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By Regional Opportunity Initiatives (ROI)
Summer will be gone before we know it, so take advantage of this perfect time to explore the Indiana Uplands. Enjoy summer fun whether you’re underground, on the water, or at a drive-in movie theater. The Uplands offers plenty of activities while the temperatures are warm and the sun is shining!
To help you plan your summer adventures, we’ve created a uniquely Uplands bucket list! Here are some of our favorite spots to visit and enjoy during the summer. We hope you love them as much as we do!
1. Marengo Caves
Feeling hot, hot, hot? Cool off underground in the Uplands at the most visited natural attraction in Indiana: Marengo Caves in Crawford County! This natural gem is perfect for a visit in the summer when the weather is hot as it maintains a year-round temperature of 52 degrees. You can explore the cave all year! How cool is that? In addition to the Crystal Palace and Dripstone Trail cave tours, there are some amazing activities above ground including go-karts and putt-putt golf.
2. Wilstem Wildlife Park
Experience the ultimate thrill when you get up close and personal with majestic wildlife – and ride a zipline or two – at Wilstem Wildlife Park in Orange County! Elephants, sloths, giraffes, and otters – oh my! At Wilstem, you can visit with all these adorable animals and more! Go on a drive-thru safari in your own vehicle or catch a ride on Wilstem’s wagon to see the wildlife out in the open. Ready to go prehistoric? The recently added Dinosaur Safari features animated dinosaurs you can enjoy from your vehicle, too! Looking for more thrills? Ride a zipline or go horseback riding while you’re there! You can plan to spend an entire summer day at Wilstem alone! And maybe walk a way with a one-of-a-kind profile picture, too! Wilstem was recently nominated as one of the best animal encounters in the country by Newsweek. Cast your vote for them by July 31. The top animal encounter will be announced in August!
3. Patoka Lake Wine Cruise
Sipping a glass of wine as you soak in the sunset on a beautiful lake feels like a dream, but in the Indiana Uplands, it is a reality! Patoka Lake Wine Cruises happen all summer long on the Patoka Voyager cruise boat. Sunsets are paired with Indiana wines, d’oeuvres, and desserts. Taste delicious wines and forget about your worries for a while – only in the Uplands! Better hurry and book your spot for the last two cruises set to sail in August. While you’re there check out Patoka Lake Winery and the new Old Homestead Distilling Co. featuring a tasting room, gift shop, spirit slushies, craft cocktails, and distillery tours! There is also a new saloon, brewery, and a 28-room hotel, in case you feel like extending the Patoka Lake fun into the night!
4. Go putt-putting
Ready for a little friendly competition? Grab your crew and head to Hoosier Putt Hole in Monroe County or Freedom Fairway Miniature Golf in Lawrence County for a chance to get a hole-in-one with a side of FUN! These courses are packed with creatively designed obstacles that add an extra layer of excitement to every game. Whether you’re a seasoned pro or a first-time player, you’ll find something to enjoy. Perfect for all ages, a trip around these putt-putt courses promises laughter, fun, and memorable moments with family and friends. So, gather your group and embark on an adventure that blends challenge and amusement, creating unforgettable experiences for everyone!
5. Drive-in movie
Spend a warm summer night watching a movie under the stars in the Uplands! Did you know there are less than 300 drive-in theaters in the United States? Of those theaters, less than 20 are in Indiana! We are lucky in the Uplands to have THREE drive-in movie theaters hosting blockbuster nights under the stars all summer. Embrace nostalgia and enjoy the magic of movies from the comfort of your car by visiting Starlite Drive-In Theater in Monroe County, Holiday Drive-In in Lawrence County, and Cinema 67 Drive-In Theater in Owen County. Don’t forget the popcorn!
By Jerry Curry, Staff Writer
The History Channel is presently running their acclaimed survival series called “Alone”. In this Season 11, ten people are dropped off in the unforgiving Artic Circle. The drop off point is in the McKenzie Delta in Canada. Temperatures can range from 40 degrees to -20.
The prize for the last one standing is $500,000.
Salem’s own Timothy “Timber” Cleghorn was one of the contestants. He picked ten items to take with him with no provisions. All alone, no backup people with him. The ten items he took with him included a sleeping bag, 2-quart pot, ferro rod (fire starter), axe, saw, modified multitool, bow with nine arrows, paracord, snare wire and fishing line with twenty-five hooks.
The History Channel staff gave each contestant five cameras, a tripod and 30 lbs. of batteries to film their adventure. There was no safety staff at all with the participants to save them from dying-- at best it would take 45 minutes for anybody to get to them.
Each of the ten contestants had a designated territory to stay in, and the History Channel had the area marked electronically with a Go Fence.
It so happens that Timber’s area had no eatable roots or berries. He survived on squirrel, pike fish and whatever else he could hunt. In the beginning of the season, Cleghorn shows the skinning method he learned to use on squirrels.
Timber said, “Pike fish was the nastiest thing I ever ate.” He said it was best boiled in the pot to avoid losing its caloric value. Pike are plentiful in the area and several of the other contestants caught and ate them.
