A 15-year-old Raymond High School freshman boy was seriously burned and life-flighted to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle last Wednesday after a plastic gas container near him exploded. The Raymond Fire Department responded to the burn victim call at 5:37 p.m. on Joe Rocky Road in Raymond.

Andrew Franklin Carey, 31, was arrested for Assault in the Second Degree and Burglary in the First Degree last Wednesday night after a would-be burglary turned into a near-death fight and stabbing. Carey’s bail was set at $250,000.

OLYMPIA – Clam diggers will have plenty of other chances to hit the beach in the weeks ahead.

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) has announced a tentative schedule for razor clam openings through March.

Happy Valentine’s Day, everyone! The ladies in town will be busy this week with the monthly Women’s Club Salad Luncheon on Wednesday at noon in Pioneer Hall. Then on Thursday, the Red Hatters have their monthly Gathering at 2 p.m., also in Pioneer Hall. If you’re new to Ryderwood, Pioneer Hall is the last building on the right hand side of Morse Street, across 2nd St. from the Park.

The Cowlitz sent girls as well as boys into the mountains to seek their personal spirit power, their tomanawas. When a girl went, they sent her into the mountains and she took her work, perhaps a basket. They told her, "You must work yonder at the end of the mountain; you will make your basket, you will sit facing the sunrise, and then it may address you." Then, in her vision a woman might speak to here and show her a large hard basket, a soft basket, and a pack rope, and say, "You must make these things, girl. You will not be in poverty, these things will be your products, everyone will approve of your things, they will give things for them, and then you will be a satisfied girl. You will never be poor. You will always have many valuable things." It turned around, it went away, and then of a sudden the girl saw that "You yourself are really a wild lily." The Cowlitz women believed that the wild lily was the guardian spirit of the great basket-makers.

St. Helens Tap House welcomes cellist Skip VonKuske Thursday with works from classical to rock. Says Callie, "When I first saw him, he was actually playing Led Zeppelin on the cello!" Contact sthelensbrewer@gmail.com or (360) 864-2700.

Ninth Annual Plomondon Independent Film Fest (PIFF) Friday and Saturday at the MAC. Awards 7 p.m. Saturday. Visit www.morganartscentre.com or (360) 864-4ART.

Vader joined with Winlock and other surrounding communities in supporting Fire Dist. 15's desire to honor 6 deceased teachers from the Candy Hook Elementray School Shooting, by presenting their families with a medal of honor The medals will be hand-delivered to the families in the near future with deep condolences for their loss. What a wonderful way to say we care from Vader.

The Winlock Boys Youth Baseball will be taking sign-ups at the Winlock Miller Elementary Cafeteria Saturday from 10 a.m. to noon. On Tuesday the Winlock Soccer Club will be doing the same, but from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Good luck, guys!

The Olequa Senior Center’s schedule has changed temporarily as Lewis County seeks to hire a new manager. They are currently open Wednesdays and Fridays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., with lunch being served at noon. Also, on Wednesdays there is dollar-store bingo right after lunch.

Hal J. Eshom, of Toledo, died Feb. 4, 2013. Born Oct. 21, 1920, he was 92 years old.

Eshom was preceded in death by wife Margaret Eshom.

He is survived by Wife Dorothy Eshom, of Toledo; sons Ernest Eshom, of Seabeck, Rocky Eshom, of Kentucky, and Clay Eshom, of Utah; daughters Sandra Eshom, of Tracytown, and Fawn Shamblee, of Tacoma; and 12 grandchildren.

No services had been scheduled at this time.

Vader City Council Member Lois Wilson has announced her resignation due to health concerns, leaving a vacated position on the five-person council.

Wilson’s term would have ended this year but an upcoming surgery will keep her from participating in city leadership, she stated during their Feb. 5 meeting.

Proposed legislation in Olympia could derail Toledo’s ambition to build a new wastewater treatment plant, according to reports during the Feb. 4 Toledo City Council meeting.

City Clerk Michelle Whitten said she had learned of a bill seeking to take monies from the Public Works Trust Fund (PWTF) and add them to the state’s general fund, eliminating the option for municipalities to take out loans from the fund for public infrastructure.

All residents within Vader will now be charged for garbage service, if they are using it or not.

The decision came about during the Feb. 5 Vader City Council meeting after city leaders considered ways to enforce a solid waste ordinance requiring all residents to use garbage services to maintain public health and safety.

By GEORGE KUNKE

Raymond won the Region I Class 2B wrestling championship conducted at Chief Leschi HS in Puyallup Saturday. The Seagulls advanced six grapplers to the State Mat Classic to be held in the TacomaDome Friday and Saturday.

A long list of Castle Rock wrestlers qualified for the Mat Classic in Tacoma this weekend at qualifying meets.

Jordan Booth (113 pounds), Carson Horton (120), Pacer Said (152) and Levi Godinho (160) won championships for the Rockets while Jon Mars (120), Nathan Carroll (126), Shawn Godinho (145), Seth Risner (152), Austin Darvell (170) and Chase Lam (182) placed second. Jojo Saringan (106) and Kaleb Nelson (113) took third. Kyle L’Amie (106), Hunter Whitten (145), Nick Harriman (195), Cole Enriquez (220) and Colton Dow (285) placed fifth to earn alternate bids to state.

The Toledo boys basketball team opened up the District 1A Tournament with near perfection in a 58-35 defeat of Forks on Thursday night.

Toledo's Brennan Rakoz calmly led the team in scoring with 18 points doing the things that he does best, which includes rebounding and put-backs. On another front, defensive specialist Grant McEwen had a great night, which includes steals and transition baskets.  McEwen finished the game with 15 points. Austin Trafelet also broke into double figures with 10 points.

Winlock’s Rachel Archer, Tony Raupp and Marco Bautista all place first as the Toledo/Winlock/Onalaska wrestling program competed in the regional wrestling tournaments held around Western Washington last week.

Onalaska's Derrick Fruin also placed first while Kelsey Jones grabbed second place in the 118 weight division and qualified for the next level.

The Winlock boys continue to amaze both those who see them play and those that simply read the sports page.

The Cardinals grabbed two more wins, but now they are important and shocking. On Thursday, Mike Blum, Caleb Rose and Enrique Hernandez hit clutch free-throws to put away the number three seed Wahkiakum Mules 57-52. Two nights later, Hernandez busted out for 28 points despite having a difficult time staying in the game with a sore knee in the second quarter and missing several minutes.

The 66-year-old had been driving a 2005 Hyundai Accent eastbound on SR 505, east of Winlock, when he veered off the road and struck an electric fence, causing his car to ignite. After responders arrived to extinguish the flames, the driver was airlifted to Southwest Washington Medical Center, in Vancouver, with unspecified injuries.

The 2013 Police Reserve Academy is under way in Winlock with 17 hopeful cadets facing five months of intense instruction and training.

Led by Academy Commander Terry Williams, chief of police of Winlock, this academy will mark the first organized by Williams since graduating 16 reservists in 2010, many of whom went on to obtain careers as officers, deputies and jail staff.

Castle Rock’s Peace Health Medical Clinic has hired a new family practitioner to help care for local residents.

Dr. Lisa Evans, who began her first official day Jan. 25, grew up in Castle Rock and said she is ready to provide obstetrics and women’s health services at the clinic.