News

In June 2023, Christy Nelson graduated from Centralia College with a registered nurse (RN) certificate at the age of 62.

“As I’ve worked this last year, I cannot count the times that people have stated, ‘Wow, so I’m not too old to go back to school?’” Nelson said.

As she prepares to celebrate both her 63rd birthday and the one-year anniversary of her graduation this spring, Nelson decided to share her story with the hope it will inspire others to pursue new careers, no matter their age.

“If you have the desire to try something new, you should go for it. In no means will it be easy, and oftentimes life’s challenges will cause you to work a little harder, but by all means, go for it!” Nelson said.

The bulk of Nelson’s post-high school career was spent in the banking, real estate and corrections fields, in addition to odd jobs running at-home businesses and working as a night cleaner and cocktail waitress.

“But what was always missing was, I never loved any of my jobs,” Nelson said. “... I always had a good work ethic. I worked hard, but I was never truly happy.”

From 2015 and 2017, Nelson accompanied her husband, Ken, who was a traveling RN, on visits.

“While traveling, Ken said to me, ‘You would be a good nurse, and I would like for you to have a good career to be able to care for yourself, in case something ever happens to me,’” Nelson recalled.

“My first response was, ‘It will take four years and I will be 60 years old before I have my license.’ Ken responded, ‘Yes, and you will be 60 years old in four years with or without a license.’ And so the journey began,” Nelson said.

At the age of 56, Nelson enrolled at Olympic College in 2017 and soon transferred her credits to Centralia College when she and her husband settled down in Centralia.

“Completing my classwork came with many challenges. First, I found I worked a little slower than my younger classmates, and I needed to spend more time studying than they did to make sure it all sunk in. Also, my math skills were at an eighth grade level. My science skills were absent, and I honestly didn’t know how to take notes in lecture classes,” Nelson said.

Those academic challenges, combined with her husband’s colon cancer diagnosis in 2018 and two family deaths in 2019, meant it took Nelson an extra year to complete the necessary prerequisites for Centralia College’s nursing program.

“I had an amazing supportive group of new friends at college, countless caring professors and advisers along with my son and step-children. Everyone was always offering support and cheering me on,” Nelson said.

She and her husband ended up moving to Aberdeen in June 2020 for her husband’s job.

Nelson was soon accepted into the Grays Harbor College’s nursing program and began classes during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I was a COVID-educated nurse. What I mean by that is, that my classes were Zoom meetings, my lab time was in full PPE and our clinicals were constantly being adjusted due to breakouts …  We all supported each other’s education, having study sessions with distance precautions, or Zoom study sessions. We all needed and supported each other,” Nelson said.

Nelson passed her first year in the nursing program in June of 2022 after having to retake a quarter due to her grade falling less than 1% below the passing criteria. 

She took and passed the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) in the summer of 2022, earning her licensed practical nurse (LPN) license.

Meanwhile, Nelson’s husband accepted a new job in Chehalis, and the family moved back to Lewis County.

“I contacted my previous adviser at Centralia College and let her know that I was back in town and that I have my LPN license, and that I’ve sent all my records over and hope to join in the fall of 2023 for the second year of the RN program,” Nelson said. “My adviser was so excited and stated my timing was amazing … and that the current year class has six open spots they are trying to fill, and since I have my LPN, as long as I got everything in by the deadline, I could be a part of the second year and graduate June of 2023.”

Nelson learned she’d been accepted to the program one week before classes started, she said.

Then, the first week of school, she contracted COVID-19, which led to her missing some classes and scoring low on her first exam.

“I had to spend the rest of the quarter fighting to get that grade up to 80% so I could stay in the program,” she said.

Her work paid off. Her high grades earned her a spot on the Dean’s List and a membership to the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society ahead of her graduation in June 2023.

A month later, she passed the NCLEX again to earn her RN license.

“With all the ups and downs, the wins and the losses, I am so thankful that I stuck with it. I had a supportive spouse, family, educators and friends, which is the most important thing for anyone considering going back to school, because nursing school is very time consuming and you must have support to get through it,” Nelson said.

