News

The White Pass Ski Area is preparing to open for winter sports enthusiasts this weekend.

Conditions permitting, it will be open for skiers and snowboarders on Friday, Nov. 22, for season pass-holders only, before beginning regular lift ticket sales on Saturday and Sunday.

Lift ticket sales for Saturday and Sunday are expected to start online on Wednesday, Nov. 20.

“Once we are open, be aware that early season conditions exist. That means rocks, stumps and more lay just below the surface. Ride with great care. See you soon!” the White Pass Ski Area website stated.

As of Wednesday, the snow’s base depth at White Pass’ summit was 61 inches, while it was 18 inches at the base area near the ski lodge. The mountain had received 18 inches of new snowfall within the past 24 hours as of Wednesday.

Skiers and snowboarders are also advised to check the ski area’s website to see which ski lifts are running.

Following this opening weekend, White Pass Ski Area will be closed throughout Thanksgiving week before reopening on Friday, Nov. 29.

To stay up to date on weather and snow conditions for this possible opening weekend at the White Pass Ski Area, visit its website at https://skiwhitepass.com/the-mountain/snow-report. 

For lift ticket sales, lessons, equipment rentals and more, visit https://estore.skiwhitepass.com/. 

The White Pass Ski Area is located at 48935 U.S. Highway 12.

The Office of Chehalis Basin (OCB) will host an upcoming webinar to discuss preparation for the upcoming flood season in the Chehalis River Basin.

The free webinar will be hosted on Tuesday, Dec. 3, from noon to 1 p.m. The webinar is part of a series of events hosted by the OCB discussing the Chehalis Basin Strategy to reduce flooding and restore habitat for aquatic species.

According to the OCB, the webinar will discuss how to use the flood warning system, how to prepare, what to do if a flood occurs and the role of county emergency responders when it floods.

Established in 2016 within the Department of Ecology, the OCB directs flood control and aquatic restoration work within the basin. Recently, the agency requested an $80 million biennial budget appropriation from the Washington State Legislature to “aggressively pursue the Chehalis Basin Strategy.”

To register for the webinar, visit https://tinyurl.com/ch5c32kn. 

Grays Harbor County has received a $1 million federal grant to expand treatment for people with substance use disorders, U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell announced Wednesday.

Additionally, Pierce County received a $1.6 million grant to establish a mobile opioid outreach project while the Washington State Health Care Authority received a $7 million grant.

According to Cantwell, the grants come from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant, and Substance Use Program.

The grant for Grays Harbor County will expand the substance use disorder treatment available at the Grays Harbor County Jail.

“Jails and prisons play an increasingly important role in providing treatment for substance use disorders. This funding will ensure that Grays Harbor County Jail can continue to provide evidence-based care — and that people who receive treatment have enough community support to prevent relapses and reincarceration,” Cantwell said.

According to Cantwell, the Grays Harbor County Jail will use the funds to expand medications for opioid use disorder, implement enhanced mental health screening, and aid re-entry peer counselors.

Last year, Cantwell helped secure a $928,700 federal grant to expand medication-assisted treatment (MAT) services in Lewis County.

MAT services reduce a patient’s craving for a substance and withdrawal symptoms through medication while they receive substance use disorder behavioral therapy services, which can create a holistic approach when combined.

The grant helped expand MAT access points into Morton and Packwood four days a week and helped fund services offered in the Lewis County Jail.

The National Park Service (NPS) announced Wednesday that the Ohanapecosh Campground will remain closed through the 2025 visitor season as part of a multipart plan to improve infrastructure in Mount Rainier National Park.

In a news release, the NPS said the Ohanapecosh Campground rehabilitation project includes improving the park’s 185 campsites and nine bathrooms, replacing an aging wastewater collection system, upgrading electrical and water systems and other infrastructure improvements.

During the work, the campground and all associated structures will be closed to the public. The work is expected to be completed in time for the 2026 camping season.

Both the White River Campground and Cougar Rock Campground will remain open during the construction project.

Between April and October, the NPS will also repair a 2.8-mile section of state Route 123, during which drivers can expect delays of up to 30 minutes. In September 2025, the NPS will also close state Route 123 between Stevens Canyon Road and Panther Creek, during which there will be no vehicle, pedestrian or bicycling access.

