This is the WFHB Local News for Tuesday, October 6th, 2020.

Later in the program, Indiana begins early voting today. WFHB Correspondent Aaron Comforty talks to voters who are getting ready to cast their ballots before election day.

Also coming up in the next half hour, Artbeat - a weekly program, interviewing artists, activists and educators about their work. Today, Dr. Filiz Cicek talks to Dena El Saffar about the Violin Against Violence vigil held every Wednesday at the Monroe County Courthouse.

Local News Brief:

990 new cases of COVID-19 were reported in Indiana on Monday, according to the Indiana State Department of Health. There were 30 newly reported deaths.

Locally, Monroe County saw 24 new confirmed cases yesterday. Keep in mind, Indiana University releases its COVID test results every Wednesday. Lawrence County reported 5 new cases, while Brown County reported one case.

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The City of Bloomington will be hosting its third public meeting discussing the redevelopment of the old IU Health hospital site tonight.

The City bought the 24-acre site in 2018, while construction of the new IU Health campus was beginning on State Road 46. Attendees will be able to participate in discussions on three topics about the refined plan.

Access plus Connections, Open Space, and Land Use plus Neighborhood Character. Tonight’s meeting will serve as another opportunity for community feedback.

Another public meeting is planned for December, where a finalized plan will be presented. The forum will be live-streamed starting at 6 PM on the City of Bloomington’s facebook page, and on catstv.net.

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Early voting has begun in Indiana. The deadline to register for voting has passed, but Hoosiers can still request a mail-in ballot until October 22nd.

Bloomington residents can find more information on absentee voting and early voting locations and times at monroecounttyvoters.us.

Brown County residents can find voting resources online at browncountylibrary.info/voting-resources.

Lawrence County residents can find this information at lawrencecounty.in.gov/government/voter-registration.

Indiana Hotels Face Permanent Closure Due to Pandemic

A national hotel lobbying group said two-thirds of Indiana’s hotels could face permanent closure due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The American Hotel and Lodging Association released a state-by-state breakdown of estimated hotel closures and job loss if Congress fails to pass another stimulus bill. It estimated that almost 700 of Indiana’s 1,042 hotels could permanently close.

Chip Rogers, president and CEO of AHLA, said, “It’s time to put politics aside and prioritize American workers in the hardest hit industries."

In a webinar on recovery for the hotel industry, Rogers said hotels struggled since the beginning of the pandemic.

"Unfortunately, we were the first hit, the worst hit and we'll be the last to recover," he said.

According to the breakdown by AHLA, Indiana started off with almost 30,000 jobs before the pandemic. In the month of September alone, the state lost 9,517 jobs.

Rogers said the industry needs to unite and urge Congress to pass another Covid-19 stimulus bill.

AHLA generated over 143,000 letters to Congress. Rogers said this is the most effective strategy to reach Congressional leaders.

"When we as an industry are able to speak with one united voice," he said, "our message stands a much, much better chance of being recognized and, perhaps, implemented by policymakers."

According to NPR, the hospitality industry may not return to pre-pandem...