Special student
Thumbs-up to Cody Johnson, a kindergartner at Medora Elementary School, who recently received the Michael Harman Communication Award during the All Schools Special Track and Field Meet at Bedford North Lawrence High School. The annual two-day event features hundreds of competitors with physical, cognitive, learning or speech disabilities. A related thumbs-up goes to Misti Wieneke, a special education teacher with Medora Community School Corp., and Deb Schwartz, a special education teacher at Brownstown Central High School. The two received the Shawn McCollum Award for Excellence in Education during the event.
Cops helping kids
Thumbs-up to Seymour Officer Mike Payne, members of the Donald M. Winn Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 108 and Walmart Supercenter employees for helping with the purchase of a new bicycle and pull-behind trailer for 4-year-old Atticus Tredway and his 2-year-old brother, Vincent Tredway. Police continue to look for those who stole the boys’ original bicycle and pull-behind trailer.
Record setting
Thumbs-up to Lillie Hatfield. The Medora High School sophomore is the lone member of the girls track and field team at the state’s second smallest school. It takes a lot of resolve to practice alone and show up as your school’s only representative at meets. Hatfield also has set three new school marks in the distance events this season, her first on the team.
Top flight
Thumbs-up to sophomore Paxton DeHaven of Seymour for helping the University of Indianapolis women’s golf team win the NCAA Division II Super Regional for the fifth year in a row. With the May 4 victory at Springfield, Missouri, the Greyhounds now have a shot to repeat as national champions. The 2015 title run was the first for a non-Florida-based school and the first national crown for the school on the south side of Indianapolis.
No whining
Thumbs-down to anyone who didn’t vote in the May 3 election and wants to whine and complain about the job local, state and national politicians are doing. Turnout was 40 percent for the primary here and should have been much better. You had the chance to make a difference by voting and didn’t take the time to do so.