Lewis County News

Covering rural communities in Southwest Washington since 1967

Dennis Korpi dedicated his life as a true public servant

sit down with Denny after his retirement from the City of Winlock Council. Denny was always the voice of reason, not getting into personal issues but always looking out for everyone he represented. Denny was a true public servant, one of the best in Winlock’s History. There will never be another Denny Korpi who cared so much about the great City of Winlock.

Denny wasn’t just a public person, he was also a neighbor. Bobbye Pennington stated, and had a heart bigger than most people will ever have the honor of knowing. Denny was a piece of Winlock that will never be replaced!”

BY LYnnette HOFFMan

Dennis Lee Korpi passed away on March 31 at the age of 75. The Winlock community lost a great man.

Dennis Korpi was an institution in Winlock, serving the public as a Winlock City Council Member and a Winlock Reserve Officer. He was all about Winlock and Winlock is a better place because of Denny. Denny served in the Winlock Police Department as a reserve officer from 1985 to 1995. He also served in the role of Winlock City Council from 1990 to 2017.

Denny was raised in Winlock, graduated from Winlock, and stayed in town to serve the people he knew. His Parents were Frank “Fritz” and Alice. The Korpi family have been longtime Winlock residents, his brother Jerry also graduated from Winlock. Denny was preceded in death by his son Richard, his parents and brother Jerry. Denny is survived by two sons, Brandon and Theron. He had five grandchildren.

I had the opportunity to

“Great neighborhood watchman. Always letting me know if crazy people were around. He cared for Winlock like no one else I know. Winlock lost a great asset. He will be missed.”

Jodie Curtis, who served with Denny for a short time stated, “I wasn't on council long enough to know Denny very well. He was a fairly quiet man unless something roused his passion. He liked to fly under the radar and blend in. He was a wealth of information about all things Winlock

Another well known public servant is Randy Pennington, Randy had the opportunity to work with Denny, he stated, “Outstanding public servant, in multiple arenas, law enforcement, fire/EMS, local government, community involvement. Within him beat the heart of a volunteer, a commodity that is a rare special jewel in our society.....was an honor to know him, honor to serve with him.” True public servants are hard to find, ones who care about the community, that was Denny Korpi!

Before Denny retired, he worked with Connie Sneed on the Winlock City Council and they remained friends, she continued, “He was a true mentor to anyone entering city politics. You might think it should be one way but he'd explain the history and why it wasn't as it seemed. He was my go to man when I needed advice on city matters and sometimes just life advice. He lived a life of community service which has not gone unnoticed by so many here in Winlock. He set the bar high.”

Carol Wallin, another lifetime Winlock resident and super volunteer in the community stated, “The kind of guy you were always glad to call your friend. He had no problem speaking his mind when it came to making our community a better place and helping to preserve its history.” Denny and his family had a history in Winlock and they definitely made it a better place.

Denny served 17 years on the Winlock City Council and while there, he impressed many. Barbara Lewis stated, “I was on the council with Mr. Korpi in the early 90s. He was always the voice of reason. He knew so much about the city and cared deeply about it. Winlock has lost another

Murder at Shell Station

BY LYnnette HOFFMan

On May 3 at approximately 8:46 a.m., two individuals, wearing masks and gloves, entered the Shell Station at the Vader exit to rob the store. During the robbery, a struggle ensued with the gun and 30 year old Navjot Singh was shot and killed.

The suspects in the case are Taylor K. Lenihan, age 16, and Quinton Ramey, who were identified by the Lane County Sheriff’s Office as individuals who had been on a crime spree of robbery from Florence, Oregon. The suspects then drove up the I-5 corridor where they stopped at the gas station with the intent of robbing the store. The suspects have been booked in Lewis County Superior Court on one count of first degree murder, possession of a firearm, stolen vehicle and second degree unlawful possession of a firearm. Bail was set at $5 million.

The suspects were arrested in Sumner, Washington. The Lane County Sheriff’s Office had put out a “be on the lookout (BOLO)” for these individuals. The Thurston County Sheriff’s Office had shared Lane County BOLO and residents in south county were quick to

See murder Page 3

Mrs Beesleys Burgers

Winlock News

by Lynnette Hoffman 785-3151

This column sponsored by:

Winlock Hardware

515 NE First, Winlock 360.785-3251

I just looked at my weather app for this coming weekend and it says 85-90 degrees, seriously. If this is May and we are looking

Toledo News

at 90 degree weather, what is August going to hold? I had a suspicion this could be a very hot summer, so over the Winter I put in a

Gee Cee’s Truck Stop Exit 57 & I-5 Toledo, WA (360) 864-4300 www.geeceestruckstop.com

Hey Toledo, next weekend is going to be a warm one.

It’s the Kids Fishing Derby, hope to see everyone out at the South County Park. This is an event by the Toledo Lions Club. It starts at 8:00 a.m. and goes to about 1:00 p.m. South County Park, which is also known as Wallace Pond. This is a great event for the kids. They have different age groups, etc. Bring the kids and your fishing poles and have a great time.

Don’t forget to sign up for the May 20 Father Daughter Dance at the Toledo Senior Center. This is the second year. Last year was a smash and it was great to see the pictures of dad’s dancing with their daughters. Hope you can attend!

Rachel Phillips with Cafe Aromaz has got her place ready for outside coffee chats and she spruced up the inside as well. With the weekend being nice, it is a new heat pump and tossed out the old. I will be ready for whatever heat there is! You might want to make sure your heat pump is in Summer ready mode.

Winlock Egg Days is just around the corner and the Winlock Egg Day Committee is hard at work.

See wi N lock Page 4 great way to enjoy the day!

Mothers Day Market is at Jesters Auto Museum on Saturday May 13 from 3:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Over 40 local vendors and artisans available.

The Cheese Day Committee is as busy as ever with Cheese Days just a few months away. If you have never attended Cheese Days, you are truly missing out. It is the biggest event in south county. It takes place over four days and it is the best event in south county. Plus, I am related to all of the Sorensen’s so it’s a way for us to catch up.

Classifieds

- Help Wanted -

Lewis County PUD #1

Come join our Dynamic team!

Staff Accountant I: The Staff Accountant I will provide accounting services relating to the District’s Electric and Fiber Systems, as well as to the Cowlitz Falls Hydroelectric Project. Duties involve all facets of communication, planning and accounting for the District’s operations and programs.

For a complete listing of qualifications and how to apply, visit www.lcpud.org.

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