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The Chronicle - Centralia
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Memorial fund opened in honor of former Cascade Community Healthcare interventionist who died in 2023
Lann Olson came into the world on Aug. 3, 1980, and he left on Oct. 14, 2023. Despite Olson’s time being cut short, his impact as a friend, family member and local mental health care professional are being remembered in part through a new memorial fund. “He had this very soft demeanor,” said Leann Reed, chief clinical officer at Cascade Community Healthcare, where Olson worked. “He was kind of this big guy, and yet he just had this natural way of being with people, to be able to have that open communication and build that trust and really help serve. He was very kind and generous and just an all around wonderful guy. It was a very difficult thing when he passed and was a shock to the team and a big loss to both Cascade and the community.” Olson’s family wishes to keep details of his death private, but they’re speaking out about the impact he had on others while announcing the new fund to benefit causes he held dear. According to Cascade CEO Richard Stride, Olson was beloved by everyone at Cascade. “He was really loved by his team, and when I went over there to talk to them initially they were just so shocked,” Stride said. “He was really loved by the clients he came across as well.” Olson worked with the crisis stabilization unit at Cascade Community Healthcare as an interventionist. Usually working nights, he would respond to calls, de-escalate situations when necessary and provide people in crisis situations with help and services. Being a part of the crisis stabilization team was a 24/7, 365 days a year kind of dedication that Olson unfailingly showed up for. “He comes across as very gentle and very kind, and he has a way of calming people and not pushing them which is really important when people are in a crisis,” Stride said. “You don’t want to push them but you want to offer them help and services.” Stride recalled a story that Olson’s team told him. “Lann was going out and meeting someone, and this person said they didn't want to talk to him,” Stride recalled. “Lann said, ‘OK, I’ll go call someone else and go sit in the booth over there, and if you feel like you want to talk to me, then we’ll talk.’ So when he went over and sat in the other booth, the person kept looking over at Lann and then decided to talk to him.” Stride continued: “He was just that type of person that people, when they heard him talk, had a tendency to calm down because he’s just a good person to talk to.” In the wake of Olson’s abrupt death in October, his family reached out to the team at Cascade to set up a memorial fund in his name. The memorial fund gives people who don’t have insurance or can’t get their needs met the opportunity to get the treatment they deserve. “One of his passions was helping the underserved, was helping those that needed it,” Reed said. Outside of his regular job, Olson continued to devote his life to the service of others. According to his mother, Dalene Olson, he spent his time outside of work as a physical trainer. After his death, many of his former trainees approached the family. “They told us that he made a huge difference in their lives,” Dalene said. Physicality and having an active lifestyle was a key aspect of Olson’s life. His passion for physical health was evident in his choice of profession and his decision to play football for not only W.F. West High School’s team, but also Western Washington University’s team where he was awarded three letters and played alongside his brother, Andy. Along with loving to work out, Olson enjoyed gardening and working on his parents’ organic beef farm. According to his mother, he was incredibly kind, caring, funny, smart and would do anything for his family. The team at Cascade Community Healthcare created a plaque in honor of Olson and to commemorate the memorial fund. A dedication ceremony was held where his family and colleagues were invited. “The family was very thankful for that, but it was really our pleasure to have him work for us.” Stride said. The Lann Olson Memorial Fund is now accepting donations, which will go on to benefit those in the community who cannot afford access to health care. Community members who are interested in donating can do so on site at Cascade Community Healthcare, which is located at 2428 Reynolds Ave. in Centralia. Donations can also be mailed and be accepted over the phone. To view Olson’s obituary, visit www.chronline.com/stories/in-loving-memory-of-lann-olson,328684.