His favorite drink was tea made from the Labrador bush. All water had to be boiled.
Some things were off the menu, like grizzly bears, Pine Martins, and Caribou. The Caribou is a source of food for the indigenous tribes living in the northwest area. Contestants were allowed to kill one beaver and one muskrat. This was done as a courtesy and balance of nature for the natives. The channel had to get permission from the Gwich’in tribal council to be there.
Passports were a must. This was not a problem for Timber due to his work as a traveling humanitarian aid worker. “To Tapout,” as it is called to quit, is made with a satellite phone.
How did he get on the show? Coming back to the United States after working in another country, he applied for the show. Basically, through four months of auditions, he was chosen to be on the show.
Cleghorn has been training all his life for his adventure. His father moved the family of 11 to rural Salem when he was seven years old. The family lived off the grid in Twin Creek Bottoms with no electricity. They plowed nine acres of the 128 acres with a horse.
Before milking the cows, Timber would set a trap lines. The cows provided milk, cheese, yogurt, and other dairy products.
He was home schooled. His sister had a car, and he had $500, so they headed to school. He later graduated from The Linguistic Center near Fort Worth.
He worked his way through school building fences. That’s where he met his wife, Cara. They have been married for 14 years. Both shared common interests. They now have two boys, Levi and Elliot, and they are expecting a baby girl in late September. The family now lives near John Hay Lake and have electricity and fiber optics for the computer. The children go to Bradie Shrum Elementary School in Salem.
He describes himself as survivalist, wildman, free thinker, humanitarian aid worker and follower of Jesus.
The series can be watched one of two ways. The History Channel on Thursday or the History Channel app on Friday. The show is up to Episode 5. The History Channel doesn’t mention it, but mice and mosquitoes are a problem and very plentiful .
Timber made the largest kill of all contestants--a 1200 lb. moose. He slaughtered the moose and dressed it out. He dug out a cool spot to store the meat and smoked some of it. The meat had to be protected from all animals in the area. Traveling were wolf packs that howled all night and kept him awake. The only problem he had is a nose bleed.
When asked what else would have taken if he could, he replied, “A salt block to help with hydration.”
The group figured out that the issued GoPro cameras could provide light.
Cleghorn has traveled all over the world and, if he plans on being gone over a year and no danger exists, the family comes along.
Special permission for this interview was obtained from The History Channels’ Kirby Dixon, and photo credits to Brendan Ko Georg.
Be sure to catch Episode 6 and cheer Timber on!
Photos courtesy of Brendan Ko Georg
By Becky Killian, Staff Writer
Officials increased the salary for the jail commander in a move to find a permanent employee for the position.
The decision was made during a special joint session of the Washington County Council and Board of Commissioners on Monday, July 15.
According to Council President Mark Abbott, the salary was increased from $38,787 to $57,000 in a 4-0 vote. Those voting in favor of the change were Abbott, Gerald Fleming Sr., Keeley Stingel, and Preston Shell.
Council members Joe Walker Jr., Karen Wischmeier, and Rondale Brishaber were absent from the meeting.
Before the vote, Abbott said Sheriff Brent Miller reported that he had interviewed some candidates for the post, but they weren’t interested in the job after learning the salary.
Miller had included the salary increase in his 2025 budget; however, Council members opted to increase the salary early with the condition that the jail commander won’t see any raises in 2025.
The Council was alerted to the problem with filling the top jail post in May, when Miller said the jail commander’s salary was too low to attract a qualified candidate. He pointed out the salary was about $1,400 more than the correction officers the jail commander supervises.
At that time, Miller had been searching for a new jail commander for about a year after the former commander retired.
The post has been temporarily filled by a road deputy.
The jail commander is the third in command at the jail and oversees 17 correction officers as well as the inmates, who totaled more than 150 as of May.
The jail commander is responsible for the day-to-day operation of the jail, including training new hires, making sure the correction officers meet continuing education requirements, scheduling, record keeping, coordinating inmate transports, and hearing inmate grievances.
Miller said the jail’s correction officers are “a very young, inexperienced staff” that require supervision to ensure they follow important procedures. The situation continues to be a liability concern for Miller.
The jail has several inmates who suffer from medical conditions, addiction, and mental health issues, which Miller said makes running the jail more difficult.
A jail commander salary study Miller provided to the Council showed Floyd County with the highest salary of $92,616. The lowest salary was $34,008 in Crawford County. The average salary among the nine counties included in the study was $58,406.
The jail commander’s salary in Washington County, which is included among the counties in the study, ranked second to last just above Crawford County.
While Floyd County has a jail capacity of 330, Crawford County’s capacity is 78. Washington County’s jail capacity is 254 inmates.
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Latest Washington County Mugshots
The following individuals were arrested recently by local law enforcement agencies. Those listed, in most cases, are just facing charges at this point, and are to be considered innocent of those charges unless and until proven guilty in a court of law. Charges are often dropped or lessened. Mugshots are collected from local law enforcement agencies on Mondays and are public records.
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