Specifically, Nelson thanked Lindsey Kargbo and Debi Brogan at Grays Harbor College and Teneal Gustafson, Lori Speer, Jeff McQuarrie, Emily Sprafka and Lisa Welch at Centralia College for their support. 

Nelson now works as a hospice nurse for Assured Hospice of Centralia and, for the first time in her working life, truly loves her job.

“I find comfort and purpose in providing support to families. My husband was right, I do make a good nurse. He saw it first, but I had to do the work to get it,” she said.

Of all the challenges Nelson faced in the six years it took her to get her RN license, she said her age was not a factor in her success.

“I was educated and treated equal to all the other classmates. I loved going to school with the younger generations and gained several close friendships at both colleges,” she said.

For those considering going back to school, Nelson recommended against completing the pre-requisites and the nursing program at different schools.

“Pick one and stick with it all the way from pre-reqs to RN. Life will be easier,” she said.

Despite the challenges she faced and the extra time it took to get her RN license, Nelson said, “I would not trade the experience for anything in the world.”

• MICHAEL JOSEPH BROTHERSON, 71, of Fruitland, Idaho, and formerly of Centralia, died May 12 in Fruitland. Arrangements are under the care of Shaffer-Jensen Memory Chapel in Payette, Idaho.

CENTRALIA POLICE DEPARTMENT

Vehicle accidents

• A vehicle struck a road sign in a center island at the intersection of H and West First streets at approximately 12:55 p.m. on May 13. No injuries were reported. The sign was destroyed and the underside of the vehicle was damaged.

• A non-injury, two-vehicle collision was reported at the intersection of North Pearl and West Sixth streets at approximately 2:55 p.m. on May 14.

• A non-injury, two-vehicle collision was reported in the 600 block of South Tower Avenue just after 3:05 p.m. on May 14.

Hit-and-run

• A hit-and-run was reported in a parking lot in the 1100 block of Harrison Avenue just after 2:20 p.m. on May 13.

• A hit-and-run reported at the intersection of North Pearl and West Third streets just before 9:05 a.m. on May 14 is under investigation.

Theft

• Items were reported stolen from a business in the 1500 block of Lum Road just before 5:50 p.m. on May 13. The investigating officer is awaiting video footage from the business and confirmation on what was taken.

• Just after 1 p.m. on May 14, a theft that occurred in the 1500 block of Lum Road the day prior was reported. The case is under investigation.

Criminal trespass

• Three homeless men were trespassed for life from a business in the 100 block of Belmont Avenue just after 1 a.m. on May 14 after they refused to leave the property and one of the men attempted to strike an employee. The employee did not want to press charges.

• A homeless man was trespassed from a business in the 700 block of West Pine Street just after 12:45 p.m. on May 14.

• A 35-year-old Centralia man was arrested and booked into the Lewis County Jail for trespassing in the 1000 block of Belmont Avenue just after 7:10 p.m. on May 14.

• A homeless woman was trespassed from private property in the 1300 block of Harrison Avenue at 6:30 a.m. on May 15.

Disputes

• A dispute was reported in the 500 block of North Pearl Street just before 12:10 p.m. on May 14.

• A verbal dispute over medication was reported in the 1000 block of Scammon Creek Road just before 6:55 p.m. on May 14.

Assault

• A man reportedly hit another man in the face with an ax handle in the 1200 block of Alder Street just after 3:10 p.m. on May 14. The victim was transported to Providence Centralia Hospital for medical treatment. The case is under investigation.

DUI

• Just after 8:30 p.m. on May 14, officers received the report of an intoxicated male riding a motorcycle on West First Street without a helmet. An officer located and stopped the rider, who was suspected to be under the influence of drugs, in the 700 block of F Street. The rider, a 35-year-old Centralia man, was arrested and booked into the Lewis County Jail for DUI.

Malicious mischief

• A 17-year-old boy was arrested in the 800 block of South Tower Avenue just before 9:45 p.m. on May 14 and was booked into the Lewis County Juvenile Detention Center for third-degree malicious mischief, domestic violence.

CHEHALIS POLICE DEPARTMENT

Harassment

• At 9:35 a.m. on May 13, a citizen in the 1000 block of Southwest 20th street reported receiving ongoing threats from a neighbor. They were advised to seek a civil anti-harassment order.