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Centralia City Council holding special meeting to interview  council candidate 
The Centralia City Council will hold a special meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 17, to interview a candidate for the vacant District 1 council position. The meeting is open to the public and will begin at 6 p.m. inside Centralia City Hall, located at 118 W. Maple St. in downtown Centralia. The candidate being interviewed is Norm Chapman, a longtime current member and former chair of the Centralia Planning Commission. Chapman had previously applied to be a councilor in 2021 following state Rep. Peter Abbarno’s resignation from the council to serve at the state level. That position was ultimately given to Councilor Mark Westley. The District 1 position was left vacant after former Councilor and Deputy Mayor Cameron McGee resigned earlier this month after moving out of the district he was representing. McGee had served on the council since winning the position during the 2017 election. Following the public interview process during Tuesday’s meeting, the Centralia City Council will then go into executive session to evaluate and discuss Chapman’s qualifications and interview. According to the news release, no action will be taken following the executive session. |
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Bail set at $250,000 for Randle man accused of raping a girl in August
Bail is set at $250,000 for a 19-year-old Randle man accused of raping a girl under the age of 18 in August. Jonathan Jace Linder was arrested and booked into the Lewis County Jail at 12:35 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 11, after the victim reported the sexual assault to the Centralia Police Department the day prior, according to jail records and charging documents filed in Lewis County Superior Court. “The state recognizes the defendant's lack of criminal history and his young age. However, these are serious allegations, and violent,” Deputy Prosecutor Brandi Archer said during Linder’s preliminary hearing in Lewis County Superior Court on Thursday. “I agree with the state. These are alarming allegations,” Judge Joely Yeager said Thursday, granting the prosecution’s request for $250,000 bail. While a lack of criminal history is typically a reason for judges to set a lower bail amount, Yeager said she doesn’t give it much weight in sexual assault cases. “In my experience, these types of allegations usually are with defendants who have no prior criminal history,” Yeager said Thursday. The victim reported that she and Linder had their first date on Aug. 21 after speaking to each other for two days. After leaving the restaurant at the end of the date, Linder allegedly tried to put his hands up the victim’s dress, despite the victim trying to stop him “as she was not ready for that,” according to court documents. She reported that Linder “continued to push his hands between her legs and she gave up trying to stop him.” Linder allegedly repeated the action later that evening, and the victim said “she allowed this so they didn’t argue,” according to court documents. Linder then allegedly physically forced the victim to participate in a sexual act, despite the victim telling him she did not want to. Linder is also accused of raping and strangling the victim in his car the next day, Aug. 22. He had allegedly offered her a ride and began kissing inside Linder’s vehicle, with the victim stating “she didn’t want it to go further” and “she did not want to have sex,” according to court documents. He allegedly slapped her in the face and called her derogatory names during the rape, according to court documents. Linder then reportedly brought the victim home and followed her into her house. The victim’s family later confirmed Linder stayed for about 15 minutes before leaving. The victim reported that she left something in Linder’s vehicle and went to retrieve it before Linder left the residence, at which point Linder allegedly sexually assaulted her again. The victim reported she “immediately indicated that she was not okay with that,” but Linder allegedly continued “to have non-consensual sex with her in the driveway,” according to court documents. After reporting the sexual assault on Sept. 10, the victim reportedly gave a Centralia police officer permission to attempt to contact Linder via the victim’s Instagram profile. During the conversation with the officer posing as the victim, Linder allegedly “indicated he enjoyed the sex on the 22nd, apologized when it was said he didn’t stop when asked, and agreed he would listen next time,” according to court documents. When questioned at his workplace on Sept. 11, Linder allegedly “stated everything was consensual,” but “confirmed she had asked him to stop and didn’t like certain things he did.” Officers noted Linder “was shaking, extremely flush and was sweating when speaking with (the lead officer),” according to court documents. Linder was charged Sept. 12 in Lewis County Superior Court with one count each of indecent liberties, second-degree assault, and second- and third-degree rape. Two of the charges, indecent liberties and second-degree rape, are class A felonies carrying maximum penalties of life in prison. A hearing to review Linder’s attorneys status is scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 19. A no-contact order protecting the victim is in place.
