Best of all, Christmas means a spirit of love, a time when the love of God and the love of our fellow men should prevail over all hatred and bitterness, a time when our thoughts and deeds and the spirit of our lives manifest the presence of God.
- George F. McDougall

This past week was full of local tragedies, but perhaps the saddest was the story of a Newborn family whose life was torn asunder by the death of a father and husband.

Christopher Tyler Evans, 37, was killed in a car accident in Athens on the way to celebrate his wedding anniversary and take his two young sons on the annual outing to see Santa.

Any death is sad, but it seems all the more difficult to understand during the time of year that's supposed to be reserved for joyful memories with family.

This story tore at the heart strings of many of our readers, including our own reporter Amber Pittman, who is the mother of a young son herself. As a result, Amber took it upon herself to ask Santa Claus himself if he would be willing to take some time to go visit with the grieving family and offer comfort to two young boys in need. He graciously agreed.

Amber then called the Covington Police Department and asked if they'd be willing to use money from the Police Who Care fund to assist Santa on his visit. They were also more than gracious in their generosity.

The result of that hard work is the heartwarming story of joy amidst tragedy that is today's centerpiece.

Stories like this show the caring nature of the American spirit, a spirit that makes our darkest days seem a little brighter.

We applaud Amber's efforts, we thank the officers of the Covington Police force and we thank old Saint Nick for never letting us down.

To the Evans family, we, and we're sure many others, will continue to keep you in our thoughts and prayers during this difficult season.