The Daily Chronicle

Jason Sobczynski uses a cutting torch while working to remove pieces of metal from No. 15 Thursday afternoon in Chehalis.

‘Repairing the Arteries and Heart’: Work Begins on Repairing Chehalis-Centralia Railroad and Museum's Steam Locomotive

Jason Sobczynski is quick to forget names. But model numbers? Well, those are easy to remember. “I’m horrible with names. If everyone had a number I would be so golden, but I … more

By Eric Rosane / ericr@chronline.com | 4/23/21

Mount Rainier is seen over a ridge from TransAlta Centralia on last week.

Herrera Beutler Joins Opposition to WDFW’s Proposed Wildlife Refuge

Southwest Washington’s U.S. Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler joined local officials this week in opposing a proposed wildlife refuge in Centralia. Multinational power company TransAlta announced … more

By The Chronicle staff | 4/23/21

Gov. Jay Inslee hosts a press conference outside of the governor’s mansion Thursday, April 15, to announce the new “take it outside” initiative intended to help stop the spread of COVID-19.

Inslee Worries Over Vaccine Hesitancy; Officials Say Fourth Wave Hitting Younger People Harder

With COVID-19 activity rising across the state, Gov. Jay Inslee and health care leaders are urging those who haven’t received a vaccine for the disease to get their shots as Washington sees a … more

Rick Bannan / For The Chronicle | 4/22/21

Ron Bolan talks about the Bolan “Hangout” Barrel at his home in the Boistfort Valley on Tuesday as Rod Rector holds up a Rector Planter branding iron.

Bolan’s Barrels of Fun Launches in Boistfort Valley

For about a decade, Ron Bolan worked for high-end cabinetry companies in the area. He says he learned to be handy from his stepdad, who would regularly use his skills to transform the cheap rentals … more

By Claudia Yaw / cyaw@chronline.com | 4/21/21

Herrera Beutler Comes Out in Opposition to WDFW’s Proposed Acquisition of TransAlta Land

Congresswoman Jaime Herrera Beutler has come out against a plan by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife to acquire nearly 10,000 acres currently owned by TransAlta. The proposal … more

By The Chronicle staff | 4/21/21 | 1 comment

FILE PHOTO — At least 150 people attended the Gun Rights Coalition's Rally 4 UR Rights at the state Capitol in Olympia in this photo taken in 2018.

Washington Legislature Approves Ban of Open Carry of Guns at Demonstrations, State Capitol

OLYMPIA — Gun-rights demonstrations and other protests at the Capitol have long drawn large crowds of individuals, many of whom sport handguns on their hips or semiautomatic rifles slung over … more

Joseph O'Sullivan / The Seattle Times | 4/21/21 | 2 comments

Helen Holloway, 93, discusses her life during World War II as a “Rosie the Riveter” Monday morning in Centralia.

Service and Spunk:: Helen Holloway, Dedicated Volunteer and ‘Rosie the Riveter,’ Dead at 95

When I first met Helen Holloway almost 20 years ago, she was Lewis County’s most vocal advocate for senior services. By her mid-70s, she had already been volunteering with seniors for three … more

By Brian Mittge / For The Chronicle | 4/19/21 | 1 comment

From left, Cheyenne and Sarah Anfeldt, Shirley Tax, Icy Counts and Elena Kaye hold signs to bring awareness for the missing Matthew Anfeldt during a honk-and-wave event in Grand Mound on Saturday. Attendees gathered at the park-and-ride on Southwest Tenino Grand Mound Road and held signs and fliers with information on three unsolved missing or murdered victims: Anfeldt, Logan Schiendelman and Karen Bodine. Anfeldt was last seen at the Speedway Grocery on Old Highway 99 in Grand Mound just before 5:30 p.m. on Feb. 28, 2019. Shiendelman was last seen by his grandmother on May 19, 2016, at their home in Tumwater. Later that same day, his car, a black 1996 Chrysler Sebring convertible, was towed from the shoulder of southbound Interstate 5 near milepost 92. Bodine was found dead at the entrance to a gravel pit off of Little Rock Road Southwest in Rochester on Jan. 22, 2007.

Photos: Honk-and-Wave Raises Awareness for South Thurston County Cold Cases

4/19/21

Castle Rock resident Jeran Keogh recently captured this photo of the Milky Way over Mount St. Helens. It was captured at about 2 a.m. April 12 from State Route 504. “(It was a) freezing cold night at mountain but (I was) highly determined to get the best shot I could,” he wrote. Check out Jeran Keogh Photography on Instagram and Facebook to see more of his work.

