June 7, 2012 Shelton Mason County Journal | ![]() |
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Thursday, June 7, 2012
The Voice of Mason County since 1886 Published for Mason County and Jacldyn Sanderson of Shelton -- $1
@. •
Sheriff's office: recent
shootings an 'epidemic'
By NATALIE JOHNSON
natalie@m asoncou n ty,corn
Two people died in an apparent murder/
suicide near Potlatch early Friday morning,
bringing the death toll in Mason County's.
recent string of violent deaths to seven.
"It would appear to be an epidemic,"
said Dean Byrd, chief deputy in the Mason
County Sheriffs Office. "We have two more
dead."
Mason County Coroner Wes Stockwell
released the names of the deceased Monday
as Michelle Marie Boutiette, 41, of Potlatch
and Bill B. Beck, 48, of Potlatch. Autopsies
on both were conducted Monday.
At around 4 a.m. Friday morning, dis-
patchers received the first of three calls re-
lated to a domestic dispute at 633 N. Hard-
castle Road near Potlatch.
The first call, from Beck, stated that he
was having a domestic dispute and needed
law enforcement assistance, Byrd said.
The next call came from another man,
who claimed to be a witness to a shooting at
the previous address.
A third call came from Boutiette claiming
to have shot her boyfriend.
"When EMS responded they found two
people with gunshot wounds," Byrd said.
"The male was dead at the scene, the female
was still alive."
Boutiette'died en route to a medical facil-
ity.
Byrd said a preliminary investigation
identified this as a murder/suicide, with
Boutiette as the shooter.
"The deputies are following up other
leads." he said. "The female apparently had
reported to either the decedent or the wit-
ness that she had been stalked. It had been
apparent to them that there had been some
mental health issues involved. We're follow-
ing those leads at this point."
Mason County's latest string of violent
deaths mirrors those in other areas of the
Pacific Northwest, such as Seattle, which is
also experiencing its highest murder rate in
years.
Starting in late March, Mason County
has had its highest number of deaths ruled
as homicide in several years.
Travis Carl Baze and Stephen R.C.
Churchill have both been charged with mur-
der after authorities say they beat Shawn
Joseph Morrow to death with a baseball bat
See Deaths on page A-7
By NATALIE JOHNSON
natalie@masoncounty,com
The 68th annual Mason
County Forest Festival
was undampened by driz-
zly weather this weekend
as visitors and locals alike
turned out to celebrate
the county's timber his-
tory.
Forest Festiva] Commit-
.tee Chairman Lynne Free-
man estimated that about
6,000 spectators turned
out Saturday morning for
the annual Forest Festival
and Loop
Field ven-
dors.
Fesl valphotos, " I t
wasn't hor-
rible." she
said. "It
only sprinkled on the pa-
rade for like five minutes."
The parade had 86 en-
trants this year, including
floats, classic cars, eques-
trian groups, bands and
drill teams.
"It was a good parade,"
Freeman said. "Each year
we try to make it differ-
ent and appeal to our
viewers and all that kind
of stuff."
Floats competed for the
Grand Sweepstakes Award,
the Grand Marshal Award,
the President's .Aw.ard, the
Governor's Award and the
See Forest on page A-5
Journal DnOtO Dy Natahe Johnson
Mike Bowman, of Shelton High School, portrayed Paul Bunyan for the 2012 Mason County
Forest Festival. During the parade, he rode on the back of a log truck.
No bail
[e
mu
Next court date
is June 25
By KEVIN SPRADLIN
kevin@masoncoun[y.com
The suspected shooter
in a double murder that
occurred early Memorial
Day morning is being held
without bond at the Mason
County Jail.
Charles Sydney Long-
shore, 22, has been charged
in Mason
~County
Superior
Court with
two counts
of aggra-
vated mur-
der in the
first de-
gree that
Charles resulted in
Longshore the deaths
of Tyler
Drake,
19, and Anitrea Taber. 37,
in their Harvard Avenue
home.
Police allege that Long-
shore and a friend, Robert
Raphael, approached Drake
and Taber in the home next
door to Raphael's ~o collec~
on a drug debt.
According to statements
.provided .by Raphael to law
enforcement, Longshore
See Suspect on page A-6
County approves garbage contract extension
By NATALIE JOHNSON and waste management
~atalie@masoncoun~y,com, for Mason County, said
the solid waste depart-
ment planned to only ex-
The Mason County Commission voted tend the lease for a year or
Tuesday to approve what turned out to be a two while the county con-
c0ntrovers'ial contract extension for garbage sidered privatizing solid
hauling services, waste services.
Several solid waste companies with local "We started out at ,two
years but as we went
Tom through negotiations we
Moore asked for more and they
offices expressed frustration that the coun-
ty renegotiated a 20 year-old contract with
Regional Disposal Company/Allied Waste
for long hauling and disposal of solid waste
without going out to bid to get the best price.
The county's contract has existed since
August 1993. The term of the contract was
for five years, with options to renew for
three additional five-year terms.
Tom Moore, interim director of utilities
81111U!!I!!II[!I!!IJIIII2
asked for more and this
is where we ended up," he
said.
What the county ended up with is an
agreement that extends the contract for
seven years, until August 26, 2020, with the
right to extend it for one additional three-
year term.
The contract also includes a $150,000
payment from Regional Disposal Company/
See Garbage on page A-7
State denies grant request
for new senior center
By KEVIN SPRADLIN Monday. Michael said that only 15 of
kevin@rnasoncountv.eom the 36 projects submitted to the state
~ ~ Department of Commerce were funded.
The city, on behalf of the senior cen-
The city of Shelton's effort to secure a ter, had requested $1 million.
grant to help the Mason County Senior
Activity Center purchase the former
PUD 3 building on West Cota Street
has been denied.
In a May 23 letter to Mayor Gary
Cronce, Community Development
Block Grants. Program Manager Kaar-
en Roe cited a reduction in available
grant money as par~ of the reason the
purchase request, one of 36 projects re-
quested for funding, could not be grant-
ed.
City Engineer Michael J. Michael
told the commissioners of the outcome
during the city's public meeting on
He recounted Roe's letter, in which
she stated that grant allocation fund-
ing was reduced by 13.8 percent, which
made $11 million available. More than
$30 million in funding requests were re-
ceived by the state agency.
Mayor Gary Cronce called the out-
come "unfortunate."
TerriShaw, executive director for the
Mason County Senior Activity Center,
said she and the board of directors are
"greatly disappointed" about the state's
announcement but thanked the city for
See Senior center on page A-5