The Chronicle

09/09/2025

A Centralia man with over two dozen criminal convictions faces up to five years in prison and $10,000 in fines after he allegedly fled the scene of an accident in Lewis County Thursday.

Seth Timothy Lloyd, 38, of Centralia, was charged with one count of felony hit-and-run in Lewis County Superior Count on Friday, Sept. 5. Bail was set at $50,000 cash or bond.

Lloyd was previously sentenced to 130 months in prison in January 2017 for 12 counts of theft of a firearm, one count of residential burglary, one count of second-degree unlawful possession of a firearm, one count of unlawful fi****ms and one count of first-degree trafficking in stolen property.

He was released in May 2024, according to Deputy Prosecutor Paul Masiello.

On Sept. 4, Lewis County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to a vehicle collision on Jackson Highway. They arrived to find a lone vehicle in the ditch, according to court documents. A woman sat in the front passenger seat of the vehicle and was yelling in pain. Her injuries were being tended to by first responders.

The deputies noted that the driver’s seat was unoccupied. When asked, the woman allegedly refused to say who had been driving.

A Centralia man with over two dozen criminal convictions faces up to five years in prison and $10,000 in fines after he allegedly fled the scene of an accident in Lewis County Thursday. Seth …

09/09/2025

Chehalis native Georgie Bright Kunkel, a standup comic who served as a Rosie the Riveter during World War II and vowed she would live forever, celebrated her 105th birthday with her family on Aug. 31.

When her caregiver in Seattle told her, “Don’t cause any trouble, Georgie,” she responded, “That’s no fun.”

Five years ago, I wrote a column about Georgie celebrating her 100th birthday with a drive-by celebration because of the coronavirus pandemic. This year, the family celebrated in person, but it’s bittersweet because Georgie spent time in the hospital with Covid and received an ITP diagnosis. ITP is a blood disorder that decreases the amount of platelets, which can result in easy bruising, bleeding gums and internal bleeding. It’s terminal, so she’s now on hospice, said her daughter, Kim Waligorska, of Seattle.

“She is so strong today, walking around and eating her favorite food: pie,” Kim said. “She … has such a fighting spirit.”

Georgie Myrtia Bright was born on Aug. 31, 1920, two months after her father, George, died at 46, leaving behind a widow with 11 children. Myrtia Bright taught school to support her family and served as Lewis County School Superintendent from 1923 to 1931. The family lived at 768 Prindle St. in Chehalis.

After finishing high school in 1938, Georgie graduated in 1941 from Western Washington College of Education, now Western Washington University in Bellingham, and taught at Vader Grade School and Edison Elementary School in Centralia. During World War II, she served as a local air raid warden, rationed food and gas, and worked at Boeing Co. in the Seattle office and later as a mechanic at the Chehalis branch plant (which now houses the Lewis County PUD). Her brother, Norman Bright, competed to run in the Olympics and served in the Army Mountain Rescue Unit and her oldest sister, Anne Williams, served in the Army Nurse Corps in Africa and France.

When the war ended, Georgie married U.S. Army veteran Norman Kunkel on April 25, 1946, and they had four children — Stephen, Susan, Kim and Joseph. They had been married 62 years when Norman died on April 2, 2009.

Georgie, who did standup comedy in Seattle, wrote a book called “Color Me Feminist” and longs to see passage of the Equal Rights Amendment, her daughter said.

Chehalis native Georgie Bright Kunkel, a standup comic who served as a Rosie the Riveter during World War II and vowed she would live forever, celebrated her 105th birthday with her family on Aug. …

09/09/2025

“Meaghan was born March 25, 1995, in Tacoma, Washington, and from the very beginning, she was a force—smart, funny, and unapologetically herself. She had no filter and no fear when it came to speaking her mind, which only made her more unforgettable. Her laugh was loud, her love was fierce, and her presence was impossible to ignore. Her strength, compassion, and unshakable spirit carried her through many challenges, especially during her health journey.

“Despite the hardships she faced, Meaghan lived with humor and fierce determination. She loved deeply, lived life on her own terms, and had a soul that was pure fire. Her passion for music, animals, and helping others was only matched by her love for her family, friends, and all those fortunate enough to know her.”

With heavy hearts, we announce the passing of our daughter, mother, wife, and friend, Meaghan Ashlee Reynolds (Hicks), who left this world far too soon at the age of 30 due to complications from her …

09/09/2025

Stunset!

The sunset this evening 🔥🔥

09/09/2025

Home runs and double plays are exciting to watch.

They can also take on a deeper meaning.

Over the weekend, they symbolized a celebration of the Lewis County recovery community and the memory of those who have been lost along the way.

Lewis County Drug Court hosted the second annual Double H Softball Tournament on Saturday, Aug. 6, at the Toledo softball fields. The tournament, which began at 8:30 a.m. and went into the evening, with the championship game scheduled for 5:30 p.m., featured eight teams of alumni and current members of therapeutic courts from a number of Washington counties.

Among them were two teams representing the Lewis County Drug Court program, which went by the team names Breaking the Chains and Living Proof. Other teams came from Pierce, Cowlitz and Kitsap counties.

In the end, the team Rose’s Angel of Pierce County took the top prize, while The Strong Ones from Kitsap County came in second and Breaking the Chains came in third place. Living Proof was knocked out earlier in the tournament.

Home runs and double plays are exciting to watch. They can also take on a deeper meaning. Over the weekend, they symbolized a celebration of the Lewis County recovery community and the …

09/09/2025

Much has been written about the way Curtice Gordon died. The details will remain important during the course of Wayne Curry's impending trial and any further investigations that could bring justice for Gordon's family.

Makaela Hearn, Gordon’s 17-year-old sister, wants people to remember how Gordon lived.

“He was literally the most innocent 23-year-old man you’d probably ever meet,” Hearn told The Chronicle on Sept. 2.

Both Hearn and Gordon’s fianceé, Leira Wilson, described Gordon as shy, at least initially.

“But when he talks to customers, it just goes away, and it's so weird because I never imagined him like that,” Hearn said. “He was always so shy and to himself, and likes to be home. And then you would hear him on the phone with a customer, and he just had this professional voice.”

Animal lover. Family provider. Budding entrepreneur. Practical joker. Curtice Gordon was that and more to the people that loved him. The 23-year-old manager for Kraftwerk K9 in Rochester had …

09/09/2025

Investigators interviewed and arrested a person suspected of murder.

09/09/2025

IN FOCUS: Onalaska aquaculture students learned how to clip the fins of juvenile steelhead trout in the steelhead hatchery at Onalaska High School on Monday, Sept. 8.

Hatchery fish are clipped to distinguish them from the fish that are raised in the wild. The goal is to clip 20,000 out of the 39,000 steelhead at the Onalaska High School’s hatchery to continue growing in tanks to later be released by the aquaculture class students.

The steelhead that don’t make it are studied for research.

Photos by Chronicle Photo Editor Ridley Hudson.

09/09/2025

GOOD HELATH & NUTRITION TO CELEBRATE 35 YEARS: The Good Health & Nutrition Center in Centralia is celebrating a milestone anniversary — 35 years in business. OwnerJulie Shaffley is marking the occasion with an exciting week of anniversary sales and an open house and ribbon-cutting ceremony at noon on Wednesday, Sept. 10.

The Wednesday celebration features a live radio remote by KITI, giveaways, gift bags, gift cards, T-shirts and multiple prize baskets. Guests can enjoy food sampling and product demonstrations throughout the day.

“Basically, we’re throwing a big party,” Shaffley said.

Good Health opened July 1, 1990, Now, more than three decades later, she is serving the second and third generations of customers.

“It’s such a blessing to have customers who trust us — and whose families have trusted us for so long.”

Anniversary sales, including deep discounts on supplements, will run Sept. 8–12.

The ceremony is hosted by the Centralia-Chehalis Chamber of Commerce, which helps local businesses celebrate milestones such as grand openings, expansions and new ownership. Chamber membership is not required to participate.

For more information, call 360-748-8885.

— Centralia-Chehalis Chamber of Commerce news release

09/09/2025

IN FOCUS: The family of Esther Borte poses for a photo following the 10th annual Esther Borte Memorial Walk at Toledo’s Kemp Olson Memorial Park and RV Campground on Saturday, Sept. 6.

According to Toledo Parks Board Chair Elizabeth Buell, the event had a total of 24 sponsors and raised over $3,000.

During her life, Toledo resident Esther Borte quilted and donated many of her creations for fundraising efforts to improve Kemp Olson Park. The annual walks are held in her honor to continue her efforts following her death in 2016 and this year's included a quilt Borte sowed together back in 2006.

Photos by Chronicle reporter Owen Sexton.

09/09/2025

IN FOCUS: The Chronicle youth soccer team takes the field at Stan Hedwall Park in Chehalis on Saturday in these photos by Chronicle reporter Dylan Reubenking.

The Chronicle has just one sponsored youth soccer team, but that doesn’t mean the rest of them can’t have their photos published. To submit local team photos to The Chronicle for online publication, email images to [email protected]. Be sure to include as many details as possible, including the date and location of the photos as well as the name of the photographer.

See more about the photos here: https://tinyurl.com/mr2tcmts

09/08/2025

"Three Rivers Care is more than just a health care facility — it's a lifeline for many in our community," Abbarno said.

"In rural areas like Lewis County, access to quality skilled nursing and long-term care is often limited. Three Rivers Care is stepping up to meet those needs, investing not only in their facility, but also in the local workforce and community they serve."

During the visit, Abbarno’s discussions with professionals and residents focused on the impacts of state policymaking on care facilities.

According to the news release, the discussion touched frequently on the financial burden on nursing home facilities, including the state's low Medicaid reimbursement rates and a new business and occupation tax passed into law by the Democrat-controlled state Legislature earlier this year.

"Many bad policies coming out of Olympia are straining local health care facilities and, ultimately, the patients and families who depend on them," Abbarno said. "We must work together to invest in our care providers and support their efforts to serve our seniors and most vulnerable neighbors."

Washington state House Republican Caucus Chair Rep. Peter Abbarno, R-Centralia, paid a visit to the Three Rivers Care facility in Centralia recently, according to a news release from the Washington …