New Year S Day

A man was taken to Meritus Medical Center after the vehicle he was driving struck three parked vehicles in the first block of Winter Street on New Year's Day, the Hagerstown Police Department said. Wayne Allen Robert Jr., 19, of 8205 Blue Heron Drive in Frederick, Md., was driving a vehicle on Winter Street when the accident occurred at about 5:30 a.m. on Jan. 1, Lt. Tom Langston said. Langston said he didn't have an update on Robert's medical condition.

The following agencies will be closed to observe the New Year's holiday Washington County Government offices: County government offices will be closed on New Year's Eve (Monday, Dec. 31) and New Year's Day (Tuesday, Jan. 1). Transit: All service will be halted Monday at 7 p.m. and will remain closed Tuesday. Landfill: All locations will be closed Monday and Tuesday. City of Hagerstown Government offices: City offices will be closed Tuesday.

Van Lear Brethren in Christ Church, 10745 Van Lear Drive, will hold a candlelight service Sunday, beginning at 7 p.m. There will be refreshments after the service. The community is invited. Children's Christmas play The children's Christmas program will present the play “Being Not So Silent Christmas” at Calvary Temple, 147 S. Conococheague St., Sunday at 10:30 a.m. The community is invited. Free Christmas dinner to be served at church The Shepherd's Table, sponsored by the Williamsport Ministerium, will be open for its seventh annual Christmas dinner Tuesday, Dec. 25. Dinner will be served from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The dinner is free for anyone who would like to come.

About 400 people rushed into the Potomac River for the Polar Bear Plunge in Williamsport on Tuesday and then rushed back out, shrieking and shivering. Though dripping wet in a white polar bear costume, Dusty Hancock of Hagerstown, was still smiling. “Actually, I'm feeling better now - I'm numb,” Hancock said. The river water temperature  at snow-covered River Bottom Park was about 33 degrees. The air temperature was a little warmer. Hancock said he and his wife, Torri, who dressed as an Eskimo for the annual New Year's Day rite, wanted to do something for the New Year, so they decided to join in the revelry at the boat ramp.

Leanne Marie Fairbank said she was expecting her daughter to be born around Christmas Day, but instead Destiny became the first baby born at Meritus Medical Center east of Hagerstown in 2013. Destiny Shantel Fairbank was born at 2:52 a.m. on Tuesday, Fairbank said. She weighed 7 pounds 5 ounces, and was 20.5 inches long. “It was destined to happen that way,” the 23-year-old mother said as she held Destiny, who was wrapped in a blue blanket and wearing a pink hat. “My due date was Dec. 26, and I was going to name her something else, but being on New Year's Day, it just seemed like it was bound to happen.” Fairbank, who grew up on Maryland's Eastern Shore, said she moved to Williamsport two weeks ago from Morristown, Tenn., to be with her mother and grandmother.

Make sure you're well rested, buckle up and brace yourself for delays by factoring in extra time, experts advise the millions of people who'll be hitting the highways for holiday trips over the next two weeks. The American Automobile Association and state police officials in Maryland, West Virginia and Pennsylvania offer the following tips for safe and enjoyable holiday travel: Plan your route ahead, avoiding the congestion around major shopping malls and airports.

'A Midnight Clear' The Otterbein United Brethren Church choir presents "A Midnight Clear," a selection of Christmas music. Today, 6 p.m Otterbein United Brethren Church, 146 Leitersburg St., Greencastle, Pa. Valley Art Association An all-member show of holiday and winter themes continues through January. Meet artists Tamara Hoffman from 1 to 5 p.m., Sunday; Beulah "Snuffy" Hartman from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday, Dec. 31; Donna Bingaman from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 1; and Tamara Hoffman from 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 2. Mansion House Gallery, City Park, Hagerstown.

The following Tri-State area groups will host holiday dinners: West End Christmas Dinner Grace United Methodist Church will host the Hagerstown West End Community Christmas Dinner on Saturday from 1 to 3 p.m. The church is at 712 W. Church St. in Hagerstown. Christmas dinner at Shepherd's Table WILLIAMSPORT ? The second annual free community Christmas Day dinner at the Shepherd's Table will be held from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Shepherd's Table is at Rehoboth United Methodist Church at 30 E. Salisbury St. The regular Thursday dinner will not be offered Dec. 27. Rescue Mission offers two dinners FREDERICK, Md. ?

Rescue Mission offers two dinners FREDERICK, Md. - The Frederick Rescue Mission will host two free holiday dinners on Christmas Day and New Year's Day, from noon to 4 p.m. The rescue mission is at 419 W. South St. Christmas dinner at Shepherd's Table WILLIAMSPORT - The second annual free community Christmas Day dinner at the Shepherd's Table will be held from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Shepherd's Table is at...

