Local Honor Stepping Down Guard Centralia Girls’ Coach Resigns After Two Years / Sports Pays Final Respects / Life 1 $1 Midweek Edition Thursday, April 17, 2014 Reaching 110,000 Readers in Print and Online — www.chronline.com Skepticism Abounds at Hoof Rot Meeting The Chronicle / File Photo In this 2008 ile photograph, former oicer Phillip Reynolds is seen making an arrest in Centralia. ‘excessive Use of Force’ Dishonesty, Overuse of Taser and an Officer’s Quest to Regain His Job in Centralia DECISION Arbitrator Will Decide Fate of Phillip Reynolds After 2012 Firing By Stephanie Schendel Pete Caster / [email protected] [email protected] A woman speaks out about the elk hoof disease problem during the question and answer portion of a Washington Department of The Centralia Police Department might be forced to Fish and Wildlife meeting on the hoof rot situation in the area at the V.R. Lee Community Building in Chehalis on Wednesday evening. rehire a police officer with a history of excessive use of force if an arbitrator rules in favor of Phillip Reynolds, who the agency fired in 2012. WDFW Officials Cite A panel of five state wildlife started coming in from Pacific, officials were on hand to explain A review of hundreds of documents from internal Possible Link to 2007 Lewis and Clark counties. Over the investigations, police reports, civilian complaints, de- that researchers now believe that next several years, researchers har- partment policies, as well as Reynolds’ personnel records, Boistfort Valley Flooding hoof rot — a disease that causes elk vested 43 elk ranging in age from hooves to become deformed with fetuses to adulthood and shared reveal an apparent pattern of dishonesty, excessive force By Dameon Pesanti and reckless behavior throughout his six-year stint as a lesions and eventually fall off — is tissue samples with several labora- police officer. [email protected] caused by treponema, a bacteria tories. known to infect cattle and sheep “Three independent labs re- With many in camouflage and please see EXCESSIVE, page Main 11 across the world. ceived samples,” Jonkers said. “All work boots, concerned hunters “Exhaustive pathological work three have found treponema.” and landowners filled the V.R. Lee has been conducted,” Sandra Jonk- Contrary to some popular hoof Community Building in Chehalis er, regional wildlife program man- rot theories, WDFW veterinarian TWO-PART SERIES Wednesday night to learn what the ager, said. “The challenge is man- Kristen Mansfield said, there is no After reviewing hundreds of documents from in- Washington Department of Fish aging the disease. That’s where scientific evidence that herbicides vestigations, reports, complaints, policies, as well as and Wildlife or WDFW, is doing we’re at right now.” sprayed on Weyerhaeuser land or Phillip Reynolds’ personnel and disciplinary records, to to address the hoof rot disease Wildlife officials started receiv- malnourishment are the cause. The Chronicle has put together a two-part series on plaguing elk in Southwest Wash- ing sporadic reports of infected the issues surrounding his termination. In fact, she said that of the nine ington. elk in the Cowlitz River Basin in Read Saturday’s issue of The Chronicle for part two. criteria scientists use to identify The official explanations did the mid-1990s, but the number little to placate a skeptical audience. exploded in 2008, when reports please see MEETING, page Main 14 Pe Ell Marshal Arrested for DUI Resigns RFA Gets New Chief By Kyle Spurr mer Marine from Montesano, wasn’t cut out to be a police of- PROMOTED RFA Board Walkowski, who resigned last month. [email protected] was hired in February as Pe ficer,” Nichols said. Selects Assistant Chief Ell’s sole law enforcement of- Corder, who had no pre- The RFA board unanimously The newly hired Pe Ell ficer. He announced his res- vious law enforcement ex- Mike Kytta as Chief appointed Kytta on Wednesday town marshal, who was arrest- ignation Tuesday prior to the perience, was scheduled to after accepting Walkowski’s res- ed earlier this month for alleg- By Kyle Spurr Pe Ell Town Council’s regular begin at the police academy ignation. Walkowski took a job edly driving under the influ- [email protected] as assistant chief for Spokane meeting. in March to become a com- ence of alcohol while operating Mayor Spencer Nichols Fire District 9 based in Mead. missioned and certified officer Assistant Fire Chief Mike the town’s patrol car, resigned said he accepted Corder’s res- His scheduled start date is Kytta was selected Wednesday this week. ignation. through the Washington State May 1. Kytta will take over the night as the new Riverside Fire Anthony Corder, 27, a for- “He just said he figured he please see RESIGNS, page Main 14 Authority