News
The Chronicle - Centralia
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Fire damages roof of Van Cleve Motors in Morton
A fire broke out in the roof of the service area at Van Cleve Motors Inc. in Morton on Saturday morning, Nov. 30. It caused minor damage to the roof’s structure that will require repairs, according to owner Jim Van Cleve, who spoke with The Chronicle on Monday, Dec. 2. “It’s not confirmed yet, but I suspect it started around our waste oil heater chimney that goes through the roof,” Van Cleve said. Along with damaging the roof, it also knocked out power and phone lines to the dealership. However, the fire was quickly reported and extinguished, saving the majority of the structure, and no injuries were reported. Lewis County Fire District 4 is less than half a mile down the street from Van Cleve Motors, also on Second Street in Morton. While the dealership does have insurance to pay for the repair work, Van Cleve said the business will be temporarily closed until repairs are completed. “We don’t know for sure how long. I’m hoping that we can be up and running within a week to 10 days,” Van Cleve said. The dealership also posted a statement on its Facebook page on Monday. “Good morning Van Cleve family, we did have a fire in the shop over the weekend. Thanks to our local fire departments they were able to put the fire out quickly,” the post stated. “However, we currently do not have power or phones. Please feel free to reach out to James, Jennifer, or Maria, you can also reach out here (on Facebook). We will assist you to the best of our abilities.” Formerly known as Van Cleve Ford Inc., Van Cleve Motors has been a staple for both buying and servicing vehicles in Morton ever since Van Cleve’s father opened the business in 1953. Van Cleve himself has worked at his family’s dealership ever since he was 12 years old in 1965. He previously told The Chronicle in a feature story earlier this year he is “semi-retiring” and preparing to pass the business off to his son and daughter-in-law — James and Jennifer Van Cleve. He said there had been a Ford dealership in Morton prior to 1953, but it burned down sometime in the late 1940s and the old owners never rebuilt it, though he didn’t know the exact date of that fire. Earlier this year, the Van Cleve family mutually agreed to part ways with the Ford Motor Company, prompting the name change. To learn more about Van Cleve Motors, read The Chronicle’s story at https://tinyurl.com/2w2ec4jp. Van Cleve Motors is located at 302 Second St. in Morton. To contact the business, visit https://tinyurl.com/bdz9b7a4.
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In focus: Tree lighting ceremony brings Santa Claus to Centralia
The annual Christmas tree lighting ceremony was held at at George Washington Park in Centralia on Friday, Nov. 29. The event was organized and hosted by the Centralia Downtown Association, officially kicking off the march to Christmas in the Hub City. The next big event the the downtown association is planning is the 15th annual Lighted Tractor Parade, which will start at 6 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 14, along Tower Avenue. Learn more at https://tinyurl.com/3yztdubu.
