Nea’s Ice Cream Shop Fairgrounds’ New Life Owners Find More Freedom at Centralia Vaccinations, Jury Trials and Events to Take Business After Leaving Franchise / B1 Place as Restrictions Are Eased / Main 3 Lewis County, $1.75 West Region to Mid-Week Edition Remain in Phase 2 Thursday, Feb. 25, 2021 / Main 11 Serving our communities since 1889 — www.chronline.com Attorney: ‘I Think That Our Concerns Were Heard’ Man County Allocated 2,000 Vaccine Doses BOOST: Local Officials Lewis County received con- lagging behind the rest of the in the first place, or how alloca- Facing firmation Tuesday that it will state in terms of how many resi- tion decisions are being made. Receive Doses, But Few receive 2,000 first-dose vac- dents have received COVID-19 “It could be that those were Answers After Learning cines, allocated by the state De- vaccinations. It was a report equations that made sense to Homicide partment of Health (DOH). that garnered the attention of somebody, but that was nev- Lewis County Was Last The doses are expected to the district’s state lawmakers. er anything that was shared in Distribution arrive by the end of this week. But while Lewis County is with us,” Lewis County Public Charge The announcement comes getting vaccines, it’s yet to re- Health Director J.P. Anderson By Claudia Yaw after The Chronicle reported ceive answers about why so few for Crash [email protected] Saturday that Lewis County is doses were sent from the state please see DOSES, page Main 16 Might Airport Selected as Test Site for Have Had Seizure Electric Aircraft Feasibility Study LEWIS COUNTY SUPERIOR COURT: Ray J. Gleason Faces Charges for Death Following October Crash By Emily Fitzgerald [email protected] One of the drivers involved in a two-vehicle crash that killed a 20-year-old Castle Rock man on U.S. Highway 12 in October has been charged with vehicular homicide and vehicular assault. Ray J. Gleason, 43, of Olym- pia, was allegedly driving a Toyota Prius westbound on the highway at a speed of 103 miles per hour when he crossed into the eastbound lane, driving in an “S” motion, and crashed into the passen- ger side of an eastbound Nis- Ray Gleason san Altima that charged in death had swerved to try to avoid a collision, according to Lewis County Superior Court docu- ments. Jared Wenzelburger / [email protected] The Washington State troop- Brandon Rakes, Chehalis-Centralia Airport’s operations coordinator, is hopeful that the airport’s inclusion as a test site for an electric aircraft study will better position er who was the first to respond it for the future. to the incident reported that the damage to the passenger side of the Nissan was “extensive” CHEHALIS-CENTRALIA: The Washington State De- ment of the Chehalis-Centralia The WSDOT Electric Air- and that the vehicle’s passenger, partment of Transportation Airport as an electric aircraft craft Feasibility Study, complet- James Smith, would not respond Airport Operations (WSDOT) Aviation Division site is looking years into the ed in November 2020, provides to him “in any way.” Smith was Coordinator Says selected the Chehalis-Centralia future as WSDOT is still in the an assessment of the trans- pronounced dead at the scene. Airport Municipal Airport as beginning stages of the project. portation network, workforce Program Could Better one of the six electric aircraft Brandon Rakes, Chehalis- consideration, planning and in- please see CRASH, page Main 16 Position Twin Cities beta test sites in the state after Centralia Airport’s operations frastructure requirements and conducting an electric aircraft coordinator, said that it’s im- environmental and economic Airport for the Future feasibility study late last year. portant to have conversations impacts. Follow Us on Twitter Although there are electric about electric aircraft early and The study also outlined the @chronline By Celene Fitzgerald aircraft prototypes being flown to begin getting prepared for [email protected] in the state today, the develop- the future of aviation locally. please see AIRPORT, page Main 16 Find Us on Facebook www.facebook.com/the- centraliachronicle Prep Volleyball 2A Soccer Deaths Subscriber mailing label below this line Haily Rochester Lusk, Betty Jean, 91, Gresham, Oregon Murray Warriors Neves, Julia, 91, Chehalis Fuels Slip Past Win for Centralia for Napavine Frist Victory Tigers of Season / Main 13 / Main 12 Banking made easy! For home, construction, business…or just a smile. CHEHALIS The Chronicle, MOBILE & 714 W. Main Street Serving the Greater Lewis County ONLINE, (off I-5 at Exit 77) Area Since 1889 TOO! 360.740.0770 GREG COX CH609512bw.cg NMLS# 525293 MATT DEBORD TESS FAUGHN TIM COLLINS Also TOLEDO, WINLOCK, TUMWATER & OLYMPIA Main 2 • The