Photo: The Milky Way Shines Over Mount St. Helens

4/19/21

Friends and family decorated a cross for Zachary Hines-Rager along the Willapa Hills Trail near Adna.

Divers Recover Body from Chehalis River; Believed to be Drowned Centralia Teen

Divers have recovered what is believed to be the body of Zach Hines-Rager, the Centralia teen who drowned in the Chehalis River on March 24. The Thurston County Sheriff’s Office Dive … more

By Emily Fitzgerald / emily@chronline.com | 4/19/21

An American flag, large enough to take up most of the width of Tower Avenue in Centralia, is carried through the downtown streets during the Summerfest parade in 2017.

Summerfest 2021 Will Be ‘Summerfest Lite’ as Centralia City Staff Work to Make Event COVID-Safe

The city of Centralia’s Fourth of July festival, Summerfest, has been canceled for the second year in a row — but the city is hoping to host a “low-calorie version” of the … more

By Emily Fitzgerald / emily@chronline.com | 4/18/21

FILE PHOTO — Gov. Jay Inslee talks during a tour of the cold weather shelter at the Southwest Washington Fairgrounds in Chehalis in 2019.

Republican Lawmakers Still Pressing for Action to Limit Governor’s Emergency Powers

As the 2021 legislative session nears its end and state officials warn of an impending “fourth wave” of COVID-19, calls from Republican lawmakers to limit the governor’s emergency … more

By Sara Gentzler / The Olympian | 4/18/21

Business of The Year: Leco Supply Honored by Chamber for Providing PPE During Pandemic

Leco Supply, an independent Chehalis-based janitorial supply company that has been doing business in Southwest Washington for 34 years, was recognized as the Centralia-Chehalis Chamber of Commerce … more

By Eric Rosane / erosane@yelmonline.com | 4/16/21

Joey McCalden and Kollin Jurek smile while posing for a photo in a weight room they designed and renovated at the Pe Ell school.

Strength Through Friendship: Pe Ell Seniors Rebuild School Weight Room

Pe Ell seniors Kollin Jurek and Joey McCalden have seen some tough times, but through it all, their friendship kept them going. They met on the Pe Ell School playground in preschool. This was … more

By Isabel Vander Stoep / The Chronicle | 4/16/21

Owners of Timber Patch Brewery & Taproom (left to right) Laurie Judd, Jim Judd, Rich French and Brenda French opened their business one year ago in March.

Timber Patch Brewery Finds Foothold, Support in Morton

As far as first years in business go, Timber Patch Brewing & Taproom had an uphill battle to reach its first anniversary celebration in March. Opening just two weeks before non-essential … more

By Carrina Stanton / For The Chronicle | 4/16/21

Inslee Urges Residents to ‘Take It Outside’

Gov. Jay Inslee has made a new call to action in the state’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, asking for Washington residents to “take it outside” as much as possible as more … more

By Rick Bannan / For The Chronicle | 4/15/21 | 1 comment

Outside the front door of The Praxis Laboratory in Centralia. (John Stang for Crosscut)

Centralia Pot Lab May Be the First in Washington to Lose Its License

Data analyst Keegan Skeate agonized for more than a year about telling the state about some suspicious test results at a marijuana testing lab. In a converted 107-year-old former bank building in … more

By John Stang / crosscut.com | 4/15/21

Jim Merrill spreads ashes into the Chehalis River during the Pe Ell River Run on Saturday.

After 43 Years, Pe Ell River Run Has ‘Life of its Own,’ Founder Says

At least 60 different boats and flotation devices ranging from canoes and kayaks to rafts and inner tubes traveled roughly 8 miles down the Chehalis River on Saturday during a beloved annual river … more

By Emily Fitzgerald / emily@chronline.com | 4/14/21

Twin Transit Rolls Out New Routes

New routes announced this week by Twin Transit will allow local residents to connect with Intercity Transit in Tumwater, meaning travelers will be able to reach Olympia, Lacey, Aberdeen and beyond, … more

By The Chronicle staff | 4/14/21

Jim Merrill holds up his oar and cheers with Dave Mullenix as Austin Oberbillig films on his cellphone after the trio went down Rainbow Falls on a raft during the Pe Ell River Run on Saturday. Those on hand Saturday said it was the 43rd Pe Ell River Run which, aptly, begins in the Chehalis River near Pe Ell and ends with a splash over Rainbow Falls. The unofficial event occurs each April.

Photos: Making a Splash on the Pe Ell River Run

4/12/21