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Department of Health to potentially suspend license of Winlock-based 'Caregivers 4 Mom & Dad' for failure to address patient care concerns
The state Department of Health (DOH) has issued a statement of charges to suspend the license of Caregivers 4 Mom & Dad, an in-home services agency based in Winlock, pending further legal action. The state conducted a health and safety investigation of Caregivers 4 Mom & Dad and found issues “related to patient medications, fall prevention and general patient care concerns,” according to a DOH news release. Investigators conducted an on-site health and safety investigation of Caregivers 4 Mom & Dad on April 19, 2023, and conducted off-site investigations on April 11, April 24, April 28, May 2 and May 4 of that same year. On May 12, 2023, investigators issued a statement of deficiencies to Caregivers 4 Mom & Dad, finding that the agency: • Failed to implement medication self-administration with assistant policies and procedures, and failed to describe personnel roles regarding medication self-administration with assistance • Failed to coordinate with other agencies involved in a client’s care • Failed to implement nurse delegation policies, resulting in clients receiving services from unqualified caregivers • Violated clients’ rights to be cared for by appropriately trained or credentialed personnel • Failed to include the client or client’s representative in the ongoing development of a plan of care • Failed to appropriately update and maintain clients’ plans of care • Failed to document services provided during each client contact Caregivers 4 Mom & Dad reportedly submitted a plan of correction (POC) on May 27, 2023, but it was found to be “not acceptable or incomplete,” and was sent back on June 2 for revisions. A request for further revisions was made on June 23. Caregivers 4 Mom & Dad reportedly sent an email on Oct. 11, 2023, asking what amendments were still needed, and the DOH sent a response on Oct. 13 with an outlined list of needed revisions. “The respondent still did not send a corrected POC,” the DOH alleges in the statement of charges, which were filed on April 30, 2024. “Caregivers was given two opportunities to respond to the allegations when the initiating documents were served but failed to timely respond on both occasions,” the DOH said in a news release. After failing to request a hearing within the allotted time frame, Caregivers reportedly submitted a late response to request a hearing, and failed to show at the hearing scheduled for Aug. 19, 2024, according to the DOH. “Caregivers has another hearing scheduled for the end of September. Caregivers maintains an active facility license pending the outcome of the hearing,” the DOH said in a news release. The DOH’s Unlicensed Practice Program has also notified Caregivers administrator Betty Jo Kitchen of its intent to issue a cease-and-desist order due to her lack of a registered nurse’s license. Kitchen was notified of that letter in April 2024, according to previous Chronicle reporting. The state has confirmed Kitchen, who “has never held a registered nurse license in Washington state,” was operating “an in-home services agency where she conducted health care for patients and described herself as a home care nurse,” according to previous Chronicle reporting. Kitchen’s Facebook and LinkedIn profiles still showed her as an administrator for Caregivers 4 Mom & Dad as of Thursday, Sept. 12. Caregivers 4 Mom & Dad first received its license to operate as an in-home services agency on Sept. 5, 2018, according to the DOH. The legal documents for this case can be found online via the Facilities Inspections and Investigations Search on the DOH website. Copies can be requested by calling 360-236-4700. The DOH encourages anyone who believes a health care facility acted unprofessionally to call 360-236-2620 to report their complaint. Complaints can also be submitted via email to HSQAcomplaintintake@doh.wa.gov. The DOH “protects and promotes public health, safety and welfare in Washington by regulating the competency and quality of health care providers and facilities,” the DOH said in a news release. “The agency establishes, monitors, and enforces qualifications for licensing, consistent standards of practice, continuing competency mechanisms, and discipline. Rules, policies, and procedures promote the delivery of quality health care to people in Washington.” |
