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Weekly update #302 11/2/2025 to 11/8/2025
Since 1970 Seymour has been home to one of the nation’s largest of these. Before that though, let me share some of my week serving as mayor of the best small town in America.
Congratulations to Centerstone on their grand reopening. The tour was a good chance to learn about services they offer here in Seymour and beyond. The new facility has areas and services for adults and children to work with staff on their mental health. For more information, or if you are in need of services, call 1-877-HOPE123.
Congratulations to the Jackson County Solid Waste District on their award from the State of Indiana related to the Hornets Nest in Medora. During 2024 they kept over 100,000 pounds of items from going to the landfill. The Hornets Nest started around 15 years ago with an idea to not only recycle but to help those in need. With low volunteer numbers early it was an area church who stepped in to help get it to where it is today. As I listened to stories at the volunteer recognition banquet I couldn’t help but wonder how great our county could be with the help of a few dedicated volunteers stepping up to lend a hand for each organization. Thank you, Debbie Hackman, for bringing the idea to Jackson County. It has helped many and kept hundreds of thousands of pounds of material out of the landfill here in Jackson County.
Accelerate Indiana Muncipalities gave mayors from our area a chance to sit and discuss the pitfalls of Senate Enrolled Act 1 with a few state legislators. While SEA-1 wasn’t the only item of discussion it did get most of the attention. During the session I learned that North Vernon is the hardest hit community as far as revenue loss. I also learned that schools will lose almost $745 million over the next three years state wide. While we were told these losses in property tax revenue, which start in 2026, could be made up in Local Income Tax, it is not currently clear if the state will be ready to implement the changes needed to the income tax system by the 2028 deadline imposed in the bill. It was good to hear that state legislators have been hearing from others and recognize the issues ahead for them in the upcoming session as they try to repair what has been done.
Lloyd E. Scott Gymnasium is the largest untouched high school gymnasium in America. I say untouched because we are technically the second largest after New Castle added seating a few years ago. If you look it up, ten of the top twelve largest gyms are here in Indiana. Many years ago, the gym would be packed on a Friday night with over 8,000 fans with a sense of belonging cheering on their beloved Owls. At a ball game you could run into your friends and family. It was not unusual to see area businessmen connecting over popcorn. I can even remember seeing a grandma from down the street cheering her head off in a close game. Was it community pride or was it just an item the group could get behind? I can’t tell you for sure, but what I can tell you is it can’t hurt to get out and fire up the crowd for our kids again. If you are interested in watching a game at the nation's largest untouched high school gym you can check out the schedule at seymourowlsathletics.com. Hopefully, I will see you soon at Lloyd E. Scott Gymnasium. Patch Adams said, "We can never get a re-creation of community and heal our society without giving our citizens a sense of belonging."