This is the WFHB Local News for Tuesday, November 25th, 2025.

That’s Kaley Smith from South Central Community Action Program. The government shutdown ended without an extension of healthcare tax credits, and Smith says local families are seeing their monthly premiums double or even triple. It’s open season on affordable healthcare, later in the show in a feature interview.

Also coming up in the next half hour, the Bloomington Redevelopment Commission denied all public offering bids for three blocks of the Hopewell East development.

Bloomington Transportation Commission Addresses Dangerous Intersections

The Bloomington Transportation Commission met on Monday, November 17th.

City engineer Andrew Cibor reported on the intersection of East 17th Street and North Eagleson Avenue, which has seen 2 serious crashes within a 12-month timeframe. In both incidents, pedestrians were struck and seriously injured around midnight and on the weekend of a IU home football game.

Cibor updated the commission on what they’ve done and their plans to make the intersections safer.

Later in the meeting, Laura Gow, a resident of Bloomington, recommended improvements to the College Mall and Covenanter intersection.

Gow described her own experience being hit by a driver 11 months ago while trying to cross the intersection. She asked that the commission make improvements on the intersection, including repainting and signage.

Gow addressed the police and asked that they “perform better in upholding the safety of pedestrians in Bloomington.”

Commissioner Eoban Binder suggested that the staff conduct a new traffic study at the intersection since the last one that was done was in 2013.

Cibor responded to the suggestions, explaining that the city’s study to update traffic signal timing in Bloomington has been delayed.

Commissioner Hopi Stosberg asked how police cite drivers in cases like this.

Bloomington Police Chief Mike Diekhoff said the police do not have specific policies that ticket everyone who breaks a traffic law. Rather, the police are essentially information gatherers for the state.

Stosberg asked if there was a way the police department could work to align with the Safe Streets for All and Vision Zero plans, protecting people who are vulnerable to getting hit. Diekhoff responded that he didn’t think that a traffic ticket will make someone drive safer.

Commissioner Stephen Volan said this accident highlights why the commission exists and requires more research.

Stosberg moved to approve a petition that would examine the intersection and fix it to align with the other greenways in town, including adding a sign saying left turn yield to pedestrians.

The commission approved the motion unanimously.

The Transportation Commission will meet next on Monday, December 8th.

Hopewell East Development Bids Rejected by City Redevelopment Commission

The Bloomington Redevelopment Commission met on Monday, November 17th. During the meeting, the commissioners denied all public offering bids for three blocks of the Hopewell East development. Commissioner Dana Kerr says the proposals made were not adequate for the project.

Commissioner Anna Killion-Hanson asked if there was a timeline to share with the public.

The commission rejected all the proposals.

Next, Treasurer Jessica McClellan spoke to the commissioners about Resolution 25-135 regarding the redevelopment commission’s annual spending plan.

Commission member Randy Cassady asked about the flexibility of the plan.

The resolution passed unanimously. The Bloomington Redevelopment Commission will meet again on Monday, December 1st.

Feature Interview:

Credits:

It’s open enrollment season for healthcare, and the South Central Community Action Program is trying to help resource-constricted local residents navigate a system many find confusing. Kaley Smith is the agency’s health plan navigator. The recent government shutdown was a direct result of disagreement over the extension of Affordable Care Act tax credits, which are set to expire at the end of the year, so Kaley is worried about significant increases in the cost of healthcare on the federal marketplace. Kaley is especially concerned about the immigrant population who in some cases have no other option besides the emergency room. This is also the time of year when low-income Hoosiers enrolled in the Healthy Indiana Plan are able to switch their health insurance company. Around 300,000 Hoosiers will be forced to do that this season now that the state has cancelled its contract with MDwise, one of four managed care entities servicing Medicaid members in Indiana.

En este episodio conversamos con María del Pilar Pantall, asesora de seguros bilingüe que brinda servicios a las familias en decisiones importantes sobre salud, finanzas y bienestar a largo plazo. Durante el episodio, María nos habló sobre:

 ¿Quieres hablar con María? Consulta gratuita y asesoría personalizada.