· LIFEhouse Church-Bethel (formerly Bethel Assembly of God) will host a free Christmas Day dinner from noon to 2 p.m. at 515 E. Wilson Blvd. in Hagerstown. Doors will open at 11:30 a.m. Transportation is available within the city limits. Call 301-739-1167. · WILLIAMSPORT - The second annual free community Christmas Day dinner at the Shepherd's Table will be held from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Shepherd's Table is at Rehoboth United Methodist Church at 30 E. Salisbury St. The regular Thursday dinner will not be offered Dec. 27. · FREDERICK, Md. - The Frederick Rescue Mission will host two free holiday dinners, on Christmas Day and New Year's Day from noon to 4 p.m. The rescue mission is at 419 W. South St.

About 400 people rushed into the Potomac River for the Polar Bear Plunge in Williamsport on Tuesday and then rushed back out, shrieking and shivering. Though dripping wet in a white polar bear costume, Dusty Hancock of Hagerstown, was still smiling. “Actually, I'm feeling better now - I'm numb,” Hancock said. The river water temperature  at snow-covered River Bottom Park was about 33 degrees. The air temperature was a little warmer. Hancock said he and his wife, Torri, who dressed as an Eskimo for the annual New Year's Day rite, wanted to do something for the New Year, so they decided to join in the revelry at the boat ramp.

A man was taken to Meritus Medical Center after the vehicle he was driving struck three parked vehicles in the first block of Winter Street on New Year's Day, the Hagerstown Police Department said. Wayne Allen Robert Jr., 19, of 8205 Blue Heron Drive in Frederick, Md., was driving a vehicle on Winter Street when the accident occurred at about 5:30 a.m. on Jan. 1, Lt. Tom Langston said. Langston said he didn't have an update on Robert's medical condition.

Leanne Marie Fairbank said she was expecting her daughter to be born around Christmas Day, but instead Destiny became the first baby born at Meritus Medical Center east of Hagerstown in 2013. Destiny Shantel Fairbank was born at 2:52 a.m. on Tuesday, Fairbank said. She weighed 7 pounds 5 ounces, and was 20.5 inches long. “It was destined to happen that way,” the 23-year-old mother said as she held Destiny, who was wrapped in a blue blanket and wearing a pink hat. “My due date was Dec. 26, and I was going to name her something else, but being on New Year's Day, it just seemed like it was bound to happen.” Fairbank, who grew up on Maryland's Eastern Shore, said she moved to Williamsport two weeks ago from Morristown, Tenn., to be with her mother and grandmother.

The following agencies will be closed to observe the New Year's holiday Washington County Government offices: County government offices will be closed on New Year's Eve (Monday, Dec. 31) and New Year's Day (Tuesday, Jan. 1). Transit: All service will be halted Monday at 7 p.m. and will remain closed Tuesday. Landfill: All locations will be closed Monday and Tuesday. City of Hagerstown Government offices: City offices will be closed Tuesday.

Van Lear Brethren in Christ Church, 10745 Van Lear Drive, will hold a candlelight service Sunday, beginning at 7 p.m. There will be refreshments after the service. The community is invited. Children's Christmas play The children's Christmas program will present the play “Being Not So Silent Christmas” at Calvary Temple, 147 S. Conococheague St., Sunday at 10:30 a.m. The community is invited. Free Christmas dinner to be served at church The Shepherd's Table, sponsored by the Williamsport Ministerium, will be open for its seventh annual Christmas dinner Tuesday, Dec. 25. Dinner will be served from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The dinner is free for anyone who would like to come.

Will 2012 be the year that you brave the icy waters of the Potomac River and become a member of the Polar Bear Club? The community is invited to join the fun and “get freezin' for a reason” at the annual Polar Bear Plunge, beginning at noon on New Year's Day at Williamsport's River Bottom Park. To register, go to www.hswcmd.org . You can also register at the event on New Year's Day. Onlookers are also welcome. It's free to come out and cheer for your favorite participants.

The Polar Bear Plunge is just a few days away, and as the town of Williamsport is preparing for the New Year's Day festivities, two local businesses are making preparations of their own.   Jimmy Jewells, owner of Jewells & Jewells of Williamsport,  and Kathryn Meyers, owner of K&R Engraving in Hagerstown, have created a special trophy for the event called the Our Gang Did It! Hoping to bring added attention to the Williamsport Polar Bear Plunge, a fundraiser for the Humane Society of Washington County, Jewells and Meyers created the trophy that will be awarded to the largest team of polar bears at the event.

Second show added to children's reception The Washington County Museum of Fine Arts will offer a second performance by Reptile World Inc. for its annual Children's Holiday Reception. The encore presentation will be at 1 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 12. Tickets must be purchased in advance and cost $5 per person. The morning performance sold out in 15 hours, so call early as seating for the second show is also limited. Santa Claus arrives at 11:45 a.m. and refreshments will be served until 12:45 p.m. Professional reptile handler and renowned speaker Michael Shwedick of Reptile World Inc. will present information on the reptile's general characteristics, habitat, roles in the balance of nature, present status in the world today, conservation and value to humans.