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Mount St. Helens Visitor Center, Seaquest State Park to close temporarily
The Mount St. Helens Visitor Center in Castle Rock, a gateway for exploring and learning about the area and its volcanic history, will close Sept. 30 for a complete update of its exhibits. The visitor center is anticipated to reopen in May 2025. Seaquest State Park will also close from Sept. 15 through mid-October to complete road maintenance work, including road grading and surfacing. After this work is complete, the park will remain open through the winter for camping and day use. Though the interpretive center itself will be closed, its parking lot, plaza, bathrooms and Wetland Haven Trail will remain open through the winter. Visitors can still see the mountain from the trail on clear days. Park staff will also continue to host outdoor educational and interpretive programming through the closure. Programs will be held in the visitor center’s plaza, on the Wetland Haven Trail or in Seaquest State Park. Many of the center’s exhibits were constructed in 1986, making them almost 40 years old. Since then, the area affected by Mount St. Helens’ 1980 eruption has changed dramatically. In addition to showcasing the geological and biological history of the region, the new exhibits will document the regrowth and transformation of the area in the last 44 years. As part of this renovation, Washington State Parks is engaged in Tribal outreach and conversations. For more information, visit https://parks.wa.gov/. |
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Centralia College Foundation awards 438 scholarships to local students
The Centralia College Foundation awarded 438 scholarships to approximately 390 Centralia College students at a scholarship event on Wednesday. Students had the opportunity to sit down with the donors who helped make their scholarships possible. The Centralia College Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting Centralia College students, awards more than $500,000 in scholarships every year, according to its website. The students who received scholarships from the Centralia College Foundation on Wednesday are: Madison Aguilar, Nikkolena Ahmann, Brooklynn Alkire, Celey Allsup, Kimberly Almanza-Campos, Dalia Almontes-Valdez, Karla Alvarez, Jessica Andersen, Alesandra Arceo, Gwynn Armstrong, William Armstrong, Addalyne Ashley, Matthew Avery, Kylie Baker, Kaleb Baldwin, Marissa Ball, Simon Banner, Davis Barbee, Kaetyn Barton, Caleb Baum, Courtney Baxter, Hailey Bedah, Stephanie Bedwell, Ajae Belliston, Andrea Beresford, Susannah Berry, Jordan Linn Bethell, Derek Blankenship, Sage Bolivar, Karlee Bolling, Graci Bonney-spradlin, Cameron Bradford, Jake Bradley, Kristen Brandt, Hailey Brann, Avery Braun, Kylee Breen, Amanda Brossard, Kayd Brown, Madison Buchanan, Olivia Buck, Ava Bush, Brandon Bushnell, Yarely Cabrera, Kaleb Campbell, Dre Campuzano, Jesus Canedo, K'Lea Canterbury, Elli Capps, Kate Carpenter, Courtney Marie Cassell, Juan Cerseda, Nolan Christ, Kody Christen, Amy Church, Serenity Clark, Jamie Cline, Victoria Coats, Spencer Cole, Tacy Coley, Katie Collins, David Collins, Ryan Compton, Ryan Compton, Verona Compton, Nate Conkey, AlanContreras, Edwin Copeland, Amber Corneal, Kiavanti Cosie, Meagan Counts, Alan Cox, Malakai Craig, Marissa Cronin, Jay Crow, Robert Cruz, Benjamin Cruz-Dominguez, Gabriela Cruz-Guijosa, Andrew Cuff, Camille Curfman, William Cushman, Karessa Daily, Marissa Dallaire, Danny Dalsted, Marisa Daum, Jacob David, Dave Davidson, Racquel Davis, Amy Dearing, Jacie Deebach, Hunter DeGravelles, Laureen Delesdernier, Hannah Demaris, Sara DeVore, Gabe Dickinson, MaKayLyn Dotson, Tommy Doyle, Jordan Doyle, Colbyn Draper, Jocelyn DuBois, Sophie Duffy, Joanna Durham, Eryn Duryea, Cash Edminster, Ethan Elliott, Cassandra Elmore, Ana