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Three adoptions finalized during Lewis County 'National Adoption Day' celebration
As part of National Adoption Day on Friday, Nov. 22, Lewis County Superior Court Judge J. Andrew Toynbee finalized the adoptions of three children from foster care during a ceremony at the Lewis County Law and Justice Center in Chehalis. Two children, 1-year-old Samuel and 3-year-old Rose, had their adoptions recognized during the celebration; and in a first for Lewis County on National Adoption Day, the court also recognized one minor guardianship during the celebration. The event was sponsored by Martha Hunt, Century 21 Lund Realty & Agents, Raintree Nursery, Wendy’s Chehalis and Centralia locations, Penny Maul with Penny’s Cake Ministry, and Rachelle Bryson with Project Linus. The celebration was part of a nationwide effort to call special attention to the more than 108,000 foster children waiting in the United States for adoption, and to celebrate all loving families that adopt, Lewis County Superior Court said in a news release. During the annual event, courts and organizations in more than 400 communities across the country opened their doors to finalize and celebrate adoptions from foster care. Currently, there are 4,890 foster children in Washington state, with 885 children legally free and waiting for adoption. In Region 6, which includes Lewis County, approximately 220 or more have permanently lost their parents and are waiting to be adopted, according to the news release. To learn more about adoption in Washington state, visit https://tinyurl.com/4sfvxmpv. |
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Lewis County Health Advisory Board seeking applicants for openings
The Lewis County Board of Health (BOH) is seeking new community members to join the Public Health & Social Services Advisory Board. According to the Lewis County Public Health Department, the agency is seeking two provider-specific positions representing developmental disabilities and law and justice interests as well as one at-large position. The positions will serve three-year terms that begin on Jan. 1, 2025 and expire on Dec. 21, 2028. Only Lewis County residents are eligible to apply for the positions. According to the health department, the 11-member board is tasked with providing recommendations to the BOH on community health, environmental health and social service issues. The deadline to apply is 2 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 9, and the applications will be reviewed during the BOH’s Dec. 9 meeting. To apply, submit an application to Kendra Garrison, clerk of the Board of Health, at BOH@lewiscountywa.gov. The application can be found online at lewiscountywa.gov/departments/public-health. Questions regarding the application or positions can be directed to Garrison at 360-740-1439 or BOH@lewiscountywa.gov. |
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Sirens: Woman refuses to exit patrol vehicle after ride; juvenile caught breaking into vehicle; keys taken in robbery
CENTRALIA POLICE DEPARTMENT Obstruction • A 35-year-old Winlock woman was arrested for obstructing a police officer in the 800 block of North Tower Avenue just after 11:30 a.m. on Nov. 29 after she allegedly refused to exit an officer’s patrol vehicle after she was provided a courtesy transport.
Theft • Beer was reported stolen from a convenience store in the 300 block of Reynolds Avenue just after 6:45 p.m. on Nov. 29.
Vehicle accidents • A non-injury collision was reported in the 600 block of North Pearl Street at approximately 2 a.m. on Nov. 30. • A non-injury, two-vehicle collision was reported at the intersection of Gold and East Summa Streets just after 11:55 a.m. on Nov. 30.
Robbery • At 3:40 a.m. on Nov. 30, a subject reported he was assaulted and had his keys taken from him in the 200 block of North Tower Avenue. The case is under investigation.
Harassment • A man reportedly threatened violence against his ex-girlfriend and her new boyfriend in the 1000 block of Scammon Creek Road at approximately 3:30 p.m. on Nov. 30. The case is under investigation.
Vehicle prowl • A juvenile was arrested in the 100 block of North Tower Avenue at 5:15 p.m. on Nov. 30 after the owner of a vehicle caught them attempting to break into their vehicle in a public parking lot.
DUI • A 30-year-old Centralia man was arrested for DUI after he was pulled over for a traffic violation at the intersection of North Pearl and West Second streets at 9:35 p.m. on Nov. 30.
Malicious mischief • Graffiti was reported on the side of a grocery store in the 500 block of South Tower Avenue at approximately 5:55 p.m. on Nov. 29. • A window of a parked car in the 1300 block of Lum Road was reported broken at 8:30 p.m. on Nov. 29. • Damage to a vehicle in a parking lot in the 500 block of Harrison Avenue was reported just after 2:15 p.m. on Nov. 30.
Hit-and-run • A hit-and-run reported in the 1100 block of Harrison Avenue just after 3:55 a.m. on Dec. 1 is under investigation.
Warrant • A 31-year-old Puyallup woman was arrested on an out-of-state warrant in the 1200 block of North Pearl Street just after 3:45 p.m. on Dec. 1.
Criminal trespass • A 32-year-old Centralia man was arrested for trespassing in the 500 block of South Tower Avenue at 9:15 p.m. on Dec. 1.
FIRE AND EMS CALLS • Between Friday morning and Monday morning, Lewis County 911 Communications logged approximately 48 illness-related calls, 11 injury-related calls, 12 fire-related calls, one non-emergency service call, one vehicle accident, three Lifeline medical alerts, one overdose and two other calls.