The Miami Correctional Facility in Indiana is currently housing ICE detainees. This decision follows a recent partnership between Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Indiana Department of Correction and is part of an effort by the federal government to increase ICE detention capacity nationwide. In today’s feature report, WFHB Correspondent Zoe Moczek speaks with Miguel Avila, a representative of Indiana Assistance to Immigrants in Detention, who discusses the impact of immigration detention and policies on immigrants and their families. Avila criticized the initiative to house 1,000 detainees at the Indiana prison in addition to sharing his own personal experience of being detained for nine and a half months, highlighting the psychological trauma and legal challenges faced by immigrants. The views and opinions expressed in this interview are those of Miguel and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Indiana AID.

This is the WFHB Local News for Monday, November 24th, 2025.

In today’s newscast, WFHB Correspondent Zoe Moczek speaks with Miguel Avila, a representative of Indiana Assistance to Immigrants in Detention, who discusses the impact of immigration detention. That’s coming up in today’s feature report.

You’ll also hear from Wyatt Lawson from the Community Justice and Mediation Center. Got beef? CJAM can help. Learn how they resolve conflict and how you can become a volunteer mediator later in the show on a new episode of Activate!

CIB Prepares for Possible Breakdown in Convention Center Hotel Negotiations

The Monroe County Capital Improvement Board met on November 19th. Board members signaled that the CIB is preparing for the possibility that the city and its preferred hotel developer, Dora Hospitality, may fail to reach an agreement on the proposed Bloomington Convention Center hotel. CIB President John Whikehart explained that the board needs to prepare for the scenario.

Housing and Neighborhood Development Director Anna Killion-Hanson said despite major contributions, a large funding gap still exists. She said the CIB will issue a formal response in early December, adding “we appear to be running out of options.”

President Whikehart clarified that even if negotiations for the Bunger and Robertson site fail, Dora Hospitality remains the officially selected developer.

Whikehart added that many of the features driving up the project’s cost, such as a skybridge, rooftop bar and underground parking, are not required by the C-I-B and could be removed to cut costs.

He said if they removed those features, they could potentially save about 15 million dollars. The board expects a clearer picture of the hotel situation early next month.

The CIB also heard an update on the convention center’s signature artwork project. Assistant Director of the Arts Holly Warren said the city received 180 applications from artists interested in creating the public artwork for the convention center expansion.

The next meeting of the Monroe County Capital Improvement Board will take place on December 17th.

RBB School Board Approves Staff Stipends and Shorter School Year

The Richland Bean Blossom School Board met on November 18th. The board started the meeting by congratulating the Edgewood Marching Mustangs on their fourth consecutive state marching band win. Director of Pageantry Derek Latham says the show was called Transient.

Latham says the students responded to the theme in a big way this year, and it paid off.

Moving on, the board heard construction reports on the early childhood center, the field house, the high school renovations, the preliminary school, and the playground. Additionally, the corporation will be undergoing a full roof replacement.

The field house and high school renovations should be sufficiently completed within the next 30 days.

The school board then heard a consideration from Superintendent Dr. Jerry Sanders to approve stipends for teachers, administrators and support staff across the district.

Sanders says teachers and administrators will receive a 2,000 dollar one-time stipend, and support staff will receive a stipend based on their current pay, duties assigned and number of days worked.

The stipends were approved unanimously.

The board then heard a request from Sanders to shorten the school calendar from 185 teacher days to 183.

He recognized how much time teachers put in, often working into the evenings, on weekends and part of the summer.

The shortened school year was approved. The board continued to hear the Assistant Superintendent’s report from Jennifer Bird, who shared positive updates from across the district.

She highlighted the improvements in PSAT scores over the last three years.

She says the students are scoring 10 percent above the state average, and the percentage of students meeting benchmarks has climbed 10 percent in the past two years.

Bird congratulated both the high school and junior high on the testing improvements.

The next Richland Bean Blossom School Board meeting will be held on December 16th.

