This is the WFHB Local News for Monday, November 22nd, 2021.

Later in the program, WFHB Correspondent Nathaniel Weinzapfel speaks with Alyson Alde, a member of the environmental activist group, Sunrise Bloomington, to better understand what they hope to achieve and how optimistic they are for the future. More in today’s feature report.

Also coming up in the next half hour, state lawmakers will reconvene before the end of the month to potentially end the state’s public health order and make it more difficult for employers to require the Covid-19 vaccine. More in today’s headlines.

Monroe County Commissioners Provide Sobering Update on Covid-19

Photo courtesy of University of Michigan.

On November 17th at the Monroe County Commissioners meeting, Board of Health Director Penny Caudill gave a sobering update on Covid-19 cases in Monroe County.

"What is probably most disturbing to me is that this is the 17th of November, and we have had over 11 deaths this month alone at almost one a day," said Caudill.

She said the Board of Health will be meeting to discuss how to address the rise in Covid-19 cases.

Commissioner Penny Githens responded that community members should get their flu shots to limit the number of people going to the hospital.

"I need to remind folks to please get their flu shots because one of the things we can't have both COVID and flu overtaking our health care system," said Commissioner Githens. "People need to be able to have surgeries and other care when they need it, and we don't need to see that again. We can stop this."

The next Board of Commissioners meeting will be on December 1st.

Bloomington City Council Discusses Humane Pet Shop Ordinance

On November 17th the Bloomington City Council Committee of the whole discussed the Humane Pet Shop Ordinance to address the issues with commercial pet shops to prevent cat and dog mills where the animals are kept in inhumane conditions.

Indiana State Director at The Humane Society of the United States Samantha Morton explained how city ordinances can help communities ensure more humane conditions for cats and dogs.

"So you may know that puppy mills are a big issue here in Indiana," said Morton, "and over the years at the Humane Society of the United States, we have connected the sale of dogs and cats at pet stores to inhumane puppy mills."

Council member Isabel Piedmont-Smith presented the ordinance changes and explained how the ordinance would address cat and puppy mills by eliminating the market for them.

"The problem is that dogs and cats sold in pet shops are often sourced from puppy or kitten mills, where conditions are inhumane," said Piedmont-Smith. "These ordinances have been a strong tool in trying to stem the proliferation of these mills in order to cut the pipeline basically, so that there are fewer places that would actually purchase from the mills."

She said that the current Consumer Protection Requirements are insufficient to tackle the problem. She explained the ordinance would be effective by January 1st, 2023 to give pet shops time to change their business model, and shared that the Humane Society provides marketing assistance to help pet shops with the transition.

Council member Susan Sandberg added that the community has asked for changes like this to take place, and she feels confident this ordinance fairly allows businesses enough time to come into compliance with the new regulations.

"This has been a long time in the vetting process as for the members of the community that have approached the council to sponsor this ordinance, and so I do believe we have given it great thought we have vetted all t...