Sylvania woman rebuilds burnt hay bales inspired by Trump

SYLVANIA, Ala. (WAFF) – After an arsonist torched her Donald Trump-inspired artwork, a young Sylvania woman rebuilt it bigger than before.

Although someone burned her original creation two weeks ago, Maddie Jackson has spent weeks putting together yet another exhibit on Sylvania Avenue.

She said that since the original was burned, her story has gained national attention.

Yet, his only goal is to put a smile on the faces of everyone in his community.

“Just because they burned the building down doesn’t stop me. I’m just going to rebuild it,” said Auburn University student Maddie Jackson.

That’s exactly what Jackson did. She rebuilt her original design, just adding an extra touch of “Trump Train” with a few new flags and signs to match.

“After the fire, a bunch of people texted and reached out and said they would help rebuild or do whatever they could…donating cameras, paint, whatever they could. I even had someone reach out and send us a bunch of hats from people I didn’t even know,” Jackson said.

Sylvania Police Chief Jeremy Ake said his department and Dekalb County deputies are still working to find the fire virus.

“We don’t have any leads at this point. They’ve talked to a lot of people in the area, but that’s all we have at this point,” Ake said.

Ake said he’s heard from other fire departments that arson is on the rise in surrounding communities, but this is a first for Sylvania.

“This is the first time we’ve had something like this in years, to my knowledge,” Ake said.

However, Ake said patrol officers and deputies will be keeping a close eye on the latest installment of Jackson’s creation.

“We’re going to do everything we can to get a lot of extra patrols, and I hope the community will also help and keep an eye on it,” Ake said.

Still, nothing has stopped Jackson from continuing his mission to bring a little joy to his community. His father, Heath Jackson, told WAFF 48 he hopes the display will remain intact until at least the next election.

As many drivers stopped to take photos of the new exhibit, Maddie Jackson had one thing to say to anyone considering burning it down again.

“If you don’t like it, keep driving. You don’t have to watch it,” Jackson said.

Click here to subscribe on YouTube: Watch the latest news, sports and weather videos from WAFF 48 on our YouTube channel!