Feature Report:

The Miami Correctional Facility in Indiana is currently housing ICE detainees. This decision follows a recent partnership between Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Indiana Department of Correction and is part of an effort by the federal government to increase ICE detention capacity nationwide. In today’s feature report, WFHB Correspondent Zoe Moczek speaks with Miguel Avila, a representative of Indiana Assistance to Immigrants in Detention, who discusses the impact of immigration detention and policies on immigrants and their families. Avila criticized the initiative to house 1,000 detainees at the Indiana prison in addition to sharing his own personal experience of being detained for nine and a half months, highlighting the psychological trauma and legal challenges faced by immigrants. For more, we turn to Prison Affairs Correspondent Zoe Moczek. The views and opinions expressed in this interview are those of Miguel and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Indiana AID.

Credits:

This Week On Eco Report:

Midwest habitats depend on fire to survive and thrive.

Picture a dense forest choked and tangled with invasive shrubs and plants like buckthorn and honeysuckle. Hikers would need saws and loppers to clear a path. Meanwhile, native plants and tree saplings struggle to grow, starved for sunlight under layers of fallen leaves and branches. One spark could easily start a devastating wildfire.

Then a fire crew arrives to set a prescribed fire, or an intentional, carefully monitored burn. The fire moves across the forest floor, clearing away invasive shrubs and plants, as well as debris that could help wildfires to spread.

Months later, the transformation is striking. Charred ground gives way to fresh green shoots. Mature trees are mostly unscathed. Wildflower bloom, tree saplings stretch upward, and a variety of wildlife forages and nests. Fire acts as a reset button on prairies, wetlands and other ecosystems.

Storytime with Julie:

When I was growing up in Georgia along the Chatahoochee River, I would sometimes take a blanket and go out into the yard at night to sleep. We did not have airconditioning or fans, we just opened the windows. It would get really hot and sticky in the summer.

Summertime sounds during the summer in the south are a true serenade. While falling asleep I would hear the constant “Whip poor will! Whip poor will from this nocturnal bird. It would lull me to sleep.

I don’t think too many people, today, have had the opportunity to hear a Whip poor will. When you do hear one, you will definitely know. It is very distinctive.

They have declined significantly in the recent past, due mostly to habitat loss. In Indiana, we now know that prescribed fire creates habitat the whip-poor-will seeks out. It opens up the understory, making foraging for flying insects easier. It maintains the scattered brushy patches used for cover and provides the fallen logs that are often nesting locations.

I look forward to hearing the Whip-poor-will again,

—Julianna Dailey

Google 0 Indiana 1

Just last month, Franklin Township successfully stood its ground against Google’s proposed data center, ultimately leading the tech giant to remove its proposal. Fort Wayne now finds itself in a similar battle with Google who in Phase 2 of building a new $2B data center, also known as Project Zodiac, is being built on over 1400 acres of land.

In September, the Project Zodiac developers received a permit to fill in over two acres of protected wetlands where they are building. Last week, hundreds of residents took part in a public hearing hosted by IDEM on a request to allow an additional 140 diesel generators at the facility. Protesting parties claim that this new center will release 900 tons of pollution each year, potentially impacting quality life for nearby residents. Although Google suggests these generators are for emergency use only, members of the community took turn after turn speaking out about concerns for the environmental and health impacts of this facility.

IDEM continues to take comments on this issue. Residents opposed to data center development, especially those that directly compromise the existing and precious ecosystems, are encouraged to speak out. According to the Citizens Action Coalition, 30 similar data center projects are active across the state and at least eleven have already been withdrawn. Your voice matters, Indiana!

—Carrie Albright

Feature Interview

In today’s feature report, WFHB Environmental Correspondent Carrie Albright speaks with Gillian Field, Urban Green Space Outreach Coordinator for the City of Bloomington. Field discusses environmental conservation efforts in the city and highlights the Adopt-a-Green-Space program, which invites residents to care for local parks with a one-year commitment, providing training and support.

In Nature reminds us that Winter brings the Falcon.

GET INVOLVED!

Are you looking for a way to make a difference on environmental issues?