Encinas-Estrada, Eden Engel, Ian Engle, Anneka English, Max English, Elicia Estrada, Taryn Etherington, Monique Farland, Madison Fay, Jaidynn Ferguson, Lyndzie Filla, Tiffany Finney, Sabra Fisher, Preston Floreck, Staysha Fluetsch, Alyssa Forsythe, Patrick Gaffney, Henry Gallanger, Brianna Gallion, Christian Garcia, Kalei Garcia, Juan Garcia Flores, Briana Garduno, Roberto Garibay, Leslie Gil Cisneros, Joshua Gladstone, Adriana Glorioso, Matthew Golemon, Giulia Goretti, Rachel Gray, Ryli Gray, Pearl Graybill, Lance Green, Lily Gross, Morgan Grove, Teige Halligan, Arianna Ham, Emery Hampton, Sheridan Hammons, Brittany Hancock, Payton Hanly, Luke Hanson, Ash Hart, De'Anngalique Hartfield, Natasha Hatch, Taytm Hauge, Trinity Heath, Heidi Hendrickson, Tori Hensler, Caleigh Henton, Jake Hert, Kyler Herwick, Abigail Hill, Landon Hirte, Kenzie Holcomb, Kail Homan, Krysta Hook, Alyssa Hook, Lee Houk, Stephanie Hughes, Natalie Humphrey, Joshua Hylton, Allison Ingham, Mila Iverson, Trey Jacobsen, Tosha Jeffers, Gracelyn Jensen, Trent Jones, Casey Julkowski, Koltin Kaech, Tikisha Kalista, Morgan Kanouse, Liam Karlson, Ethan Keene, Broc Keeton, Ty Kershaw, Jessica Kihn, Marlen Kimbrel, Cory King, Kaimi Kinsella-Cintron, Dillon Kirksey, Yana Kiyan, Spencer Kowalski, Brennan Labbe, BethAnn Lake, DeeAnn Lansford, Alex LaVassar, Tausha Lawrence, Sangha Lee, Zakary Leger, James Lester, Gavin Liechty, Mackenzie Lindh, Mackenzie Lindh, Korie Lindsay, Sarah Longe, Sarah Longe, Natalie Loose, Yessica Lopez-Lopez, Justin Losey, Justin Losey, Abbie Lovan, Tucker Lowber, Jimena Luis, Abigail Luna Martinez, Hailee Lund, Madison Lund, Abigail Lundblad, Spencer Mallory, Elliott Manning, Richard Marlott, Analiese Martin, Myles Martocci, Sherice Mathers, Alexandra Mathson, Samuel Matosich, Russell McCarthy, Lara McComb, Alayna McGregor, Anna McKenna, Lincoln McVicker, Beatriz Mejia, Gracelin Meline, Elmer Mendoza, Sara Mickelson, Benjamin Miley, MacKenzie Miller, Paige Miller, Mckenzi Miller, Jeri Lynn Miller, Coyanne Mitchell, Angel Montejo-Miguel, Samee Jo Moon, Joshu Moore, Xavier Moore Guardiola, Crystal Moreland, Seaonna Morgan, Samantha Morgan, Raydynn Morley, Elias Morris, Tanner Mulligan, Zachary Mullin, Yaretzi Munoz, Max Munoz, Sophia Myers, Brayden Neff, Ryan Nelson, Olivia Norris, Van Nguyen, Quyn Norberg, Hudson Normand, Stephanie Offner, Bryson Oswald, Tyran Ozretich, Makayla Pagnotta, Kaylee Pagnotta, Kelly Pakar, Gabriela Palafox, Kody Paterson, Jevin Patterson, Lauren Payne, Paige Pearson, Madi Peevey, Victoria Pelagio, Yareni Perez, Diego Perez, Kayla Peterson, Payton Peterson, Carter Phelps, Felicity Phillips, Joshua Pickett, Courtney Pinkerton, Savanna Pluard, Haedynn Plum, Tyler Powell, Jacob Price, Noah Pye, Tana Quimby, Julian Quinby, Dammoni Quinney, Enni Ramirez, Keegan Randall, Lyndsie Rankin, Courtney Rapp, Kendall Rasmussen, Brooke Reder, Ashley Reyes, Esperanza Reyes-Calderon, Meaghan Reynolds, Kendall Richards-Benson, Amanda Riffel, Blake Riley, Natalia Rios, Kassandra Ritchey, Juliea Ritola, Paulina Rivera, Sarah Robbins, Kendra Robbins, Hailey Roberts, Rayleen Roberts, Amanda Roberts, Derek Robinson, Quinton Robinson, Abril Robles, Hannah Rodeheaver, Morgan Rogerson, Marixa Romo, Evie Rooklidge, William Rose, Mitchell Rowe, Liyara Rubin, Izabell Rushing, Karen Sanchez Garcia, Joselyn Sanchez-Gomez, Marvic Sandoval, Clarissa Satterfield, Madeline Scalici, Aiden Scheetz, Colton Schmokel, Emma Schofield, Ava Sells, Rubi Serrato, Sierra Seymour, Yusuf Shakirov, Sydney Shaner, Trace Shanklin, Macee Shannon, Ava Shiflett, Jean Paul Sidibe, Yaretsi Silvestre, Jack Skelley, Kessa Smith, Layla Smith, Ashleigh Smith, Avery Staloch, Charlie Stanfield, Avery Starr, Jonas Steiner, Taylor Steinmetz, Aimee Steppes, Finn Still, Gabrielle Stopa, Fransica Sweeney, Kambriah Taylor, Jayme Terwilliger, Owen Theis, Anna Thomas, Kaydence Thompson, Andrew Thompson, Keith Tippery, Luke Tourtellotte, Tyler Treiber, Alejandra Valle, Christopher Varner, Ashlyn Vaughn, Aleysha Vazquez, Gil Vazquez Jr. , Esmeralda Villalba, Vaneza Villasenor, Crystal Wade, Kaily Waggoner, Lisa Walton, Jacob Warren, Lauren Wasson, Faith Waterfield, Victoria Watkins, Misty Weddle, Joseph Weigle, Katherine Welch, Amber White, Sean Whittaker, Kate Wickert, Emily Wilkerson, Jonathan Wilkerson, Courtney Wilson, Emily Wilson, Ben Wirkkala, Jaden Wisner, Estelle Wood, Sarah Woodland, Alysah Yang, Trevor Yunker, Nolvia Zamudio and Mason Zydek. |
