Decatur County pledges $300,000 over three years for new fairgrounds event center

Jeremy Hazel, a Decatur County commissioner, told the commissioners the fairgrounds event-center project is “progress is definitely moving forward out there” and outlined plans for an adaptable, 600‑seat facility that county leaders hope will host 4‑H and FFA events, expos, business trainings and private rentals.

The commissioners voted to pledge $300,000 total, payable as $100,000 per year for three years, to the project’s private‑match campaign. The motion was seconded and the board recorded the vote as aye; the motion carried.

Why it matters: Commissioners and project leaders said the building is meant to serve multiple community uses and to attract outside visitors who would spend locally. Jeremy Hazel said the goal is to make the facility flexible enough to host large conferences or weddings, and to supply tables, chairs and audiovisual hookups so presenters can plug in and run programs across multiple screens.

Hazel described the planned kitchen as a caterer’s kitchen with warming stations, a three‑basin sink and abundant counter and outlet space. He said the project stopped short of installing a full commercial cooking ventilation system because the upgrade would have added roughly six figures in cost and…