According to Care Not Cages, the county is at a crossroads when it comes to funding the criminal legal system. Recent legislation passed by the Indiana Statehouse makes the current plan for financing a new jail obsolete. Care Not Cages, New Leaf-New Life, the Indiana Recovery Alliance and nine other organizations endorsed a letter urging county leadership to focus on renovating the current jail as opposed to constructing a new jail. WFHB News interviewed Seth Mutchler and Sam Holdeman, members of Care Not Cages, following extensive public comment at the Monroe County Council meeting on Tuesday.

Below are a few clips from the public comment portion of the Monroe County Council meeting on Tuesday.

Helpful links: 

Monroe County Council meeting 

Credits:

Today’s feature report was produced by Kade Young.

Frequent rainfall beginning in April has left Lake Monroe flooded, at times reaching 15 feet above normal levels. While flood control is one of the primary purposes of the reservoir, water buildup still poses challenges to those who depend on the lake for their livelihood. WFHB News Correspondent Harley Babbitt speaks with volunteers, DNR staff, and business owners to learn more about how they have adapted to the new conditions.

This is WFHB Rewind, where we bring you highlights from the week—and sometimes hidden gems you might have missed. Stay with us for a blend of thoughtful storytelling, vibrant interviews, and the unexpected moments that bring our airwaves to life.

Featured Segments:

WFHB DJ and Local Live Producer Nicki Seven speaks with Brian Bassett, the guitarist for the rock band, Foghat. Bassett discussed the band’s upcoming performance at the Brown County Music Center on July 24. He highlighted the band’s appreciation for historic theaters and their multi-generational fan base, including fans influenced by the Guitar Hero game. Bassett also touched on the resurgence of vinyl, the technical aspects of recording, and the band’s 50th anniversary of their album “Fool for the City.” For more, we turn to host Nicki Seven.

Up next – from July 2019 – the news department conducted an episode of Voices in the Street on summer jobs. We look back at the station archive to bring you that segment on WFHB Rewind.

Credits:

Produced by WFHB News, Music and Youth Radio departments.

On the Bloomington music scene there have always been concerts happening outside of traditional public venues – like house shows for example. But last year three popular house show venues shut down after noise complaints from neighbors, and earlier this year the city served a cease and desist order to the popular Pink Poodle house show venue. Promoters are starting to get creative, looking at commercial properties that are unused during evening hours. Correspondent Audrey Ouillette asks Bloomington Fire Marshal Tim Clapp why house shows are problematic and talks to Bloomington musician and concert host Alec McLaren about the challenges facing his shows. We also hear from Matt Panfil, founder of the Healer DIY space in Indianapolis which could be a possible model for future Bloomington venues.

USEFUL LINKS:

CREDIT:

This is the WFHB Local News for Wednesday, July 23rd, 2025.

In today’s newscast, WFHB News Correspondent Max Schneider covers Governor Braun’s dismantling of DEI, funding cuts to NPR and PBS and a rundown of recent bills passed in the Indiana Statehouse. More in today’s feature report.

You’ll also hear Bloomington Fire Marshal Tim Clapp on why the city is cracking down on house concert venues. With The Pink Poodle on a cease and desist order local concert organizers are getting creative. Hear more later in the show in a feature report.

Feature Reports:

In today’s feature report, WFHB News Correspondent Max Schneider provides a rundown on campus and local news over the summer. Schneider reports on Indiana Governor Mike Braun’s dismantling of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiatives in the state. The U.S. Congress also recently passed a rescission package drastically impacting funding for public media. Lastly, Schneider provides a rundown on recent bills passed in the Indiana Statehouse, speaking with State Representative Matt Pierce. We turn to Max Schneider for more.

On the Bloomington music scene there have always been concerts happening outside of traditional public venues – like house shows for example. But last year three popular house show venues shut down after noise complaints from neighbors, and earlier this year the city served a cease and desist order to the popular Pink Poodle house show venue. Promoters are starting to get creative, looking at commercial properties that are unused during evening hours. Correspondent Audrey Ouillette investigates the rise of the Healer DIY space in Indianapolis as a possible model for Bloomington in a feature report produced in partnership with The Media School at Indiana University.

Up next, “Phony Local Scams” on Better Beware – your weekly consumer-watchdog segment on the WFHB Local News. For more, we turn to host and producer Richard Fish.

Credits:

Indiana University Credit Union customers are being hit by telephone scammers — do you have an account there? Do you know someone who does? Telephone phonies and email scammers are running rampant these days. You need to understand what they’re trying to do — and we need you to help spread the word to people who don’t hear Better Beware.

Tune in to learn about animal welfare issues in Indiana, such as: dog breeding, puppy mills, factory farming, roadside zoos, and traveling animal acts. We also cover advocacy organizations and ways to help improve Indiana for animal friends.

—

Lil BUB’s Lil Show is a co-production of WFHB and Lil BUB’s Big Fund

Spoiler alert: Lexie Parkins and Wenlu She did not win the Little 500 bike race this year. For both women it was their first time competing in Little Five. What possesses someone who has never raced a bike before to compete in the most famous bicycle race of them all? For Parkins and She it was more about the journey than the destination. Correspondent Morgan Rusk follows their experience on and off the track in a feature report produced in partnership with The Media School at Indiana University.

CREDIT:

The 2024-2025 school year was a tough one for some Jewish students at Indiana University.  In September Hillel, the Jewish culture center on the IU Bloomington campus, hosted a memorial service mourning the deaths of six Israeli hostages in Gaza. Then in March the U.S. Department of Education included IU in its callout of sixty universities under investigation for antisemitism. But leadership of campus support services for Jewish students say they feel supported by the IU administration. Correspondent Caleb Robbins explores efforts to make Bloomington a safe place for students missing their Jewish community back home with IU Hillel executive director Jeff Linkon, and Jasmine Halpern, vice president of Chabad at Indiana University. This feature report includes audio from the March 7 “Mega Shabbat” event in Dunn Meadow and was produced in partnership with The Media School at Indiana University.

USEFUL LINKS:

https://www.chabadiu.com/

CREDIT:

Today’s feature story on Jewish culture at IU was produced by Caleb Robbins in partnership with The Media School at Indiana University.

This is the WFHB Local News for Monday, July 21st, 2025.

In today’s newscast, you will hear Jeff Linkon from Hillel, the Jewish culture center on the IU Bloomington campus. The U.S. Department of Education recently included IU in its callout of sixty universities under investigation for antisemitism. Hear more about efforts to make Bloomington a safe place for Jewish students later in the show in a feature report.

You’ll also Daniel Schlegel from the Monroe County History Center, connecting the past to the present and future. Learn more later in the show on a new episode of Activate!

But first, today’s feature:

On Thursday, community members gathered for a protest as part of the “Good Trouble Lives On” national day of action. The protest at the Courthouse Square in downtown Bloomington was led by various community members and activists to honor John Lewis’ legacy and address ongoing social justice issues. Correspondent Ella Cummings spoke with protesters and organizers in today’s feature report on the WFHB Local News.

Credits: