The Chronicle

08/06/2025

A Longview man is charged with sexually assaulting a woman he met at Oregon Way Tavern.

Shaun Paul Lewis Whitmore, 45, pleaded not guilty last week to kidnapping and first-degree r**e. Each charge also carries a deadly weapon enhancement.

It was about 4:26 a.m., on July 18, when a man called 911 to report his friend was r**ed at knifepoint at the Oregon Way Tavern, located at 446 Oregon Way, according to arresting documents.

"Squinty eyes," was one of the descriptions the victim gave police of the suspect, as well as his estimated height, gender, vehicle and race.

With the victim's help, police were able to zero in on the man's car, parked behind the Oregon Way Tavern. After being detained, identified and searched, police found a silver Ge**er pocketknife allegedly on Whitmore.

A Longview man is charged with sexually assaulting a woman he met at Oregon Way Tavern. Shaun Paul Lewis Whitmore, 45, pleaded not guilty last week to kidnapping and first-degree r**e. Each …

08/06/2025

Adna Evangelical Church is holding a yard sale this weekend.

"All proceeds go to our community events we put on like VBS, movie nights, bingo nights, crafting days, trunk or treat, resurrection egg hunts, etc." wrote Travis Watt.

08/06/2025

NATIONAL NIGHT OUT: "We wanted to share a picture from last night’s National Night Out from the Department of Corrections Chehalis Field Office." — submitted by Danielle Tamez

More National Night Out photos to come!

08/06/2025

U.S. Rep. Dan Newhouse, a Washington Republican, voted in favor of the bill. His website states that the new law will save taxpayers close to $200 billion via SNAP reforms that “ensure the program works the way Congress intended by reinforcing work, rooting out waste, and instituting long-overdue accountability incentives to control costs.”

In addition, the bill encourages states to fix their SNAP payment error rates, the website says. States with rates of at least 6% will be on the hook for 5%-15% of benefit costs.

The national payment error rate was 10.93% for fiscal year 2024, according to federal data. The rate in Washington state during that time was 6.06%.

State Sen. John Braun, minority leader of the state Legislature’s upper chamber, called the 20-hour-per-week work requirements for SNAP a “fairly low bar.” The Centralia Republican pointed to work reforms passed under Democratic President Bill Clinton’s tenure in the 1990s, arguing that they enabled people to find a way out of poverty long term.

“What’s happened over a couple-plus decades is some of those requirements got weakened, or waivers got allowed, and I think this just resets us to that,” Braun said in an interview. “So I think that’s a good thing. It’s a reasonable thing.”

In Braun’s view, if the federal government is paying for the program, states should have some “skin in the game.”

The SNAP adjustments will help ensure that benefits go to the right people, he said. Washington has been at or near the 6% error-rate benchmark in three of the past five years, he added.

“I think this is focused on accountability,” Braun said, “to ensure that we preserve the program for the long-haul for the people who really need it.”

Shalimar Gonzales doesn’t know of a single food bank that can easily absorb the wave of new clients likely coming their way. Gonzales is CEO of Solid Ground, a Seattle-based community …

08/06/2025

08/06/2025

Ever wonder how pruno (homemade alcohol) is made behind bars? Yesterday, our correction deputies found a batch in the making and quickly confiscated it.

08/06/2025

With what appeared to be a detonator brandished in his left hand, Contreras-Salmion handed the clerk a cloth bag and threatened to detonate the seemingly real bomb if the clerk didn’t hand over the money in the register, officials said.

Afraid that the device was real, the clerk handed over the money, and Contreras-Salmion fled the scene, officials said.

About a week later, Woodburn police found a fake bomb vest that matched the one that Contreras-Salmion used in the January robbery — prompting police to call in Oregon State Police’s bomb squad. Officers discovered that the vest was a hoax, officials said.

Less than a month later, on Feb. 7, Contreras-Salmion turned up again: this time at the EZ Stop Grocery, also in Woodburn, officials said.

Contreras-Salmion loitered near the candy aisle until another customer went into the bathroom, then walked up to the sales counter and unzipped his sweatshirt to reveal another fake bomb vest, according to police and the DA’s office.

A Woodburn man was sentenced to more than 8 years in prison for robbing a convenience store and attempting to rob another one while wearing fake bomb vests.  Marion County Judge Courtland …

08/06/2025

Standing at 347 feet tall, it’s been closed for decades, but has been damaged by vandalism and fires in the past. The current owners have removed railroad ties and platforms to discourage people from walking onto the bridge.

“Upon arrival SORT techs set up a horizontal rope safety system that would allow them to safely make access out onto the bridge deck, hoisted up some equipment and proceeded to work out onto the railroad deck extending their safety lines and working to extinguish all of the burning railroad ties,” Patti said. “Many of the ties were severely compromised creating a more dangerous situation. Crews estimated they extended approximately 260 feet out onto the railroad deck to reach the end of the burning ties.”

Falling embers from the bridge fire managed to ignite another fire in the canyon below, Patti said. The bridge fire was fully contained by 9 p.m., and Patti said crews may still be working to fully extinguish the embers in the canyon below.

Four firefighters with Lacey Fire District 3 were part of a multi-agency response to a fire that broke out Thursday on the Vance Creek Bridge in Mason County. According to the agency, the bridge is …

08/06/2025

08/06/2025

Attempt to Locate Missing Endangered Person.

If located, please call Detective King at 360-330-7680 or 911.

08/06/2025

Initial primary election results were released by the Lewis County Auditor’s Office on Tuesday night.

As of Tuesday, 5,005 ballots had been counted for a turnout of 24.89%. The next tally will be announced on Wednesday, and the election will be certified on Aug. 19.

The top two candidates in each race with three or more candidates will move to the general election in November.

Initial primary election results were released by the Lewis County Auditor’s Office on Tuesday night. As of Tuesday, 5,005 ballots had been counted for a turnout of 24.89%. The next …

08/06/2025

PRIMARY ELECTION: As of Tuesday night’s primary election results, school levies in Mossyrock and White Pass were both passing, as was a bond to build a new fire station for Fire District 4 in Morton.

The Mossyrock levy, which failed by just a handful of votes earlier this year, was passing as of Tuesday with 631 votes, or 53.16%, and 556 opposed, or 46.84%.

Levies require 50 percent plus one vote to pass.

White Pass School District’s proposed levy was passing with 617 votes, or 55.99%, in favor and 485 voters, or 44.01%, opposed.

In Morton, Lewis County Fire District 4’s second attempt at passing a bond to construct a new fire station appears to have been successful. As of Tuesday, the measure is passing with 66.95% of the vote, or 310 votes, with 33.05%, or 153 voters, opposed.

The bond needs 60% plus one vote to pass.