The Good
Weekly update #346 9/6/2026 to 9/12/206
Charity, business relationships, and volunteering all made it easy to “Find the good” this week. Let me share some of my week serving as mayor of the best small town in America.
For the third year in a row the Jackson County United Way (JCUW) hosted Puttin’ for a Purpose Golf Scramble, and it almost sold out this week. With the roughly five rounds of golf I play a year, I can say I wasn’t much help to the team score, but we were playing for a good cause, and it was a good chance to chat with several area business people. Congratulations to JCUW on raising around $60,000 with this event since it started.
Speaking of business people, I had a chance to visit with some of Seymour’s overseas investors during the Midwest U. S. - Japan Association’s 56th Annual Conference in Indianapolis. This was my second time attending since starting my term as mayor in 2020. I was able to visit with businesses that currently operate in Seymour while meeting future companies that may have an interest in expanding our direction. Some of the speakers came from Subaru, Eli Lilly, and more. On the American side of the association, you have eleven states involved. The last time the conference was held in Indiana was 20 years ago. One statistic that caught my attention was that roughly 25% of all the employees of Japanese companies in America are located in Indiana. Aisin here in Seymour was the fifth major Japanese investment in Indiana back in the 1980s, and they have continued to grow their footprint worldwide ever since. To everyone that organized this year’s conference, thank you for all the effort to put on a great event showcasing Indiana and all the good it has to offer.
This week, I had a couple of chances to volunteer for local groups. The first and last for the week were with Special Olympics Jackson County with softball practice and then the state tournament on Saturday. Coaching the Unified Hornets this season was a lot of fun as it gave me a chance to work with our Special Olympic Athletes and volunteer partners both. From helping the athletes hone their skills to working with our youngest volunteer at age eight on her throws, it was a fun season that wrapped up with a second place finish at state. Congratulations also go to the coach pitch division Tornados as they came home state champions this year.
One last item I will add this week is related to the announcement that came out a few days ago from the Drug Enforcement Administration that you may have seen on The Tribune website, heard on the radio, or even on the nightly news out of Indianapolis or Louisville. The case led to seven being sentenced to Federal prison two of which were from Seymour. This case started in 2023 and Seymour Police Department could have easily been happy with a quick win at that time. Instead they worked with our partners and built a case that led to taking several off the streets for many years. Thank you to everyone involved both here at Seymour Police Department and also with our partners across local, state, and federal agencies.
I want to leave you with a quote from four time Olympic Gold Medal winner Jesse Owens because like the small glimpses of good I have shared over the last few paragraphs, I believe that in our community it is easy to “Find the good.” As he says, "Find the good. It's all around you. Find it, showcase it, and you'll start believing in it."