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On Tuesday, November 26, at approximately 1:30 p.m., Deputies with the Washington County Sheriff’s Department along with members of other emergency services were dispatched to East State Road 60, south of Powers Road in reference to a single motor vehicle collision with injuries.

Deputies arrived at the scene and discovered a single motor vehicle that had traveled off the roadway and rolled over, coming to a rest on its top.

The driver was identified as Charles Havens, age 70 of Salem. Evidence gathered at the scene and statements indicated Havens was traveling northbound on East State Road 60, operating a 1963 Ford Fairlane 500. Havens stated his steering went out causing him to run off the right side of the roadway, through a ditch line, before striking several small trees and causing his vehicle to roll over.

Havens was transported to St. Vincent Hospital in Salem, where he was treated for minor injuries. A passenger in the vehicle, Charlee Havens, age 17 was treated for complaint of pain and released.

Lt. Wayne Blevins is the lead investigator and was assisted by Detective Brad Naugle, Process Server Mark Blackman, Pekin Town Marshal Jeff Thomas and members of the Washington County Ambulance Service and Pierce-Polk Volunteer Fire Department.

Photo provided by Lt. Wayne Blevins.

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The Christmas season is here, and The Salvation Army of Southern Indiana needs assistance to make Christmas brighter for children in our community. The Salvation Army Angel Tree Program has 400 Angels that still need to be adopted for the Christmas season.

This is an urgent need - all angel gifts and donations must be returned to either The Salvation Army of New Albany, 2300 Green Valley Rd, New Albany, by December 6 or Green Tree Mall, 757 E Lewis and Clark Pkwy, Clarksville, by December 8.

"We are grateful for the support of our community to help make Christmas a memorable and meaningful day in the lives of so many children," said Captain Strand of The Salvation Army. "We have seen the generosity of people in Southern Indiana and know together we can bring a smile to the faces of these children this holiday season."

Angel Tree donors provide gifts of new, unwrapped winter clothing for children residing in Southern Indiana. Donors can adopt Angels by visiting the Angel Tree at Green Tree Mall Center Court, visiting www.sanewalbany.org, or calling The Salvation Army at (812) 944-1018.

The need for Christmas assistance is even greater than usual. You can help by adopting an Angel or making a donation toward the Angel Tree.

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On-site holiday light shows will shine at five DNR destinations this month. Brief details for each are below and more can be learned about them, as well as other activities at DNR properties, at calendar.dnr.IN.gov.

Ouabache State Park in Bluffton hosts its 11th annual Wonderland of Lights nightly, Dec. 6–31, from 6 to 9 p.m., in its campground and throughout the park. The presentation features more than 40 light displays and a synchronized music and light show at the Civilian Conservation Corps fire tower. Cost is $5 per vehicle, cash or check only. 4930 IN-201, Bluffton.

Mounds State Park in Anderson hosts its fourth Nights of Lights celebration every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from Nov. 30–Dec. 29 from 6 to 9 p.m. More than 60 light displays will be featured in the campground along with decorated buildings throughout the park. Cost is $10 per vehicle, cash and credit card accepted. 4306 Mounds Rd, Anderson.

Lieber State Recreation Area in Cloverdale hosts its third Lieber Winter Lights celebration Dec. 6–8 and 13–15 from 6 to 9 p.m. Donations will be accepted for the drive through the light display in the park and campground. 1317 W Lieber Rd, Cloverdale.

Spring Mill State Park in Mitchell is holding a drive-through holiday lights event in its campground Dec. 6–7 from 6 to 9:45 p.m., the same weekend as its Holiday in the Village. Cost is $5, cash only, and guests can vote for the best-decorated site. The winner of the competition gets two nights of free camping at the park in 2025. 3333 IN-60 E, Mitchell.

Starve Hollow State Recreation Area in Vallonia hosts its third Christmas in the Campground on Dec. 14 from 5 to 9 p.m. The event includes a drive-through Christmas display and holiday activities in the Forest Education Center, where guests can also vote for their favorite campsites. A $5 donation per car is recommended. 4345 S 275 W, Vallonia.

Proceeds from the events go to the individual parks’ Friends groups to fund park projects. Learn more about DNR Friends groups at on.IN.gov/INstateparksfriends.

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Holiday World & Splashin’ Safari, located at 452 E Christmas Blvd, Santa Claus, will be celebrating its 25th anniversary of free unlimited soft drinks throughout the 2025 season. The park is launching an art contest for youth ages 5 to 12 to commemorate this milestone. Five winners will be selected by the Holiday World team, who will each receive two Season Passes for the 2025 season and inspire the artwork for Holiday World’s 2025 souvenir cups.

"25 years ago, I thought introducing free unlimited soft drinks was crazy,” said park President & CEO Matt Eckert. “It turned out to be a genius, creative idea that showed how passionate we are about delivering an exceptional Guest experience. We’re excited to invite our young fans to use their creativity with us now.”

The winning art will be showcased on Holiday World’s official website and their social media accounts. Entrants must be between the ages of 5 and 12 at the time of submission and use the official template found on the Holiday World Website. Parental or legal guardian consent is mandatory, and participants must be residents of Kentucky, Indiana, Tennessee, Illinois, Ohio, or Missouri. The final date to submit is January 6, 2025. More submission details and full contest rules can be found at HolidayWorld.com/cupdesign.

“Free unlimited soft drinks put Holiday World on the map 25 years ago,” adds Leah Koch-Blumhardt, Fourth-Generation Owner and Director of Communications. “My dad, Will Koch, was a brilliant visionary who dreamed it up. Even after a quarter of a century, people still can’t believe we really offer every Guest free soda, water, lemonade, and more!”

Holiday World's "Good Gravy!" Family Coaster has been nominated for Best New Theme Park Attraction in the prestigious USA Today 10Best Readers' Choice Awards. Voting ends at noon on Monday, December 23rd. Fans of America’s Graviest Coaster are encouraged to vote daily at: https://10best.usatoday.com/qr/44234/

For more information and to submit entries to the art contest, please visit HolidayWorld.com

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By Jerry Curry, Staff Writer

A school bus containing the Orleans Middle School 7th and 8th grade boys basketball teams was involved in an accident on the way to East Washington Middle School on Monday, Nov. 25. The accident happened in front of John Jones Auto Group at 1450 IN Hwy. 60 at approximately 5 p.m.

The accident report indicates that a car pulled out of John Jones to make a left turn, forcing a 2010 Edge driven by Tiffany Odum to come to a sudden stop on the highway. The first car sped away. Behind Odum was the middle school bus that tried to avoid the collision and ran off the side of the road. The school bus was driven by Katherine Dilla of Orleans.

Since children were involved, the Washington County Ambulance Service was on the scene, along with the Salem Fire Department. The Washington County Sheriff’s Department made the accident report.

There were no injuries, but traffic was blocked for a while and so was the entrance to John Jones Auto Group.

Information for this story was supplied by Officer Brad Naugle.