Photo from 2017 of Norah Smith from the first time she gave away plants to family and friends. She was 3 then, and now, she’s 9 and still growing plants to give away. Norah is the daughter of Ray and Makenzie Smith of Seymour.
Submitted photo
Hall of Famers
Thumbs up to Seymour High School boys basketball coach and athletic director Kirk Manns, who recently was inducted into the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame. Manns scored 1,962 points during his four years at North Judson High School and wound up with 1,212 points during his career with the Michigan State University Spartans. He then played two years of professional basketball in Sweden before coaching at Western Michigan University. Manns became athletic director at Seymour High School in 2016 and has compiled a 43-47 record as head coach of the Owls. In 2022, he was voted the Indiana Basketball Coaches Association Coach of the Year in District 3 when the Owls posted a record of 15-7.
Thumbs up to Brownstown Central High School football coach Reed May, who recently was named to the Indiana Football Hall of Fame. May has compiled a 291-61 record since becoming coach of the Braves in 1993. May, a 1974 graduate of Bloomington South and a 1982 graduate of the University of Arizona, has led the Braves to 12 undefeated season, 20 Mid-Southern Conference titles, 13 sectional titles and three regional crowns. His formal induction will be announced by the Brownstown Central athletic department and QB club at a later date.
All-state honors
Thumbs up to Brownstown Central High School junior Jack Benter, who recently was named to Indiana Basketball Coaches Association/Franciscan Health Supreme 15 Small School All-State. A related thumbs up to Benter’s teammates, junior Parker Hehman and sophomore Colby Hall, who earned all-state honorable mention honors.
A giving green thumb
Thumbs up to 9-year-old Norah Smith of Seymour for growing and giving away vegetables plants to local gardeners for a couple of years. Norah has collected freewill donations during that time and gives away the proceeds. In 2021, she donated more than $1,000 to her school, Seymour-Jackson Elementary, and this past year, she donated about $800 to the Humane Society of Jackson County for supplies. This year’s proceeds also will be given to the Humane Society. For information, visit the Norah’s Vegetables Facebook page.
Helping others
Thumbs up to the Brownstown Elementary School students who made two personalized checkerboards for residents of Anchor House Family Assistance Center and Pantry in Seymour to use in their free time. The students are members of the Boys & Girls Club of Brownstown, and the checkerboards were made in the elementary school’s new makerspace. A makerspace is a collaborative workspace inside a school, library or separate public or private facility for making, learning, exploring and sharing that uses high-tech to no-tech tools, according to makerspaces.com. The students wound up making eight checkerboards, one or two of which will be kept at the club. Anchor House was the first recipient, and they are working together to figure out where to take the others.