This is the WFHB Local News for Tuesday, July 27th, 2021.

Later in the program, WFHB Correspondent Tilly Robinson reports on the state of Indiana reinstating federal unemployment benefits despite Governor Eric Holcomb’s attempts to shut the program down. That’s coming up in today’s feature reports.

Also coming up in the next half hour, WFHB News interviews Cassie Hakken, Marketing Manager for Cardinal Stage about a new initiative that allows audience members to choose their own ticket prices. More coming up following today’s feature.

But first, your local news brief:

Bloomington has recently been victim to air quality issues, caused by smoke from West Coast wildfires, according to the Indiana Department of Environmental Management. The National Interagency Fire Center stated that there are currently 85 active fires burning throughout the West that have already burned 1.5 million acres as of yesterday, July 26th. According to officials, peak fire season happens in late summer to early fall, so there are still more to come. These fires are a result of worsened weather patterns such as droughts and heat waves. On July 21st and 22nd IDEM issued a state-wide Air Quality Action Day in a press release, where they asked people to help reduce the smoke by changing daily habits. The wildfires generate particulate matter, otherwise known as soot. High concentration of this matter can be harmful to humans, causing health issues especially to people with cardiovascular problems or asthma.

Some examples they listed included reducing activity time outdoors to reduce exposure, avoid burning wood and unnecessary fires, avoid using gas-powered vehicles or equipment, and decrease energy use at home. Retired employee from the U.S. Forest Service Lester Wadzinksi stated that it is unusual to have air quality alerts caused by fires thousands of miles away. Indiana University Associate Professor of Chemistry Jonathan Raff added that Bloomington will likely have air quality issues until November and expressed that as climate change worsens, these issues will persist. IDEM announced on their website that they have a SmogWatch available where people can sign up to get alerts and updates on air quality forecasts.

Bloomington’s Lake Monroe has been seeing excessively high water levels in recent weeks, forcing state-operated beaches like Payentown and Fairfax, and other beaches and docks to close for safety precautions. Closures are not enforced but have signs posted that say “Beach Closed High Water”. DNR Reservoir Specialist Philip Wilson said that the water line is six feet above the normal, and that this is more typical for spring than summer.

A Bloomington bookshop from the 90s has risen from the dead. Morgenstern Books opened up at the old Pier 1 location just last Monday with a parking lot full of anticipated customers to support them. The book store originally opened up in 1990 by founder Rick Morgenstern, who came to Bloomington in 1978 for college. The store slowly ran out of business once Barnes and Nobles opened up in town. The bookshop will have a community space that can be reserved for occasional live entertainment and are planning on having a cafe and local artisan goods sold at the store too.

Ellettsville Town Council 

The Ellettsville Town Council continued its discussion on rezoning a section of State Road 46. At the July 26th meeting, representative of the commissioner Lynn Coyne discussed the decision to request a rezone from Commercial 3 zone to a Planned Unit Development. He said the C-3 zone required the petitioner to develop more than they wanted.

Resident Tyron Cooper focused on the safety issues connected to the additional traffic produced by this apartment complex. He said connected neighborhoods have roads without sidewalks and are ...