This is the WFHB Local News for Thursday, December 10th, 2020.

Later in the program, we have the latest edition of our podcast, Prescription for Healthcare. Hosts Karen Green-Stone and Dr. Rob Stone talk to Dr. Susan Rogers, an assistant professor of medicine at Rush University. That’s coming up in today’s feature report.

Also coming up in the next half hour, Dave Seastrom of the Brown County Hour delivers an essay reflecting on the year 2020 - he cites the coronavirus pandemic, the election year and a divided culture as the highlights of the year. All that and more later in the show.

But first, your local news brief:

6,604 new cases of COVID-19 were reported in Indiana on Wednesday, according to the Indiana State Department of Health. There were 96 newly reported deaths. Locally, Monroe County saw 63new confirmed cases yesterday, while Lawrence County reported 57. Brown County reported 6 new cases.

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Last night, members of the Bloomington Police Department dismantled an encampment at Seminary Park downtown.

The camp served as a means of shelter for Bloomington residents who are experiencing homelessness. According to a report by The Bloomingtonian, police showed up at around 10 p.m., and let people staying in the camp know that they had to leave the park by 11 p.m., just an hour later.

The sweep happened less than two days after the city’s Board of Parks Commissioners voted 1-3 against a proposed ban on tents and similar structures during daytime hours in city parks.

Camping structures and makeshift structures are currently banned without a permit overnight, between the hours of 11 p.m. to 5 a.m.

Breaking up these encampments can be dangerous for many reasons. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC, set national guidelines for homeless encampments during the COVID-19 pandemic. In these guidelines, the CDC recommends allowing encampments to stay where they are.

According to the CDC guidelines, clearing these camps, as the BPD did Wednesday night, can, “cause people to disperse throughout the community and break connections with service providers. This increases the potential for infectious disease spread.”

According to posts on the Bloomington Homeless Coalition’s facebook page, items from the camp are being held at the Bloomington Parks Operations building at 545 S. Adams Street. Volunteers are picking up as many items as they can and taking them to the Shalom Center to be redistributed.

WFHB reached out to the Bloomington Parks and Recreations office for confirmation but were redirected to the office of the Mayor, who we could not reach before deadline.

Bloomington City Council Community Advisory Commission

Bloomington City Council member Steve Volan proposed the formation of a Citizens’ Redistricting Advisory Commission. Volan described the Commission during the December 9th City Council Community Affairs Committee meeting.

Volan mentioned the council would choose eighteen candidates, and nine of the eighteen would be selected at random to serve on the committee. Committee members unanimously recommended Do-pass to the council at whole.

Bloomington City Council Administration Committee 

The Bloomington City Council Administration Committee considered the language of Title two of the Bloomington Municipal Code entitled Administration and Personnel during their December 9th meeting. Committee member Steve Volan said the most controversial amendment regarded fiscal impact statements.

Volan said fiscal impact statements are already included in appropriation ordinances. He stated any fiscal impacts are presented as part of any ordinance.

Controller Jeff Underwood reported any fiscal impact infor...