Chronicle, Centralia/Chehalis, Wash., Thursday, Feb. 25, 2021 SENIORS Lewis County Seniors Nonprofit Looks to Regain Control of Meals on Wheels Program LOOKING AHEAD: Major Expansion May be in the Cards for Nonprofit By Claudia Yaw [email protected] You’d think that Lewis County Seniors (LCS) operates a Meals on Wheels program given the hundreds of seniors they deliver pre-made meals to every month. Since the pandem- ic, they’ve converted their Twin Cities senior center to a meal- prep hub, and have gotten meals into the hands of often-isolated seniors even during the recent snowstorm. But the Meals on Wheels program, awarded on contract by the regional Area Agency on Aging, has been controlled by a much larger organization — Catholic Community Services — for several years. Now, LCS wants it back. Executive Director Glenda Forga says LCS used to operate the program, and much more, before things were “slowly frag- mented off” throughout the years. Jared Wenzelburger / [email protected] “This was a very large op- Meals are prepared by staffers at the Twin Cities Senior Center as numbers of meals served sit written on boards on Wednesday in Chehalis. eration in Lewis County in one point in time,” she said. “And when I was hired in October of this July. And with all the work control. definitely done that.” will fund it. If so, LCS could 1999, all the pieces were togeth- they’ve done during the pan- “Part of it is proving ourselves Because of the COVID-19 build a larger kitchen — a proj- er.” demic, they’re fairly confident to them,” Pe Ell site manager emergency, LCS is allowed to ect likely to cost near a million LCS will bid on the contract they’ll be able to wrestle back Nora Davis said. “And we’ve deliver meals to seniors’ homes dollars — and dedicate two to or through delivery drop points three staff members to produce despite not holding the Meals Meals on Wheels food. on Wheels contract. Since last Increased freezer capacity ' March, the program has explod- means they could have a back- ed, with meals served more than log of frozen meals to deliver to Judy s quadrupling — it’s given LCS seniors. Intimate Apparel the chance to shine and confirm And even without a Meals their ability to operate a Meals on Wheels program, Forga says on Wheels program. the kitchen could still be instru- “We invented the wheel as we mental to other expansions, like went, and all our jobs have com- more nutrition sites around the pletely changed,” Davis said. county, where seniors can get Davis and Forga also say hot meals and socialize two days their program has highlighted a week. The nonprofit is trying that too many local seniors to expand their reach to more were going “underserved” by isolated areas, where seniors are Mastectomy & Lumpectomy Solutions • Amoena® Swimwear Catholic Community Services, less able to drive to a senior cen- Preferred Provider • DSHS Gladly Accepted a large agency that they see as ter. not plugged into the commu- As exciting as the possibil- Full Figure Bras • Maternity & Nursing Bras nity. Unlike Catholic Commu- ity of expansion and a Meals on Sport Bras • Bridal Foundations • Year-Round Swimwear nity Services, LCS used to be a Wheels program is, LCS is si- county agency and still regularly multaneously staring down the 4538 South Pine St reports to the Board of County potential for calamity. In June, 2528 Pacific Ave SE CH609927rc.cg TACOMA, WA OLYMPIA, WA Commissioners. They’ve also a month before they bid on the 253-474-4404 360-357-8807 played a role in getting seniors Meals on Wheels contract, their connected to COVID-19 vac- FEMA funding will expire. No Currently available by appointment only. cines. alternative funding source has Glenda points to her famil- been identified. iarity to the area as one reason “My only option is find more why LCS could successfully run money or lay people off,” Forga the Meals on Wheels program. told county commissioners “I’m from here. I’ve lived here Tuesday. With fewer staff, she all my life. I know this county said, they would be “working like the back of my hand,” she our fingers to the bone.” said. According to Davis, the situ- If LCS is not awarded the ation would be similar to the contract, they’ll have to turn first few months of the pandem- over their homebound clients to ic, when operations ramped up Catholic Community Services exponentially with too few sets as soon as it’s safe for seniors to of hands. She remembers some return to congregate sites. Their staffers working 21 long days in chances of regaining control of a row. the program will be boosted if But even with the grim pos- they’re awarded money from the sibility on the horizon, LCS is Building Community Fund, a optimistic about their future.