Aberdeen apartment fire contained within 9 minutes, appears caused by smoker

The Aberdeen Fire Department responded to a fire this morning in the 200 block of N E Street just before 9am. Fire Chief Dave Carlberg said that heavy fire and smoke was visible from coming from one of the units. Hoquiam and Cosmopolis Fire crews were also on scene to assist if necessary.

Responders were able to control the blaze to a single unit with only minor smoke damage to the other units in the building and the fire was controlled within 9 minutes.

The Red Cross was on scene as one resident was forced to leave her apartment due to the fire. KXRO learned that the building manager was letting that woman move into a separate unit in the building until the unit was repaired.

The cause of the fire appears to be improperly disposed of smoking material by the occupant. The damage estimates list the building at $78,000 and the contents at $29,000.

A bystander who entered the building to warn residents suffered smoke inhalation was treated at the scene. It’s believed that multiple pets were in the unit when the fire began. They are all believed to have died in the fire.

Citizens key in Aberdeen vehicle prowler arrest

Aberdeen Police Department received a call from a concerned citizen on Friday who watched a man try the door handles of every parked car in the area of Rice and Bay Avenue. The witness said the man had gone behind a house in the area.

Aberdeen officers responded to the area to see if they could locate the suspect and residents pointed officers the direction the man was last seen. A man matching the description came running out between two homes in the 1900 block of Pacific and right into the area an Aberdeen Officer was searching. Other officers responded to the location and spoke with the suspicious man.

The man was breathing hard and sweating. When asked why he was in this condition he allegedly told the officers that he was back on drugs, being stupid, and had a warrant for his arrest and did not want to go back to jail. Officers located an arrest warrant for the man for theft third.

During the arrest, officers were contacted by another resident in the neighborhood who told officers that they had watched the run through their backyard and leave a backpack there. When officers investigated they found a backpack that contained some items that a resident said belonged to them and had been taken out of their truck.

The suspect, identified as 26 year old Daniel Peterson, a transient, was arrested and booked for his arrest warrant and a new charge of Vehicle Prowling 2nd degree.

Aberdeen High School teacher’s car stolen before catching on fire

An Aberdeen High School teacher reported her car stolen Thursday while she was at the school. Her 2005 Land Rover was seen on school video driving away just after 2pm.

A Clark County Detective stopped the car on I-5 in the Ridgefield area after seeing smoke coming from it. As the detective was speaking with the driver, the car caught fire and the driver fled on foot.

The driver was described as a black male who gave the name of Vernon Johnson.

The investigation is continuing.

Man uses Hoquiam River to attempt escape from Sheriff’s Deputies

A 28 year old Pacific Beach man was arrested after jumping into the Hoquiam River on Thursday. A Grays Harbor Sheriff’s Deputy attempted to pull over a 1992 Honda Accord on Highway 101 Thursday evening for speeding and driving erratically when the driver drove into the Hoquiam Boat Yard and began running from the car. The passenger told deputies that he did not know the driver.

Deputies, along with the Hoquiam Police Department, set up on either side of the river as the man swam back and forth attempting to escape. Eventually the man returned to shore due to the cold water and was treated by the Hoquiam Fire Department on scene. He was arrested for Driving While License Suspended, Failure to Obey Officer, Resisting Arrest as well as the traffic violations and booked into Grays Harbor County Jail. The passenger was cited for Providing False Information to an Officer and released.

Following the arrest, K9 units were called to investigate the car and were alerted to an illegal substance inside. The vehicle was towed and a search warrant is pending.

2.9 magnitude earthquake north of McCleary

Chuck Wallace, Grays Harbor Deputy Director of Emergency Management says that a magnitude 2.9 earthquake was registered this morning north of McCleary.

Although it is relatively small, it is a reminder that we live in earthquake country and that all citizens should educate and prepare themselves, their family, business and pets for such an event.

He reminds residents that The Great Shakeout earthquake exercise is scheduled for October 18th at 10:18am.

6 cases of salmonella in Washington linked to Daniella mangoes

Federal health officials are telling Americans to avoid Daniella mangoes because they may be contaminated with salmonella that has already sickened more than 100 people in 16 states.

At least 6 people in Washington have reported becoming ill. So far, no cases have been confirmed in Grays Harbor.

The Food and Drug Administration issued the warning Thursday after Splendid Products recalled five lots of mangoes imported from Mexico. The mangoes carry the Daniella brand and the FDA says consumers should not eat the fruit and throw it away, if they have any.

The mangoes were sold at various U.S. retailers.

Federal health officials are still investigating what caused the outbreak of 103 cases of salmonella. No deaths have been reported.

Westport now open to hatchery and wild coho

You will be allowed to keep both hatchery and wild coho salmon beginning Sept. 1 off Westport.

In addition, those fishing off Westport will only be allowed to keep one coho as part of their two-salmon daily limit beginning Sept. 1

Westport was initially limited to hatchery coho to ensure the department would meet conservation goals for wild coho while allowing for an entire salmon fishing season, said Pat Pattillo, salmon policy coordinator for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.

However, with a month remaining in the fishery, only 25 percent of the quota has been reached.

The Westport salmon fishery is scheduled to continue through Sept. 23.

Steven Kravetz competent to stand trial

Steven Kravetz has been found mentally competent to stand trial for the stabbing a Judge Dave Edwards and shooting a Deputy Polly Davin at the Grays Harbor County Courthouse in March.

A Lewis County judge ruled Wednesday that 34-year-old Kravetz can be tried on Attempted Murder in the 2nd Degree, 2 counts of Assault in the 1st Degree, and Disarming a Law Enforcement Officer. His lawyer argued that Kravetz couldn’t focus on his own defense.

Kravetz led police on a manhunt following the courthouse attack and was arrested in Olympia after his mother called police and turned him in.

He is currently being held on $900,000 bail in Mason County Jail.

Village Post Office opens today in Copalis Crossing

The United States Postal Service will hold their grand opening ceremony for a Village Post Office at the Voss Acres Produce Market this morning.

This will be the 50th VPO the Postal Service has opened in the U.S. The first one was in Malone which opened in August of 2011. There are two others in Washington– one in Steptoe and another outside Ferndale.

VPOs are located in communities, but outside a Postal Service building such as an existing business.

The VPO at Voss Acres will be open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Saturday, and from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday

“In the late 1800s the post office was located in the house which is next to our market,” said Store owner Sharon Voss. “We are very honored to be able to carry on the postal tradition in the community.”

The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.

Unused transportation funds mean an extra $113 thousand for Grays Harbor projects

The Obama Administration announced that it won’t allow infrastructure funds to sit idle as a result of stalled earmark projects at a time when hundreds of thousands of construction workers are looking for work. U.S Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood is making over $470 million in unspent earmarks immediately available to states for projects that will create jobs and help improve transportation across the country.

Locally, that means almost $113 thousand dollars set aside for Satsop Road Access Improvements as part of the $4.7 million in unused funds for Washington. $262 thousand had already been used on this project.

State departments of transportation will have the ability to use their unspent earmarked highway funds, some of which are nearly 10 years old, on any eligible highway, transit, passenger rail, or port project.

States must identify the projects they plan to use the funds for by October 1, and must obligate them by December 31, 2012.

To ensure that this funding is quickly put to good use, funds not obligated by the December 31 deadline will be redistributed in 2013 to states that met the deadline.