Here at EcoReport we are currently looking for reporters, engineers, and segment producers. Our goal is to report facts on how we’re all affected by global climate disruption and the ongoing assaults on our air, land and water. We also celebrate ecologists, tree huggers, soil builders and an assortment of champions who actively protect and restore our natural world, particularly those who are active in south central Indiana.

All levels of experience and all ages are welcome, and we provide the training you’ll need. W-F-H-B also offers internships. To volunteer for Eco-Report, give us a call at (812) 323-1200, or e-mail us at: [email protected].

TOUCH GRASS!

And now for some upcoming events:

That’s all, folks

And that wraps up our show for this week. EcoReport is brought to you in part by M-P-I Solar, a Bloomington business specializing in solar hot water, solar electricity and solar hot air systems. M-P-I Solar designs and installs solar power generation systems that encourage independence and individual responsibility. Found locally at 812-334-4003 and on the Web at MPIsolarenergy.com.

The Community Justice and Mediation Center is trying to resolve conflict in Bloomington. CJAM does a lot of mediation in tenant-landlord disputes, helping renters avoid eviction or get something fixed. Mediation can save you time and money, and keep you out of a courtroom. Executive Director Wyatt Lawson wants to train you to be a volunteer mediator so he can help more people who got beef.

Activate! is a partnership between WFHB and the City of Bloomington Volunteer Network, working together to build a strong, healthy and engaged community. You can learn more about volunteer opportunities in the WFHB listening area at bloomingtonvolunteernetwork.org or by emailing [email protected].

This episode of Activate! was produced by Mia Hilkowitz

 This is the WFHB Local News for Thursday, November 20th, 2025.

In today’s newscast, the Indiana Daily Student printed its first edition since the university reversed course on the decision to cancel the print version of the student newspaper. More in today’s feature report.

Also coming up in the next half hour, we feature a segment from the latest edition of the Brown County Hour – WFHB’s monthly, community-generated radio program originating in beautiful Nashville, Indiana.

Featured Segments:

Indiana University recently reversed course on the decision to cancel the print edition of the Indiana Daily Student. This followed backlash from faculty members, students, free speech groups and the national media. The first print edition since the cancellation of the IDS hit newsstands this morning on November 20th. In today’s feature report, WFHB News Correspondents Camdyn Glover and Zoe Moczek speak with Mia Hilkowitz, co-editor-in-chief of the IDS, about the future of press freedom at IU. That archived interview is coming up next on the WFHB Local News.

At the corner of Kinser Pike and the State Road 45/46 bypass, you will see a billboard that says “Indiana University Covered Up the Truth: What Are They Hiding?” The billboard campaign was launched by the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, or FIRE. Since they launched over two decades ago, FIRE has become one of the nation’s leading advocates for free speech on college campuses. In their latest report ranking free speech on college campuses across the country, Indiana University ranked the worst public college. In today’s feature report, WFHB News speaks with Dominic Coletti, student press program officer at FIRE, about their recent billboard campaign and concerns they have about freedom of speech at IU. That’s coming up next on the WFHB Local News.

Now, we turn to WFHB Sports Correspondent Nate Rushemeza who brings you today’s Sports News Briefing – a rundown of local, state and national sports news. That’s coming up next on WFHB.

Credits:

A true south central Hoosier — he swam in limestone quarry pools as a kid — Dason Anderson now guides this region’s online magazine as its executive editor. Running a news operation is especially challenging as we enter the second half of the decade. With many news outlets suffering due to federal funding and granting cutbacks and social media pressures, Limestone Post has survived through its first ten years of existence. Anderson replaced retired founder and publisher, Ron Eid, as editor, and has pledged to maintain the magazine’s high standards of accuracy and fairness in long-form journalism.

Hosts Michael Glab and Tristra Newyear chat with Bloomington’s most fascinating people.

Do you own your home? Or do you own property of any kind, anywhere? It’s actually possible for some fraudster to steal your home right out from under you, without your knowing it. Title Fraud is a real danger, especially if you don’t live on the property and especially if you don’t have a mortgage. It’s not as likely as some other scams, but it can happen, and if it does the consequences can be devastating to your finances, or your business. Here’s how to protect yourself.