All Articles

The Salem Fire Department responded to two separate structure fires within a 12-hour period late Friday and early Saturday, according to the department. The first call came in at 8:42 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 7, for a structure fire in the 1100 block of West Walnut Street. According to the department's Facebook page, Engine 7 arrived on scene to find an active fire at a single-family residence. Engine 3 and Command 1 provided additional support. Firefighters were able to extingui

Put on hold just to be hung up on Have you ever walked into a retail store or restaurant and felt like the teenager—or young “adult”—behind the counter was personally offended by your existence? Is it just my age starting to show… or has customer service completely fallen off a cliff and landed in the pit of despair? Just the other day, I had to call customer service to resolve an issue I’ve been dealing with for the past two and a half months. And between you and me, I’d had

Continuing our “ Election: 2026 ” series, this addition to our candidate interviews features 2nd District* Commissioner candidate Preston Shell (R). Leading up to the primaries, we will continue to release candidate interviews in order to keep you informed as you make your way to the ballot box. Publisher's Note:  The Washington County Times does not endorse political candidates. Our mission is to provide balanced and informative coverage of local politics so our readers can

A Community Posting from the Washington County Family YMCA Washington County, IN — The Washington County Family YMCA Preschool Program is excited to announce upcoming registration dates for the 2026-2027 preschool year. Member Registration opens on February 23, at the YMCA front desk, followed by Community Registration opening on March 14 at 9:00 AM in the YMCA lobby. Thanks to recent grant funding from Early Learning Indiana, shared with the Washington County Family YMCA Pre

On February 6, the First Baptist Church of Salem presented a $673.40 check to Connie Ray from a local organization called, “Outside the Walls.” The money for the check was collected on Christmas Eve during the Christmas Cantata concert at First Baptist Church.

Continuing with our “ Election: 2026 ” series, this addition to our candidate interviews features 2nd District* Commissioner candidate David Bower (R). Leading up to the primaries, we will continue to release candidate interviews in order to keep you informed as you make your way to the ballot box. Publisher's Note:  The Washington County Times does not endorse political candidates. Our mission is to provide balanced and informative coverage of local politics so our readers c

WASHINGTON COUNTY Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) 1/28/2026 Reference: Legal Notice The Washington County Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) will hold its meetings for the year 2026 at 5:00pm at the Salem Fire Department meeting room, located at 38 Public Square #5, Salem, Indiana, on the following dates: Tuesday, February 10th, 2026, Tuesday, May 12th, 2026, Tuesday, August 11th, 2026 and Tuesday, November 10th 2026, and at such other times as shall be only

Written by SHS Junior Peyton Maynard Students who are excited about marching, spinning flags and learning new skills now can do it thanks to a mini color guard program started by Salem High School color guard coach Stephanie Bower.  What began with a few students, quickly grew into a group where younger kids can learn the basics, like holding the flag, marching and doing spins.  “I take things a little slower and keep to more of the beginner skills until they have a strong ma

Written by SHS Junior Abagale Elliott SHS has many classes available to help point students into a guided entrance to the field they may want to pursue as a career. There are even programs to get a student an easier start in the job market. Having a head start from the beginning in today's field is something you cannot make up after the fact.  One of these programs is in the library during 4th and 5th period and is designed for  upperclassmen who want to go into the IT field.

Submitted by Hughes-Taylor Funeral Home Winifred "Ray" Sparkman, age 80, of Salem, passed away Wednesday, February 4, 2026 at Hampton Oaks Health Campus in Scottsburg. Born May 31, 1945, he was the son of the late Grover Sparkman and Alpha (Campbell) Sparkman. On December 24, 1965, he married Aleeta (Spaulding) Sparkman who preceded him in death on November 26, 2025. Ray was a retired maintenance supervisor for M. Fine & Sons and was a self employed sewing machine mechanic; h

Members of our community are coming together this Valentine’s Day in support of 6 year-old Leerah Gilbert, who is currently battling Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia. Dineshia Wheeler and other family-friends of the Gilbert family are putting on a fundraiser called “Giving Love to Leerah” at the American Legion Salem Post 41 on February 14 at 11:00 am.

Submitted by Hughes-Taylor Funeral Home Veda Naugle, 81, of Scottsburg, Indiana, passed away peacefully on the morning of Wednesday, February 4, 2026. She was born on March 10, 1944 in Hamilton, Ohio to the late Warden and Flora (Roberts) Smith. Veda is survived by her son, Brad Naugle; grandchildren, Zackary McKinley, Kyle (Mandy) Naugle, Skylaur (Donnie) McKinley-Snelling, and Reagan Naugle; one great grandchild; and brothers, Benny Smith, Leroy Smith, Ray Smith, and Mike S