chief, replacing Jim please see CHIEF, page Main 14 Biotech Day Deaths The Chronicle, Serving The Greater Weather Lewis County Area Since 1889 Stearns, Margaret Ann, 88, Follow Us on Twitter TONIGHT Low 42 Students Vancouver, Wash. @chronline TOMORROW High 64 Solve Walker, Mary Ann, 68, Partly cloudy Centralia see details on page Main 2 Find Us on Facebook Movie- Brumfield Sr., William Thom- www.facebook.com/ Themed as, 91, Centralia thecentraliachronicle Weather picture by Gracie Parke, Sally Ann, 64, Olympia Scott, Onalaska Mystery / Dahl, Sally Ann, 74, Centralia Main 4 CH518640cd.cg Main 2 The Chronicle, Centralia/Chehalis, Wash., Thursday, April 17, 2014 COMMUNITY CALENDAR / WEATHER Community Editor’s Best Bet Brewfest Coming to Olympic Club McMenamins Olympic Club spirits from all around the world Calendar in Centralia will open its doors will be available 4-8 p.m. Revel- Today for the 18th annual Olympic ers can tour the Olympic Club WHAT’S HAPPENING? Club Brewfest on Saturday. brewery, relax in the outdoor Between 1 and 11 p.m., brew seating area, shoot a round of Vancouver Writer to If you have an event you would like included in the Community Calendar, lovers can belly up to the Oly pool, and collect McMenamins Speak at Workshop please email your information to Club’s mahogany bar and sip Passport stamps. [email protected]. Include a brews from eight of McMe- Cost is $12 per 10-sample Vancouver, Wash., writer Jane Elder daytime telephone number where you namins’ own breweries as well as beer punch card and $2 per sam- Wulff will be the featured speaker at the can be reached. 11 guest breweries from Oregon ple on the Whiskey Pass. Southwest Washington Writers Work- There is no charge for these listings. and Washington. McMenamins is located at shop at 7 p.m. tonight at the Unity Center For questions about calendar items, A Whiskey Pass featuring 112 N. Tower Ave. in Centralia. call Doug Blosser at The Chronicle, (360) Wulff was born in Florida and lived 807-8238. in Louisiana and Tennessee until age 10, when her family moved to Pullman. Libraries a free event. Preschool Story Time, for children 3-6 years, 10 The church is located near Interstate She attended Antioch College in Yellow Onalaska American Legion Post 508, 6 p.m. pot- Springs, Ohio, then completed her bache- a.m., Chehalis 5 at exit 72. luck, 7 p.m. meeting, Onalaska First Church of God, For more information, call the church lor of arts in English at Washington State (360) 978-5368 University in 1961. at (360) 748-0119 or visit the Facebook Chehalis-Centralia Cribbage Club, 6:30 p.m., Organizations event page at https://www.facebook.com/ With a master’s degree in English Chehalis Moose Lodge, 1400 Grand Ave., Centralia, (360) 485-2852 Lewis County Writers, 5 p.m., Matrix Coffee- events/649228285114585/. and creative writing (the first such com- house, Chehalis, $2, (360) 740-0492 bined degree offered by WSU), she came to teach English at Clark College in Van- Support Groups April Pools Day Planned couver in 1967. Support Groups “Up From Grief,” for those grieving the loss of a by Aquatic Center Since 1988 she has worked full time loved one, 1-2:30 p.m., Assured Home Hospice, H.O.P.E., all addictions, 7:30-9 p.m., Heritage as a freelance writer for individuals, 2120 N. Park St., Centralia, (360) 330-2640 Baptist Church of Tenino, 1315 Sussex Ave. E., Teni- Thorbeckes Aquatic Center is hosting no, (360) 480-0592, [email protected] families, communities and corporations, Overeaters Anonymous, 5:30-6:30 p.m., Im- a free April Pools Day noon-3 p.m. Satur- publishing regularly in various regional manuel Lutheran Church, 1209 N. Scheuber Road, Life Recovery Group, 6:30-8:30 p.m., Dayspring day. The Optimist Club Bike Rodeo and a Centralia, (360) 736-9268 Baptist Church, 2088 Jackson Highway, Chehalis, media and contributing substantially to (360) 748-3401 putt-putt golf tournament are on the pro- nonprofit services in her community. gram, and Riverside Fire Authority fire There will be hour-long critique trucks and a Centralia police car will be groups preceding the talk. Those attend- Friday, April 18 Saturday, April 19 on the scene. ing are asked to bring four or five copies Activities will include water safety of a piece of their writing not to exceed St. Timothy to Present Twin Cities Rotary training, games, a coloring contest, and 1,500 words. Wulff will be available to prizes and giveaways. answer questions. Good Friday Cantata Plans Poker Tournament Centralia City Councilman Lee The Unity Center is located at 800 S. St. Timothy Episcopal Church, Che- Get out your sunglasses and best poker Coumbs will be having a hot dog fund- Pearl St. halis, will be presenting a Good Friday face. Twin Cities Rotary is conducting a raiser for Keep Our Pool.