Weekly rewards, 10/18/12

Thumbs-up to Midwest Rake Co. on its decision to maintain operations at Seymour Manufacturing Co. at Broadway and Fifth streets after purchasing the company. Midwest, based in Warsaw, Ind., recently bought Seymour Manufacturing and announced plans to keep its factories here and in Tennessee operating under their existing brands. That’s good news for the 110 workers in Seymour and 95 at the Tennessee locations. Seymour Manufacturing has been making hand tools since 1872.

Thumbs-up to Dirk Botkin and others involved in the Jackson County chapter of Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Hungry. The program helps put deer meat in the freezers of area pantries for distribution to those in the community who need help feeding themselves and their families. For information about how you can help, call Botkin at 358-4737.

Thumbs-up to Seymour Elks Lodge for its recent donation of U.S. flags for eight classrooms at Cortland Elementary School. Elks lodges throughout the country provide flags to schools through a program that originated in the Seymour lodge, according to longtime member Don Hill of Seymour. Hill serves as the Americanism chairman for the local lodge. The classroom flag program is just one of many local Elks projects.

Thumbs-up to United We Stand for bringing Jim Williams of Nashville, Tenn., to the community for another round of talks aimed at ending bullying in area schools and elsewhere. Williams delivered a community meeting at Medora last week in addition to meeting with students. United We Stand grew out of a Leadership Jackson County project. To donate to the program, make checks payable to Leadership Jackson County–United We Stand and mail them to P.O. Box 982, Seymour, IN 47274. For information, visit the Facebook page LJC–United We Stand. Or contact Jody Deckard at jodydeckard@jcidc.com or call 522-4951.

Thumbs-up to Jackson County Public Library for renewing its annual Food for Fines program. The program allows patrons to pay their fines for overdue books and other materials by donating nonperishable food items to the library, which then distributes those items to local pantries operated by Human Services Inc., Community Provisions of Jackson County and Anchor House in Seymour; Crothersville First Baptist Church; and Medora Christian Church. For information about Food for Fines, contact Jackson County Public Library in Seymour at 522-3412, Crothersville at 793-2927 or

Medora at 966-2278.

Thumbs-up to area residents who answer the plea for the need of blood. The American Red Cross has four blood drives set for the area this month. They include one from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at Vallonia Christian Church, 2344 S. Main St., Vallonia; from 8 a.m. to noon Sunday at St. Paul Lutheran Church, Borchers, 10792 N. County Road 210E, Seymour; from 12:30 to 5:30 p.m. Oct. 25 at First Baptist Church, 505 Community Drive, Seymour; and from 2 to 8 p.m. Oct. 26 at Seymour Christian Church, 915 Kasting Road, Seymour.