The City of Jasper has some new bragging rights: it was named among the top 50 of America’s Best Communities today.
The contest, hosted by Frontier Communications, DISH Network, CoBank and the Weather Channel, continues through next year.
Finalists will advance to the top 15 in November and whittled down to the top three in October 2017
Jasper Mayor Terry Seitz told WNIN he and the city are in it for the long haul.
“There's a lot of work still ahead, yet it is a work of celebration," Seitz said. "We already know we have made significant strides with what we want to do and in making our downtown riverfront even more vibrant. If we can use this to match that not just financially, but creating champions and collaborating partnerships, it's going to be a very good process for us all."
The $50,000 prize money will go toward the city’s downtown and riverfront master plan, which includes projects in urban revitalization, public art and connectivity, Seitz said.
More than 135 communities across the country applied for the distinction, and eleven towns in Indiana made the cut.