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Twirl Foundation formally opens doors with ribbon-cutting ceremony
At noon on Friday, Sept. 13, The Twirl Foundation in Centralia officially opened its doors with a ribbon-cutting ceremony hosted by the Centralia-Chehalis Chamber of Commerce. While the foundation has been around for years, the celebration was meant to mark the opening of a new, dedicated storefront on North Tower Avenue. “We are thrilled to do these ribbon cuttings because we know how much time, effort, money, blood, sweat and tears goes into the moment of actually opening the doors,” Chamber Director Cynthia Mudge said. That statement is true for Holly Phelps, also known as Holly Ryan, as she enters her 12th year as a business owner in downtown Centralia. “We’re so excited to be here, and this is actually a total dream come true getting to have a storefront to put Twirl in,” Phelps said. The Twirl Foundation is a nonprofit organization that distributes free formal dresses and men’s wear to local high school students for dances and other events. The foundation also has toiletries and other resources available for customers. “There’s a lot of heart that goes into providing beautiful shoes, dresses, accessories, safe people to wait on them and a pretty atmosphere,” Phelps said. She and a number of volunteers collect, clean and distribute the dresses to local youths. According to Phelps, Twirl is serving homeless youths in Centralia, foster kids, families that are closing a gap financially, grandparents on limited incomes and many other people seeking services and help. “The power of 5,004 dresses has been huge,” Phelps said. “I’ve had a lot of women over the years who have come to me and said they never went to their dance because they did not have money. So because of the donations of loving people bringing us clean, good, in-condition items, we have 5,004 girls who will never have to say that.” She continued: “This last year, I’m proud to say that we had a beautiful valedictorian wear his very lovely dress shirt from a gentleman in town that he wore proudly.” Each piece of clothing and all proceeds that are given to The Twirl Foundation go toward benefitting local youth and maintaining the storefront in Centralia. “So, with a very grateful heart, thank you for 12 years of being able to serve in your community,” Phelps said. “And I have absolutely fallen in love with our families and the area and being able to help. I’ve never been so grateful to be a holder of such beautiful, beautiful moments with our families.” As the ribbon was cut, local restaurant owner Joy Templeton shouted, “We love you!” When speaking with The Chronicle, Templeton said, “I’m very proud of my Holly girl. It’s amazing what she’s done.” The pair have been friends for many years and ran a storefront together at one point. After the ribbon was cut, community members rushed in to begin shopping. The new shop is located at 211 N. Tower Ave. in Centralia. Store hours are noon to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday and also by appointment as need arises. The store is closed Oct. 25 through the end of January but reopens for the rest of the school year starting Feb. 1. During the summer, the Twirl Foundation hosts pop-up stores to raise funds to keep the boutique open. Proceeds from The Shady Lady are also instrumental in keeping Twirl open, along with cash donations, Ryan said. Donations of dresses and formal wear, however, are the heart and soul of their operation. To donate to The Twirl Foundation, community members can bring dresses to the foundation’s storefront or to The Shady Lady, Phelps’ other business just across the street. For more information, follow the foundation on Facebook.
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Lewis County raises concern over cost of new public defender requirements
