Here in Jasper County, traditions and community pride run deep and there’s a shared commitment to keeping local events thriving. The Jasper County Fairgrounds has long been a highlight venue for the community. But as the varied uses of the fair grew, so did its needs, especially when it came to accessibility for attendees with disabilities. Enter Gary Joe Johnson and the Fair Board, who recently solved a big problem in partnership with Jasper County Schools.

Gary Joe, a longtime member of the Jasper County Fair Board, has witnessed plenty of changes over the years, but one of the most impactful was the acquisition of a unique, mobile bathroom facility—a solution that came through a blend of ingenuity, collaboration, and a little bit of luck.

“We needed to upgrade our bathroom facilities for handicap accessibility,” Gary Joe explains. “It was something we’d been discussing for a while, but we didn’t have the funds to do it properly.”

That’s when Joe Sornberger from the Jasper County School District came into the picture. Joe, aware of a community partnership grant that could help pay for the upgrades, approached the Fair Board with a solution. “He came to a Fair Board meeting and told us about the possibility of using a grant,” says Gary Joe. “It was a great idea.”

But like any good idea, it took a little time to find the right execution. Initially, the plan was to upgrade the permanent bathroom facilities at the fairgrounds, but someone made a joke about how it’d be nice to have one on wheels. That offhand comment turned into a real idea—why not invest in a mobile restroom unit that could be used anywhere on the fairgrounds?

“Someone said it as a joke, but the wheels started turning,” Gary Joe laughs. “So we started looking into it.”

After some research, the Fair Board found the perfect solution—an accessible, self-contained mobile restroom unit manufactured by Black Tie Products in Elkhart, Indiana. The unit, equipped with everything from hydraulics to lower it to the ground to hot water, air conditioning, and even LED lighting, was far from your average portable toilet.

“It’s not like any porta-potty you’ve seen,” Gary Joe says with a grin. “This thing has hydraulics, so it lowers to the ground, making it easy for people in wheelchairs to use. It has both men’s and women’s rooms, complete with flushing toilets and hot water. It’s practically like stepping into a nice motorhome bathroom.”

The total cost of the unit? $69,000, which Gary Joe says is “a bargain” for what it offers.

And the best part? Thanks to the grant, no local tax dollars were spent on the project. “That’s the beauty of it,” Gary Joe says. “We didn’t have to dip into any other funds or take away from other community projects. It was all covered by the grant.”

The mobile unit has already been a huge hit, used for a variety of events beyond just the fair, from FFA shows to safety training sessions for local electrical workers. “People are amazed when they step inside,” Gary Joe says. “It’s clean, comfortable, and accessible for everyone.”

For the Fair Board, the mobile bathroom unit is more than just a convenience—it’s a way to ensure that everyone in the community can enjoy events at the fairgrounds without worrying about accessibility.

“We’re always looking for ways to improve what we offer, and this was a big step,” Gary Joe says. “The fairgrounds are used year-round, not just during fair week. We’ve got horses stabled here, safety classes going on, and now we have this mobile unit we can move wherever it’s needed.”

The project has drawn attention from other communities too. “People have been asking us how we pulled this off,” Gary Joe says proudly. “It’s been great to see the positive response.”

As for the future, Gary Joe and the Fair Board aren’t stopping here. “We’re always looking for ways to improve,” he says. “We’re lucky to have such great partnerships, like the one with the school district, and we’re going to keep working to make sure the fairgrounds serve the community in every way possible.”

It’s clear that in Jasper County, the spirit of collaboration is alive and well. When groups like the Fair Board and the School District cooperate to solve problems, both will be vital parts of the community for many years to come—one porta-potty on wheels at a time.