• A citizen reported someone was “making homicidal threats” in the 500 block of Southeast Washington Avenue just before 8:55 a.m. on May 14.

Vicious dog

• A large, possibly vicious dog was reported inside a vehicle with its windows open in a parking lot in the 1100 block of South Market Boulevard at 1:15 p.m. on May 13. The reporting party said the dog was “barking and growling at him” and said he was “concerned the dog was going to jump out and attack him and his granddaughter when they walked by.” The vehicle with the dog left the scene at about 1:40 p.m.

Hit-and-run

• A hit-and-run was reported in the 1700 block of Northwest Louisiana Avenue just before 2:40 p.m. on May 13.

Disputes

• Just after 3 p.m. on May 13, a verbal dispute that occurred in the 300 block of Southwest Third Street sometime overnight was reported.

• Just after 8:35 p.m. on May 13, a citizen reported their neighbor pulled a handgun on someone during a dispute in the 500 block of Southwest 19th Street.

Malicious mischief

• Possible vandalism to a vehicle in the 300 block of Southeast Washington Avenue was reported just after 3:20 p.m. on May 13.

Assault

• Just before 5:05 p.m. on May 13, a possible assault where a juvenile tripped another juvenile at Lintott Elementary School in the 1200 block of Bishop Road on May 10 was reported. The school has been notified.

• A fourth-degree assault was reported in the 500 block of Southeast Washington Avenue at noon on May 14.

• A fourth-degree assault that occurred during a physical dispute between two men in the 500 block of Southeast Washington Avenue just after 7 p.m. on May 14.

Theft

• At 6:45 p.m. on May 13, a BBQ grill was reported stolen off of a porch in the 200 block of Northwest State Avenue sometime after 8 p.m. the night prior.

• At 9:25 a.m. on May 14, a vehicle was reported stolen from the 500 block of Southeast Washington Avenue sometime overnight.

• Possible fraudulent use of credit card airline miles was reported in the 600 block of Northwest Rhode Island Place just before 11:45 a.m. on May 14.

• A possible vehicle prowl was reported in the 500 block of Northeast Adams Avenue just after 11:45 p.m. on May 14.

Criminal trespass

• A case of trespassing was reported on the northbound Interstate 5 Exit 77 off-ramp just after 7:25 p.m. on May 13.

Suspicious circumstances

•  A blue backpack was left unattended in an alley in the 300 block of Southwest Ninth Street just after 7:30 p.m. on May 13.

• A homeless man was reportedly “pushing (a) rolling cart with pipes” in the 700 block of West Main Street just after 7:55 p.m. on May 13. The man advised he was “just taking a stroll with his newly acquired pop-up canopy.”

• A citizen reported someone who had previously threatened to assault them was following them in the 1600 block of Northwest Louisiana Avenue just before 9:30 p.m. on May 13. The citizen followed a dispatcher’s instructions to pull into a parking lot where an officer was stationed. The suspect vehicle drove off when the driver saw the officer, according to the Chehalis Police Department.

• Just after 9:40 a.m. on May 14, a mother reported a woman she did not know with pink and green hair said hello to her 10-year-old daughter. The mother said “they have lived here for two years but don’t really know anyone” and admitted the woman “could have been a teacher or a mother of another child that her daughter plays with.”

• A woman was reportedly in distress in the 600 block of Southwest Lafayette Street just after 11:20 p.m. on May 14.

Public urination

• A juvenile girl reportedly urinated in a parking lot in the 100 block of Southwest Interstate Avenue at approximately 1 a.m. on May 14.

DUI

• A subject was arrested for DUI at the intersection of Southwest Chehalis Avenue and Southwest Third Street at approximately 1:30 a.m. on May 14.

Animal negligence/abuse

• A citizen reported a dog was left alone in a vehicle in the 1500 block of Rice Road just after 3:45 p.m. on May 14. An officer confirmed there was no dog in the vehicle just after 4:05 p.m.

Malicious mischief

• A 14-year-old student at Olympic Academy in the 100 block of Northeast Hampe Way reportedly “became angry and destroyed a Macbook computer” at approximately 4:40 p.m. on May 14.