Lewis County officials have voiced concerns over caseload limits for public defenders that they say could cost the county “hundreds of thousands of dollars.” In a statement Wednesday, County Commissioners Scott Brummer, Sean Swope and Lindsey Pollock said new caseload limits — or “standards” — adopted by the Washington State Bar Association (WSBA) would reduce the maximum caseload for public defenders by two-thirds, which they said would lead to increased costs to the county. The Washington state Supreme Court will hold a public hearing on the proposed standards on Sept. 25. As of Friday, details on the public hearing were not yet available. A second public hearing will also be announced at a later date. “This drastic reduction in caseloads would have profound implications for Lewis County’s budget and the efficiency of our justice system,” Brummer said in a statement. “We support efforts to ensure adequate legal representation for indigent defendants, but these changes threaten to overwhelm our resources and disrupt the delivery of essential public services.” According to data provided by the county, Lewis County spent between $1.3 million and $2 million on indigent defense each year between 2013 and 2022. Under the Sixth Amendment, counties must provide a publicly-funded defense for individuals charged with a crime who cannot afford legal representation. The new standards adopted by the WSBA would be phased in over three years and would reduce misdemeanor caseloads from 400 cases annually under current guidelines to 200 cases by July 2027, while felony case limits would be reduced from 150 to 47 cases per year, depending on the case’s circumstances. “Implementing these reduced caseload standards without corresponding state funding would force us to make difficult choices,” Swope said. “In the worst-case scenarios, we could be forced to cut critical programs, reduce staff, or even limit services that our community depends on.” According to the commissioners, the county struggles to recruit and retain public defenders due to a high caseload and limited resources. Lewis County officials have urged lawmakers to address funding gaps and “bolster the public defense workforce pipeline” as it evaluates the new standards. The new standards are slated to take effect on July 1, 2025. “This is an example of an overbearing statewide group attempting to solve a problem that doesn’t exist in Lewis County,” Pollock said. “In our current system, very experienced attorneys are able to effectively and efficiently represent multiple clients. These experienced attorneys would be artificially restricted from utilizing their hard-earned skills due to low caseload requirements based on the capabilities of inexperienced attorneys. It is estimated that there are physically not enough attorneys in the entire state to achieve the caseload standards being proposed. Scarcity drives up costs. The end result will be crimes not getting prosecuted for lack of effective defense and a reduction in public safety.” The commissioners have encouraged residents to submit public comments on the proposed changes by Oct. 31. Comments are limited to 1,500 words and can be submitted to the Washington state Supreme Court by mail at P.O. Box 40929, Olympia WA 98504, or by email at supreme@courts.wa.gov. |
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With $1.1 million budget deficit looming, Centralia City Council considering tax increases
The Centralia Finance Committee is currently drafting the city’s new biennial budget for 2025 and 2026. There’s just one issue — a budget deficit is looming, leaving no other options but to raise the city property tax and institute a new business and occupancy (B&O) tax, according to finance committee members. During the Centralia City Council meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 10, Interim Centralia City Manager Amy Buckler said cuts to services is the other possible option. No decision or action was taken on the issue during Tuesday’s meeting, and city staff are planning a workshop to further discuss this issue before the Centralia City Council’s next meeting at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 