The roadway will also be under construction between April and October 2026, when drivers can again expect delays of up to 30 minutes. A complete closure will not be necessary in 2026.

“We are grateful to have the opportunity to make much-needed improvements to the Ohanapecosh Campground and state Route 123,” NPS Superintendent Greg Dudgeon said in a statement. “There will be some temporary inconveniences next year, but we know that this critical investment in our facilities will help ensure recreational opportunities for visitors for decades to come.”

The unemployment rate in Lewis County ticked up to 4.8% in October, according to the Washington Employment Security Department. The rate is a slight increase from the 4.7% the county saw in September.

On Tuesday, the agency announced that across the state, the economy decreased by 2,000 jobs in October, though the statewide rate remained steady at 4.8%.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the unemployment rate nationwide sat at 4.1% in October, with 7 million people unemployed and 1.0 million filing for unemployment.

According to the state Employment Security Department, the largest job gains statewide in the past year occurred in health services and social assistance, education and health services and government.

Between October 2023 and October 2024, Washington added 30,200 jobs in the private sector and 14,500 jobs in government.

Across Southwest Washington, Thurston County reported a 4.2% unemployment rate, Skamania County saw a rate of 4.6%, Pierce County reported a 4.8% rate, Cowlitz County saw a 4.9% rate, Grays Harbor County was at 6.3%, Pacific County was at 5.9% and Wahkiakum County was at 6.5%.

CENTRALIA POLICE DEPARTMENT

Malicious mischief

• Damage to a business in the 300 block of East Summa Street reported at 8:20 a.m. on Nov. 18 is under investigation. “It appears someone attempted to cut through the side of the building to gain entry,” the Centralia Police Department stated in a news release.

Vehicle accidents

• A non-injury, two-vehicle collision was reported at the intersection of East Summa Street and Kresky Avenue at approximately 9:45 a.m. on Nov. 18.

• A minor, non-injury, two-vehicle collision was reported at the intersection of West Fifth and North Pearl streets at approximately 2:30 p.m. on Nov. 19.

Hit-and-run

• A hit-and-run reported in the 1100 block of Mellen Street just after 8:25 a.m. on Nov. 19 is under investigation.

Burglary

• A burglary of a storage shed in the 1400 block of Kresky Avenue was reported at 3:55 p.m. on Nov. 18.

• A burglary of a business in the 1200 block of Harrison Avenue reported just before 9:35 a.m. on Nov. 19 is under investigation.

Assault

• An unknown male subject was arrested and booked into the Lewis County Jail for third-degree assault for allegedly spitting on an officer in the 100 block of South Silver Street just after 10:15 a.m. on Nov. 19. The subject reportedly refused to identify himself.

Theft

• A light bar was reported stolen from a vehicle in the 1100 block of Kresky Avenue just after 12:10 p.m. on Nov. 19.

• Items were reported stolen from a bedroom in the 900 block of L Street just before 12:25 p.m. on Nov. 19.

• A 21-year-old Everett man was arrested just before 7 p.m. on Nov. 19 for allegedly stealing from a business in the 1100 block of Harrison Avenue twice in one day.

CHEHALIS POLICE DEPARTMENT

Scams

• A phone scam involving scammers posing as Lewis County Sheriff’s Office deputies was reported in the 10 block of Southeast Adams Avenue at 1:35 p.m. on Nov. 18.

• A phone scam involving scammers telling the victim she had felony warrants out for her arrest was reported in the 10 block of Southwest Fourth Street at approximately 2:05 p.m. on Nov. 18.

Malicious mischief

• A second-degree malicious mischief reported in the 1600 block of Northwest Louisiana Avenue at 3 p.m. on Nov. 18 is under investigation.

Criminal trespass

• A subject who was sleeping by the gates of a facility in the 10 block of Southwest Chehalis Avenue just before 5:10 a.m. on Nov. 19 was moved along.

• A subject who was sleeping in the entryway of a business in the 400 block of Northwest Chehalis Avenue at approximately 6:50 a.m. on Nov. 19 was trespassed from the business.