FIRE AND EMS CALLS

• Between Monday morning and Wednesday morning, Lewis County 911 Communications logged approximately 38 illness-related calls, 10 injury-related calls, 10 fire-related calls, six non-emergency service calls, four vehicle accidents, one report of a dead body, two overdoses, one suicide-related call, one medical helicopter request and five other calls.

JAIL STATISTICS

• As of Wednesday morning, the Lewis County Jail had a total system population of 130 inmates, including 117 in the general population and 13 in the Work Ethic and Restitution Center (WERC). Of general population inmates, 95 were reported male and 22 were reported female. Of the WERC inmates, 11 were reported male and two were reported female.

• As of Wednesday morning, the Chehalis Tribal Jail had a total system population of 13 inmates, including five booked by the Centralia Police Department, seven booked by the state Department of Corrections and one booked by the Lummi Nation.

•••

Sirens are compiled by assistant editor Emily Fitzgerald, who can be reached at emily@chronline.com. The Centralia Police Department can be reached at 360-330-7680, the Chehalis Police Department can be reached at 360-748-8605. If you were a victim of physical or sexual abuse, domestic violence or sexual assault, call Hope Alliance at 360-748-6601 or the Youth Advocacy Center of Lewis County at 360-623-1990.

I am committed to empowering all children to lead healthy and active lives through effective health and physical education programs. Do the education leaders in our state feel the same way? In December 2015, President Obama signed the new bipartisan federal education legislation into law, the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). For the first time, health and physical education were recognized as a critical component of a student's well-rounded education. These subjects should play an integral role in the educational experience of all students.

Thanks to the inclusion and elevation of health and physical education within ESSA, we have the opportunity to get all students healthy and active. As our education leaders begin to develop an ESSA implementation plan and set education priorities, I urge our leaders to ensure that health and physical education are made a priority for students. As part of a well-rounded education, health and physical education programs can now be supported by funding allocated for Title I (low socio-economic status schools), Title II (professional development) and Title IV (safe and healthy students). This funding could provide the boost that these programs need to impact the health of students in the long term.

After the passage of No Child Left Behind 15 years ago, we witnessed two alarming and most likely related trends. Health and physical education were too often considered ancillary subjects and therefore the first to be cut in state education budget shortfalls. In addition, child obesity rates reached epidemic proportions, with one in three children ages 10-17 either overweight or obese.

Research has shown that participating in physical activity and physical education improves student attendance, test scores, participation and enthusiasm for other academic subjects, motivation to learn, and reduces discipline referrals. Evidence also shows that effective school health education reduces student participation in behaviors such as smoking, heavy drinking, school misbehavior, and violence.

Now that health and physical education have been prioritized in ESSA as part of a student's well-rounded education and are allowable uses of federal education funding, I believe it's vital that health and physical education become a priority for all students as we work to take a new approach to educating our students. I look forward to the future of health and physical education for our students.

Siobhan Peterson

Aberdeen

Having had the pleasure of being born and raised in Chehalis, I have had my share of seeing the challenges that our community has been able to face and overcome.

They range from the need of partaking in the D.A.R.E. program to the times we come together during what used to be annual flooding in our community. Taking the time to look at the latter, I have seen that in many instances of a flood, various lowland areas around the community would be impacted. With these floods, they would bring various amounts of coverage, along with various amounts of damages and occasionally relocation challenges.

For those affected by flooding, one of the supports that some would become eligible for would be the emergency flood assistance provided by FEMA’s coverage area. This help would provide some recovery support to the families who would be affected in the flood zones. Due to the program’s regulations (but not being fully up to date on the rules) and potentially the regulations found in flood insurance plans, it’s possible some things would not be regained if lost by water damage. As a solution, I have felt that a way to help our lowland community to prevent these challenges from causing property damages would be to place storage water towers with water pumps around key locations of our community or county.

Installing these water tanks around our community would help ensure that if the water level rises and goes beyond the city sewage capabilities, it would still have a place to be stored until the flood season passes. Then, with regulated release, it would help ensure the least amount of damage to property owners.

Thank you everyone for reading and I hope this idea can provide an alternative solution in the hopes of helping our community in this matter.

Poncio Pulido

Chehalis