This is the WFHB Local News for Wednesday, February 2nd, 2022.

Later in the program, we have the latest edition of A Few Minutes with the Mayor - a biweekly segment where we pose questions to Bloomington Mayor John Hamilton on community issues. More in the bottom half of tonight’s program.

Also coming up in the next half hour, Phony Job Offer on Better Beware - your weekly consumer-watchdog segment on WFHB. More following today’s feature.

But first, your weekly Environmental News Brief:

The nearby city of Crane, Indiana had a special moment last week when navy veteran Robert “Angel” Lange released “Christmas” , a bald eagle, back into the wild. The bird was injured in November due to a puncturing of her wing likely caused by a stick or due to an encounter with another bald eagle. The mating season of bald eagles occurs from December through February, so Lange hopes that by releasing Christmas near where she was found she will be able to find a mate. Bald eagles represent a conservation success story for Indiana, as they were extirpated, or extinct in the state, from 1890 until the first mating pair successfully created a nest near Lake Monroe in 1991. After being released, Christmas hobbled around on the ground before once again gaining the confidence to take off into the sky.

A new study is out that may impact how Hoosiers use their kitchen appliances. The Stanford University study has determined that natural gas cooking stoves have a high potential to leak the dangerous greenhouse gas methane even when the power is off. The researchers measured methane concentrations from numerous gas cooking stoves throughout California and were shocked to find that around 80% of all the emissions occur when the stove is not being used. This is bad news due to the potency of methane, and its ability to trap 86 times more warmth in the atmosphere when compared to carbon dioxide, with 20% of the Earth’s warming being attributed to this gas. Methane is also a byproduct of cattle farming, as cows produce the gas through their digestive system. Based on this stove leaking research, climate activists are urging Americans to switch to electric stoves whenever they need a new stove.

The Washington Post recently published a report that offers some good news when it comes to the tackling of the climate crisis. If solar panels were to be installed on top of large big-box stores such as Kroger, Walmart, and Target, then the stores could meet half of their electrical needs through solar energy, and create enough power equivalent to 8 million American homes.

Normally, the empty rooftops serve no purpose, but with new advancements in solar panel technology, over two thirds of the rooftops could generate solar energy. Similarly, the report also notes the untouched potential of solar panels in parking lots. These solar rooftops for parking would provide shade for cars and also generate electricity. This development is already catching on in states such as New Jersey and California, with its potential to succeed in states throughout the US.

Monroe County Commissioners

At the Monroe County Commissioners meeting on January 26th, County Attorney Margie Rice explained a contract with E&B Paving for construction related to the southern section of the Karst Farm Greenway.

Commission member Lee Jones said she was glad to see the trail network get better and better. The commissioners voted to approve the contract unanimously.

The commissioners also approved changes to a grant to the Monroe County Humane Association. The funds were initially intended to be used for an additional vehicle, however, due to the supply chain challenges they have deceived to use the grant money to make security upgrades at the E. Susan Bartlett Emergency Center.

Rice added that she thinks the program is a valuabl...