24. “In order to balance this budget, you’re going to have to decide whether you want to bring in additional revenues or make cuts to city services,” Buckler said. “The city is facing an approximately $1.1 million budget shortfall in our general fund.” She said around 75% of the shortfall was attributed to rising costs in labor contracts, insurance and unfunded state mandates. The remaining 25% relates to proposals to restore certain staff positions in Centralia’s Parks and Streets departments. “So we can respond to public requests to better maintain what we have, carry out our parks plan, advance our Hub City Greenways vision and maintain those infrastructure improvements,” Buckler said. As per state law, municipalities such as Centralia are required to submit balanced budgets. This led to Buckler and the finance committee making the recommendation to raise property taxes and establish a B&O tax during the Centralia City Council’s meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 10. “Over the past 15 years, ever since the Great Recession that started in 2007 and ended in 2009, the city councils prior have had to make tough decisions in order to balance the budget,” Buckler said. “That has included cutting staff, cutting programs and finding creative ways to get things done. I think that you know the city is running as lean as possible, and in fact we are struggling to keep up with the growth we are experiencing. There’s really not a lot of fat to be cut.” She added if the council chooses not to enact the property tax increase and establish a B&O tax, the next programs the city will have to make cuts to in order to balance the budget are the Centralia Police Department along with further cuts to the Parks and Streets departments. “This is a really important pivot point for our community,” Buckler said. Former Centralia Deputy Mayor and finance committee chair Cameron McGee added that councils in the past, including those he had been on since 2018, chose to continue banking the council’s authority granted by state law to raise property tax by 1%. He agreed with Buckler the city doesn’t have anywhere else to cut spending in order to balance the upcoming budget. McGee was in favor of raising property taxes and establishing a B&O tax, along with raising business license, permitting and other city fees to match inflation rates. “We lost our rec department. We’ve had department heads that have been combined. Our deputy city manager is also our parks director,” McGee said. “... We don’t want to cut anymore. We can’t cut our way to thriving communities. We don’t want to lose more services. We can’t let the roads deteriorate. We can’t lose public safety.” Following the Sept. 24 budget workshop, Buckler will be hosting an online question and answer session for business owners concerned about the B&O tax on Sept. 30, with additional details as to how to attend and what time it starts to be announced soon. Centralia Finance Director Bret Brodersen will also be a part of the session. A public hearing along with a first reading of any ordinances related to taxes will be held during the Centralia City Council’s regular meeting starting at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 8. The Centralia Finance Committee will continue work on the city’s 2025-2026 biennial budget as it prepares to submit it for final approval before the end of the 2024 fiscal year. For more information on Centralia’s proposed property tax increase and B&O tax, visit the city’s website at https://bit.ly/4d4rTzw. To view past City of Centralia budgets, visit https://www.cityofcentralia.com/201/Budget.
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Seattle Times Opinion
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UW protests: No lessons learned
Re: “UW Board of Regents ends meeting due to divestment protest” [Sept. 13, Northwest]: Three points should be added to the article. First, as the regents stated, those who were “repeatedly interrupted” were speakers opposed to divestment from companies with Israeli ties and concerned about antisemitism on campus. That is, the meeting was taken over […] |
