Chamber’s Elf on a Shelf Scheduled to Visit Downtown Centralia Ahead of Tractor Parade

Following last month’s 4-3 vote by the Centralia City Council to create a ballot initiative allowing residents to decide the fate of the Veterans Memorial Pearl Street Pool, the council tabled consideration of pool design options during Tuesday night’s regular meeting. It did so in favor of scheduling...

Presumably there is more to the name on a headstone at Mountain View Cemetery in Centralia that reads “Edith M. Capp—” but the final letters are obscured by ivy. We know a few things. She was born July, 1909 or 1908, and died in July 1927. Whether she lived to the day of her 18th birthday, the ivy, again, conceals.

The Centralia Police Department’s annual report showed it had made 1,283 arrests during 1952. The report was accepted at a meeting of the Centralia City Commission on Tuesday, Jan. 27, 1953, The Chronicle reported. Arrests for drunkenness led the list of arrests “as usual,” according to The Chronicle, with...

James Dale Wahl, 92, Chehalis, Washington, passed away peacefully to be with the Lord on Jan. 15, 2023. Jim was born on the Wahl Homestead in Boone, Iowa, March 18, 1930, to Frederick and Francis Wahl. He graduated from Boone High School in 1947, he then graduated from Iowa State University in 1951 with a Bachelor of Science in Forestry. He also lettered on the Iowa State Rifle team. Jim married Joanne Veale on June 21, 1952. He was drafted into the army in 1952 and served as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Korean War. He came west from Iowa and started working for Weyerhaeuser and remained with them for 30 years. He then started Wahl Timber Cruising and was joined in the business by his son. Jim was an active member of the Lions Club for over 50 years. He was a member of Westminster Presbyterian Church Chehalis since 1991. Jim married Barbara Hayden on March 16, 2002. Jim loved the outdoors, hunting, fishing, mushroom picking, growing dahlias and sunflowers, watching the Mariners and Seahawks, and traveling. You could always find him snacking on popcorn or peanuts. He was preceded in death by his wife Joanne and his sister-in-law Darla (George) Wahl. His brother George Wahl followed him to their heavenly home on Jan. 19, 2023. He is survived by his wife Barbara Hayden-Wahl; his daughter Mary (Jed) Januch; his son David (Stefanie) Wahl; his grandchildren James, Alexandria, Joseph, and Summer; and his nieces Lisa (Jeff) Damman and Debbie (Steve) Simpson.

Editor's Note: Each year, The Chronicle Editorial Board honors a Person of the Year for their exceptional work completing their job duties or their performance in the community outside of their employment. This year, the board chose Centralia School District Superintendent Dr. Lisa Grant for her work in stabilizing and moving the district forward.

Elizabeth “Betty” Brattain passed away unexpectedly. Please join us on Feb. 4, 2023 at 1 p.m. to celebrate Betty's life at The John Gaffney residence 487 Haywire Road, Winlock, Washington.

Louis “Lou” Rivera, 64, of Centralia, Washington, passed away peacefully surrounded by family on Dec. 27, 2022, after suffering a year-long battle with kidney disease. He is survived by his wife, Traci Rivera; son Sam Blodgett of Blodgett, Oregon; and daughters Sara Martinez of Las Vegas, Nevada and Allison Rivera of Everett, Washington. Lou is also survived by his siblings Arthur Rivera of San Jose, California; Frank Rivera of Olympia, Washington; Carmen Johansson of Mukilteo, Washington; and Lorie Allard of Casper, Wyoming. Lou is preceded by his mother Jeanette VanHook and father Santos Rivera.

Forks: B. Johnson 2, Wood 18, Whorton 3, K. Johnson 25, Peters 2, Wallerstedt 2, Ky. Neel 2, Ka. Neel 2, Dilley 4. Onalaska: Ikola 5, Haight 7, Talley 3, K. Sandridge 1, B. Sandridge 15, Zurinskas 1, Berg 3. The Onalaska girls basketball team honored its lone senior, Brooklyn...

Three orphaned moose calves have found a new home in Western Washington. After arriving in August from Alaska, the three young moose will make their public debut Friday at Northwest Trek Wildlife Park in Eatonville, Pierce County. The three moose — Atlas, Luna and Callisto — are living off-exhibit and...

I have lived, worked and retired in Napavine, and it is a tight knit community. If I want something to do after supper, I go up to the high school. I will watch a Tiger team — be it volleyball, football, basketball, baseball, track or soccer. I might also hear an awesome pep band pump up the crowd with their catchy tunes. Or I might have the opportunity to listen to our music students perform at a concert.

Michelle Mackey, a Chehalis resident and owner of the Rise & Grind coffee stand in Ashford, remains in Costa Rica but has now been transferred to a public hospital, San Juan de Dios, in San José. While she is still lightly sedated, her condition continues to improve and she...

Centralia: Kelly 7, Keeton 14, Guillory 2, Mendoza 8, Keperling 11, Davis 2, Brown 5, Cline 2, Ivory 4. Green River: Nordland 15, Anderson 8, Burraston 14, Feroah 11, Foster 17, Berg 10, Young 3, Forrester 2, Heard 7, Dahl 9. On a tough offensive outing, the Centralia College men’s...

On the third Thursday of January, housing and homelessness service providers from across Lewis County unite. Held for the first time in person since 2019, a vendor fair at the Blue Pavilion in the Southwest Washington Fairgrounds welcomes homeless and housed individuals alike who may be strapped for certain resources such as food, socks, toothbrushes or even just human connection, said Holly Renner, a child care provider at Gather Church in Centralia.

Roughly 100 anti-airport activists rallied Wednesday on the north steps of the Legislative Building in Olympia, urging state lawmakers to stop seeking a site to build a new commercial airport in Washington. The prospect that either of three rural areas in Pierce and Thurston County could be home to a...

The Chronicle’s “News Dump” podcast is a treasure-trove of insight for those interested in a behind-the-scenes look at what is happening in our community. As a bonus, it is also an interesting look at the craft of journalism and the people involved. Since I prepare a dozen...

Two dogs who are suspected of killing chickens in Salkum on Jan. 12 are still at large. Jerett Latimer came home to his place on Fuller Road that day to find three of his chickens killed by a predator and one missing. “The chicken wire that was stapled to a...

Beating Aberdeen on the road in its last dual of the season, the W.F. West boys wrestling team clinched its 10th-straight league championship Thursday night, 57-11. The Bearcats won 12 of their 14 matches wrestled, and will begin postseason play at the 2A Evergreen Conference championships next Saturday at Black Hills.

Lacey police arrested a 31-year-old Olympia man on suspicion of robbery on Wednesday night after he evaded them on a bicycle for about two hours. The man reportedly fled from police officers, K9 units and a drone near the Hawks Prairie Village Mall in Lacey. Police had been searching for the man because they believed he robbed a Lacey Home Depot at knifepoint last week.

A 30-year-old man is in jail on suspicion of arson after Tacoma police say he tried to steal gas by siphoning it from another vehicle while also smoking a cigarette. The gasoline ignited, causing a large fire and an explosion. Tacoma Police Department said the vehicle was a total loss,...

The Onalaska woman accused of stealing a substantial amount of mail in Lewis County has pleaded not guilty to 30 separate felony charges in Lewis County Superior Court. The defendant, Amber K. Ingram, 40, entered her pleas during an arraignment hearing on Thursday, Jan. 19. She is currently out of custody after posting $10,000 bail earlier this month.