The Daily Chronicle

Container ship captain pleads not guilty to boating drunk in Seattle

A container ship captain pleaded not guilty Monday to a charge of operating a vessel under the influence of alcohol, five days after he allegedly captained a 1,094-foot vessel from Everett to Seattle … more

Catalina Gaitán / The Seattle Times (TNS) | 8/26/25

Washington state police chase ends in fatal crash in Everett; driver charged

A man suspected of driving under the influence in Everett was charged Monday with vehicular homicide, two days after Washington State Patrol troopers chased him for about four miles before he crashed … more

Catalina Gaitán and Caitlyn Freeman / The Seattle Times (TNS) | 8/26/25

3,700 Washington farms shut down in five years. Why?

Don McMoran is a fourth-generation farmer. And his family's farm in Mount Vernon, Washington, might end with him. McMoran has two 16-year-old daughters. One is “mildly interested” in … more

Mara Mellits / The Seattle Times (TNS) | 8/26/25

Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents arrest a fugitive in 2020.

‘Terrible place’: Washington activist shares his story of four months in ICE detention

Editor’s note: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents detained farmworker and labor activist Alfredo “Lelo” Juarez Zeferino, 25, of Sedro-Woolley, Wash., on March 25 in … more

Hannah Edelman / The Bellingham Herald (TNS) | 8/26/25

Washington state businesses caught between high costs, tariffs — and weary consumers

In the face of stubborn inflation and higher costs from new tariffs, many businesses in Seattle and across Washington face a tough choice: Eat those rising costs or pass them along. At The … more

Paul Roberts / The Seattle Times (TNS) | 8/26/25

Joleen R. Tenorio, 31, Battle Ground, makes a video appearance in Lewis County Superior Court on Monday, Aug. 25.

Suspect accused of eluding Centralia, Chehalis and Lewis County police faces felony

Joleen R. Tenorio, the 31-year-old Battle Ground woman arrested Aug. 22 after fleeing the scene of a collision in Centralia that afternoon, was charged with one count of attempting to elude a … more

By Jacob Farmer / jfarmer@chronline.com | 8/25/25

A man walks his dog into the Timberland Veterinary Hospital located on U.S. Highway 12 just off Exit 68 on Interstate 5 on Thursday, Aug. 21.

Lewis County’s Timberland Veterinary Hospital now offering after hours weekend emergency care

For Lewis County pet owners, emergency medical care for their furry best friends often means having to drive an hour and a half or more to Olympia. That’s a nightmare situation for pet … more

By Owen Sexton / owen@chronline.com | 8/25/25

In the front row from left, Centralia School District Superintendent Lisa Grant, Washington Elementary School Head Secretary Connie Dickey and Washington Elementary principal Danielle Vekich hold a ceremonial donation check alongside Lewis County Footsteps of Hope Board President Paula Burrows, Lewis County Footsteps of Hope board member Kami Baine and Wellpoint Washington community relations representative Chala Gray on Friday, Aug. 22, at Washington Elementary School. Standing behind them from the left are Market Street Ace Hardware employees Lucas Mullen and Eric Lampkin alongside Centralia School Board Director Deb Parnham and Centralia School Board President Tim Browning.

A cool gift for hungry students: Organization donates refrigerators for Lewis County Footsteps of Hope

Founded last December by Paula Burrows and several other community partners after Burrows helped start a food pantry program for students facing food insecurity in Toledo, Lewis County Footsteps of … more

By Owen Sexton / owen@chronline.com | 8/25/25

Fairgoers walk along the Midway at the Southwest Washington Fair on Saturday, Aug. 16.

Southwest Washington Fair and Garlic Fest see small growth but uncertain revenue

After the Washington State Garlic Fest finished up its last day on Sunday and the Southwest Washington Fair wound down just a week earlier, two weeks of fun at the fairgrounds have officially come to … more

By Jacob Moore / jacob@chronline.com | 8/25/25

The Washington state Liquor and Cannabis Board provided these photos of an allegedly illegal marijuana operation at the “Red Barn Trading Post,” located at 34011 state Route 507 South, Roy.

