Beyond the call of duty

Thumbs up to Jackson County Sheriff’s Department Officer Mark Holt, who entered ice-cold floodwaters in the Chestnut Ridge area of the county Jan. 13 to pull a North Vernon woman from a vehicle that was submerged. Although he was off duty, Holt did not hesitate to respond to the call, which makes him a hero in a lot of people’s book.

A great envoy

Thumbs up to Mark Hancock, who is a member of Seymour-based Knights of Columbus Council 1252. He recently was announced as the first recipient of the Gibault Envoy of the Year during the annual Gibault Envoy Conference. An envoy serves as a liaison between local Indiana Knights of Columbus councils and Gibault Children’s Services in Terre Haute. The award honors an envoy’s outstanding commitment and continued dedication to the children, adults, families and communities Gibault serves.

Long-lasting

Thumbs up to Merle F. and Leota Barnett of Seymour, who celebrated 55 years of marriage on Dec. 28. The couple have three children, four grandchildren and a great-grandchild. Another thumbs up goes to Harry and Luanne Smith of Seymour, who celebrated 50 years of marriage on Jan. 17. The Smiths have two children and six great-grandchildren.

Floral firsts

Thumbs up to Crothersville native and local florist Bobby Eldridge and his team of nine who handled the floral applications for a couple of floats for the 135th annual Tournament of Roses Parade. One of those entries, the Kaiser Permanente float, won the Presidents Award for the most outstanding use of presentation of flowers. The second entry, The UPS Store float, earned the Bob Hope Humor Award for the most whimsical and amusing float. Other members of the team are Vicki Harkness, Tammy Middleton, Doug Bates, Todd Johnson, Mike Gaddie, Bridget Joslin, David Joslin, Susan Iskanian and Blake Hackman. Hackman lives in Brownstown.

Braves of the Month

Thumbs up to the Braves of the Month for December. Those honored during a recent meeting of the Brownstown Central Community School Corp. board of school trustees are fourth-grader Kasey Sutherland, eighth-grader Loralie West and senior Cole Brelage.

Helping those in need

Thumbs up to everyone who contributed to the 78th annual Christmas Basket Fund. The fund raised a total of $7,490 through the end of 2023. Sponsored by American Legion Post 89, The Tribune and JCBank, the fund helps ensure people in need have a way to buy food at Christmastime.