Klog

Updating the story that we first ran late last week, the Cowlitz County Prosecutor’s Office is dropping the child molestation and child rape charges that had been filed last week against former Cellular Connections owner Kenneth Merrell of Longview, saying that further investigation into the case needs to be done. Chief Deputy Prosecutor Michelle Schaffer says that they’re returned the case to the Cowlitz County Sheriff’s Office, and have withdrawn the charges that led to Merrell’s arrest on the 25th. They’re also rescinding no-contact orders that were issued at that time. Merrell calls the claims that were made against him completely unfounded, saying that they are the product of a personal vendetta against him. Merrell says that he’s disappointed that such scurrilous and heinous claims would be made against him, and he’s hopeful that this ugly incident can be put to rest.

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Deputies report that the body of a man was found yesterday afternoon on the Cowlitz River bank in the 300 block of Imboden Road, at the far northern end of the county. A local resident reported seeing the man at about 4:20 yesterday, sprawled on the ground off the roadway. They also report that a pickup was parked nearby. Deputies and aid crews from Cowlitz Fire District 6 responded, confirming that the man was dead. Deputies report that a handgun was found in the man’s truck, but an examination of the area and an autopsy confirm that the man died from natural causes. The victim has been identified as James Williams, 77, of Kalama. The Coroner’s Office says that Williams had a well-established history of heart trouble, and an autopsy shows that he suffered a fatal heart attack. Williams’ family in Kalama has been notified, and work is beginning on memorial arrangements.

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Officials with Weyerhaeuser say that the failure of a “water mist eliminator” caused a cloud of calcium carbonate to escape the Longview mill site, dusting nearby homes and cars. Anthony Chavez with Weyerhaeuser says that the release took place yesterday morning, and several residents of the Highlands reported finding a white powder on their cars and houses. Chavez says that the powder, which is a main component of over-the-counter antacid tablets, is not toxic, but it can do damage to car finishes. Anyone who’s had damage to their car after yesterday’s incident should get in touch with Weyerhaeuser, who will then refer them to their insurance company. The release was also reported to the Department of Ecology and the Southwest Washington Clean Air Agency.

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Longview Police are following up on a burglary reported yesterday morning at the CAPtured Treasures clothing shop, located at the corner of Commerce and Hudson. Just after 8 am, employees reported the break-in, saying that someone had broken a window on the Commerce Avenue side of the store. Police say that the suspect then reached inside, stealing a laptop computer and a Magic Jack phone device. No suspects have been identified.

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The Cowlitz County Health Department is announcing the schedule for its move to a building on Ocean Beach Highway, a move that will actually close the department for a couple of days. The Health Department is moving into Suite 1-B of the Colonnade Building at 900 Ocean Beach Highway, a move that will take place at the end of next week. Health Department officials say that services will be unavailable on Friday, the 10th and on Monday, the 13th, then they’ll re-open for business on Tuesday, the 14th. The department’s main phone numbers will remain the same, but employees will be getting new extension numbers. Those numbers will be posted on the Health Department web page, or can be provided directly to you. The move only deals with the Health Department; the Cowlitz County Human Services Department will remain at its current location, at 1952 9th Avenue in Longview. Call 414-5599 for additional information.

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Thanks to some grant money from the Washington Department of Agriculture, they’ll be making some improvements to the Cowlitz County Fairgrounds. The County Commissioners are approving Interagency Agreements with the Fairs Program, accepting a total of $40,500 in grants. Cowlitz County Event Center Director Mike Moss says that the dollars are intended to help improve safety at fair venues. He says that they submitted five grant applications, and were successful on three. They’re going to get $18,176 that will go to renovation of the restrooms at the Indoor Riding Arena, $17,857 that will pay for re-roofing of the Floral Building, and $4,520 that will pay for some additional lighting at the south end of the fairgrounds. Moss and Cowlitz County Fair coordinator Kathi Mattinen says that it’s more than likely that this will be the last year of the grant program, given the state’s budget woes.

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Starting today, Forest Road 25 will be closed at Benham Creek, as a temporary bridge is removed and a permanent bridge is installed. The old bridge was destroyed a large landslide, caused by the floods of January 2009. The popular road at the north end of the Gifford Pinchot National Forest was shut down for some time, until a temporary bridge was installed. That helped restore some access to places like Windy Ridge and Spirit Lake. Forest Service officials say that the heavy equipment that will be used in the bridge replacement has arrived, so work is ready to begin. They also say that the new bridge will be built with abutments and pre-stressed girders that should be able to withstand any future slides. The goal is to have the new bridge installed and open for the Fourth of July holiday.

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At 9 am today, this year’s permits for climbing Mount St. Helens will become available. The permits will be available through the Mount St. Helens Institute, sold through their website at mshinstitute.org. The Forest Service says that permits are needed year-round for climbing Mount St. Helens, helping them to know who and how many people are on the mountain in the event of an emergency. From November to March, the permits are free, with no limit on the number of permits per day. From April 1st to May 14th, there’s still no limit on the number of daily permits, but there is a $22 charge. Between May 15th and October 31st, there’s a limit of 100 permits per day on the mountain, an effort to try and help manage the impact on the volcano’s regeneration. You can pick the permits up at the Lone Fir Resort in Cougar. Go onto the Forest Service website or the Mount St. Helens Institute website for more information.

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The Cowlitz County Prosecutor’s Office is dropping the child molestation and child rape charges that had been filed last week against former Cellular Connections owner Kenneth Merrell of Longview, saying that further investigation into the case needs to be done. Chief Deputy Prosecutor Michelle Schaffer says that they’re returned the case to the Cowlitz County Sheriff’s Office, and have withdrawn the charges that led to Merrell’s arrest on the 25th. They’re also rescinding no-contact orders that were issued at that time. Merrell calls the claims that were made against him completely unfounded, saying that they are the product of a personal vendetta against him. Merrell says that he’s disappointed that such scurrilous and heinous claims would be made against him, and he’s hopeful that this ugly incident can be put to rest.

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