State busts unlicensed marijuana operation

On Aug. 21, the Liquor and Cannabis Board (LCB) in collaboration with the Tacoma Police Department’s Special Investigations Unit (SIU) carried out a search warrant on an illicit, unlicensed … more

By The Chronicle staff | 8/25/25

Rainier High School cheerleaders perform during the Rainier Round-Up Days Parade on Saturday, Aug. 23.

In focus: Round-Up Days Parade rolls through Rainier

8/25/25

Runners prepare to start at I-5 Toyota during the I-5 Toyota Back-to-School Dash in Chehalis on August 23, 2025.

In focus: I-5 Toyota raises money for scholarships at Back-to-School Dash

Runners took part in the I-5 Toyota Back-to-School Dash in Chehalis on Saturday, Aug. 23. I-5 Toyota hosts the Back-to-School Dash each year in August following the first race that took place in … more

8/25/25

Sirens: Assault under investigation; woman arrested for malicious mischief; woman found with fentanyl; collision damages private property

CENTRALIA POLICE DEPARTMENT Arrests • Ashley C. Betterman, 39, of Centralia, was arrested and booked into the Lewis County Jail at about 11:44 a.m. Aug. 23 for second-degree malicious … more

By The Chronicle staff | 8/25/25

Death notices: Aug. 25, 2025

• BILLY EUGENE DAVIS, 80, Winlock, died Aug. 21 at home. Arrangements are under the care of Fir Lawn Funeral Chapel. • JIMMY A. PUGSLEY, 74, Silver Creek, died Aug. 18 at Providence … more

8/25/25

“Deputies are currently on scene of a single-vehicle collision in the 1300 block of Winlock Vader Road,” the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office reported on Friday night, sharing this photo. “The driver is in custody for DUI, and crews are working to clear the roadway. Expect delays if you’re traveling through the area. Yes, it’s Friday night and the weather’s nice, but please, make good choices. Don’t drink and drive!” The sheriff's office didn't release the name of the driver who was arrested.

Photo: DUI arrest after crash on Winlock-Vader Road

8/25/25

Tacoma man airlifted to hospital after crashing motorcycle outside Morton

Thomas F. King, 57, Tacoma, was airlifted to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle after losing control of his motorcycle outside Morton on Aug. 23. The single-vehicle crash occurred about 1 … more

By The Chronicle staff | 8/25/25

Judge Joely A. Yeager speaks with Anne Marie Baker about appointing an attorney in Lewis County Superior Court in Chehalis on Thursday, Aug. 14.

Lewis County seeks public defense attorneys for superior, district and juvenile courts

The Lewis County Public Defense Office is currently accepting applications from qualified attorneys to provide public defense services for individuals who are financially unable to retain private … more

By The Chronicle staff | 8/25/25

Julie McDonald: Riffe native, now prolific author, to teach at September writers conference

In the 1960s, Ralph Inmon logged all day in a company he owned with Herman Steele, returned home to his 100-acre farm at Riffe about 3 p.m., and swapped his calk boots for barn boots. He worked in … more

Commentary by Julie McDonald / For The Chronicle | 8/25/25

One-man protest makes noise around Lewis County Courthouse Monday morning

Everyone knows the terms one-man band or one-man army, but driving by the Lewis County Courthouse on Monday morning, motorists might have seen a new phenomenon: a one-man protest. Lewis County … more

By Jacob Moore / jacob@chronline.com | 8/25/25

Multi-agency pursuit out of Centralia leads to arrest of hit-and-run suspects in Cowlitz County

Four suspects were arrested Friday afternoon, Aug. 22, after they reportedly fled the scene of a collision near Harrison Avenue and West First Street in Centralia. The hit-and-run suspects were … more

By Jacob Farmer / jfarmer@chronline.com | 8/25/25