JAIL STATISTICS • As of Monday morning, the Lewis County Jail had a total system population of 143 inmates, including 130 in the general population and 13 in the Work Ethic and Restitution Center (WERC). Of general population inmates, 107 were reported male and 23 were reported female. Of the WERC inmates, 11 were reported male and two were reported female. • As of Monday morning, the Chehalis Tribal Jail had a total system population of 20 inmates, including 12 booked by the Centralia Police Department, six booked by the state Department of Corrections, one booked by the Tulalip Tribe and one booked by the Lummi Nation. ••• 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. |
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Chehalis City Council approves 2025 budget, passes property tax increase amid opposition from one councilor
The Chehalis City Council approved the city’s 2025 budget on its final reading during the council’s Monday, Nov. 25, meeting after holding the required second public hearing concerning the budget and 2025 property tax and EMS levies. With budget deficit issues looming in Chehalis as they are in many municipalities across Washington state, the council voted to approve raising the property tax and EMS levies by 1%, as allowed by state law, along with utilizing its full available banked property tax authority. Both the Chehalis 2025 budget and the property tax and EMS levies were approved by votes of 6-1 with Chehalis City Councilor Kevin Carns opposing both. Per state law, municipalities such as Chehalis are required to submit balanced annual budgets. Though the Chehalis budget will be balanced next year, Carns opposed it due to the way in which it was balanced — by tapping into the city’s general fund reserves and other emergency funds. During the budget’s and tax levies’ first readings, Carns said he understood the need to pursue more revenue in order to keep the budget balanced as inflation keeps increasing expenditure costs, but said he believed the city’s government should focus on making cuts internally. “It’s not the answer anybody wants. It’s not the answer I want to propose. But we cannot continue this trajectory,” Carns said during the council’s Oct. 28 meeting. As for the budget numbers, the amounts remained unchanged from the first reading. Chehalis’ 2025 budget will have a starting balance of $27,334,785. Citywide, expenditures across all funds are expected to total $31,548,384 with revenues anticipated at $29,024,900 — leaving the ending balance for the city’s 2026 budget of $24,811,301. The total amount collected by Chehalis’s 2025 property tax and EMS levies will be $2,531,336.01, with $246,754.96 of the city’s available banked property tax authority being utilized. For more information on the 2025 budget for the City of Chehalis, read The Chronicle’s coverage of its first reading at https://tinyurl.com/bddmp7h2. To read Chehalis’ 2025 budget or previous annual budgets approved by the Chehalis City Council, visit the city’s website at https://www.ci.chehalis.wa.us/finance/page/adopted-budgets. |
Washington State News
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LIVE FILE Cowboys vs. Washington State Cougars - 7220 Sports
LIVE FILE: Wyoming Cowboys vs. Washington State Cougars 7220 Sports
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Columbian Newspaper
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U.S. Postal Service touts timely delivery of mail ballots despite concerns from election officials
The U.S. Postal Service said Monday nearly 100 percent of completed mail ballots were returned to election offices within a week for this year’s presidential contest, despite hurricanes, some misdirected election mail and delivery concerns raised by state officials. |
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Alaska Airlines tech issue briefly grounds planes in Seattle, disrupts bookings on Cyber Monday
SEATTLE — A technology issue at Alaska Airlines resulted in the temporary grounding of flights in Seattle on Monday morning and problems into the afternoon for people trying to book flights on its website, the airline said. |
NYT Politics
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Trump Picks Warren Stephens, Billionaire Investment Banker, for U.K. Ambassador
Warren Stephens, an investment banker, gave $2 million in 2016 to a group aiming to block Donald J. Trump’s political rise. More recently, he backed Asa Hutchinson, Chris Christie, Mike Pence and Nikki Haley before donating to the Trump campaign.
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