FIRE AND EMS CALLS

• Between Monday morning and Wednesday morning, Lewis County 911 Communications logged approximately 42 illness-related calls, 15 injury-related calls, 14 fire-related calls, two non-emergency service calls, four vehicle accidents, two Lifeline medical alerts, one overdose, one hazardous conditions report and two other calls.

JAIL STATISTICS

• As of Wednesday morning, the Lewis County Jail had a total system population of 152 inmates, including 139 in the general population and 13 in the Work Ethic and Restitution Center (WERC). Of the general population inmates, 113 were reported male and 26 were reported female. Of the WERC inmates, 11 were reported male and two were reported female.

• As of Wednesday morning, the Chehalis Tribal Jail had a total system population of 13 inmates, including six booked by the Centralia Police Department, four booked by the state Department of Corrections, one booked by the Lummi Nation, one booked by the City of Elma and one booked by the Tulalip Tribe.

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Sirens are compiled by assistant editor Emily Fitzgerald, who can be reached at emily@chronline.com. The Centralia Police Department can be reached at 360-330-7680, the Chehalis Police Department can be reached at 360-748-8605. If you were a victim of physical or sexual abuse, domestic violence or sexual assault, call Hope Alliance at 360-748-6601 or the Youth Advocacy Center of Lewis County at 360-623-1990.

I waited a bit to comment on the outcome of the election just to see if in fact the world would end if President Donald Trump was reelected.

Nope. At least unless you were one of those so sensitive you needed a safe space, cookies and hot chocolate, or my favorite (from Harvard), Legos. 

For those poor folks, the world apparently did meet its demise.

But apparently about 75 million Americans concluded they were tired of being called stupid, Nazis, racists and all the rest by hysterical media and Hollywood elites and voted for President Trump anyway.

The following Sunday, as has happened many Sundays before and I suspect many more to come, my wife and I even ventured out after church to a restaurant.  We saw a long-time Democrat acquaintance and exchanged our usual pleasantries.

I know this sounds crazy, but we were able to be pleasant and civil despite our differences. It sounds weird, I know, but that’s what normal people do.

So, as the holidays approach, unlike the unhinged liberal knotheads on TV, we plan on spending time with family and friends — even some who think differently than I do. We have no plans to punish them and expect that none will punish me for my voting habits.

If age has taught me anything, it is that time is too short to waste on foolishness like that.

Plus, I don’t want to gloat.

•••

Locally, though, I wasn’t really surprised by any of the results. The only initiative that went my way was the option to use natural gas and the Lewis County 911 tax. Even though I don’t use natural gas now, the option seems reasonable. But, as usual, voters in Washington will be challenged in court by environmentalists to get the court to kill it. Just like school choice, they can’t stand voters deciding because, after all, they know what’s best for us.

The county’s budget woes are still bad, and it’s likely the solutions will be hard, too. Like most budgets, the bulk of it is wrapped up in wages and benefits, so meaningful cuts will result in the loss of jobs or services. 

At the federal level, they just print money and “kick the can down the road” for someone else to deal with. But counties can’t print money, so they have to balance budgets. The reality is we have kicked the can for years, too, using reserves to make up the difference and avoid the painful cuts they face today.

But that can only go so far. Add to that the crazy inflation we have all experienced in the last four years, and that just makes the problem worse.

The clock for a required budget is ticking and, while I can’t recall the exact date, the budget is required to be passed soon. Hiring freezes and attrition through retirements or employees leaving won’t likely make up the difference, so painful decisions will have to be made. It’s likely even going to include essential services.

In just a couple months, our state Legislature will meet and, if I’m not mistaken, they too will face a budget shortage, due in part in my estimation to an ever increasing and unsustainable appetite to spend money. 

I predict there will also be a crime of the session (seems like there always is) or other matters that will affect counties negatively and add to our local problems.

But we’ve seen this before and survived. So, we can choose to be hopeful and work through it, or shrink in fear, which does nothing.

We can learn from history (although I doubt kids are being taught real history anymore) and think like FDR when he said “the only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” He’s right. Fear sells. Fear motivates. But unreasonable fear is destructive.

So while I’m not a psychiatrist and didn’t play one on TV, I choose hope over fear. And Legos, of course.

•••

John McCroskey was Lewis County sheriff from 1995 to 2005. He lives outside Chehalis and can be contacted at musingsonthemiddlefork@gmail.com.