Top therapist

Thumbs-up to David Neuman of Seymour and Holly, his full-blooded 6-year-old Saint Bernard. Holly became a certified therapy dog registered through Therapy Dogs International Inc. in June 2012. She keeps a regular schedule, visiting Schneck Medical Center, Don and Dana Myers Cancer Center, Covered Bridge Health Campus, Lutheran Community Home and Seymour Crossing. She stays for 45 minutes to an hour at each stop. Later this month, Holly is expected to accomplish what few therapy dogs ever do in their lifetimes: 1,000 therapy visits.

Silent Pain

Thumbs-up to Mariah Kinzie of Seymour for forming an organization dedicated to suicide prevention. Mariah’s younger brother, Robert “Nate” Kinzie, committed suicide Dec. 26, 2016, at the age of 21 after a silent battle with depression. There were 44,193 suicides or an average of 121.1 day across the country in 2015. Suicide is a major preventable public health problem epidemic across the United States. Individuals who die by suicide cross all economic, racial, age and social boundaries. An organizational meeting of Mariah’s suicide prevention group, Silent Pain, will be from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Jan. 23 at the Jackson County Public Library, 303 W. Second St., Seymour.

Public servant retires

Thumbs-up to Bill Sweeney for the 30-plus years he spent as a member of the Brownstown Town Council. The Brownstown native recently resigned after he moved from his ward. It’s rare to find someone with that kind of public service to their community.

Coat giveaway

Thumbs-up to the congregation of Cana United Methodist Church in Uniontown for collecting coats and raising money for coats to give to anyone in Jackson County needing one. Each Saturday in January, the congregation will be serving some type of hot soup along with giving away coats between the hours of 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. There is no deadline for the giving of these coats, and if you need one, don’t hesitate to stop by the church on State Road 250 just east of Interstate 65 or call 812-599-9547.